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This page allows you to see all the commentary pages together for this Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine lesson. Click on the heading to go to a specific page. Click the edit links below to edit text on any pages.


Mosiah

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah

Subpages: Chapters 1-6  •  7-10  •  11-19  •  20-24  •  25-29

                                                                 Next page: Chapters 1-6


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Summary[edit]

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Relationship to Book of Mormon. Mosiah relates the history of the Nephites from about 130 BC to 91 BC under the reigns of Benjamin and his son Mosiah II. Mosiah follows the period of about 300 years since Jacob during which we know very little about the Nephites. Mosiah begins the history of the "classical Nephite period" that continues in great detail through Alma, Helaman, and Third Nephi. The relationship of Mosiah to the Book of Mormon as a whole is discussed at more length at Book of Mormon: Unities.

Story. Mosiah consists of five major sections:

  • Chapters 1-6: King Benjamin. King Benjamin's speech, conversion of people, names written, transfer of kingship.
  • Chapters 7-10: King Zeniff. Zeniff leads two groups to occupy land of Nephi, pride.
  • Chapters 11-19: King Noah and Abinadi. Abinadi preaches to Noah, Alma converted.
  • Chapters 20-24: King Limhi and Alma. Alma and Limhi lead two groups escaping land of Nephi, humility.
  • Chapters 25-29: King Mosiah II. Church organized and names written, Alma Younger converted, transfer of power to judges.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Mosiah include:

  • Christ is the only name by which people can be saved. There is no other name.
  • One problem with monarchy (or unaccountable government) is that it can abuse those to whom it is not accountable.

Historical setting[edit]

This heading should be brief and explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand the book. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Editorial comment[edit]

Kingship: thesis and antithesis[edit]

Though Mormon seems to have been following the plates of Nephi in his division of the Book of Mormon into books, there is reason to believe that he also found ways to structure each book so that each embodies on a rather grand scale some rather poignant themes. The Book of Mosiah is perhaps the easiest in which such grand themes can be read. The book, as a whole, is structured as a giant parallelism that resolves itself by cancelling the separation implied in the parallelism. Some detail is in order.

The small plates report (and one can only imagine that Mormon's parallel text in the missing manuscript reported it as well) that Benjamin's reign was marked, before his great speech, by a rather odd split in his kingdom. A group of people, under the direction of Zeniff, decided to move to the South in an attempt to reclaim the original lands occupied by Nephi after he fled from his brothers. Though this departure is only noted in few words, it must be recognized that it was likely a major political event: to reclaim former territory in the name of the Nephite kings is certainly a daring undertaking, and to establish a kingship there, one parallel to Benjamin's own power, could only have been understood as a relativization of Benjamin's power. In other words, that Zeniff felt to establish a kingship in a more originary sense than Benjamin's monarchy suggests that the movement to reclaim the land of Nephi was fueled in part by a sort of mild defiance, a rejection, to some degree, of Benjamin's place. There does not seem to have been a great deal of concern on Benjamin's part about all of this, and there seem to have been amicable relations between the two groups (Mosiah II sends out parties to search for them, etc.), and so whatever "defiance" is implied in the action was certainly quite mild. But it should be recognized that there were inevitable implications and overtones bound up within Zeniff's zeal to obtain the land of Nephi.

What all of this seems to suggest is that the Book of Mosiah opens on the note of a major political split. When the book opens, the split is already complete, and the majority of the book deals with the parallel kingdoms this split creates. The first part of the book (Mosiah 1-6) deals with things in the land of Zarahemla; the second part (Mosiah 7-24) deals with things in the land of Nephi. The last part of the book (Mosiah 25-29) works out the collapse of the split, the collapse of the parallel kingdoms, and the reconciliation of two rival worldviews. In other words, the Book of Mosiah reads almost like a Hegelian syllogism:

  • Thesis: Benjamin's/Mosiah's Kingdom (Chapters 1-6)
  • Antithesis: Zeniff's/Noah's/Limhi's Kingdom (Chapters 7-24)
  • Synthesis: Mosiah's/Alma's Kingdom/Judgeship (Chapters 25-29)

This broad structure in the book suggests the incredibly political theme of the Book of Mosiah ("political" understood in the sense it was used among, say, the Greeks--not in the debates and power struggles of today). The book reads into a series of parallel kings (and the prophet Abinadi, as a parallel to Benjamin in a powerful way) in order to think the institution of kingship and to think its relation to salvation. The radically separatist voice of Abinadi ultimately calls for a sort of rebellion under the radically separatist authority of Alma. When Limhi returns to Zarahemla ready to give up the institution of kingship, and when Alma returns to Zarahemla quite convinced that the kingdom of God should be understood as superceding any earthly kingship, the ideals Benjamin had taught in such incredible power have quite clearly been compromised by the parallel history. Mosiah II is forced to make a decision that results in the institution of the judges. The whole book, it seems, sets Mosiah II's grand speech in Mosiah 29, then, against Benjamin's grand speech in Mosiah 2-5. These two speeches are set in parallel, and the great irony is that the first speech (Benjamin's) is specifically the speech given as Mosiah II was enthroned. The book really is the Book of Mosiah, since it centers on the events (almost all of which happen outside the boundaries of his kingdom) that lead Mosiah from a most glorious equation of the Nephite kingdom with the kingdom of God, to a radical rejection of the very concept of kingdom.

