I turned to see if my son was feeling crushed over this, but he had already turned around to walk back to take the sucker back. I believe it’s very likely the 1800’s camp meeting revivals were in Joseph’s subconscious mind as he responded to divine persuasion and produced this beautiful passage of scripture. What’s going on here? He’s about ready to put the people in a covenant, and he’s defining what will be their part. [illustration] King Benjamin Preaches to the Nephites, by Gary L. Kapp [illustrations] Paintings by Robert T. Barrett; left: Christ Healing the Man with the Withered Hand; top right: Joseph Smith's Vision of the Celestial Kingdom; bottom right: King Benjamin Confers the Kingdom on Mosiah And thus the Lord bringeth about the restoration of these; and they have a part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being redeemed by the Lord. In Mosiah 4:11 King Benjamin talks about the goodness of God and the need we have of a Savior. c) become a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord 13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due. 13 For how knoweth 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? Those who turn to the Savior can be cleansed from sin. (Wait a minute—Mormons don’t believe that. King Benjamin's son Mosiah is appointed to be the next king. The Why If King Benjamin’s speech in Mosiah 2–6 took place as part of a Nephite celebration of the ancient Israelite Feast of Tabernacles, that would explain many of the elements described in the narrative as found in the Book of Mormon, including the details regarding the setting up of tents around the temple and the people remaining in them to hear their king speak. The weight lifter failed in his attempt to lift 10 reps on his own. The king teaches them to believe in God, believe that He lives, and believe that He created the heavens and earth. I was out shopping with my husband and 9 year old son. Anachronistic Christian Doctrine in the Book of Mormon, Nick Frederick — New Testament in the Book of Mormon, In a previous article, I talk about how it’s a bit unrealistic to see such mature Christian arguments in the Book of Mormon. d) natural man Chiasmus. One Mormon’s view of Tyler Glenn’s video Trash. A fairly complex chiasmus in Mosiah 2:41 ((John W. Welch, and Stephen D. Ricks, King Benjamin’s Speech: Made Simple, pp. But at the same time, he gives a very grace centered message to soften the blow of how difficult this may seem. He encourages everyone to take care of the poor and needy. The plea for the covenant and atonement found in Mosiah 4:1-3. Repentance. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order. The Book of Mormon enters the debate exactly at this advanced state. d) natural man It goes from non-familial to familial, then back to familial followed by non-familial. acknowledges both modern and ancient content. Mosiah 2:17 one of our favorite scriptures in the canon on service. Halverson adds another important one. Many LDS authors and scholars have pointed at complexity in this passage. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast? Regardless of whether you believe this passage is 100% ancient, 100% modern, or somewhere in between, believing Mormons agree that King Benjamin’s address ranks as one of the most important sermons in all of scripture. John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks, 1998, 16. When the Book of Mormon was first published, this passage stuck out to people in Joseph Smith’s day as resembling a Protestant revival camp meeting. We believe those that die without the law will receive the gospel in the next life and choose, which is different than little children who receive salvation. Stephen D. Ricks For readers of the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin’s speech is a treasure trove of inspiration, wisdom, eloquence, and spiritual insight. We don’t always emphasize this aspect of the life of Jesus as God coming to Earth to experience it as a man. 12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true. 225, 229, 259), a) humble themselves To me the great lesson of this portion of King Benjamin’s speech is that often we best fulfill the First and Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37) “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” when we keep the second (Matthew 22:39) “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” and put that love into action through service. King Benjamin’s Speech Follows a Covenant Format The Mount Sinai covenant is worth reviewing for that is where we learn about what God expects from us in the covenantal relationship. Camp meetings were popular in early 1800’s America, especially in frontier areas (ie western New York) that were not heavily populated with many churches and preachers. King Benjamin did not review his royal service “to boast” (Mosiah 2:16). Mosiah 1-6 King Benjamin’s Speech part 2. King Benjamin sees that the people have been spiritually born of God. The crossword puzzle is from the Friend, September 2000, Funstuff. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? 5. As Richard Bushman stated, even faithful LDS are adopting this view more and more frequently. 