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CHAPTER 2King Benjamin addresses his people—He recounts the equity, fairness, and spirituality of his reign—He counsels them to serve their heavenly King—Those who rebel against God shall suffer anguish like unquenchable fire. [About 124 B.C.] |
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1 AND it came to pass that after Mosiah had done as his father had
commanded him, and had made a proclamation throughout all the land, that the
people agathered themselves together throughout all the
land, that they might go up to the btemple to
chear the dwords which king Benjamin
should speak unto them.
2 And there were a great number, even so many that they did not number them; for they had multiplied exceedingly and waxed great in the landa.
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2a a great number, even so many that they did not number them; for they had multiplied exceedingly and waxed great in the land |
1a
TG
Assembly for Worship b Mosiah 1:18 c 2 Chr. 34:30 (29-33) d Mosiah 26:1
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3 And they also took of the afirstlings of their
flocks, that they might offer bsacrifice and
cburnt dofferings
eaccording to the law of Moses;
4 And also that they might give thanks to the Lord their God, who had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, and who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and had aappointed just men to be their bteachers, and also a just man to be their king, who had established peace in the cland of Zarahemla, and who had taught them to dkeep the commandments of God, that they might rejoice and be filled with elove towards God and all men.
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3a
Gen. 4:4 (2-7);
Ex. 13:12-13;
Deut. 12:6; Moses 5:20 (5, 19-23) b Ezra 6:10; TG Sacrifice c Lev. 1:3 (2-9); Deut. 33:10 d Ezra 3:2-5; 1 Ne. 5:9 e 2 Ne. 25:24; Jarom 1:5; Alma 30:3; Alma 34:14 (13-14) 4a TG Called of God b Mosiah 18:18-22 c Omni 1:13 (12-15) d John 15:10; D&C 95:12 e Deut. 11:1; TG Love
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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
afamily, 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 atent 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 atower to be erecteda, that thereby his people might hear the words which he should speak unto them.
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7a therefore he caused a tower to be
erected In the first place what this statement tells us is that
it was not common to have a tower at the temple of the Nephites for the
temple of Zarahemla had not such tower, King Benjamin have to thu errect one.
Further, many a quick read enthusist supporter of the Meso-American theory of
the geography of the Book of Mormon jumps upon the concept of the
'TOWER' built by King Benjamin at the temple site in Zarahemla.
And they commit an error of condensation by attributing this to be a 'TOWER'
like unto the Ziggarate or Pyramid type structures of Central
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5a
TG
Family, Patriarchal 6a Ex. 33:8-10 7a Gen. 35:21; Neh. 8:4-5; Mosiah 11:12-13
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9 And these are the words which he aspake and
caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled
yourselves togethera, 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 btrifle with the words which I
shall speak, but that you should chearken unto me, and open
your ears that ye may hear, and your dhearts that ye may
understand, and your eminds that the
fmysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.
10 I have not commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear ame, 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 aconsecrated by bmy 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.
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9a all yee that have assembled yourselves together Now logic is that not all of the people came, as there would have to be those remain at their lands and cities to care for the, fields, the animals and those who could not travel. But it does seem that a representative assembly had gathered to the temple that the words of the king might be taken back to those who where not able to so attend. |
9a
Mosiah 8:3 b D&C 6:12; D&C 32:5; TG Mocking c TG Teachable d Prov. 8:5; Mosiah 12:27; 3 Ne. 19:33 e TG Mind f TG Mysteries of Godliness 10a TG Humility 11a TG Setting Apart b Omni 1:23-24; TG Serve; TG Service
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12 I say unto you that as I have been suffered to
aspend my days in your service, even up to this time, and
have not sought bgold 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 alabored with mine own bhands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be claden 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.
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12a
1 Sam. 12:1-25 b 2 Kings 5:16; Acts 20:33-34; Jacob 1:16 14a Deut. 17:17; Neh. 5:14-15; 1 Cor. 9:18 (4-18); TG Self-sacrifice; TG Work, Value of b Acts 20:34 (33-35) c Ezek. 46:18
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15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might
aboast, 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 bconscience 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 awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the bservice of your cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
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15a
TG
Boasting b TG Conscience 17a TG Wisdom b Matt. 25:40; D&C 42:31 (30-31); TG Service c TG Brotherhood and Sisterhood; TG Fellowshipping; TG Neighbor
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18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your
king, do labor to aserve you, then ought not ye to labor to
serve one another?
19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to athank your heavenly bKing! 20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the athanks and bpraise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and cpreserved you, and has caused that ye should d rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—
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18a
Luke 22:26 19a 1 Chr. 16:8; TG Thanksgiving b TG Kingdom of God in Heaven 20a Job 1:21; Ps. 34:1-3; D&C 59:21; D&C 62:7; D&C 78:19 b 1 Sam. 12:24; 1 Ne. 18:16; D&C 136:28 c D&C 63:3 d Neh. 12:43
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21 I say unto you that if ye should aserve him who
has created you from the beginning, and is bpreserving you
from day to day, by lending you cbreath, that ye may live
and move and do according to your own dwill, and even
supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with
all your ewhole souls yet ye would be
funprofitable servants.
