The coronation of Mosiah by King Benjamin
The coronation of Mosiah by King Benjamin was a grand ceremonial event that parallels the installation of kings in ancient Israel and other
Near Eastern countries of antiquity, suggesting that the Nephites
continued to practice Old World traditions in the Americas.
Coronations were important ritual acts in the ancient Near East,
including, among other things, anointing the new king, installing him
in office with insignia, and presenting him to the people— all
elements that Benjamin’s ceremony also contained. Old Testament
parallels to Mosiah’s coronation can be found in 1 Kings1:34, 39; 2
Kings 11:12, 14, 17; 23:3; and 2 Chronicles 6:13.
Stephen D. Ricks, “Kingship, Coronation, and Covenant in Mosiah1–6,”
in King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom,” ed. John
W.Welch and Stephen D. Ricks (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1998),