In the end, the Book of Mosiah must be read as the process of Mosiah's realization of these difficulties, and as the situation in which he was able to hand over to the Nephites an entirely different era. The book is, in other words, a transition from the cyclical nonsense of the political situation of the small plates to the cyclical nonsense of the political situation of the Book of Alma. The transition is focused on one person alone: Mosiah.

Free agency, political accountability, and separation of church and state[edit]

At the end of the book of Mosiah, King Mosiah II explicitly draws for us one of the major lessons of the book. He points back to his father Benjamin and says that if one could always count on kings to be as good as Benjamin, then the ideal political system would be monarchy (29:13-15). But he then points back to Noah as an example of how much damage can be caused by a king who is bad (29:16-18). In the final chapters of Mosiah, Chapters 25-29, Mosiah II introduces two significant social reforms that help to limit the amount of damage that a single wicked individual like Noah can inflict on an entire society.

The first reform, in Chapter 26, is the separation of church and state. In Zarahemla, Mosiah I, Benjamin, and Mosiah II were all priest-kings who served as both the religious and political leaders of their people. Down south in the land of Nephi, Noah had similar power to put down all the priests who had been consecrated by his father King Zeniff and appoint his own priests (11:4-5). But Mosiah II deprives future Nephite political leaders of the ability to meddle in religious affairs. Although it is Mosiah II who appoints Alma to succeed him as the supreme religious leader over the church (26:8), he also sets Alma up to do this independently of the king. Thus when difficulties soon arise in the church, King Mosiah II refuses to meddle and tells Alma to resolve the matter himself (26:11-12). And, though this is not spelled out explicitly in Mosiah 25-29, we are not informed of even one attempt over the next 125 years by a Nephite political leader to influence the appointment of a religious leader.

The second reform introduced by Mosiah II, in Chapter 29, is democracy. Mosiah II institutes a system of elected judges, including an elected chief judge or governor who is accountable for his conduct in office by the need to periodically stand for re-election (Alma __:__). We are never told about internal checks on the power of government through a system of checks and balances, or separation of powers, such as the division of powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches. But we are clearly told on several occasions that the judges who rule over the Nephites are accountable through the mechanism of periodic elections.

These two reforms can be seen to grow out of fundamental gospel principles. In Lectures on Faith, faith is identified as a principle of action on the rationale that a person would not act to plant in the spring unless he first had faith that he would be able to harvest in the fall. But faith is not the only principle or determinant of action:

  1. Head. If your neighbor offers to pay you $25,000 for mowing his lawn, it will not happen because the offer is way too high and you do not believe that your neighbor intends to fulfill his promise.
  2. Heart. If your neighbor instead offers to pay only 25 cents, you believe that he would in fact fulfill the promise to pay such a small price, but the lawn still does not get mowed because you do not desire such a small amount badly enough to go do the work.
  3. Hands. If your neighbor offers $25, then you might well mow his lawn — unless you are physically unable because just broke your arm and are leaving to go to the hospital.

All three of these principles or determinants of action must align before there is action. Any of these three is enough to prevent action.

Free agency can be understood in terms of these three principles of action. Samuel the Lamanite taught the Nephites that they were free to act because they had been taught the truth regarding the nature of the choices before them and because they were at liberty to act on those choices (Hel 14:30-31). In other words, they were free to act on their desires, or to follow their hearts, because their heads were filled with accurate information upon which to base their choices, and because their hands were free or at liberty to act on those choices.

The two institutions of church and state can in turn be understood in terms of this model of free agency. One of the key roles of the church is to provide, or to fill people's heads with, accurate information about the true nature of the choices before them, including eternal consequences. A key role of the state is to protect the liberty of its citizens so that they can, unless they seek to injure others, freely act on their desires in the manner informed by their beliefs. In other words, people such as the Nephites to whom Samuel was speaking enjoy the fullest free agency when the church provides them with accurate information and the state protects their liberty to act on that information. Not surprisingly, the two social institutions repeatedly denounced in the Book of Mormon are those that attack these same two elements of free agency: priestcrafts that seek gain by teaching false doctrine, and secret combinations that seek gain through murder and overthrowing government.

When the reforms of Mosiah II are viewed from this perspective, they can be seen as institutionalizing the protection of free agency, one of the central issues debated in the Council in Heaven (Moses 4:3), the only "right" claimed in the Articles of Faith (AF 10), and the one thing that the Book of Mormon repeatedly teaches will cause a society to be destroyed when denied to its members (Alma 10:22; Hel 13:14; also Hel 13:14). So the two reforms instituted by Mosiah II are not merely interesting historical facts. They are lessons about how a people can safeguard its free agency against the likes of Noah.

One of the key purposes of the earlier parts of Mosiah, in turn, is to use examples (King Benjamin in Chapters 1-6, King Noah in Chapters 11-19) to teach us the importance of safeguarding free agency so we can appreciate the importance of these reforms when they are finally enacted by Mosiah II at the end of the book (Chapters 25-29).