1. a) submissive, meek, humble. Why are People Leaving the Mormon Church? The truth that we cannot pay the Savior Jesus Christ back for what he has done for us is an important truth to stress with those we teach. This powerful and classic speech by King Benjamin in about 140 BC has been reformatted into a genearal conference format. He really did suffer human emotion, discomfort, and pain. 41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. Of course, God can update the covenantal stipulations through new revelation and prophecies. Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy. Godliness is to master our physical desires and to be selfless and serving and good to other people. Also, important in camp meetings and absent in King Benjamin’s address were exotic spiritual manifestations like speaking in tongues, faintings, erratic head movements, etc. He believes traditional LDS apologists are unable to sufficiently explain the modern elements, but critics are unable to explain for the complexity and ancient elements in ways that are “above Joseph”. f) will be forever and ever In it are seven major sections separated by interruptions or intervening ceremonial acts. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/1?lang=eng. A beautiful definition of scripture and revelation I first heard from Blake Ostler is the “synthesis of the creativity of man responding to divine persuasion”. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. Become as a child, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to God’s will. The whole purpose of King Benjamin’s address seems to come down to this thing about our hearts. There was some kind of unspoken communication here. It will take a passage from the Bible and expand on it. While it is not certain that the above-listed events took more than three years, it seems likely. He wants to push his muscles to the brink, because he knows that is the way to grow his muscles. 11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. He attempts the ninth but can’t. But he doesn’t go home and guilt himself to death “I wasn’t able to do 10 reps, I’m such a loser, I’ll never make it to heaven.”  No, he is proud of his effort and knows the growth that will come due to his effort, even if he didn’t make the 10 reps himself. He lists the six patterns evident in this passage that BYU professor Stephen Ricks outlined as correlations to ancient Israel. A fairly complex chiasmus in Mosiah 2:41 ((John W. Welch, and Stephen D. Ricks, King Benjamin’s Speech: Made Simple, pp. Krispy Kreme donuts for everyone. This would be a good model for race relations in the modern world. How do we move from that natural state to that godly state? "A Manual for Discipleship," in King Benjamin's Speech, ed. FairMormon makes a case that the camp meetings in Joseph’s location would have occurred when he was very young or later after the Book of Mormon was published, and he likely would have had no first hand experience with them. 26 And now, 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. e) yieldeth to the Holy Spirit Many LDS scholars have pointed to correlations between King Benjamin’s address and ancient Israelite customs. Mosiah 15:24-25 He stated, “I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom,” which he defined by saying, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). 16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish. His name would be Jesus Christ, and He would perform miracles and redeem His people. King Benjamin addresses his people and prophesies about the life of Jesus Christ. Those who turn to the Savior can be cleansed from sin. 25 And little children also have eternal life. Camp meeting revivals were so common in New York and the surrounding areas the leading revivalist and theologian Charles Finney coined the term “burned over district” because no one was left to convert. Mosiah 3:5-11. 27 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. That’s a very gentle way to remind us that we’re not perfect, we’re going to make mistakes, we’re not going to go as fast as we probably want to. A person goes to lift weights. And also from Michael Barker, the creation of phrases that go onto become part of the Nephite prophet vocabulary, ie “change of heart”. When the father told the son no, there seemed to be an understanding that the only reason he was saying no was that there was something bigger and better on the horizon. King Benjamin's Speech: "That Ye May Learn Wisdom" is the most substantial collection of studies ever to focus exclusively on this landmark address. The video is based on Mosiah 1–5. 4. 19 For behold, are we not all beggars? 17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. King Benjamin was a humble leader. King Benjamin’s Speech Follows a Covenant Format The Mount Sinai covenant is worth reviewing for that is where we learn about what God expects from us in the covenantal relationship. 12 I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts. Here are some of the highlights of that list. Chiasm; Chiasmus; Inverted Parallelism; King Benjamin: Abstract: This chart is an outline of the chiastic nature of King Benjamin's speech to the people at the temple of Zarahemla. Grant Hardy FairMormon 2016 More Effective Apologetics, Naturalistic Theory of the Gold Plates — building on Ann Taves work. LDS scholars argue that King Benjamin’s address and focus on temple and covenant making has more parallels with the Old Testament than the modern era. The spotter has to lift most of the weight this time, but he gets it up. A preacher would travel to the location and hold a series of intense sermons and worship sessions over a few days. So, we get in the car and we’re driving, and I ask him again, “I don’t understand what just happened, that was so weird.”  