4:9-10 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.
King Benjamin’s speech has a great physical and spiritual
effect on his people. I love this insight into what brought them joy and peace of conscience:
2 ... And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.
3 And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.
Perhaps one of the most famous portions of king Benjamin’s
speech is this next portion about caring for the poor. He emphasizes that we should
not judge beggars because we are all beggars before God.
26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.
16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy...21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.
These powerful verses cause me to reflect every time I read them. They cause an honest assessment on how I view, judge, and help people in need. I don't necessarily think King Benjamin is saying we have to give a handout to every panhandler we pass. It's more about the state of our hearts toward those in need. Do I help in the best way I can, recognizing all the ways God helps me that I can never repay? Do I help others without judgment? When I was a missionary, I remember my mission president teaching about verse 26 and pointing out that we are instructed to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, etc according to theirs wants - not their needs. That requires a greater level of generosity from me, and doesn't allow me to make judgments about what I view their "needs" to be.
Before God, I am just as much of a beggar as the person on the street, and God expects me to generously give to anyone in need as far as I am able.
Before God, I am just as much of a beggar as the person on the street, and God expects me to generously give to anyone in need as far as I am able.
King Benjamin’s people are a powerful example of having a
“change of heart” which is possible through the spirit of God.
2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.4 And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy.5 And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days…
And here is another gem. Do you want to know how to get to
know God? Serve him.
13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?
King Benjamin learns that every adult person who has
listened to his speech has entered into a covenant to follow the Lord. He
finishes his speech, and his son Mosiah begins to reign in his stead. King
Benjamin lives 3 more years and then passes away. King Mosiah is a good king
who rules similarly to his father and the people live in peace for a few years.
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