“The figurative usage of the terms blind and blindness in the scriptures refers to the spiritual blindness of men—the inability to see the truth. … Amulek spoke of those with blind eyes who ‘will not understand the words which are spoken’ by the prophets (Alma 10:25). Nephi asked of his brothers Laman and Lemuel, ‘How is it that ye are so hard in your hearts, and so blind in your minds?’ (1 Ne. 7:8.)
“According to the scriptures, the devil blinds the spiritual eyes of man (1 Ne. 12:17; 3 Ne. 2:1–2), as do the practices of wicked men (D&C 76:75; 123:12)” (McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 21).
The superscription (the accompanying phrase in italics just before the chapter number) to Mosiah 9 was part of the ancient record translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith and dictated by him to his scribe (see also, for example, 1 Nephi, 2 Nephi, and Alma 5).
The phrase in italics just before the chapter number is not from the ancient record but was added to the printed Book of Mormon to clarify that the record of Zeniff begins at Mosiah 9 and ends with Mosiah 22.