The Mulekites, also known as the people of Zarahemla, are a significant group mentioned in the Book of Mormon. Descendants of Mulek, a son of King Zedekiah of Judah, they left Jerusalem during the Babylonian captivity, approximately at the same time as Lehi’s family, but their journey led them to a different part of the Promised Land (Omni 1:15). Without any records to preserve their language and culture, their language had become corrupted over time, and they had lost the belief in their Creator by the time they were discovered by the Nephite people led by Mosiah (Omni 1:17). The land they inhabited and were eventually found in was called Zarahemla, after their leader at the time of discovery.
Upon the arrival of Mosiah and his followers, who had escaped from the land of Nephi being warned by the Lord, the people of Zarahemla experienced great joy. They rejoiced particularly because Mosiah brought with him the plates of brass, which contained the record of the Jews, allowing them to have access to their ancestral records and language once again (Omni 1:14). The eventual uniting of the two peoples marked a significant moment in Nephite history; Mosiah was appointed king over the united population, and henceforth, the people of Zarahemla were numbered with the Nephites (Omni 1:19).
The term Mulekite, although not found within the scriptural text itself barring chapter headings, refers to those who were descendants of Mulek. The people of Zarahemla were noted to have become exceedingly numerous, even more so than the people of Nephi, though not as populous as the Lamanites (Mosiah 25:2). Throughout the Book of Mormon, the Mulekites are referenced in respects to their political and social integration within Nephite society, playing instrumental roles within the shared history of the Nephite and Lamanite peoples. Their legacy includes the bearing of witness to the destruction of Jerusalem, which supported the prophecies held by the Nephites about the judgments of God upon the House of Israel (Helaman 8:21).