Dr. Kathy's Couch, the Reprise: Meeting Mulek

When the Nephites who followed King Mosiah came into the land of Zarahemla, "they discovered a people, who were called the people of Zarahemla. Now, there was great rejoicing among the people of Zarahemla; and also Zarahemla did rejoice exceedingly, because the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah with the plates of brass which contained the record of the Jews." (Omni 1: 14)

Why was a record of the Jews important to this strange people in Zarahemla? Could it be that it is because they were Jews?

What the Book of Mormon Says:

Behold, it came to pass that Mosiah discovered that the people of Zarahemla came out from Jerusalem at the time that Zedekiah, king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon. 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. And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had become exceedingly numerous. 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. But it came to pass that Mosiah caused that they should be taught in his language. And it came to pass that after they were taught in the language of Mosiah, Zarahemla gave a genealogy of his fathers, according to his memory; and they are written, but not in these plates. (Omni 1: 15-18)

Who was this Mulek? We learn later in the Book of Mormon that Mulek was a son of Zedekiah, last king of Judah. It was believed that all of Zedekiah's sons were killed. The Old Testament tells us that they were put to death before the king's eyes, just before the Babylonians blinded him. We learn, however, in the Book of Mormon that one of Zedekiah's sons - perhaps a small child or even an infant, was secreted out of the city of Jerusalem when it became evident that the city would fall. It was thought in this way to preserve the kingly line of David for a possible reclaiming of the city at a later date. It is certainly conceivable that this could have happened as it was not an uncommon practice in royal houses clear down into the middle ages.

Those entrusted with this royal child's care boarded a Phoenician ship on the coast and sailed westward into the Mediterranean. Perhaps, like Jonah, they were headed for Tarshish, but wherever they hoped to go, the Lord took them into his hands. They landed on the east coast of Central America where they were greeted by a survivor of a strange people.