Keywords
Nephi, David, Book of Mormon, Old Testament, Zion theology
Abstract
While David is frequently held up as the standard for great kings in the Old Testament, examination of Nephi’s writings shows that he sought to imitate Moses the prophet rather than David the king. In fact, he never even mentions David. Relative to two major theological movements in Jerusalem in his day, “Zion theology,” in which David was the great hero, and “Deuteronomistic theology,” in which Moses was the hero, we see that Nephi was more aligned with Deuteronomistic theology, which was also more consistent with views in the Northern Kingdom, where Nephi’s ancestry originated.
Recommended Citation
Halverson, Taylor
(2023)
"Nephi Wanted to Be a Prophet Like Moses, Not a King Like David,"
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: Vol. 59, Article 12.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/interpreter/vol59/iss1/12
