Mosiah 1:9-18

9 And it came to pass that after king Benjamin had made an end of teaching his sons, that he waxed old, and he saw that he must very soon go the way of all the earth; therefore, he thought it expedient that he should confer the kingdom upon one of his sons.

10 Therefore, he had Mosiah brought before him; and these are the words which he spake unto him, saying: My son, I would that ye should make a proclamation throughout all this land among all this people, or the people of Zarahemla, and the people of Mosiah who dwell in the land, that thereby they may be gathered together; for on the morrow I shall proclaim unto this my people out of mine own mouth that thou art a king and a ruler over this people, whom the Lord our God hath given us.

11 And moreover, I shall give this people a name, that thereby they may be distinguished above all the people which the Lord God hath brought out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I do because they have been a diligent people in keeping the commandments of the Lord.

12 And I give unto them a name that never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression.

13 Yea, and moreover I say unto you, that if this highly favored people of the Lord should fall into transgression, and become a wicked and an adulterous people, that the Lord will deliver them up, that thereby they become weak like unto their brethren; and he will no more preserve them by his matchless and marvelous power, as he has hitherto preserved our fathers.

14 For I say unto you, that if he had not extended his arm in the preservation of our fathers they must have fallen into the hands of the Lamanites, and become victims to their hatred.

15 And it came to pass that after king Benjamin had made an end of these sayings to his son, that he gave him charge concerning all the affairs of the kingdom.

16 And moreover, he also gave him charge concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass; and also the plates of Nephi; and also, the sword of Laban, and the ball or director, which led our fathers through the wilderness, which was prepared by the hand of the Lord that thereby they might be led, every one according to the heed and diligence which they gave unto him.

17 Therefore, as they were unfaithful they did not prosper nor progress in their journey, but were driven back, and incurred the displeasure of God upon them; and therefore they were smitten with famine and sore afflictions, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty.

18 And now, it came to pass that Mosiah went and did as his father had commanded him, and proclaimed unto all the people who were in the land of Zarahemla that thereby they might gather themselves together, to go up to the temple to hear the words which his father should speak unto them. (Mosiah 1:9-18)

Benjamin finished teaching his sons.

The time came when Benjamin realized he needed to select a successor to the throne. He had Mosiah brought before him.

He told him he would send a proclamation throughout the land proclaiming Mosiah would be the ruler of the people of Mosiah and Zarahemla.

“[B]ehold, [Mosiah₁ was] warned of the Lord that he should flee out of the land of Nephi, and as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also depart out of the land with him, into the wilderness—

“ And it came to pass that he did according as the Lord had commanded him. And they departed out of the land into the wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord; and they were led by many preachings and prophesyings. And they were admonished continually by the word of God; and they were led by the power of his arm, through the wilderness until they came down into the land which is called the land of Zarahemla.

“And they discovered a people, who were called the people of Zarahemla. Now, there was great rejoicing among the people of Zarahemla; and also Zarahemla did rejoice exceedingly, because the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah with the plates of brass which contained the record of the Jews” (Omni 1:12-14).

The wording of verse 10 implies the two peoples have not come together as one. “[A] full generation after the two peoples joined together in the land of Zarahemla, they still distinguished themselves as separate entities. Following his admission that there were two distinct communities, Benjamin described his hope to give the two communities a new, common name that would erase former distinctions.”[1]

When the people come together, Benjamin tells Mosiah he would give them a name, “that thereby they may be distinguished above all the people which the Lord God hath brought out of the land of Jerusalem” (Mosiah 1:11).

This will be done because they have diligently kept God’s commandments. “Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee” (Deuteronomy 6:17).

This name will never be blotted unless the people violate God’s laws.

The Nephites are highly favored of the Lord; however, if they become a wicked and sinful people, they will be delivered.

“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

“Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him” (Exodus 23:20-21).

“If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

“If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

“Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes” (Psalm 89:30-32).

The consequences will be they will become weak like the Lamanites. The Lord will cease to preserve this people.

“And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; yea, it had withdrawn from them because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples—

“Therefore the Lord did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power, for they had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness; and they saw that the Lamanites were exceedingly more numerous than they, and except they should cleave unto the Lord their God they must unavoidably perish.

“For behold, they saw that the strength of the Lamanites was as great as their strength, even man for man. And thus had they fallen into this great transgression; yea, thus had they become weak, because of their transgression, in the space of not many years” (Helaman 4:24-26).

“But inasmuch as they keep not my commandments, and hearken not to observe all my words, the kingdoms of the world shall prevail against them” (D&C 103:8).

Had He not extended His arm to preserve the Nephites, they would have fallen, becoming victims of their hatred.

With these words, Benjamin ended his counsel to Mosiah. He gave him charge concerning the affairs of the kingdom.

“Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.

“He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

“The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

“He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor” (Psalm 72:1-4).

Benjamin also passed down other things which were traditionally given to kings. These thing were the plates of brass as well as the other plates, the sword of Laban, and the Liahona.

“Nephite kingship seems to have been connected with and even symbolized or legitimized by possession of certain material objects … When Benjamin transferred the kingdom to his son Mosiah, he also gave to Mosiah the brass plates, along with the plates of Nephi, the sword of Laban, and the Liahona (Mosiah 1:15–16).14 There is, of course, undoubtedly more to the royal possession of the brass plates than simply a claim to legitimate sovereignty … But it should be clear that the Nephite monarch was more than merely the supreme secular official in a secular government.”[2]

As Lehi’s party were unfaithful, they did not prosper or progress in their journey. They were driven back and incurred God’s displeasure.

“And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work.

“Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm, yea, a great and terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters for the space of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me.

“And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore.

“And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities” (1 Nephi 18:12-15).

They were smitten with famine and afflictions. “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years” (Judges 13:1).

This was done to stir them to remembrance of their duty.

“And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.

“Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.

“And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him” (Helaman 12:1-3).

Mosiah, having heard his father’s words, sent a proclamation through the land, telling the people to gather at the temple to hear King Benjamin’s final address to his people.

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[1] “And it came to pass . . .”: The Sociopolitical Events in the Book of Mormon Leading to the Eighteenth Year of the Reign of the Judges, Dan Belnap,  Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 23 (2014): 118.

[2] Authority in the Book of Mosiah, Daniel C. Peterson, FARMS Review 18/1 (2006):154-155.