5 And it came to pass
that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about,
every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and
his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the
youngest, every family being separate one from another.
6 And they pitched
their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door
thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and
hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them;
7 For the multitude
being so great that king Benjamin could not teach them all within the walls of
the temple, therefore he caused a tower to be erected, that thereby his people
might hear the words which he should speak unto them.
8 And it came to pass
that he began to speak to his people from the tower; and they could not all
hear his words because of the greatness of the multitude; therefore he caused
that the words which he spake should be written and sent forth among those that
were not under the sound of his voice, that they might also receive his words.
9 And these are the
words which he spake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that
have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall
speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to
trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me,
and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand,
and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.
10 I have not
commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear me, or that ye should think
that I of myself am more than a mortal man.
11 But I am like as
yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have
been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by
the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and
have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the
might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me.
12 I say unto you that
as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time,
and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you;
13 Neither have I
suffered that ye should be confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves
one of another, nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or steal, or commit
adultery; nor even have I suffered that ye should commit any manner of
wickedness, and have taught you that ye should keep the commandments of the
Lord, in all things which he hath commanded you—
14 And even I, myself,
have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not
be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was
grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves
are witnesses this day.
15 Yet, my brethren, I
have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things
that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know
that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day.
16 Behold, I say unto
you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do
not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.
17 And behold, I tell
you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are
in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
18 Behold, ye have
called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you,
then ought not ye to labor to serve one another? (Mosiah 2:5-18)
King Benjamin has sent out a proclamation, telling the
people to come to the temple for his farewell sermon.
The people came. They pitched their tents according to
family. Each family was separate from the other.
They pitched their tents with the door facing the temple.
Something similar was done during the Exodus.
“And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the
tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door,
and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
“And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle,
the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the
Lord talked with Moses.
“And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the
tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his
tent door” (Exodus 33:8-10).
Because the crowd was so large, he realized he needed a
tower built. This would allow more to hear his words.
The crowd was so large, not all heard his words. To deal
with this, his words were written down and taken to those who could not hear
him.
He began speaking to the multitude.
He commanded them to come and hear his words. They should
listen to his words, open their ears and hearts, so they may understand his
words. They are to open their minds so they might understand the mysteries of
God.
“Remember … to be spiritually-minded is life eternal”
(2 Nephi 9:39).
“And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to
believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel;
wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might,
mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise
be cast out” (2 Nephi 25:29).
“Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the
mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich.
Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich” (D&C 6:7).
“If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon
revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and
peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal”
(D&C 42:61).
“We have a choice. We may choose to ignore, trifle with,
trample upon, or rebel against the words of Christ spoken by His ordained
servants. But the Savior taught that those who do so will be cut off from His
covenant people.
“As we prayerfully read and study sacred prophetic word with
faith in Christ, with real intent, the Holy Ghost will speak truth to our minds
and hearts. May we open our ears to hear, our hearts to understand, and our
minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to our view.”[1]
He did not command them to come so they should fear him. He
did not want them to thing he was more than a mortal man.
He is subject to infirmities in body and mind. Still, he had
been chose by the people and consecrated by his father. He was set apart to be
a ruler and king of this people. He was preserved by the power of God so he
might serve the people.
During the time he served as king, he has not sought gold, silver,
or riches from the people.
“I [Paul] have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.
“Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered
unto my necessities, and to them that were with me” (Acts 20:33-34).
He has not confined his people to dungeons. He has not made
them slaves. He did not allow them to murder, plunder, steal, commit adultery,
nor commit any sin.
He has taught them to keep the Lord’s commandments.
He has labored with his own hands to serve the people.
“[S]tudy [strive, endeavor earnestly] to be quiet, and to do
your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you” (1 Thessalonians
4:11).
“Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat
the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer” (D&C 42:42).
He did not burden the people with taxes. ‘Moreover the
prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them
out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own
possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession” (Ezekiel
46:18).
They are witnesses to all the things he has said.
“The laboring with his own hands would be a direct
contradiction to the way that the elite were supported in the areas with kings.
Such kings in other lands would not have been supported by their own labor, but
by the tribute labor of their own and conquered people.”[2]
He did not do these things to boast. He also makes no
accusation of anyone else. He did these things to he can have a clear
conscience before God.
“Benjamin, who twice pointedly mentions his ‘clear
conscience’ (Mosiah 2:15, 17), did not do so to be legalistic, but instead, he
wanted to do everything he could to keep his people ‘in wisdom's paths’ (Mosiah
2:36). But the wisdom's path he cited is sharply distinguished from the ‘world
and the wisdom thereof’ (I Nephi 11:35). Benjamin knew that without
revelations, prophets, and sacred records, mankind must settle for ‘preach[ing]
up . . . their own wisdom’ (2 Nephi 26:20), which is not much of an offering,
brothers and sisters. Only the Holy Ghost can keep us on the strait and narrow
path, which is wisdom's path (see Mosiah 2:36).”[3]
“Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I
had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only
been in the service of God” (Mosiah 2:16).
He wants the people to hear these things so they may learn
wisdom. “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding”
(Proverbs 2:6).
“How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get
understanding rather to be chosen than silver” (Proverbs 16:16).
“[W]hen ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are
only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).
If he, as king, serves his people, should they not serve one
another?
“[H]e that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger;
and he that is chief, as he that doth serve” (Luke 22:26).
[1] Live
according to the Words of the Prophets, Sister Carol F. McConkie, October
2014 General Conference.
[2] The
Other Stuff: Reading the Book of Mormon for Cultural Information, Brant A.
Gardner, FARMS Review of Books 13/2
(2001): 49.
[3] King
Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell,
Maxwell Institute website.
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