Limhi was a Nephite king, the son of King Noah³ and the grandson of Zeniff, who had led a group of Nephites to reclaim the land of their fathers, the land of Nephi (Mosiah 7:9). After the death of his father, who was killed by his own people for his iniquities (Mosiah 19:20), Limhi ascended to the throne during a tumultuous period marked by Lamanite oppression (Mosiah 19:26). Unlike his father, Limhi was noted for his righteousness, and is consistently described as a just man (Mosiah 19:17).
As a ruler, Limhi faced the herculean task of maintaining peace under Lamanite subjugation, which required his people to pay half of all they had as tribute to the Lamanite king (Mosiah 19:26; 21:3). Despite their situation, he endeavored to keep his people united and to nurture in them an attitude of hope and faith in God (Mosiah 7:18-19). Limhi’s spiritual leadership paved the way for a covenant among many of his people to serve God and keep his commandments (Mosiah 21:32).
Aware of their dire need for assistance and a longing to return to their brethren in Zarahemla, Limhi’s administration saw the dispatch of an ill-fated expedition, which, though failing to locate Zarahemla, stumbled upon the ruins of the Jaredite civilization and returned with twenty-four gold plates containing their records (Mosiah 8:8-9; 21:27). These plates were crucial in understanding the Jaredite legacy, and Limhi gratefully transferred them to King Mosiah² for translation upon establishing contact with the people of Zarahemla through Ammon¹ and his party (Mosiah 7:14; 8:9). Embracing their identity as Nephites once more, Limhi and his people were guided out of bondage by counsel from Gideon and ultimately through a stratagem that involved deceiving their Lamanite overlords (Mosiah 22:4-13).
On safely arriving in Zarahemla, Limhi and his people unified with King Mosiah’s² people and Limhi himself, along with his people, were taught by Alma¹ and baptized (Mosiah 25:17-18), signifying their complete recommitment to the covenant path and becoming subjects of Mosiah in lieu of reestablishing their independent Nephite colony. This marked a prosperous turning point, representing a physical and spiritual deliverance that integrated Limhi’s records and the Jaredite plates into the Nephite historical corpus, enriching the latter’s cultural and spiritual heritage.