Obeying, Honoring, and Sustaining the Law

After the death of King Mosiah, his people embarked on the grand experiment of self-government. They selected Alma to be their first chief judge, but their relationship with Alma was different from their relationships with the kings who had preceded him. Their allegiance was no longer to a person but to a set of laws which they had agreed to uphold:

King Mosiah having gone the way of all the earth, having warred a good warfare, walking uprightly before God, leaving none to reign in his stead; nevertheless he had established laws, and they were acknowledged by the people; therefore they were obliged to abide by the laws which he had made.

Alma 1:1

When Alma shortly afterward had to punish a man convicted of murder, he framed his decision in terms of his obligation to the law:

Thou art condemned to die, according to the law which has been given us by Mosiah, our last king; and it has been acknowledged by this people; therefore this people must abide by the law.

Alma 1:14

We don’t know much about this law. We get a few details which are needed to help us understand specific events. Here are a few:

• Lying, stealing, and murder were forbidden (Alma 1:17-18).
• Judges were compensated specific amounts for their service (Alma 11:1-3).
• Slavery was forbidden (Alma 27:9).

The twelfth Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says:

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

To obey the law, of course, means to follow its requirements, regardless of whether we think we’ll get caught. To honor it means to hold it in high regard, to recognize its importance. To sustain it means to support it and to strengthen it. We sustain the law when we follow it and encourage others to do the same, even when working to improve or correct it.

President Dallin H. Oaks has reaffirmed that, in the United States of America, all individuals are obligated to follow the law:

We are to be governed by law and not by individuals, and our loyalty is to the Constitution and its principles and processes, not to any office holder. In this way, all persons are to be equal before the law.

“Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution,” General Conference, April 2021, italics in original

Today, I will be grateful for a system of government which holds all of its citizens accountable to a common set of laws. I will remember my civic responsibility to obey, honor, and sustain the law.