Mosiah 4:19-23

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)

King Benjamin reminds us we are all beggars before God  “The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all” (Proverbs 22:2).

“For who maketh thee to differ from [GR different from, superior to] another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it” (1 Corinthians 4:7).

We all depend on Him for everything we have – food, clothing, gold, and sliver.

“Throughout His mortal life the Savior taught that we should care for one another and help one another. He healed the sick, caused the lame to walk, restored sight to the blind, and unstopped the ears of the deaf. He taught the people the gospel. He blessed the people and performed many mighty miracles.

“There are opportunities everywhere to help those in need. I submit to you that at some time in our lives, each of us will be poor in some way and will need the help of another person … President Spencer W. Kimball said: ‘God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other.’”[1]

They have been calling upon the Lord, begging for forgiveness for their sins.

“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).

Has your begging been in vain? No. He has poured out His Spirit, causing them to be filled with joy. “Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets” (Luke 6:23).

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith” (Galatians 5:22).

“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).”[2]

If God, on whom we are dependent for all we have, will grant us what we ask in faith, then we too must impart our substance to one another. “For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land” (Deuteronomy 15:11).

“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again” (Proverbs 19:17).

“Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away” (Matthew 5:42).

“I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

“A friend of mine is having a difficult time in her life. Earlier this year she was struggling, and I didn’t know how to help her. In my prayers I asked my Heavenly Father to bless her and to help me to be her friend. One day she became angry with me, and I did not understand. I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t want to say something wrong that might ruin our friendship, especially because this was a time when I felt she needed me. But after she became angry with me, I thought it would be too hard. I was considering giving up because I was discouraged.

“One afternoon in seminary I came across a scripture in Mosiah that said: ‘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’ (Mosiah 4:21).

“I knew then that she needed and still needs of the substance I can impart: my friendship and my testimony. I decided then that I would not give up on my friend. I talk to her every day, remember her in my prayers, and have faith that something positive will come from my efforts. I am so grateful that I prayed and received this guidance through the scriptures.”[3]

Do not judge someone who asks for your help.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.

“For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matthew 7:1-2).[4]

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).[5]

If you don’t help him, but condemn him and withhold your help, you are withholding that which belongs to God. “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion [GR is hardhearted, void of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him” (1 John 3:17).

All you have belongs to God. “And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you” (Mosiah 2:25).

“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)…

“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.”[6]

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.”[7]

Wo be unto the person who refuses to share with the poor. “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).

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).”[8]

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).

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[1] His Arm Is Sufficient, Sister Barbara Thompson, April 2009 General Conference.

[2] King Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Maxwell Institute.

[3] Trust in the Lord, Sister Andrea Allen, April 1995 General Conference.

[4] “Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people.

“Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment” (JST Matthew 7:1-2).

[5] “Judge not according to your traditions, but judge righteous judgment” (JST John 7:24).

[6] King Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Maxwell Institute.

[7] Democratizing Forces in King Benjamin's Speech, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.

[8] The Way of the Wicked, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute.