We are going to look at King Benjamin’s great sermon and
what he taught about the atonement.[1]
This sermon was intended to appeal to the hearts of man. Hugh
Nibley suggests “he teaches what suggests ‘the politics of shame.’” He uses
shame in the sense this is what keeps us from crossing the line and do “mean
and ignoble things.” King Benjamin refers to this concept early in his sermon.
“Therefore if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and
dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal
soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from
the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and
anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever
and ever.
“And now I say unto you, that mercy hath no claim on that
man; therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending torment” (Mosiah
2:38-39).
In our society today, we use shame against our opponents.
The root of this comes from the 60s. “Ostentatious displays of wealth were
good, as were exhibitionistic displays of one’s sexual prowess … Obnoxious and
insulting behavior became acceptable … Rude language became a sign of freedom.”
Benjamin intended for us to feel shame for our sins and turn
away from our sins.
“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” (Mosiah 4:9-10).
We will ultimately be the judges of our actions. We will
have pure recollection of our sins. Our remembrance of our sins will testify
against us. It is shameful should we “have a mind to injure one another, . . .
[that you should let] your children . . . go hungry, . . . transgress the laws
of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, . . . [giving way to] the evil
spirit?” (Mosiah 4:13–14).
This where to atonement comes in. “The atonement requires a
totally different state of mind from that which men suppose leads them to
success.” Joseph Smith taught the atonement is the center of our faith.
“[T]he existence of evil is at least as certain as the
existence of gravitation; we must accept the reality of these two powerful
forces whether we can explain them or not. We cannot proceed into the
eternities in ignorance; we must know the worst if we are to cope with the
worst and bring the atonement of the Father to others. We come down here to
discover those weaknesses and vices that could not come out in the presence of
God and angels and to dig out the nitty-gritty of our earthly existence,
recognize and acknowledge it in repentance, and wash it away in baptism.”
As we face sin throughout our life, the atonement makes our
lives better. “The doctrine of the atonement gives us permission to enjoy
ourselves to the fullest here and now, as we revel in the gospel; time and
space drop out of the question, leaving us completely at ease and inexpressibly
happy.”
“I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the
goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and
his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which
has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation
might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent
in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his
life, I mean the life of the mortal body” (Mosiah 4:6).
King Benjamin addressed this in his sermon. “And moreover, I
would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those
that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things,
both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are
received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of
never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for
the Lord God hath spoken it” (Mosiah 2:41).
“For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy
righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice;
and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with
joy” (Mosiah 3:4).
[1] The article, Assembly
and Atonement, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute website, was used as source
material for this post.
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