It is one of four groups (the others being the Nephites, the Lamanites, and the Jaredites) described in the Book of Mormon as having settled in the ancient Americas. Jehoiakim had reigned only eleven years when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, overthrew the Egyptian rule and took control of the Kingdom of Judah. Until the Book of Mormon was published in 1830, history had remained silent about any surviving son of the last of the twenty-one kings of Judah. Although they lived in America during the same period as the Nephites and Lamanites, they did not encounter them until around 200 B.C. 20:17–18. (See F. J. Foakes and D. D. Jackson, The Biblical History of the Jews, Cambridge: W. Heffe and Son L.T.D., 1917, p. The people of Zarahemla had come from the land of Jerusalem under the leadership of Mulek, the only surviving son of King Zedekiah. I don't know why it is so set in cement that Lehi, Mulekites, and Jaredites had to have traveled to Mesoamerica by way of the Pacific. The Book of Mormon chronologist dates this divinely arranged reuniting of these two escaped remnants of Jerusalem sometime between 279 B.C. These additions not only added strength to the Church in Zarahemla, but the circumstances of their journeying to Zarahemla may provide us with some information concerning the approximate distances between the Lamanite-Nephite, the Mulekite, and the Jaredite civilizations. The tragic events leading up to the overthrow of King Zedekiah and the destruction of Jerusalem were foretold by many prophets. The word Mulekite, after Mulek, is commonly used to refer to his group. The fact that the Book of Mormon is essentially silent about these other societies is consistent with All the indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere came from Israel at one time or another. When taught the Nephite language, the Mulekites recounted their descent from Mulek, which was then recorded. Wayne May shares his research into the most probable location of the Mulekite civilization in North America and the lost temple of Zarahemla in modern-day Iowa state. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Studies Quarterly by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. They kept traveling until they arrived at the land of the Jaredites and there found the twenty-four gold plates that Ether had left. However, as late as 51 B.C., a Lamanite affiliate who was a descendant of king Zarahemla attacked and gained brief control over the Nephite capital ( … William Whiston, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1974, p. Their history spans over one thousand years, from 600 BC to 450+ AD and occupies most of the Book of Mormon text. » Mulekites Evidence in North America | Wayne May. Today, the theory of transoceanic crossings to America is a hotly debated topic, and while the majority opinion still resides with the Beringia theory alone, more and more evidence points to transoceanic crossings. The person who believes Phoenicians/North Africans came to South America believes these people came at about the time Lehi and party arrived, possibly earlier. In the words of Josephus, “After this manner … the kings of David’s race ended their lives, being in number twenty-one, until the last king.” (Josephus, trans. by Nephi and other New World scribes. 8:21.) Not knowing the route to take, the sixteen men, led by Ammon, wandered forty days until they arrived at the Land of Nephi. This situation agrees with a number of clues in the Book of Mormon that suggest these colonies quickly interacted with outsiders. Nevertheless, they had had many wars and serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time; and their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand them.” (Omni 1:17. (See Mosiah 24.) 8:21.). (Hel. There Zedekiah’s sons and the nobles of Judah were slain before his eyes. Jeremiah’s promises apparently fell on deaf ears, for Zedekiah continued to listen to his nationalistic friends. When they had gathered together near the temple built in Zarahemla, the Nephites and Mulekites offered burnt sacrifices according to the law of Moses and gave thanks to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem and appointing just men to teach them to keep the commandments of God. Very little information is really given about the Mulekites, who, by descent, outnumbered the Nephites. His eighteen-year-old son Jehoiachin was then instated as king. The stone containing the story of Coriantumr and the Jaredites that was discovered by the Mulekites also placed the Jaredite civilization north of Zarahemla. (Omni 1:14–15.) After many trials, the Lord delivered them, and they “traveled in the wilderness twelve days” until they arrived in the land of Zarahemla. 6:10 .) In fact, Zarahemla, the city founded by the Mulekites, became to the Nephites what Salt Lake City is to Latter-day Saints today. They then became amalgamated with the Nephites. When the Nephites were commanded to leave their historic homeland of Lehi-Nephi to flee from the Lamanites, the exiled remnants discovered the city of Zarahemla, to their north. One reason that readers of the Book of Mormon get confused about the Mulekites is that the name Mulekite is never used. and 130 B.C. (See Ether 13:20–21.). This man was not new to the Mulekites, for they had found him, and he had lived with them for nine moons until he died. (See Ensign, Jan. 1987, p. What a joy it is for us to realize that as we teach gospel truths to the indigenous people in the areas of Book of Mormon heritage that we are offering gospel truths not only to the descendants of Lehi—but also to those of the colony of Mulek. The Lord has not fully revealed his purpose in leading this remnant, including a surviving heir to David’s throne, out of Jerusalem to be reunited with another chosen remnant, the Nephites. 216.) Much of the prior Mulekite history was lost because of their lack of records. Amaleki writes that Mulek, the son of Zedekiah and heir to the throne of David, came “out from Jerusalem at the time that Zedekiah, king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon.” (Omni 1:15.) Even less is known about their history or their journey to America. (See Omni 1:20–22.). Well, Israel, of course, silly! He began by causing that the people of Zarahemla be taught in his language, undoubtedly so they could be taught the word of God from the records. Mosiah leads righteous Saints to Zarahemla. "[7], The last surviving Jaredite, Coriantumr, encountered the Mulekites, "and he dwelt with them for the space of nine moons" before he died.