|
|
|
|
CHAPTER 5The saints become the sons and daughters of Christ through faith—They are then called by the name of Christ—King Benjamin exhorts them to be steadfast and immovable in good works. [About 124 B.C.] |
As men accept and perform the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ, they do take his name upon themselves, thus becomeing by that symbolic baptism the sons and daughters of Jesus Christ as pertaining to this temporal creation, that thereby all that he, Jesus Christ, does create he has the power and authority to also redeem and have that power to bring them back into the glory and the kingdom of the Father through the administration of the atonement. Only in, through and by him, are men enabled to be saved. There is no other way under heaven by which this is provided by the Father through the Son to occur. | |
|
1 AND now, it came to pass that when king
Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know
of his people if they abelieved the words which he had
spoken unto them.
2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty achange in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do bevil, but to do good continuallya.
|
2a we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually Now this speaks of the intent of the mind and the desire of the heart which comes from within as that which the spirit of a man does attempt to exercise over that carnal nature of the natural man. Now this disposition must be nurtured and fed by the things of God, avoiding all temptation which the natural carnal man by nature is still susceptible to. Thus it takes a regement of work and effort to so maintain such a disposition and state of mind. Such things which are a part of this 'regiment' are daily prayer in the attitude of praying always, scripture reading, remembering the Christ always in order that the Spirit might constantly attend us, maintaining a contrite spirit in humility and a meekness of a broken heart before God. |
1a
1 Ne. 11:4 (1-5) 2a Rom. 8:2 (1-4); Alma 5:14; Alma 13:12; TG Man, New, Spiritually Reborn b Alma 19:33
|
|
3 And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite
agoodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit,
have great views of that which is to come; and were it expedient, we could
prophesy of all things.
4 And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy. 5 And we are willing to enter into a acovenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a bnever-ending torment, as has been spoken by the cangel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.
|
3a
Ex. 34:6 (5-7) 5a 2 Chr. 15:12-15; Neh. 10:29; Mosiah 6:3; TG Commitment b Mosiah 3:27 (25-27) c Mosiah 3:2
|
|
|
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 achildren of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are bchanged through faith on his name; therefore, ye are cborn of him and have become his dsons and his daughters. 8 And under this head ye are made afree, and there is bno other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other cname given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should dtake 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.
|
7a
1 John 2:12;
Mosiah 15:2; Mosiah 27:25 (24-26); Moses 6:68 (64-68) b TG Sanctification c John 1:13 (12-13); Mosiah 15:10; TG Man, New, Spiritually Reborn d Matt. 12:49-50; D&C 11:30 8a Rom. 6:18 (14-22); 1 Cor. 7:22; Gal. 5:1; D&C 88:86 b Acts 4:12; Mosiah 4:8; Alma 21:9 c Gal. 3:27; Mosiah 1:11; Mosiah 26:18 d Acts 11:26; Alma 46:15
|
|
|
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
Christa.
10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some aother name; therefore, he findeth himself on the bleft hand of God.
 |
9a 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 From the days of Adam it was known and preached that the only name given under heaven whereby the children of men would be saved by the name of Christ, even Jesus Christ ~ Moses 6:52. And it was preached in its plainness by Noah concering Jesus Christ, the Son of God Moses 8:23-24. But the people rejected the gospel of christ and were destoryed in their gross wickedness. Moses taught many plain and precious things concerning Jesus Christ, the Messiah. These plain and precious teachings have been muddled and confounded by those who have compiled the Bible in their attempt to hide the Christ from being considered he who the Jews did put to death. This has been the continual struggle through time. Many of the prophets were stoned, rejected and killed by ancient Israel as they found the sinful life styles of the others about them more appealing to their baser natures. And so it the world today faced with that same dilima of selecting Christ and righteousness or the world and the ways of wickedness and destruction. May we be as he people of King Benjamin and choose to be called by the name of Christ and live according to his commandments. |
10a
Alma 5:39 (38-42) b Matt. 25:33
|
|
11 And I would that ye should remember also, that this is the
aname that I said I should give unto you that never should
be blotted outa, except it be through
transgression; therefore, take heed that
ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts.
12 I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to aretain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call youa. 13 For how aknoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?
|
11a this is the name that I said I should give unto
you that never should be blotted out The name is 'Christ.' Both sacrament
prayers also state this. " ... witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they
are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son ... " (D&C 20:77) and " ... witness unto thee, O
God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him [Jesus Christ], that they may
have his Spirit to be with them ... " (D&C 20:79). And thus we at the time of our baptism covenant
do that the name of God upon us being baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost. And by the sacrament we committ to that his name, the name of
Christ, upon us and to always remember him. And least we forget we are always reminded
of this obligation and association that it is by his name that we are to be called, by
the name of Christ, which name is Jesus Christ, Jehoshua, and/or even Israel. Many of the
Old Testament figures would recieve a 'new name' given unto them, which names were many
such as recalled in part of in whole the name of God haveing been placed upon them and
thus taken upon them. The Angel's message through King Benjamin to the people was to take
upon them the name of 'Christ' by which name we/they will be called and redeemed; the new
name.
12a the name by which he shall call you The Lord will call us by his name. For it is only in, by and through his name that we may be saved and redeemed. There is no other name give by which we are saved. God the Father did give but one name and by that one means only that we might be redeemed from the fall, to return and be forever a member of the Kingdom of God. There is no other way or means (Mosiah 3:17; Alma 38:9; Helaman 5:9; 2 Nephi 31:21; Acts 4:12; Hosea 13:4; 2 Nephi 25:20). |
11a
Mosiah 1:11-12; TG Jesus Christ, Taking the Name of 12a Ps. 119:55; Num. 6:27; D&C 18:25 13a Jer. 4:22; Mosiah 26:25 (24-27)
|
|
14 And again, doth a man take an ass which belongeth to his
neighbor, and keep him? I say unto you, Nay; he will not even
suffer that he shall feed among his flocks, but will drive him
away, and cast him out. I say unto you, that even so shall it be
among you if ye know not the name by which ye are called.
15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in agood works, that Christ, the bLord God Omnipotent, may cseal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who dcreated all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above alla. Amen.
|
15a through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God, above all Here again King Benjamin confirms what he first declared in Mosiah 4:2, that it was Jesus Christ as the Lord God of the Old Testament Jehovah, who, under the direction of God the Father, Elohim, did in fact create the temporal heaven and earth as set out in the openning pages of Genesis in the Bible. As so positioned by the Father, it is in, through and by Jehovah, who is the same as Jesus Christ, that created all things temporal, in heaven and in earth, he is our ministering God who is above all. Only in, though and by him may be find our way unto salvation and exaltation. There is none other given but him, in whose name we are given to trust for our eternal redemption. He is our advocate, intercesser, and our mediator. And it by his righteousness that we are saved after all that we can do. He is our final judged and King. The Father has so placed him to be such by that divine investiture given in the grand pre-councils in heaven. That is why the first verses of the gospel of John read as they do. |
15a
TG
Good Works b TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah; TG Jesus Christ, Lord c TG Election d Col. 1:16; Mosiah 4:2; Alma 11:39
|
| This BM Book | Previous BM Chapter | Next BM Chapter | Commentary Page | Home Page |