It was right then, my husband turned the car into Krispy Kreme donuts. These doctrines developed over time, like all human thought does: building on previous body of work, arguing, debating, expanding it, and then arguing over those expansions, etc. Mosiah 2:41 Excellent verse outlining “practical religion”. He sees the Book of Mormon as being chock full of these references, most notably in the passage of King Benjamin’s address. The message has a very strong ring of community togetherness, acceptance, and cooperation. The people … We see both the drawing on of powerful phrases already given in what would have been popular sermons of Nephite history “goodness of God” drawing from 2 Ne 9. Like … 14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness. At the end of this sermon, the people are convinced of the message and desire to enter into a covenant, to take on the name of Christ and be his people. • In his book Since Cumorah, Hugh Nibley studies Benjamin's oration as an archetypal coronation speech. Some very profound commentary on modern U.S. politics, both from a conservative perspective (Mosiah 2 talking about political leaders not taking payment and keeping taxes low) and from a very liberal perspective (Mosiah 4 a very Socialistic view of community, taking care of all beggars and reducing poverty). By carefully comparing the Bible version to the Book of Mormon expansion, we see what doctrinal emphasis and insight the Book of Mormon is giving us. But he didn’t seem surprised. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. But another favorite topic is how much I love the Book of Mormon for its truth and beauty. If they did, then Abinadi died before King Benjamin gives his speech, thus eliminating the possibility that Abinadi’s sermon is a derivative of King Benjamin’s. In addition to the correlation to 1800’s revivals, another point for this being a modern work is the very specific, modern era Christian doctrine taught. Michael Barker also makes note of the use of other poetic structures, for example. I didn’t understand what was going on. He is a good God. It also means to enter a new relationship with Him which enables us to retain the blessings of that rebirth over time. The people believe King Benjamin’s words and pray to God. See Alma 5:7, 12, 13, 14, 25; 19:33; Helaman 15:7. 24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. King Benjamin’s Speech Made Simple is a popular abridgment of the expansive volume King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom.” Prepared with the general reader in mind, this streamlined version presents the essential contents of the original book. In Mosiah 4 we read how the atoning blood of Jesus Christ is applied to our life. 225, 229, 259) a) humble themselves b) become as little children c) salvation through the atoning blood of Christ the Lord d) natural man e) enemy to God f) has been from the fall of Adam f) will be forever and ever Let’s see what the Book of Mormon says). King Benjamin encourages the people to remember how they feel, to believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ, and to care for the poor and the needy. A prolonged worship session that lasted several days or mores. He didn’t answer, just shook his head. 20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. Mosiah 2:21 expanding on the unprofitable servant from the Parable of the Talents, which King Benjamin will come back to later. 22 And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done. In the spaces around King Benjamin’s speech I see a community torn by some form of bigotry and a denial that those without status deserve to have their humanity honored by the larger community. In Nibley's view, one of the main purposes of the kings' speech is on the peaceful continuation of the kingdom as the throne passes on to the rightful heir. Kevin Christensen frequently cites non-LDS scholar Margaret Barker, and argues that content in the New Testament and Old Testament has been removed, that otherwise would correlate strongly with LDS style temple ceremonies and covenant making. Having him in our hearts and us in his heart. 29 And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. Reading the text in a new format can sometimes offer new insights into the teachings and gives you a fresh copy to highlight and write notes on. 23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. 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. As the people believe King Benjamin’s words, they ask God for forgiveness from their sins and make covenants with Jesus Christ. c) salvation through the atoning blood of Christ the Lord Two additional contextual clues add to this conclusion. King Benjamin taught that when we truly apply the atonement of Jesus Christ, our views change. My boy came back and he seemed to be taking it just fine. 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