Mosiah 26:1-5

Questions

Why wouldn't the rising generation be able to understand the words of king Benjamin? What was it about the words that were so difficult to understand?
Why would their being little children when Benjamin gave his speech make it hard for them to understand his words later, when the speech could be read to them? Was there something about the context of the speech--the temple festival, perhaps--that the children couldn't get from the written account of his words?
Why wouldn't the young people believe the tradition of their fathers? What other influences or belief systems were present to provide an alternative?
Why is it so important for the young people to understand King Benjamin’s words? Is there something about that specific sermon that is essential to them?
Tradition. What does the word “tradition” mean? What tradition could their parents have given them that would have taught them what Benjamin meant? Can we teach our children the meaning of Benjamin’s sermon by our tradition? How?

Why wouldn't the young people believe in the resurrection of the dead? Did they not believe in the resurrection at all, or was it something specific about Benjamin's teachings that didn't resonate with them?
Why wouldn't the young people "believe concerning the coming of Christ"? What was it exactly about the Christ narrative that they didn't believe?

What is the relation between unbelief and understanding the word of God? Does this passage imply that it is impossible to understand ("they could not") the word of God "because of...unbelief"?
What does it mean to have a hardened heart? What is the difference between simply not believing and having a heard heart?
What is the relationship between unbelief and having a hardened heart?

What was it that led these people to eschew baptism?
What did it mean to "join the church" at this period of time?
What is this "separate" faith mentioned here? Are these the Nehors?
How does not being baptized or joining the church leave these people in a "carnal and sinful state"? What is the relationship between calling upon the Lord and remaining in a carnal and sinful state?
How is Christ "the Lord their God" if the people don't "call upon" Him?

If "not half" of the people "became more numerous", does that mean that they became a majority? Are we being told that most of the people now are not members of the Church?
If all of the people (accept the little children) had accepted king Benjamin's covenant, and Alma and Limhi's people had all joined the newly organized church, what happened to make perhaps a majority of the people dissent away from the church?
Dissensions. What are dissensions?

Hardened hearts. In the King James Version of the Old Testament, heardened hearts can refer to either a) hearts that are made strong or firm, as in stiffening the will (Heb chazaq), or hearts that may be made heavy (Heb kabad--the same word used for honor or glory). In Joseph Smith's time, Webster's 1828 dictionary defines hardened, in part, as "made unfeeling; made obstinate; confirmed in error or vice."

Belief and understanding: Notice in v.3 that in order to understand the scriptures we must believe.