Gideon, Nephite Patriot

Image: Book of Mormon Seminary Student Study Guide

When you think of great valor and courage in the Book of Mormon, who do you picture?  There are so many choices, it's very hard to come up with just one.   My choice is a little-known favorite.  The first time I read about Gideon, I was intrigued.  He is not mentioned very much but he and his story had a huge impact on me. 

Gideon lived during the time of King Noah and Alma the Elder.  He is described in Mosiah 19:4 as a 'strong man and an enemy to the King'.   He was an enemy to King Noah who we know was very powerful and very evil.  At this point, Noah had already put Abinadi the Prophet to death and sent his henchmen to kill Alma, one of his prior employees! 

Gideon being tough as nails "Drew his sword and swore in his wrath that he would slay the king. And it came to pass that he fought with the king; and when the king saw that he was about to overpower him, he fled and ran and got upon the tower which was near the temple.  Gideon pursued after  him and was about to get upon the tower to slay the king, and the king cast his eyes round about, towards the land of Shemlon, and behold, the army of the Lamanites were within the borders of the land."  Mosiah 19:5-6

Remember that King Noah and Gideon were both Nephites.  Picture a whole Lamanite army coming upon the land.  King Noah cried out in anguish saying: "Gideon, spare me, for the Lamanites are upon us, and they will destroy us; yea, they will destroy my people."

I love the next part of the scripture passage as it reads: "Now the king was not so much concerned about his people as he was about his own life."  Never a truer statement was written!

Gideon has a dilemma.  Should he kill the wicked King Noah, or spare him.  He chooses the later.

The next verses really expose Noah for who and what he really is..."And the king commanded the people that they should flee before the Lamanites, and he himself did go before them, and they did flee into the wilderness, with their women and their children.  And it came to pass that the Lamanites did pursue them, and did overtake them, and began to slay them."  Mosiah 19:9-10

It's hard for me to even grasp the desperation these people must have felt.  Literally running for their lives.  Husbands and wives running together, parents sweeping children in their arms, arms encircling grandparents to get away from the blood-thirsty Lamanites.

What Noah does next is unthinkable.

"Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children and flee before the Lamanites.  Now there were many that would not leave them, but had rather stay and perish with them.  And the rest left their wives and their children and fled."  Mosiah 19:11-12.

I just have one word...WOW.  Enough said.

There's more to this story including the death of King Noah, taxation, burden, death and much more which we will leave to another day.

Image: Book of Mormon Seminary Student Study Guide

Let's get back to the topic at hand...Gideon.  Gideon later sent men into the wilderness secretly to search for the King and those with him.  He later became a captain to King Noah's son, Limhi.  Don't worry, Limhi was nothing like his father.  He was a just man.  Gideon became an instrument in the hands of God in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage.

In addition to Gideon's courage and valor he was blessed with much wisdom as well.  In Mosiah 22:3 it states "Now O king, thou hast hitherto hearkened unto my words many times...".

In later years, Gideon was a strong teacher in the church.  Nehor, a teacher of false doctrine was trying to lead people from the gospel astray and was very successful.  Gideon was not afraid of Nehor.  In the scriptures it states that he "withstood him".  Nehor was so angry with Gideon that he drew his sword and began to smite him.  Gideon, being stricken with age and many years, was not able to withstand the blows and was therefore "slain by the sword."

In the end it was said of Gideon that he was "a righteous man who had done much good among the people."

I think there are a lot of people in this modern world like Gideon.  Not the star of the show, just a background player, keeping their covenants, strong and willing to stand up for what is right, no matter what the cost. 

In the end for Gideon, the cost was his life....another martyr for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.