Mosiah 3:18-19

18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Mosiah 3:18-19

King Benjamin has made it clear the only way we can be saved is through Jesus Christ and no one else.  Christ’s judgments are just.  Once again he emphasizes infants are saved through Christ’s atonement.  “[H]e prefaced this spiritual endowment with warnings that if they proceeded with taking the name but then turned away in disobedience, they would have to drink of ‘the cup of the wrath of God’ (Mosiah 3:26), and they would drink ‘damnation to their … souls’ (Mosiah 3:18, 25).”[1]  Only if they humble themselves and have and belief like a child will have salvation.  “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

He again emphasizes that the only way we are saved is “through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.”

Both Benjamin and Jesus allowed only certain people to complete the covenant. Benjamin permitted only those who had entered into the covenant, "all you that have entered into the covenant with God" (Mosiah 5:8), to take upon them the name of Christ. Using Benjamin's words, as revealed to him by an angel, we know that those who then transgressed knowingly "drink damnation to their own souls" (Mosiah 3:18) and are "no more blameless" (Mosiah 3:22).[2] 

Benjamin tells us the natural man is an enemy of God.  He has been and always will be forever.  Paul wrote about the natural man in his epistle to the Corinthians.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?  even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned [GR examined, tried, judged].

1 Corinthians 2:11-14

Peter told the Church:

10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government [GR constituted authority].  Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

2 Peter 2:10-12

Alma₂, speaking to Corianton told him, “And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness” (Alma 41:11).

But, what is mean when we use the term “natural man?”  Bruce Van Orden explains:

Leaders have offered various descriptions of the natural man's character and explanations of why he is an enemy of God. Consensus seems to indicate that the natural man represents the selfishness that all people must overcome if they hope to return to the presence of God. President Spencer W. Kimball has added his own simple definition of the natural man: "The 'natural man' is the 'earthy man' who has allowed rude animal passions to overshadow his spiritual inclinations."[3]

The greatest mystery to the fallen and natural man (Mosiah 3:19) is that he is spiritually dead. What does 'spiritually dead' mean? It means that a person is asleep to spiritual realities, unable to perceive the cosmic forces in which he or she is immersed. We struggle in spiritual bondage that we don't begin to know the nature of and from which we cannot extricate ourselves; we are in bondage to our spiritual ignorance, because forces of evil play upon us and we are helpless against them.[4]

The natural man is spiritually dead.  He cannot be touched the Spirit.  His is unable or unwilling to listen to the promptings of the Spirit.  We are, in a sense, in spiritual bondage.  We have given our spirit and soul to the devil.^[5]

In the early 70’s, there was a popular song called “Natural Man.”   In this song, the person wants to be free to do what he wants.  He sums up his feelings in an often repeated chorus.

I want to be happy and free
Livin' and lovin' for me
Just like a natural man (like a natural man)[6]

There was a saying in the 60’s, “If it feels good, do it!”  No limitations. It’s about you and your pleasure.  You couldn’t find a better cliché to represent the “natural man.”

There is only one way to overcome that natural man; “[yield] to the enticings of the Holy Spirit … and become a saint through the atonement of Christ.” 

We are also to become like a child.  Benjamin tell us a child is “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord sees fit to inflict upon him.”  We are to submit to the Lord “as a child doth submit to his father.”

King Benjamin’s words, while powerful, are also simple and straight forward.  Elder Maxwell wrote, “What King Benjamin said with such clarity and humility about becoming more saintly and childlike, in my opinion, has a fulness and specificity unrivaled in all of scripture. In my opinion, if King Benjamin had uttered only the words in Mosiah 3:19, the verse would still rank among the great gems in all of our scriptures. This verse is so succinct.”^[7]

We also have a great example of chiasmus in verse 18-19. 

a) They humble themselves
       b) and become as little children
              c) believing that salvation is in the atoning blood of
                  Christ;
                       d) for the natural man
                              e) is an enemy to God
                                      f) and has been from the fall of Adam
                                      f') and will be forever and ever
                              e') unless ye yieldeth to the Holy Spirit
                       d') and putteth off the natural man
               c') and becometh a saint through the atonement of
                    Christ
        b') and becometh as a child
a') submissive, meek and humble
                                                                 (Mosiah 3:18–19)[8]

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[1] King Benjamin and the Mysteries of God, M. Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 27, 2014.

[2] Benjamin's Covenant as a Precursor of the Sacrament Prayers, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 27, 2014.

[3] The Use of King Benjamin's Address by Latter-day Saints, Bruce A. Van Orden, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 27, 2014.

[4] Alma the Younger (Part 2) Man's Descent, M. Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 27, 2014.

[5] Alma the Younger (Part 2) Man's Descent, M. Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 27, 2014.

[6] Lou Rawls – Natural Man Lyrics, Songlyrics, accessed July 27, 2014.

[7] King Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 27, 2014.

[8] "Know the Covenants of the Lord" – Sermons, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 27, 2014.