Sunday, August 30, 2020

Mosiah 5:6-10

6 And now, these are the words which king Benjamin desired of them; and therefore he said unto them: Ye have spoken the words that I desired; and the covenant which ye have made is a righteous covenant.

7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free.  There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.

10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God. (Mosiah 5:6-10)

After the people made the covenant, Benjamin reminded them they had made a righteous covenant.

At this point, Benjamin gave the people the new name he promised.  “[B]ecause of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ.”  After awakening from his experience with an angel of the Lord, Alma2 spoke similar words.

“For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.

“And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;

“And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God” (Mosiah 27:24-26).

“In the case of Benjamin’s people, they first viewed themselves as ‘even less than the dust of the earth’ (Mosiah 4:2), but through the force and effect of their covenant they became spiritually begotten, born, free, and positioned on the right hand of God (see Mosiah 5:7–10). It was the covenant that raised them from the dust, both ceremonially and spiritually.”[1]

“What are the rewards of covenant keeping? Gentle-hearted King Benjamin said: ‘Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ. … And under this head ye are made free’ (Mosiah 5:7–8). And we will ‘be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that [we] may have eternal life’ (Mosiah 18:9). Brothers and sisters, covenant keeping will help you recall the One with whom you’re yoked, and your burden will be lighter.”[2]

We become His sons and daughters.  “And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:49-50).  The Lord told Joseph Smith, “But verily, verily, I say unto you, that as many as receive me, to them will I give power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on my name” (D&C 11:30).

“Benjamin drew all his people into the realm of royal ideology. He positioned them to be raised in status just as his son, the new monarch, would also be elevated. Like kings or queens, the people asked for forgiveness, and ‘the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy’ (Mosiah 4:3), and ultimately they were raised to the level of being sons and daughters of God (see Mosiah 5:7).”[3]

When we make our covenant with Christ, “he that spiritually begotten [us].  We experience a mighty change of heart through faith on His name.  We are born of Christ.  “But as many as received him, to them gave he power [GR authority, right, privilege] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

Through Christ, we are free.  Under no one, save it be Christ, are we made free.  Benjamin again reminds the people “[t]here is no other name given whereby salvation cometh, therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ.”  “For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant” (1 Corinthians 7:22).  “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).  When Aaron was teaching the Amalakites, he taught about Christ.  “Now Aaron began to open the scriptures unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and that there could be no redemption for mankind save it were through the death and sufferings of Christ, and the atonement of his blood” (Alma 21:9).  The Lord told Alma1, “Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine” (Mosiah 26:18).

“We love the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah, our Savior and our Redeemer. His is the only name by which we can be saved (see Mosiah 3:17, Mosiah 5:8; D&C 18:23). We seek to serve him. We belong to his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our missionaries and members testify of Jesus Christ in many nations of the world. As the prophet Nephi wrote in the Book of Mormon, “We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Ne. 25:26).”[4]

Since we have entered into a covenant to take upon us the name of Christ, we should be obedient to the end.  “The purpose of the covenant was to establish a permanent, binding relationship between God and his people. Of course, the relationship could not be established if the people violated the terms.”[5] “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.  And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.  And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).  “And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come” (Alma 46:15).

“After King Benjamin taught his people that Christ is the only source of salvation and outlined the obligations and consequences of enlisting him as their suzerain, the people declared their desire to ‘take upon [themselves] the name of Christ’ (Mosiah 5:8). However, King Benjamin issued a severe warning that they must know his name, meaning that they must recognize Christ’s authority, in order to receive salvation (see Mosiah 5:14–15).”[6]

If we keep our covenant, the day will come where we will be found on the right-hand of God.  He will know the new name, “for he shall be called by the name of Christ.”  “Right and left always refer to a position near the throne of God, in the sense that Mosiah uses it in a solemn ritual text Mosiah 5:9-10). Whoever accepts the name and covenant will be on the right hand of God, and whoever rejects it will be on the left hand. It is a common image.”[7]

“The name Benjamin may mean literally ‘son of the right hand,’ although this etymology is not entirely certain. If the name was understood this way among the Nephites, it may have had significance to Benjamin and his people. Benjamin was surely a righteous son, found on the right hand of his father Mosiah. Moreover, Benjamin promised his people that he who knows ‘the name by which he is called’ ‘shall be found at the right hand of God’ (Mosiah 5:9). Benjamin’s audience may well have noticed a similarity between Benjamin’s name and this important phrase, ‘to be found at the right hand of God.’”[8]

There will always be some who will not take upon themselves the name of Christ.  If they reject Christ and “must be called by some other name.”  That name will be that of the devil and they will be found on the left-hand of God.

Alma2 taught the people of Zarahemla,

“Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

“And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye?  Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this?  Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.

“For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.

“Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.

“And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works” (Alma 5:38-42).

In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the Savior talks about those on His left-hand.

“And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

“I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

“Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

“Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:31, 41-46).


[1] Kingship. Coronation, and Covenant in Mosiah 1–6, Stephen D. Ricks, Maxwell Institute.

[2] Celebrating Covenants, Sister Bonnie D. Parkin, April 1995 General Conference.

[3] Democratizing Forces in King Benjamin’s Speech, Maxwell Institute.

[4] “The Light and Life of the World,” President Dallin H. Oaks, October 1987 General Conference.

[5] The Covenant Tradition in the Book of Mormon, Blake T. Ostler, Maxwell Institute.

[6] Treaties and Covenants: Ancient Near Eastern Legal Terminology in the Book of Mormon, RoseAnn Benson and Stephen D. Ricks, Maxwell Institute.

[7] Rediscovery of the Apocrypha and the Book of Mormon – The Open Scriptures, Maxwell Institute.

[8] Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.

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