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, and has
caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so
exceedingly great was your 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.
22 And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition
to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more
just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not
belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up
no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.
23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his
substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are
rich as pertaining to the things of this world.
Mosiah 4:19-23
Benjamin makes it clear we
have responsibilities to the poor.
Failing to meet them is a sin.
Why would he place such emphasis on assisting the poor? “For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon …God?” We are all “poor” in some manner. There is only one who can give us our needs,
and that is God.
“Benjamin is so poignant in
his sharp, one-liner inquiry, ‘For behold, are we not all beggars?’ (Mosiah
4:19). In stressing our continuing dependence on God for all the necessities of
life, Benjamin moves quickly to note our spiritual dependence—especially our
dependence upon the atonement, by means of which alone can we have a remission
of our sin (see Mosiah 4:19-20).”[1]
For what do we depend on
God? We depend on him for food,
clothing, gold, silver, and all that we have.
“King Benjamin also reveals
the only way to maintain change,
to retain ‘a remission of your sins from day to day’ (Mosiah 4:26). The key is
humility, the abdication of imitative desire through recognizing that we are ‘all
beggars’ (Mosiah 4:19). Just as God does not reject us for our sins, does not
refuse to love us or to extend his healing grace and continual blessings
because we sin, so we must respond to those who beg help from us though they do
not ‘deserve’ it.”[2]
When we call upon the Lord,
“begging for a remission of [our] sins,” do we do this in vain? No. He
pours out his Spirit upon us. We are
filled with joy and let all know. Paul
wrote to the Romans:
“THEREFORE thou art
inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest
another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
“But we are sure [GR know]
that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such
things.
“And thinkest thou this, O
man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt
escape the judgment of God?
“Or despisest thou the riches
of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the
goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” (Romans 2:1-4).
Since we are dependent on the
Lord, will He not grant whatever ask of Him.
Yes, He will; however, there is a qualification. “Consider, for example,
how many sincerely believe that if they simply ask for something in prayer, God
will grant it, especially if they ask with at least a modicum of faith. King
Benjamin counseled us, however, that while we are to pray in faith, it should
be for ‘that [which] is right’” (Mosiah 4:21).[3]
So, since the Lord will
impart things unto us, Benjamin asks, “O then, how ye ought to impart of the
substance that ye have one to another?” When
interpreting the king’s dream, Daniel advised, “Wherefore, O king, let my
counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and
thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of
thy tranquility [OR so that your prosperity may be long].” (Daniel 4:27)
“Since we are utterly and
totally dependent on the Lord, Benjamin urges us to be especially sensitive to
others and to impart to them. In the spiritual domain, those who are rich
spiritually have a duty to impart and to nurture those who are weak. While
Benjamin stressed imparting of material and physical substance to the poor, he
would doubtless agree with Isaiah about the need to clothe others as well in ‘the
garment of praise’ (Isaiah 61:3). Those who have enough bread may shiver for
recognition and yearn for the succor of deserved commendation.”[4]
Giving the people the
responsibility for taking care of the poor was a change from the traditional
responsibilities of a king.
“In ancient Israel, it was
typically the obligation of the king to care for the poor. Kings of Babylon
boasted that they were guardians over the poor, the widows, and the orphans.
Similarly, in ancient Israel, a king was recognized as a just ruler if he
afforded or provided social justice for all. With Benjamin’s speech, the
obligation to assure social justice in his kingdom was placed upon all people,
both the rich and the poor (see Mosiah 4:21–30). The demanding obligations
of helping those in need of help, giving of one’s substance to those who stand
in need, and not turning the beggar out to perish (see Mosiah 4:16) were
shouldered by all the people, who in effect were asked to assume a burden
normally considered to be a preeminently royal obligation.”[5]
He repeats his command that
we are not to judge the poor. “Judge not
according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). If we do, we will be under commendation. Why? Nothing
belongs to us; all we have belongs to God, including our life. “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth
his brother have need, and shutteth [GR is hardhearted, void of compassion] up
his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1
John 3:17)
Hugh Nibley warns, “Wo unto
us if we judge a man for his improvidence, however real it might be (Mosiah
4:22), or withhold our substance from those who have brought poverty on
themselves (Mosiah 4:17). The man who argues that he has a right to more of
this world's goods than another because he has worked harder ‘hath great cause
to repent’ (Mosiah 4:17-18).”[6]
This all comes down to the
fact that if we turn away from the poor and needy, God will no longer hear our
petitions.
To the person who ignores the
poor, wo be unto him. “The wo uttered here
in connection with withholding substance and in 4:25 regarding denying the
beggar parallels further parts of the initiation ceremony at Qumran, ‘Cursing
of the lot of Belial, his works (and all associated with him) pronounced by
Levites and confirmed by those entering the covenant by saying the solemn
“Amen, Amen,"’ in 1QS II 11–18.”[7]
The Lord makes clear in this
dispensation that the Laws Regarding the Poor[8]
apply in this dispensation. “Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your
substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall
be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of
indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not
saved” (D&C 56:16).
The story of widow’s mite
show the importance of doing what you can.
“AND
he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
“And
he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
“And
he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than
they all:
“For
all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of
her penury hath cast in all the living that she had” (Luke 21:1-4).
[2] A
Second Witness for the Logos: The Book of Mormon and Contemporary Literary
Criticism, Eugene England, Maxwell Institute.
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