Sunday, August 2, 2020

Mosiah 1:5-8


5 I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.
6 O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true.  And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes.
7 And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers.
8 And many more things did king Benjamin teach his sons, which are not written in this book.
Mosiah 1:5-8

King Benjamin has been teaching his sons about the importance of the records they have.  He explains the records have been preserved by God.  With the records, they can understand His commandments and mysteries.  Alma2 may have had King Benjamin’s teachings in mind when he told his son, Helaman2,  “Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer” (Alma 37:9).  While deciding what to do when he was moved on by the Spirit to slay Laban, one of his thoughts was on the importance and necessity of the record.  “Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law” (1 Nephi 4:15).

Elder Neal Maxwell referred to the importance of the records to knowing the commandments and mysteries of God. “As we see from the content of Benjamin's sermon, the so-called mysteries referred to by King Benjamin are actually the plain but precious things required for salvation and for exaltation … Wise King Benjamin knew personally of the importance of sacred records. Just a few years before Benjamin's reign, some of the people of Zarahemla ended up denying ‘the being of their Creator’ (Omni 1:17). Why? Because they had no sacred record.”[1] 

Without the records, the Nephites would have “dwindled in unbelief” and know nothing about the word of God.  Instead, they would follow the incorrect traditions of their fathers.  Daniel C. Peterson points out that, in the Book of Mormon, the phrase “traditions of the fathers” is never used in a positive sense.[2]

We see the importance to a culture of stable laws and traditions. 

“Indeed, civilization in the ancient world was precariously fragile. Cultures would cease to exist if, for whatever reason, the stabilizing language, norms, and rules were not successfully transmitted from one generation to the next. Much that was of social importance hinged upon the preservation and perpetuation of the law. The law was not self-perpetuating or self-enforcing. It defined the social order, and it implemented the divine order. No ancient person would doubt the axiom that a nation without law would dwindle and perish in unbelief and disarray (compare 1 Nephi 4:13; Mosiah 1:5).”[3] 

Benjamin gives his testimony the records are true.  They contain a record of events and ministries from the time Lehi’s part left Jerusalem to the present day. 

He calls on his son to “search [the records] diligently, that you may profit thereby.”  This same admonition applies to us.  He called on them to keep the commandments.  In his great sermon, he would repeat this counsel to the people, “And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you” (Mosiah 2:22),

If they keep the commandments of the Lord, they will prosper in the land.  This repeats the promise given Nephi.  “And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands” (1 Nephi 2:20).

John Welch writes about King Benjamin’s admonition to his sons.

“He ‘taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass’ (Mosiah 1:3) because he felt that if it had not been for the commandments and teachings on these plates, their people would have ‘suffered in ignorance’ (Mosiah 1:3), would not have understood the mysteries of God (see Mosiah 1:5), would have ended up with incorrect traditions as the Lamanites did (see Mosiah 1:5), and would not have prospered in the land (see Mosiah 1:7). He told his sons to search the plates ‘diligently’ (Mosiah 1:7) and reminded the people that they had been taught concerning the sacred records (see Mosiah 2:34) and were now accountable to live by their precepts.”[4] 

Benjamin reminded his sons about the importance of remembrance.

“Clearly the memory that is expected of the people of God in both the Bible and Book of Mormon is not mere curiosity; neither is it a matter of being able simply to recall. Rather, the key is righteous deeds.”[5]

Mormon ends his abridgement of Kin Benjamin’s words to his sons.  “And many more things did king Benjamin teach his sons, which are not written in this book.”  What could these teachings have been?  Neal Maxwell said, “Intriguing, isn’t it?”[6]


[1] King Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Maxwell Institute.
[2] Editor's Introduction: Traditions of the Fathers, Daniel C. Peterson, Maxwell Institute.
[3] Entering the Ancient Legal World, Maxwell Institute.
[4] Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.
[5] The Ways of Remembrance, Louis Midgley, Maxwell Institute.
[6] King Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Maxwell Institute.

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