Now when Gideon had heard these things, he being the king’s captain, he went forth and said unto the king: I pray thee forbear, and do not search this people, and lay not this thing to their charge. (Mosiah 20:17)
There is an important lesson in Gideon’s counsel about trust and privacy. A leader might easily say, “If the people are really innocent, they shouldn’t object to a search. After all, what do they have to hide?” Gideon knew better. These people had suffered much and had endured the humiliation of defeat and captivity. They were innocent, and they needed their king to trust them.