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KnoWhy #322 - Why You Should Care About The Nephite Weights And Measures System (Alma 11:7)

TitleKnoWhy #322 - Why You Should Care About The Nephite Weights And Measures System (Alma 11:7)
Publication TypeKnoWhy
Year of Publication2017
Corporate AuthorsBook of Mormon Central Staff
PublisherBook of Mormon Central
Place PublishedSpringville, UT
KeywordsAncient Near East; Barley; Government; King Mosiah; Laws; Legal; Money; Silver; Weights and Measures
Abstract

Instead of appointing a successor, King Mosiah established a legal code and a system of judges to enforce the law. As part of this system, Mosiah standardized a system of weights and measures to make sure all the judges were actually getting paid fairly. His system is remarkably similar to the ancient Mesopotamian laws of Eshnunna, both of which contained a list that established fixed silver values for commodities, a list that is phrased similarly in both cases. Also, in both cases, the main conversions were between silver and barley. Both laws also standardized daily wages for certain professions. Laws like this show how just King Mosiah was, and how concerned he was with justice in his kingdom.

URLhttps://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/why-you-should-care-about-the-nephite-weights-and-measures-system
Citation Key3329

Scripture Reference

Alma 11:7