Complete outline and page map[edit]

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I. King Benjamin's speech, conversion of people, names written, transfer of kingship (1-6)

II. Zeniff leads two groups to occupy land of Nephi (7-10)
III. Abinadi preaches to Noah, Alma converted (11-19)
• king Noah's wickedness, Abinadi's public preaching (Chapter 11-12a)
• king Noah as a wicked king (11:1-15)
• Lamanite threat and Abinadi's warning to repent (11:16-19, 20-26, 27-29)
• Abinadi's second warning to repent (12:1-8)
• people are angry and deliver Abinadi to king Noah (12:9-16)
• Noah's priests interrogate Abinadi (Chapters 12b-16)
• Abinadi condemned, Alma pleads for Abinadi and flees (17:1-5)
• Abinadi stands by his testimony (17:6-10)
• Noah does not release Abinadi for fear of his priests (17:11-13)
• Abinadi's dying prophecy (17:14-20)
• those who do and do not follow Abinadi's message (Chapters 18-19)
• Alma preaches at the Waters of Mormon, those who follow (18:1-35)
• Fulfillment of Abinadi's prophecies on those who do not (19:1-29)
II. Alma and Limhi lead two groups escaping land of Nephi (20-24)

I. Church organized and names written, Alma Younger converted, transfer of power to judges (25-29)

  • Chapter 25: Mosiah II gives Alma authority over the church
  • Chapter 26: the church expels the wicked who will not repent
  • Chapter 27a: the state prohibits those who persecute the church
  • Chapter 27b: the Lord stops those who preach against the church
  • Chapters 28-29: Mosiah II gives the plates to Alma and the government to the people

Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

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Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Previous editions.

The original 1830 edition of Mosiah was divided into only thirteen chapters (I-XIII). For the 1879 edition Parley Pratt further divided those thirteen into the twenty nine chapters (1-29) still used today. • I: 1-3 • II: 4 • III: 5 • IV: 6 • V: 7-8 • VI: 9-10 • VII: ch.11-13:24 • VIII: 13:25-ch.16 • IX: 17-21 • X: 22 • XI: 23-27 • XII: 28:1-19 • XIII: 28:20-ch.29

References cited on this page.

Other resources.

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



                                                                 Next page: Chapters 1-6


Mosiah 1-6

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6

Subpages: Chapters 1-2  •  3  •  4-6

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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Mosiah. The relationship of Chapters 1-6 to the rest of Mosiah is discussed at Mosiah.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-6 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Mosiah                      Next page: Chapters 1-2


Mosiah 4:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapter 3
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Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 3:1-5. The phrase "eternity to all eternity" occurs 3 times in the Book of Mormon (here in Mosiah 3:5, and in Alma 13:7, and Moro 8:18). It also occurs once in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 39:1). It also occurs in Moses 6:67, Moses 7:29, and Moses 7:31. Curiously, the phrase "all eternity" is used five times in D&C 132 (D&C 132:7, D&C 132:17, D&C 132:18, D&C 132:19, and D&C 132:49, where it seems to refer to an eternal exalted state obtained through obedience to the New and Everlasting Covenent of Marriage. In addition, the phrase "all eternity" is also used in Moses 7:41, where it seems to somewhat cryptically refer to a physical or spiritual plane beyond this earth.
  • Mosiah 3:1-5. The phrase "all eternity" seems to refer to the future exalted state of individuals who are sealed according to the New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage (see references above to D&C 132).
  • Mosiah 3:1-5. If taken literally, the phrase "all eternity to all eternity" may refer to multiple eternities. As the phrase is generally used in Latter-day scriptures to refer to the Jesus Christ, it may indicate that Jesus Christ obtained exaltation in a previous eternity, and will retain his exalted status in this eternity, hence from "all eternity" (the past eternity) to "all eternity" (either the present or perhaps a future eternity).
  • Mosiah 3:1-5. If not taken literally, the phrase "all eternity to all eternity" might just mean something like "forever"--which would underscore the timeless and everlasting nature of Christ, without implying multiple eternities or anything specific about Christ's pre-mortal experiences.
  • Mosiah 3:5. In saying that the Lord "shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men," King Benjamin unwittingly commits the same "crime" that Abinadi commits nearly 25 years earlier in the courts of King Noah (Mosiah 17:8). But, because of his righteousness and willingness to accept and teach the truth as he received it, the people were able to freely hear and accept this profound doctrine directly from their beloved king.
  • Mosiah 3:7. The angel tells King Benjamin that Jesus will suffer "more than man can suffer." It would seem that the point is that Jesus, being the Lord Omnipotent in a tabernacle of clay (verse 5), would suffer more than a man could suffer. However with the additional phrase "except it be unto death," the angel seems to be emphasizing not Jesus's difference from mortals, but rather his sameness. Jesus suffered so much that it would kill anyone, and, in fact, Jesus died.
  • Mosiah 3:8. This verse starts with the angel calling Jesus by several grand titles (more grand than anyone else on earth could have), followed by his stating that Jesus's mother shall be called Mary. This juxtaposition suggests God's condescension--the Son of God was born to humble circumstances not to someone with a lot of titles, but to a common woman with an unremarkable name.
  • Mosiah 3:11-12. King Benjamin explains here that Christ's blood atones for the sins of those who "fall by the transgression of Adam" (more on this below) and die without knowing the will of God. King Benjamin describes this same group of people in another way when he says these are those who "have ignorantly sinned."
In the next verse King Benjamin contrasts the ignorant sinners (those whose sins are atoned for through the blood of Christ) with those who rebel against God. The point King Benjamin seems to be making is that, unlike the ignorant, those who know the will of God and don't obey it cannot receive salvation without repenting.
Now, back to verse 11. We can get stuck on what it means to "ignorantly sin." Generally when we talk about sin, we are talking about someone responsible for their actions, but if someone is truly ignorant that what they are doing is wrong, then they can't be responsible for doing it. But King Benjamin seems to ascribe both guilt (saying they have fallen by the transgression of Adam) and innocence (saying they didn't know the will of God). This makes the concept of ignorant sinning seem like some sort of contradiction.
But to put verse 11 back in context, we must remember that the point of this verse is not to define the status of those who don't receive the gospel and explain the steps that must be taken to receive salvation. Rather, King Benjamin is using those "who have died not knowing the will of God" as a foil for his pointed discussion aimed at those who do know the will of God in verse 12. Or, to put it within the history of this people, he is pointing out that these people (for many of whom the gospel seems new) have a different responsibility than their Zarahemla parents who didn't know the gospel at all.
Compare these verses to Mosiah 3:20-21, "the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God..."
  • Mosiah 3:13: As though he had already come. Preaching the gospel is as central to the Plan of Salvation as free choice and repentance (see Romans 10:14-15). It was important for King Benjamin to receive a glimpse of the Savior's earthly mission to prepare his people to gain eternal life. That he was able to do this 124 years before Christ's birth is not as miraculous as it might seem. "Is not a soul at this time as precious as a soul will be at the time of his coming? (see Alma 39:16-19)." The important theme of foreknowledge recurs throughout the Book of Mormon, and is perhaps one of the most curious aspects of this ancient record.

Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 3:2. Why would an angel choose to appear to someone who was asleep, rather than awake? What other instances do we have of such appearances?
  • Mosiah 3:5. What does the phrase "from all eternity to all eternity" mean (verse 5)? Is that the same as saying "forever," or might it have an alternate meaning?
  • Mosiah 3:5. Why would the angel begin his account of Christ's earthly ministry by emphasizing the miracles he would perform (verse 5)? As members of His Church, do we spend enough time discussing the miracles that transpire in our own work and ministry?
  • Mosiah 3:7: How could Jesus suffer "more than man can suffer"?
  • Mosiah 3:8: How is Jesus the Father of heaven and earth?
  • Mosiah 3:8: How does the description of Christ's eternal role and purpose compare with descriptions found in the New Testament? What does verse 8 add to our understanding of Christ's roles?
  • Mosiah 3:8: Why would it be important for the angel to name Christ's mother?
  • Mosiah 3:9: What does it mean that Christ "cometh unto his own"?
  • Mosiah 3:10: What are "these things" that are done to allow for a righteous judgement to come?
  • Mosiah 3:11-15: Where are the records of the prophets who have been sent "among all the children of men...to every kindred, nation, and tongue" (verse 13)? Should we expect to have their records revealed to us in time? Might we expect that portions of their teachings may have survived in other religious traditions around the world?
  • Mosiah 3:14-15: How do verses 14-15 help us better understand the Law of Moses? Since the Law of Moses came down through several traditions in the Bible (early E material, later Deuteronomist and Priestly traditions, etc.), which understanding of the Law of Moses is the angel discussing?
  • Mosiah 3:16: Why the sudden shift to talkIng about the salvation of little children?

Resources[edit]

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  • Mosiah 3:19. Another aspect of the natural man is his inability or unwillingness to trust in anything but his own understanding. "When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not until the counsel of God (see 2 Nephi 9:28-29)."
  • Mosiah 3:19. See also Alma 13:28-29, "watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering..."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 1-2                      Next page: Chapters 4-6