[8]. Perhaps one of the most well-known stories in the Book of Mormon is that of the people of King Benjamin. This would make the journey from the land of Nephi to the land of the Mulekites a total of twenty days. The Book of Mormon gives us some general proximities of the Mulekite, the Nephite-Lamanite, and the Jaredite civilizations (see figure 1): “Now the land south was called Lehi, and the land north was called Mulek.” (Hel. (See Mosiah 2:1–4.) It is claimed that Abraham Lincoln, who became America’s 16thPresident on this day in 1860, was a Melungeon; a person of European, African-American and Native American ancestry. Nephi, a prophet who lived just prior to the time Christ visited the American continent, underscored the prominence of the Mulekites by asking a simple question, yet one with profound meaning for our day as we reestablish the Church among the children of Lehi: “Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us?” (Hel. The army pursued them and captured them at the plains of Jericho. Amaleki continues: “And they journeyed in the wilderness, and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters, into the land where Mosiah discovered them; and they had dwelt there from that time forth.” (Omni 1:16; italics added.) ), While abridging the Book of Ether, Mormon mentioned that the Jaredites were even north of the Mulekites: “And it came to pass that their flocks began to flee before the poisonous serpents, towards the land southward, which was called by the Nephites Zarahemla.” (Ether 9:31.) King Benjamin then delivered the message that he had received from an angel concerning the birth, mission, and atonement of Jesus Christ. ), “And it came to pass that the people of Zarahemla, and of Mosiah, did unite together; and Mosiah was appointed to be their king.” (Omni 1:19. They were led by the last living son of Zedekiah, Mulek. ), At first, one might ask, Why didn’t the Mulekites bring records, as the Nephites did? ), Seeing the condition they were in, Mosiah set out to rectify the situation. The people of Mulek established their capital at Zarahemla, north of where Lehi and his people landed. J. Larson April 12, 2016. ), Thus, the once spiritually benighted and degenerate society of the Mulekites became the ecclesiastical and political capital of the Nephites, at least until the time of Christ. The Mulekites eventually adopted the Nephites' language and religion, and the two peoples formed one nation by establishing Zarahemla as their new capital and naming the Nephite Mosiah as their king.[10]. The Phoenician theory is also supported in a book written in 1871, by John Denison Baldwin, an American anthropologist. The Jaredites & Mulekites were contemporaries for about 200 years until the Jaredite collapse. That means for at least 400 years the Nephites, the Mulekites, and the Jaredites all lived on the same continent together. (See Jer. Just prior to his death, Amaleki completed the Book of Omni by briefly recording the account of King Mosiah’s discovery of the people of Zarahemla—the Mulekites. Amaleki says: “Behold, I will speak unto you somewhat concerning Mosiah, who was made king over the land of Zarahemla; for behold, he being warned of the Lord that he should flee out of the land of Nephi, and as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also depart out of the land with him, into the wilderness—, “And it came to pass that he did according as the Lord had commanded him. From these references, we surmise that Mulek and his people landed near the civilization of the Jaredites, settling south of them. They were discovered by Mosiah (Omni 1:14) several centuries after their arrival. Relative geographical locations of the Jaredite, Mulekite, and Nephite/Lamanite civilizations. The Nephites sailed over in 600 BCE, the people of Zarahemla (aka the Mulekites) did likewise in 586 BCE, as did Corantumr's people (aka the Jaredites) at the time of the Tower of Babel. Even worse than the history is the theology of Mormonism, which directly contradicts the Bible in several areas. ), With the exception of King Josiah, all of the kings following Hezekiah caused great wickedness in the kingdom of Judah. After the people of Limhi emigrated to Zarahemla and joined the church established there, Mosiah translated these plates through the use of “interpreters,” or seer stones, divinely preserved and empowered for just such a purpose. The story of Mulek actually adds significant evidence to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. 6:10.). But Zedekiah was a weak leader, constantly influenced by anti-Babylonian factions in Jerusalem. What is less well known is that the majority of these Saints were the more numerous Mulekites. Part of their rejoicing was because “the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah with the plates of brass which contained the record of the Jews.” (Omni 1:14.). Furthermore, the Mulekites would have sailed right past other civilizations that likely existed in the area, descendants of Jaredites or other groups who had come to the continent. (Hel. After Alma began teaching and baptizing at the waters of Mormon, he and his followers were discovered by the servants of King Noah. ), Ammon and his companions then learned of another expedition of forty-three men sent by King Limhi that had just returned not many days before from a search for Zarahemla. Perhaps under the circumstances of their escape there was no time to gather them—to return to the city would have meant death at the hands of the Babylonian army. Although they lived in America during the same period as the Nephites and Lamanites, they did not encounter them until around 200 B.C. Modern anthropological research tells us that the New World was already extensively populated when the Jaredites, Lehites, and Mulekites arrived. Perhaps the most infamous was King Mannaseh, who built altars for Baal or other heathen deities—some even in the temple—and “made his son to pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards.” (See 2 Kgs. The Book of Mormon tells of three relatively small parties (the Jaredites, Lehites, and Mulekites) that left their native homeland in the Old World at different times and through divine guidance traveled to a new promised land, on the American continent. The journey takes “many days.”. The Nephites taught the Mulekites their language and united to become one people, appointing Mosiah to be their king. They were discovered by Mosiah (Omni 1:14) several centuries after their arrival. Question: did one of King Zedekiah who came out of Jerusalem with them [ ]! Discovered Coriantumr, he was not previously known to them Omni 1:21 escaped remnants of the following! 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