When studying King Benjamin's speech, you will note that it follows a pattern. Like Isaiah, it is not something you nibble; you must feast. For me, it takes several readings, followed by research from good sources. Because the Nephites were living the Law of Moses in the days of Benjamin, there are things that slip past me (because I don't have that background) that those Israelites in Mesoamerica would have understood. (More on that tomorrow!)
Like other Book of Mormon prophets, Benjamin begins by teaching about the Creation and Fall of Man. He fills an entire chapter with the fall, bringing home to his people the reality and subsequent consequences of the fall. In his fallen state, the natural man is an enemy to God, and unless he recognizes his sins and repents of them, he cannot become at one with God as Adam and Eve were before the fall. Paradise, is thus lost.
By the time he has concluded that part of his sermon, there isn't a doubt in anyone's mind but that each individual, save young children, have fallen far short of God's expectations for them. I don't know why he felt he had to dwell on this so long because I didn't know the people of his time. I don't get the impression that they were a wicked people, but perhaps they were careless and lackadaisical in their worship of the Lord. If so, they were not careless of their fallen state by the time they hearkened to the words of their beloved king.
Mormon tells us that the people were so overwhelmed, that they fell on their faces, proclaiming the faith in the coming of the Savior and begging for His forgiveness. I think if I were to become that aware of the presence of my Savior, I, too, would fall at His feet. I appreciate Him because I understand how much I need Him.
But, unlike the "man is a worm" theology of Protestantism, King Benjamin holds out hope and a promise. God, the Father, knew we would fall. All are sinners. Living the Law of Moses was important before Jesus came in the flesh, but no one could be saved by the Law. Paul taught that the Law was a schoolmaster or tutor to lead us to Christ if, for no other reason, than that the law has over 600 commandments and no one (save Jesus) could ever live them all.
Therefore, God so loved us, even in our sinful state, that He sent His Only Begotten Son as propitiation for our debt - a debt He did not owe but one which we could not pay.
After the people recognized their absolute need for a Messiah to atone for their sins, they began to proclaim their faith in Him, that they knew He would indeed come to earth and complete the mission set before Him before the world was created.
Once they had obtained a remission of their sins, they needed to know what they must do to retain a remission of their sins. King Benjamin did not reiterated all of the Law of Moses, but he shared the most simple and basic things. Love God. Love your neighbor.
And no, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you - that is for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God - I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants. And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. . . it is expedient that he should be diligent. . . . therefore, all things must be done in order. (Mosiah 3: 26-27) To borrow from Aesop, don't run like a rabbit but be steady and diligent like a turtle.
The king ends this part of his sermon by telling them that he cannot delineated every possible way a person can sin, but he does warn them. If ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember and perish not. (Mosiah 3: 30)
Some people proclaim that all one has to do to be saved is to proclaim Jesus Christ and then be born again, as if it were some one time event at the front of the church. In truth, because we sin every day, we must repent every day. We must love the Lord every day by loving and serving our fellow man. We must study His word and seek every day to bring our will into harmony with His will. And, as Benjamin taught, we must do so all the days of our lives.
To borrow another phrase, one quoted by President Thomas S. Monson: life, and therefore repentance, may be hard by the yard, but it's a cinch by the inch.
© Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson April 2020
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