Mosiah 4:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapters 4-6
Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:6-10. 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."
  • Mosiah 4:6. This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
  1. Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
  2. Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
  3. 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.
  • Mosiah 4:8: 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).
  • Mosiah 4:9. The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
  1. Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
  2. 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."
  3. 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.
  1. Knowledge of God -- knowing who God is, and that he has all power and righteousness, is a crucial first step to making the life changes necessary to gain salvation.
  2. Receive a Remission of Sins -- the repentance process brings us into the presence of God, where we can taste of God's love and feel pure joy. However, in experiencing the greatness of God, we are faced with the reality of our mortal impotence and failings. Through "intentional humility" (purposeful remembrance of our status before God) we can maintain the sense of joy and love that we felt during the repentance process.
  3. Call upon the Lord, Stand Steadfast -- these are the first of many commandments that are given to the newly repentant to keep them in the path.
The promise is in verse 12. Those that have "received" a remission of sins through following this pattern, may "retain" a remission of sins by continuing to follow it.
  • Mosiah 4:26: Remission. Websters 1828 dictionary gives six definitions of remission, including: 5. Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Matt. 26. Heb. 9.
  • Mosiah 4:28: New Year's resolution. Scholars believe that the origin of New Year's Resolutions can be "traced back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians." The most popular yearly resolution was to return borrowed tools to their rightful owners, showing that returning borrowing items was an ancient problem. It is interesting that in the ancient Americas that returning borrowed items was a big enough of a problem to be addressed in the same speech as taking care of the poor, teaching children properly and realizing one's reliance on God - all which are discussed by ancient leaders in Babylon.
  • Mosiah 4:30: Watch yourselves. Alma 39:9 uses the phrase cross yourself to describe the same heightened sense of self-awareness. Because it is impossible to hide our sins from God, our words, works, and even thoughts can condemn us (see Alma 12:14).
  • Mosiah 4:30: Remember. Remembering is sometimes a greater task than it seems, and so important to "retaining a remission of sins" that is used in the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77,79). It may help you to remember that the Lord has promised to "abundantly pardon" the man who forsakes his evil thoughts (see Isaiah 55:6-9).
  • Mosiah 5:2: Cried with one voice. Verse 2 tells us that the people all cried with one voice. Given that the people did not all hear the words of King Benjamin at the same time (because there were too many too all hear at once--see Mosiah 2:8) the "one voice" in this phrase probably refers to their unity--rather than that they all spoke at the same time.
  • Mosiah 5:5: Enter into a covenant. Compare the terms of this covenant with the promises we make when partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 4:3). In this verse, the people covenant to be obedient to his commandments. In verse 8, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ, as part of a process of changing their hearts through "faith on his name." Finally, in verse 12, they are asked to "remember to retain the name always" in their hearts.
  • Mosiah 5:7: Become his sons and daughters. When the people enter into a covenant with God, they "become [Christ's] sons and daughters." Although we enter this world as God's children, we can be spiritually born again when our "hearts are changed through faith on his name." All mankind is required to pass from a fallen (carnal) state to a state of righteousness in order to be redeemed (see Mosiah 27:25). This is the beginning of a transformative process that requires a life-long commitment to be obedient.
  • Mosiah 5:8: Take upon you the name of Christ. To "take upon you the Name of Christ" appears to be a holy priesthood ordinance, appropriately revealed here by King Benjamin in the temple. Since this ordinance and covenent is not clearly revealed in our modern bible, it may be one of the "plain and precious things" that the was taken out of the scriptures by the Deuteronomistic reforms around the time Lehi left Jerusalem, and that the Lord has restored to us through the Book of Mormon.
The phrase "take upon you the Name of Christ" does not appear anywhere in our modern version of the Bible.
  • Mosiah 5:12: Name written always in your hearts. We are literally expected to come to "hear and know the voice" of Jesus. The act of remembering is crucial to the process of building a personal relationship with the Savior. It is important to remember why we serve, and who we follow.
  • Mosiah 5:15: Seal you his. The final verses of this passage focus on remembering the covenant and name of Christ, to keep it "written in your hearts." Once we have received a knowledge of God, through our conversion and spiritual rebirth, we participate in a relationship with God. If we consistently abound in good works, we may receive a further promise of "everlasting salvation and eternal life" through an additional act of sealing.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:12: Grow in knowledge. How can knowledge grow? How is this related to the growing seed and increasing faith described in Alma 32:29ff?
  • Mosiah 4:21: In faith, believing that ye shall receive. Who is exercising faith here, God or the recipient of the blessings? How does this decision affect our understanding of this verse and the underlying theme in the greater context? If the recipient is the one exercising faith, then this seems to make God's gifts contingent on faith being displayed by the recipient. This would seem to counter the theme of unqualified grace—that we should give to anyone who asks, without judgment. Or, perhaps this reading could be taken to emphasize the sense in which the beggar who asks is displaying a sincere kind of faith, analogous to those who ask God and beg for blessings, "in faith, believing that [they] shall receive." The other possible reading here is that God himself is exercising faith that the recipient will receive the blessings that God bestows (cf. D&C 88:33).
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is the relationship between service and retaining a remission of sins? While the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament provide lifetime and weekly opportunities to remit sins, how does service do so on a daily basis? Is this part of fulfilling baptismal covenants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: In the sacrament prayer, we are told to always remember Christ so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. Is there a relationship between daily service of others, and having the Spirit with us always?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Does this verse imply that we should be involved with daily service? Or just that the occasional service will suffice to help us retain the daily remission of sins?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What does it mean to "walk guiltless before God"?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Why is it important to minister to both spiritual and temporal wants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is a "want"? Is that the same as a desire? Should we be giving people what they want, or just what we think they need?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be called the children of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be "spiritually begotten"? How is this different from being begotten as spirits by our Heavenly Father?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How can hearts be changed "through faith on [Christ's] name?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How does this change of heart constitute a new birth?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Under his head. What does this phrase mean?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How are we made free "under [Christ's] head? What does it mean to be "made free"?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How does salvation come by a given name?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Could "taking upon you the name of Christ" be the same as receiving an anointing as a high priest--the mark referred to in Jacob 4:14?
  • Mosiah 5:8: What does it mean to covenant to "be obedient unto the end of your lives"?
  • Mosiah 5:9: What does it mean to "be found at the right hand of God"? Where does this imagery come from?
  • Mosiah 5:9: How are we "called by the name of Christ"?
  • Mosiah 5:10: What does it mean to be found "on the left hand of God"?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean for the people to have a new name given unto them?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean that the new name "never should be blotted out"? What does "blotted out" mean?
  • Mosiah 5:11: Why would transgression lead to the new name being blotted out?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does transgression mean? Is there a difference between transgression and sin?
  • Mosiah 5:11: How is it that the name can be possibly "blotted out of your hearts"? Is it written there? What does it even mean for the name to be in your heart?
  • Mosiah 5:12: How can the name of Christ be written on your heart? What does it mean to retain it written there?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What does it mean to be on the left hand of God?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What is the relationship between hearing and knowing the voice of God and having Christ's name written in our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How does serving a master lead one to know him?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for Christ to be "far from the thoughts and intents of [our hearts]?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How can we keep Christ in our thoughts and close to the intents of our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for us to be called by the name of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:14: How does this analogy with the ass relate to what king Benjamin is saying?
  • Mosiah 5:14: If we do not belong to Christ, who do we belong to that would lead Christ to drive us away?
  • Mosiah 5:14: Why will Christ drive us away if we do not know the name by which we are called?
  • Mosiah 5:14: What does it mean to know the name by which we are called? What is that name? How are we called by that name?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to "be steadfast and immovable? What does that have to do with abounding in good works?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What are the good works that we are supposed to abound in?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Benjamin to call Christ "the Lord God Omnipotent"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Christ to "seal you his"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to be "brought to heaven"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What is "everlasting salvation and eternal life"? Are these two things equivalent?
  • Mosiah 5:15: How is everlasting salvation and eternal life brought about "through the wisdom and power, and justice, and mercy" of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:15: Who is the "God above all" that "created all t hings, in heaven and in earth"? Is that Christ or His Father?
  • Mosiah 6:1: Why would it be expedient for king Benjamin to "take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God"? Do we ever read of the leaders making use of this list?
  • Mosiah 6:1: What is the difference between this act of organization, and the later Church organization under the leadership of Alma?
  • Mosiah 6:2: How is it possible that all of the people could enter into this covenant with God?
  • Mosiah 6:2: Is there a problem with people "joining the Church" en masse? Isn't that supposed to be an individual choice? Why don't we baptize whole congregations into the Church anymore?
  • Mosiah 6:2: What does it mean to "take upon...the n ame of Christ"? How does this differ from what we do at baptism?
  • Mosiah 6:3: What did consecration of Nephite kings entail? Do they follow coronation rites of ancient Israel?
  • Mosiah 6:3: Mosiah is consecrated "to be a ruler and a king"--what's the difference between a ruler and a king?
  • Mosiah 6:3: King Benjamin appoints priests "to teach the people". How is this different from Old Testament priests who served in the temple? Does this indicate that there were now two types of priests--temple priests and teaching priests"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Mosiah 4:26 offers more advice about "retaining a remission of your sins from day to day" -- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and administering to their relief.
  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Alma 12:10 explains how our attitude is important to growing in spiritual knowledge (verse 12). "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until he know them in full."
  • Mosiah 4:27.Use 2 Timothy 4:6-8 as an example of proper attitude towards enduring to the end. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..." Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us how to choose our focus: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
  • Mosiah 5:8: Deuteronomistic reforms. For more information on the Deuteronomistic reforms during the time of Lehi, see article by Kevin Christensen here