22 And behold, all that he arequires of you is to bkeep his commandments; and he has cpromised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth dvary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do ekeep his fcommandments he doth bless you and prosper you.
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21a
Job 22:3-4 b Neh. 9:6 c 2 Ne. 9:26 d TG Agency e TG Dedication f Luke 17:10 (7-10); Rom. 3:12 22a TG God, the Standard of Righteousness b Gen. 4:7; Lev. 25:18-19; Mosiah 1:7; Alma 50:20-22 c 1 Ne. 4:14; Omni 1:6; Ether 2:7-12 d TG God, Perfection of e Ps. 19:11 (9-11); 2 Ne. 1:20; D&C 14:7; D&C 58:2 f TG Commandments of God
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23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted
unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.
24 And secondly, he doth arequire that ye should do as he hath commanded youa; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bbless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast? 25 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 acreated of the bdust of the earth; but behold, it cbelongeth to him who created you.
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24a he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you Obedience to the commandments of God has always been a requisite. From the time of the preexistance it was so set foreth, as there it states, 'we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; ... and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever (Abraham 3:25-26). Thus a great portion the the 'good works' by which we are judged are those works of keeping the commandments of God, which commandments are those things requisite for us to obtain eternal life and immortality. Thus all of God commands are for our best good unto salvation and exaltation. The are not the type of commandments of tyrany but the type of commandments and requirements that a loveing parent doeth require of his children to the end that it is for the child's best interest to so perform a has been commanded unto the obtaining of salvaiton if th Lord. |
24a
TG
Duty b Prov. 22:4-5; 2 Ne. 1:20 25a TG Man, Physical Creation of b Jacob 2:21; Alma 42:2; Hel. 12:7-8; Morm. 9:17 c 1 Chr. 29:12; Mosiah 4:22
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26 And I, even I, whom ye call your king, am ano
better than ye yourselves are; for I am also of the dust. And ye behold that
I am old, and am about to yield up this mortal frame to its mother earth.
27 Therefore, as I said unto you that I had aserved you, bwalking with a clear conscience before God, even so I at this time have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together, that I might be found blameless, and that your cblood should not come upon me, when I shall stand to be judged of God of the things whereof he hath commanded me concerning you. 28 I say unto you that I have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together that I might arid my garments of your blood, at this period of time when I am about to go down to my grave, that I might go down in peace, and my immortal bspirita may join the cchoirs above in singing the praises of a just God.
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28a my immortal spirit The 'spirit' of man consists of two things. First it consists of 'intelligence' which also consist of spirit matter wherein God and man are co-eternal and equal. That is both have that fundamental basis of 'intelligence'. Then upon the 'procreation' of God the Father of spirits, that spirit intelligence has been added upon that it hast become a spirit child of God the Father of Spirits. And thus has taken upon itself the image and housing of the image of God, head, shoulders, knees and toes; eyes, ears, mouth and nose. And thus the second componant paret is combined with the first, and the spirit child of God the Father of Spirits, is therefore, in and of itself an immortal entity. And so does king Benjamin speak of his 'immortal spirit', for all of the spirits of man are immortal in and of being of a co-existent nature with and of God. |
26a
TG
Equal 27a TG Serve; TG Service b TG Walking with God c Jacob 1:19 28a 2 Ne. 9:44; Jacob 2:2, 16; D&C 61:34; b TG Spirit Body c Morm. 7:7
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29 And moreover, I say unto you that I have caused that ye
should assemble yourselves together, that I might declare unto
you that I can no longer be your teacher, nor your king;
30 For even at this time, my whole frame doth tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak unto you; but the Lord God doth support me, and hath suffered me that I should speak unto you, and hath commanded me that I should declare unto you this day, that my son Mosiah is a aking and a ruler over you. 31 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should do as ye have hitherto done. As ye have kept my commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and have prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands of your enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you.
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30a
Mosiah 1:10;
Mosiah 6:3-4; TG Kings, Earthly
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32 But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise
acontentions among you, and ye blist to
cobey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father
Mosiah.
33 For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to aobey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his bsins, the same drinketh cdamnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an deverlasting epunishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge. 34 I say unto you, that there are not any among you, except it be your little children that have not been taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye are eternally aindebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him ball that you have and are; and also have been taught concerning the crecords which contain the prophecies which have been spoken by the holy prophets, even down to the time our father, Lehi, left Jerusalem; 35 And also, all that has been spoken by our fathers until now. And behold, also, they spake that which was commanded them of the Lord; therefore, they are ajust and true.
