Mulek
Encyclopedia
According to the Book of Mormon
, Mulek was the only surviving son of Zedekiah
, the last King of Judah
, after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon states that after escaping from Judah, Mulek traveled to present-day America and set up a new civilization there.
during the reign of Zedekiah
, all of the sons of Zedekiah were killed except Mulek.Helaman 8:21 Along with "as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord," Mulek escaped into the wilderness and traveled "across the great waters" to the Americas
, founding a new nation. The Mulekites established their capital at Zarahemla
, north of where Lehi and his people landed.
Even though the word "Mulekite" or "Mulekites" never occurs in the text of the Book of Mormon, the people of his nation are commonly called the Mulekites by Latter Day Saints
. This can be seen in certain chapter summaries of the Book of Mormon. In the text of the Book of Mormon, the Mulekites are referred to as the "people of Zarahemla
".
, Coriantumr
, encountered the Mulekites, "and he dwelt with them for the space of nine moons."
s 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. The Book of Mormon records that the Mulekites spoke a language largely unintelligible to the Nephites. When taught the Nephite language, the Mulekites recounted their descent from Mulek, which was then recorded.
The Mulekites had in their possession a stone which told the story of Coriantumr, a survivor of the Jaredites who had encountered the Mulekites and lived among them until his death. Much of the prior Mulekite history was lost due to their lack of records.
as their new capital, and naming the Nephite Mosiah
as their king.
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, Mulek was the only surviving son of Zedekiah
Zedekiah
Zedekiah or Tzidkiyahu was the last king of Judah before the destruction of the kingdom by Babylon. He was installed as king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, after a siege of Jerusalem to succeed his nephew, Jeconiah, who was overthrown as king after a reign of only three months and...
, the last King of Judah
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
, after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon states that after escaping from Judah, Mulek traveled to present-day America and set up a new civilization there.
Mulek and his nation
According to the Book of Mormon, when Jerusalem was destroyed by BabylonBabylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
during the reign of Zedekiah
Zedekiah
Zedekiah or Tzidkiyahu was the last king of Judah before the destruction of the kingdom by Babylon. He was installed as king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, after a siege of Jerusalem to succeed his nephew, Jeconiah, who was overthrown as king after a reign of only three months and...
, all of the sons of Zedekiah were killed except Mulek.Helaman 8:21 Along with "as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord," Mulek escaped into the wilderness and traveled "across the great waters" to the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, founding a new nation. The Mulekites established their capital at Zarahemla
Zarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
, north of where Lehi and his people landed.
Even though the word "Mulekite" or "Mulekites" never occurs in the text of the Book of Mormon, the people of his nation are commonly called the Mulekites by Latter Day Saints
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
. This can be seen in certain chapter summaries of the Book of Mormon. In the text of the Book of Mormon, the Mulekites are referred to as the "people of Zarahemla
Zarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
".
Encounter with the Jaredites
The last surviving JarediteJaredite
The Jaredites are a people written of in the Book of Mormon, principally in the Book of Ether. In the Book of Ether, the Jaredites are described as the descendants of Jared and his brother, at the time of the Tower of Babel. According to the Book of Mormon, the people fled across the Ocean via...
, Coriantumr
Coriantumr
In the Book of Mormon, Coriantumr is the name of three figures that appear throughout the book's narrative. Chronologically, these three are: one of the sons of Omer, a deposed Jaredite king later restored to his throne by his sons Esrom and Coriantumr; the last of the Jaredite kings, who lived to...
, encountered the Mulekites, "and he dwelt with them for the space of nine moons."
Encounter with the Nephites
When the NephiteNephite
According to the Book of Mormon, a Nephite is a member of one of the four main groups of settlers of the ancient Americas. The other three groups are the Lamanites, Jaredites and Mulekites. In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were a group of people descended from or associated with Nephi, the...
s were commanded to leave their historic homeland of Lehi-Nephi
Lehi-Nephi
In the Book of Mormon, the land of Lehi-Nephi is the homeland of the Nephites in the early times of the Book of Mormon. The land is later conquered by the Lamanites and the remaining Nephites flee to the land of Zarahemla, home of the Mulekites...
to flee from the Lamanites, the exiled remnants discovered the city of Zarahemla
Zarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
to their north. The Book of Mormon records that the Mulekites spoke a language largely unintelligible to the Nephites. When taught the Nephite language, the Mulekites recounted their descent from Mulek, which was then recorded.
The Mulekites had in their possession a stone which told the story of Coriantumr, a survivor of the Jaredites who had encountered the Mulekites and lived among them until his death. Much of the prior Mulekite history was lost due to their lack of records.
Assimilation among the Nephites
The Nephites settled among the Mulekites. The Mulekites eventually adopted the language and religion of the Nephites, and the two peoples formed one nation, establishing ZarahemlaZarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
as their new capital, and naming the Nephite Mosiah
King Mosiah I
According to the Book of Mormon, Mosiah I was a Nephite prophet who led the Nephites from the land of Nephi to the land of Zarahemla and was later appointed king. He was the father of King Benjamin, the first of two individuals in the Book of Mormon with that name...
as their king.