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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Mosiah 4:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapters 4-6
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:6-10. 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."
  • Mosiah 4:6. This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
  1. Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
  2. Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
  3. 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.
  • Mosiah 4:8: 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).
  • Mosiah 4:9. The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
  1. Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
  2. 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."
  3. 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.
  1. Knowledge of God -- knowing who God is, and that he has all power and righteousness, is a crucial first step to making the life changes necessary to gain salvation.
  2. Receive a Remission of Sins -- the repentance process brings us into the presence of God, where we can taste of God's love and feel pure joy. However, in experiencing the greatness of God, we are faced with the reality of our mortal impotence and failings. Through "intentional humility" (purposeful remembrance of our status before God) we can maintain the sense of joy and love that we felt during the repentance process.
  3. Call upon the Lord, Stand Steadfast -- these are the first of many commandments that are given to the newly repentant to keep them in the path.
The promise is in verse 12. Those that have "received" a remission of sins through following this pattern, may "retain" a remission of sins by continuing to follow it.
  • Mosiah 4:26: Remission. Websters 1828 dictionary gives six definitions of remission, including: 5. Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Matt. 26. Heb. 9.
  • Mosiah 4:28: New Year's resolution. Scholars believe that the origin of New Year's Resolutions can be "traced back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians." The most popular yearly resolution was to return borrowed tools to their rightful owners, showing that returning borrowing items was an ancient problem. It is interesting that in the ancient Americas that returning borrowed items was a big enough of a problem to be addressed in the same speech as taking care of the poor, teaching children properly and realizing one's reliance on God - all which are discussed by ancient leaders in Babylon.
  • Mosiah 4:30: Watch yourselves. Alma 39:9 uses the phrase cross yourself to describe the same heightened sense of self-awareness. Because it is impossible to hide our sins from God, our words, works, and even thoughts can condemn us (see Alma 12:14).
  • Mosiah 4:30: Remember. Remembering is sometimes a greater task than it seems, and so important to "retaining a remission of sins" that is used in the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77,79). It may help you to remember that the Lord has promised to "abundantly pardon" the man who forsakes his evil thoughts (see Isaiah 55:6-9).
  • Mosiah 5:2: Cried with one voice. Verse 2 tells us that the people all cried with one voice. Given that the people did not all hear the words of King Benjamin at the same time (because there were too many too all hear at once--see Mosiah 2:8) the "one voice" in this phrase probably refers to their unity--rather than that they all spoke at the same time.
  • Mosiah 5:5: Enter into a covenant. Compare the terms of this covenant with the promises we make when partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 4:3). In this verse, the people covenant to be obedient to his commandments. In verse 8, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ, as part of a process of changing their hearts through "faith on his name." Finally, in verse 12, they are asked to "remember to retain the name always" in their hearts.
  • Mosiah 5:7: Become his sons and daughters. When the people enter into a covenant with God, they "become [Christ's] sons and daughters." Although we enter this world as God's children, we can be spiritually born again when our "hearts are changed through faith on his name." All mankind is required to pass from a fallen (carnal) state to a state of righteousness in order to be redeemed (see Mosiah 27:25). This is the beginning of a transformative process that requires a life-long commitment to be obedient.
  • Mosiah 5:8: Take upon you the name of Christ. To "take upon you the Name of Christ" appears to be a holy priesthood ordinance, appropriately revealed here by King Benjamin in the temple. Since this ordinance and covenent is not clearly revealed in our modern bible, it may be one of the "plain and precious things" that the was taken out of the scriptures by the Deuteronomistic reforms around the time Lehi left Jerusalem, and that the Lord has restored to us through the Book of Mormon.
The phrase "take upon you the Name of Christ" does not appear anywhere in our modern version of the Bible.
  • Mosiah 5:12: Name written always in your hearts. We are literally expected to come to "hear and know the voice" of Jesus. The act of remembering is crucial to the process of building a personal relationship with the Savior. It is important to remember why we serve, and who we follow.
  • Mosiah 5:15: Seal you his. The final verses of this passage focus on remembering the covenant and name of Christ, to keep it "written in your hearts." Once we have received a knowledge of God, through our conversion and spiritual rebirth, we participate in a relationship with God. If we consistently abound in good works, we may receive a further promise of "everlasting salvation and eternal life" through an additional act of sealing.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:12: Grow in knowledge. How can knowledge grow? How is this related to the growing seed and increasing faith described in Alma 32:29ff?
  • Mosiah 4:21: In faith, believing that ye shall receive. Who is exercising faith here, God or the recipient of the blessings? How does this decision affect our understanding of this verse and the underlying theme in the greater context? If the recipient is the one exercising faith, then this seems to make God's gifts contingent on faith being displayed by the recipient. This would seem to counter the theme of unqualified grace—that we should give to anyone who asks, without judgment. Or, perhaps this reading could be taken to emphasize the sense in which the beggar who asks is displaying a sincere kind of faith, analogous to those who ask God and beg for blessings, "in faith, believing that [they] shall receive." The other possible reading here is that God himself is exercising faith that the recipient will receive the blessings that God bestows (cf. D&C 88:33).
