Mosiah 4:6-10
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapter 4
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Questions
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Lexical notes
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Exegesis
King Benjamin encourages his people to trust in God by first fostering their reverence, similar to Isaiah when he said: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts... For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord."
Verse 6
This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
- Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
- Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
- Diligent in keeping his commandments -- make a commitment to be obedient to the will of the Lord from this day until the end of your life.
The promise is this: whoever does these things will receive salvation through the atonement.
Verse 8
None other salvation -- there is no more magnificent prize in store for the children of men than this: to be joint heirs with Christ (see Romans 8:17).
Verse 9
The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
- Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
- Repent -- invoke the power of the atonement to sanctify yourself before God. "Humble yourselves... and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you."
- Act -- be obedient to the commandment of God to repent. "If ye believe all these things, see that ye do them."
Compare the following terms from both verses:
| "knowledge" | "belief" |
| "atonement" | "repentance" |
| "trust" | "humility" |
| "commandments" | "act" |
See also verse 11-12 for the final iteration of this pattern.
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