Chapter 6
King Benjamin records the names of the people and
appoints priests to teach them—Mosiah reigns as a righteous king. About 124–121
B.C.
1 AND now, king Benjamin thought it was expedient,
after having finished speaking to the people, that he should take the names of
all those who had entered into a covenant with God to keep his commandments.
2 And it came to pass that there was not one soul,
except it were little children, but who had entered into the covenant and had
taken upon them the name of Christ.
3 And again, it came to pass that when king Benjamin
had made an end of all these things, and had consecrated his son Mosiah to be a
ruler and a king over his people, and had given him all the charges concerning
the kingdom, and also had appointed priests to teach the people, that thereby
they might hear and know the commandments of God, and to stir them up in
remembrance of the oath which they had made, he dismissed the multitude, and
they returned, every one, according to their families, to their own houses.
4 And Mosiah began to reign in his father’s
stead. *And he began to reign
in the thirtieth year of his age, making in the whole, about four hundred and
seventy–six years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem.
5 And king Benjamin lived three *years and
he died.
6 And it came to pass that king Mosiah did walk in the
ways of the Lord, and did observe his judgments and his statutes, and did keep
his commandments in all things whatsoever he commanded him.
7 And king Mosiah did cause his people that they
should till the earth. And he also,
himself, did till the earth, that thereby he might not become burdensome to his
people, that he might do according to that which his father had done in all
things. And there was no contention
among all his people for the space of three years.
Mosiah 6:1-7
Having finished his sermon,
Benjamin had the names of those who made the covenant recorded. With the exception of young children, all in
the congregation added their names to the list.
This was similar to the Day
of Atonement activities.
“On many occasions in Jewish
life, but especially on this day, blessings were pronounced. In Benjamin’s
case, several blessings were mentioned: ‘he doth bless and prosper you’ (Mosiah
2:22); ‘ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over
you’ (Mosiah 2:31); and remember “the blessed and happy state of those that
keep the commandments” (Mosiah 2:41). At the end of the Day of Atonement,
Jewish people exchange blessings such as ‘May you be inscribed for life [in the
book of life] and merit many years.’ Likewise, at the conclusion of his
speech, Benjamin took ‘the names of all those who had entered into a covenant
with God to keep his commandments’ (Mosiah 6:1). In some cases the Israelites
immediately began constructing their booths (sukkot) in preparation for
the next phase of this season’s celebrations.”[1]
The recording of names was
important.
“[T]he first thing done after
a covenant ceremony is, likewise, to appoint priests to exhort the people to remember
their promises so they may withstand God’s day of judgment (e.g., Mosiah
6:1—3; 2 Nephi 9:52). The disciple’s salvation turns upon remembering and
doing the things taught in the Sermon. Therefore, one should not think of the
standards set forth in the Sermon as unreachable ideals. Observing this
specific set of requirements is essential to eternal exaltation, for only
thereby can the Lord raise us up at the last day. In this way, the speech
embraces both this-worldly and other-worldly concerns.”[2]
Benjamin had two things left
to do; anoint Mosiah to be king. He also
appointed priests and teachers to the people.
They would teach the people and remind them of the covenant which they
had made. When this was done, the people
left and returned to their homes.
“[T]o ensure that the people
understood his words and kept their covenants with God to keep His
commandments, King Benjamin ‘appointed priests to teach the people, that
thereby they might hear and know the commandments of God, and to stir them up
in remembrance of the oath which they had made’ (Mosiah 6:3). In many ways,
King Benjamin used all the technologies available to him in his day to gather
his people, spread the good word of God, and to reinforce the word.”[3]
Mosiah officially took over
as king.
We see a problem we face with
the Book of Mormon. There are many dates
given, but they are just estimates.
“In addition, dates of
certain events cannot always be stated with precision. Indeed, the date 600 BC
only approximates the year of Lehi’s departure. Even the Nephite record keepers
were not sure exactly when Lehi left: in Mosiah 6:4 the best that
could be said of the key date that links the small plates to King Mosiah was
that his reign commenced ‘in the whole about four hundred and
seventy-six years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem.’[4]
Benjamin died three years
after Mosiah became king.
Mosiah was a righteous
king. He “did walk in the ways of the
Lord.” He kept the commandments in all
thing and did whatsoever the Lord commanded him.
“The book of Mosiah is
possibly the most carefully composed book in the Book of Mormon concerning a
single period of history. Parts of it were written by Mosiah, son of Benjamin,
and he incorporated the records of others (Limhi, Alma, et al.) in his work.
Others later condensed the record and wrote certain things Mosiah was unlikely
to have said about himself, putting such comments in the third person (Mosiah
6:6–7), and adding details such as the death of Mosiah (Mosiah 29:46–47).”[5]
Mosiah had his people begin
tilling the ground and planting their crops.
Like his father, Mosiah took care of himself and provided for
himself. He was never a burden on the
people. The apostle Paul similarly
provided for himself. “And when I was
present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was
lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all
things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep
myself” (2 Corinthians 11:9).
“Nephi taught his people to
be industrious and to work with their hands (2 Nephi 5:17). After hearing the
gospel taught by Ammon and his brothers, the converted Lamanites, the
Anti-Nephi-Lehies, became a very industrious people (Alma 23:18). Moreover, the
righteous leaders of the Book of Mormon taught through example to till the
earth and to support themselves so they would not be a burden for others
(Mosiah 6:7).”[6]
[1] King
Benjamin’s Speech in the Context of Ancient Israelite Festivals, Terrence
L. Szink and John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.
[3] “Thou
Shalt Give Heed unto All His Words,” Elder L. Tom Perry, April 2000 General
Conference.
[4] Glimpses
of Lehi’s Jerusalem – Introduction, David Rolph Seely, Jo Ann H. Seely, and
John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.
[5] Mosiah:
The Complex Symbolism and Symbolic Complex of Kingship in the Book of Mormon,
Gordon C. Thomasson, Maxwell Institute.
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