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is the relationship between service and retaining a remission of sins? While the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament provide lifetime and weekly opportunities to remit sins, how does service do so on a daily basis? Is this part of fulfilling baptismal covenants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: In the sacrament prayer, we are told to always remember Christ so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. Is there a relationship between daily service of others, and having the Spirit with us always?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Does this verse imply that we should be involved with daily service? Or just that the occasional service will suffice to help us retain the daily remission of sins?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What does it mean to "walk guiltless before God"?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Why is it important to minister to both spiritual and temporal wants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is a "want"? Is that the same as a desire? Should we be giving people what they want, or just what we think they need?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be called the children of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be "spiritually begotten"? How is this different from being begotten as spirits by our Heavenly Father?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How can hearts be changed "through faith on [Christ's] name?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How does this change of heart constitute a new birth?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Under his head. What does this phrase mean?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How are we made free "under [Christ's] head? What does it mean to be "made free"?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How does salvation come by a given name?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Could "taking upon you the name of Christ" be the same as receiving an anointing as a high priest--the mark referred to in Jacob 4:14?
  • Mosiah 5:8: What does it mean to covenant to "be obedient unto the end of your lives"?
  • Mosiah 5:9: What does it mean to "be found at the right hand of God"? Where does this imagery come from?
  • Mosiah 5:9: How are we "called by the name of Christ"?
  • Mosiah 5:10: What does it mean to be found "on the left hand of God"?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean for the people to have a new name given unto them?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean that the new name "never should be blotted out"? What does "blotted out" mean?
  • Mosiah 5:11: Why would transgression lead to the new name being blotted out?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does transgression mean? Is there a difference between transgression and sin?
  • Mosiah 5:11: How is it that the name can be possibly "blotted out of your hearts"? Is it written there? What does it even mean for the name to be in your heart?
  • Mosiah 5:12: How can the name of Christ be written on your heart? What does it mean to retain it written there?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What does it mean to be on the left hand of God?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What is the relationship between hearing and knowing the voice of God and having Christ's name written in our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How does serving a master lead one to know him?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for Christ to be "far from the thoughts and intents of [our hearts]?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How can we keep Christ in our thoughts and close to the intents of our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for us to be called by the name of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:14: How does this analogy with the ass relate to what king Benjamin is saying?
  • Mosiah 5:14: If we do not belong to Christ, who do we belong to that would lead Christ to drive us away?
  • Mosiah 5:14: Why will Christ drive us away if we do not know the name by which we are called?
  • Mosiah 5:14: What does it mean to know the name by which we are called? What is that name? How are we called by that name?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to "be steadfast and immovable? What does that have to do with abounding in good works?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What are the good works that we are supposed to abound in?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Benjamin to call Christ "the Lord God Omnipotent"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Christ to "seal you his"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to be "brought to heaven"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What is "everlasting salvation and eternal life"? Are these two things equivalent?
  • Mosiah 5:15: How is everlasting salvation and eternal life brought about "through the wisdom and power, and justice, and mercy" of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:15: Who is the "God above all" that "created all t hings, in heaven and in earth"? Is that Christ or His Father?
  • Mosiah 6:1: Why would it be expedient for king Benjamin to "take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God"? Do we ever read of the leaders making use of this list?
  • Mosiah 6:1: What is the difference between this act of organization, and the later Church organization under the leadership of Alma?
  • Mosiah 6:2: How is it possible that all of the people could enter into this covenant with God?
  • Mosiah 6:2: Is there a problem with people "joining the Church" en masse? Isn't that supposed to be an individual choice? Why don't we baptize whole congregations into the Church anymore?
  • Mosiah 6:2: What does it mean to "take upon...the n ame of Christ"? How does this differ from what we do at baptism?
  • Mosiah 6:3: What did consecration of Nephite kings entail? Do they follow coronation rites of ancient Israel?
  • Mosiah 6:3: Mosiah is consecrated "to be a ruler and a king"--what's the difference between a ruler and a king?
  • Mosiah 6:3: King Benjamin appoints priests "to teach the people". How is this different from Old Testament priests who served in the temple? Does this indicate that there were now two types of priests--temple priests and teaching priests"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Mosiah 4:26 offers more advice about "retaining a remission of your sins from day to day" -- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and administering to their relief.
  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Alma 12:10 explains how our attitude is important to growing in spiritual knowledge (verse 12). "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until he know them in full."
  • Mosiah 4:27.Use 2 Timothy 4:6-8 as an example of proper attitude towards enduring to the end. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..." Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us how to choose our focus: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
  • Mosiah 5:8: Deuteronomistic reforms. For more information on the Deuteronomistic reforms during the time of Lehi, see article by Kevin Christensen here