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32a
Eph. 4:27 (26-27);
3 Ne. 11:29; TG Contention b Alma 3:27 (26-27); Alma 5:42 (41-42); Alma 30:60; D&C 29:45 c 2 Ne. 32:8; Mosiah 4:14; Alma 5:20 33a TG Agency b TG Accountability c TG Damnation d Jacob 6:10; D&C 19:11 (10-12) e TG Punishment 34a Philip. 3:8 (7-10); TG Debt b Rom. 12:1-2 c 1 Ne. 5:17; Alma 33:2 35a Rom. 7:12; Rev. 15:3
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36 And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have known and
have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress and go
acontrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do
bwithdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may
have no place in you to guide you in wisdom's paths that ye may be blessed,
prospered, and preserveda—
37 I say unto you, that the man that doeth this, the same cometh out in open arebellion against God; therefore he blisteth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in cunholy temples. 38 Therefore if that man arepenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine bjustice do awaken his immortal soula to a lively sense of his own cguilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the dpresence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and epain, and fanguish, which is like an unquenchable gfire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever.
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36a if ye should transgress and go
contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves from
the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in
wisdom's paths that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved
Within the Doctrine of Christ, the workings of the Holy Spirit doeth yield
unto man that communication and direction in their lives to guide man in the
paths of God that God might bless us in all things unto salvation. But when
we close the spirit off from us and deny its power, then we become lost to the
things of God, Satan begins to take hold of that man's soul, and soon leads
them down to hell. That which enlightens and blesses man, that Spirit of
Truth undo salvation, does also condem those who heed not its promptings and
turns all together there from. For they have damn or stopped themselves as to
the things of God and that continual progress toward heaven which the Spirit
doeth provide. They have rejected that which would have brought them unto the
fulness of heaven, stopped their own progression and left themselves subject
unto that Satan which will bind them in the chains of sin. The have of
themselves stopped the progressive gospel process of line upon line and
precept upon precept, repenting and becoming more like God along the way of
Eternal Salvation. 38a his immortal soul Again, King Benjamin speaks of the 'immortal' nature of man, this time in terms of the 'immortal soul'. Now as is the case man's communication often depends upon the definition of terms. In verse 28 King Benjamin spoke of the 'immortal spirit' which while being parallel, is not exactly the same in terms of complete definition. The soul of a man is essentially all that does go into a man to make him the entity that he is. Thus the term soul can reference the 'intelligence' of a man and some tend to limit it to that definitiion. But since the 'soul' can reference all that makes up a man, then once the 'intelligence' is enlarged by adding the housing of the spirit body which is in the image of God, head, shoulders, knees and toes; eyes, ears, mouth and nose, then the added entity and the soul thereof does thus include that also. And when indeed the physical body of flesh and bone is added there unto, the soul of a man takes on that additional definition as well; particularly when the resurrected body is forever 'fuse' and becomes a part of that man. And then the living soul becomes in definition all of that also. And in fine, this guilt of devine justice does take hold of the resurrected man as well as when he comes to stand before God at that great and final judgment day. Thus when speaking of the 'soul', one must consider that context in which the term is being used. Does the speaker speak only of that basic intelligence, or the procreated spirit body and intelligence combined, or does it speak to that resurrected being of intelligence, spirit body and physical body combined. It may speak of one or all serverally as does King Benjamin when he speaks of the 'immortal or eternal soul' of man. |
36a
TG
Disobedience b TG Holy Ghost, Loss of 37a Mosiah 3:12; Hel. 8:25 (24-25); TG Holy Ghost, Unpardonable Sin against; TG Rebellion b Prov. 19:27; 1 Ne. 8:34 (33-34) c Alma 7:21; Alma 34:36; Hel. 4:24 38a TG Repentance b TG God, Justice of c Mosiah 27:29 (25-29); TG Guilt d TG God, Presence of e TG Pain f TG Sorrow g TG Hell
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39 And now I say unto you, that amercy hath no
claim on that man; therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending
btorment.
40 O, all ye aold men, and also ye young men, and you little children who can understand my words, for I have spoken plainly unto you that ye might understand, I pray that ye should awake to a bremembrance of the awful situation of those that have fallen into transgression. 41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and ahappy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are bblessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out cfaithful to the end they are received into dheaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it. |
39a
TG
Mercy b TG Damnation; TG Punishment 40a TG Old Age b Alma 5:18 (7-18) 41a Matt. 11:29 (28-30); Alma 50:23; 4 Ne. 1:16 (15-18); TG Happiness; TG Joy b Gen. 39:3 (1-6); Ps. 37:25; Matt. 6:33; 1 Ne. 17:3 (1-5, 12-14) c Ps. 31:23; Ether 4:19; D&C 6:13; D&C 63:47 d TG Heaven
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