5 I say unto you, my
sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the
hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments
always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief,
and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing
concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them,
because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.
6 O my sons, I would
that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these
records are true. And behold, also the
plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from
the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of
their surety because we have them before our eyes.
7 And now, my sons, I
would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit
thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper
in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers.
8 And many more things
did king Benjamin teach his sons, which are not written in this book.
Mosiah 1:5-8
King Benjamin has been teaching his sons about the
importance of the records they have. He
explains the records have been preserved by God. With the records, they can understand His
commandments and mysteries. Alma2
may have had King Benjamin’s teachings in mind when he told his son, Helaman2,
“Yea,
I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain,
which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so
many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers;
yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they
brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus
Christ their Redeemer” (Alma 37:9).
While deciding what to do when he was moved on by the Spirit to slay
Laban, one of his thoughts was on the importance and necessity of the record. “Yea,
and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord
according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law” (1 Nephi 4:15).
Elder Maxwell referred to the importance of the records to
knowing the commandments and mysteries of God.
As we see from the content of
Benjamin's sermon, the so-called mysteries referred to by King Benjamin are
actually the plain but precious things required for salvation and for
exaltation … Wise King Benjamin knew personally of the importance of sacred
records. Just a few years before Benjamin's reign, some of the people of
Zarahemla ended up denying "the being of their Creator" (Omni 1:17).
Why? Because they had no sacred record.[1]
Without the records, the Nephites would have “dwindled in unbelief” and know nothing
about the word of God. Instead, they
would follow the incorrect traditions of their fathers. Daniel C. Peterson points out that, in the
Book of Mormon, the phrase “traditions of the fathers” is never used in a
positive sense.[2]
We see the importance to a culture of stable laws and
traditions.
Indeed, civilization in the ancient
world was precariously fragile. Cultures would cease to exist if, for whatever
reason, the stabilizing language, norms, and rules were not successfully
transmitted from one generation to the next.39 Much
that was of social importance hinged upon the preservation and perpetuation of
the law. The law was not self-perpetuating or self-enforcing. It defined the
social order, and it implemented the divine order. No ancient person would
doubt the axiom that a nation without law would dwindle and perish in unbelief
and disarray (compare 1 Nephi 4:13; Mosiah 1:5).[3]
Benjamin gives his testimony the records are true. They contain a record of events and
ministries from the time Lehi’s part left Jerusalem to the present day.
He calls on his son to “search
[the records] diligently, that you may profit thereby.” This same admonition applies to us. He called on them to keep the
commandments. In his great sermon, he
would repeat this counsel to the people, “And
behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised
you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and
he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments
he doth bless you and prosper you” (Mosiah 2:22),
If they keep the commandments of the Lord, they will prosper
in the land. This repeats the promise
given Nephi. “And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and
shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for
you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands” (1 Nephi 2:20).
John Welch writes about King Benjamin’s admonition to his
sons.
He "taught them concerning the
records which were engraven on the plates of brass" (Mosiah 1:3) because
he felt that if it had not been for the commandments and teachings on these
plates, their people would have "suffered in ignorance" (Mosiah 1:3),
would not have understood the mysteries of God (see Mosiah 1:5), would have
ended up with incorrect traditions as the Lamanites did (see Mosiah 1:5), and
would not have prospered in the land (see Mosiah 1:7). He told his sons to
search the plates "diligently" (Mosiah 1:7) and reminded the people
that they had been taught concerning the sacred records (see Mosiah 2:34) and
were now accountable to live by their precepts.[4]
Benjamin reminded his sons about the importance of remembrance.
Clearly the memory that is expected
of the people of God in both the Bible and Book of Mormon is not mere
curiosity; neither is it a matter of being able simply to recall. Rather, the
key is righteous deeds.[5]
Mormon ends his abridgement of Kin Benjamin’s words to his
sons. “And many more things did king Benjamin teach his sons, which are not
written in this book.” What could
these teachings have been? Neal Maxwell
said, “Intriguing, isn’t it?”[6]
[1]
King
Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell,
Maxwell Institute, accessed June 24, 2014.
[2]
Editor's
Introduction: Traditions of the Fathers, Daniel C. Peterson, Maxwell
Institute, accessed June 24, 2014.
[3]
Entering
the Ancient Legal World, Maxwell Institute, accessed June 24, 2014.
[4]
Benjamin,
the Man: His Place in Nephite History, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed
June 24, 2014.
[5]
The
Ways of Remembrance, Louis Midgley, Maxwell Institute, accessed June 24,
2014.
[6]
King
Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell,
Maxwell Institute, accessed June 24, 2014.
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