The Book of Mormon

Mosiah 29:23

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~92 BC

1830 Edition

and he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people; yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws, he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him, he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can, he will destroy them: and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.

Influences

Matthew 3:15 (KJV)
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Changes

aAnd he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people;, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws, he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him, he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can, he will destroy them:; and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.

Simple English

He makes laws and sends them to his people. He makes bad laws to match his own badness. Whoever does not obey his laws, he destroys. Whoever fights against him, he sends his armies to war against them. If he can, he will destroy them. This is how a bad king twists all that is good.

Paraphrase

Then he makes his own laws—laws that reflect his own evil. Anyone who disobeys gets destroyed. Anyone who rebels? He sends his army after them. He'll kill them if he can. That's how a corrupt king perverts everything that's right.