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10

Mosiah 4:16-20

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapters 4-6
Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:6-10. 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."
  • Mosiah 4:6. This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
  1. Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
  2. Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
  3. 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.
  • Mosiah 4:8: 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).
  • Mosiah 4:9. The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
  1. Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
  2. 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."
  3. 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.
  1. Knowledge of God -- knowing who God is, and that he has all power and righteousness, is a crucial first step to making the life changes necessary to gain salvation.
  2. Receive a Remission of Sins -- the repentance process brings us into the presence of God, where we can taste of God's love and feel pure joy. However, in experiencing the greatness of God, we are faced with the reality of our mortal impotence and failings. Through "intentional humility" (purposeful remembrance of our status before God) we can maintain the sense of joy and love that we felt during the repentance process.
  3. Call upon the Lord, Stand Steadfast -- these are the first of many commandments that are given to the newly repentant to keep them in the path.
The promise is in verse 12. Those that have "received" a remission of sins through following this pattern, may "retain" a remission of sins by continuing to follow it.
  • Mosiah 4:26: Remission. Websters 1828 dictionary gives six definitions of remission, including: 5. Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Matt. 26. Heb. 9.
  • Mosiah 4:28: New Year's resolution. Scholars believe that the origin of New Year's Resolutions can be "traced back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians." The most popular yearly resolution was to return borrowed tools to their rightful owners, showing that returning borrowing items was an ancient problem. It is interesting that in the ancient Americas that returning borrowed items was a big enough of a problem to be addressed in the same speech as taking care of the poor, teaching children properly and realizing one's reliance on God - all which are discussed by ancient leaders in Babylon.
  • Mosiah 4:30: Watch yourselves. Alma 39:9 uses the phrase cross yourself to describe the same heightened sense of self-awareness. Because it is impossible to hide our sins from God, our words, works, and even thoughts can condemn us (see Alma 12:14).
  • Mosiah 4:30: Remember. Remembering is sometimes a greater task than it seems, and so important to "retaining a remission of sins" that is used in the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77,79). It may help you to remember that the Lord has promised to "abundantly pardon" the man who forsakes his evil thoughts (see Isaiah 55:6-9).
  • Mosiah 5:2: Cried with one voice. Verse 2 tells us that the people all cried with one voice. Given that the people did not all hear the words of King Benjamin at the same time (because there were too many too all hear at once--see Mosiah 2:8) the "one voice" in this phrase probably refers to their unity--rather than that they all spoke at the same time.
  • Mosiah 5:5: Enter into a covenant. Compare the terms of this covenant with the promises we make when partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 4:3). In this verse, the people covenant to be obedient to his commandments. In verse 8, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ, as part of a process of changing their hearts through "faith on his name." Finally, in verse 12, they are asked to "remember to retain the name always" in their hearts.
  • Mosiah 5:7: Become his sons and daughters. When the people enter into a covenant with God, they "become [Christ's] sons and daughters." Although we enter this world as God's children, we can be spiritually born again when our "hearts are changed through faith on his name." All mankind is required to pass from a fallen (carnal) state to a state of righteousness in order to be redeemed (see Mosiah 27:25). This is the beginning of a transformative process that requires a life-long commitment to be obedient.
  • Mosiah 5:8: Take upon you the name of Christ. To "take upon you the Name of Christ" appears to be a holy priesthood ordinance, appropriately revealed here by King Benjamin in the temple. Since this ordinance and covenent is not clearly revealed in our modern bible, it may be one of the "plain and precious things" that the was taken out of the scriptures by the Deuteronomistic reforms around the time Lehi left Jerusalem, and that the Lord has restored to us through the Book of Mormon.
The phrase "take upon you the Name of Christ" does not appear anywhere in our modern version of the Bible.
  • Mosiah 5:12: Name written always in your hearts. We are literally expected to come to "hear and know the voice" of Jesus. The act of remembering is crucial to the process of building a personal relationship with the Savior. It is important to remember why we serve, and who we follow.
  • Mosiah 5:15: Seal you his. The final verses of this passage focus on remembering the covenant and name of Christ, to keep it "written in your hearts." Once we have received a knowledge of God, through our conversion and spiritual rebirth, we participate in a relationship with God. If we consistently abound in good works, we may receive a further promise of "everlasting salvation and eternal life" through an additional act of sealing.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:12: Grow in knowledge. How can knowledge grow? How is this related to the growing seed and increasing faith described in Alma 32:29ff?
  • Mosiah 4:21: In faith, believing that ye shall receive. Who is exercising faith here, God or the recipient of the blessings? How does this decision affect our understanding of this verse and the underlying theme in the greater context? If the recipient is the one exercising faith, then this seems to make God's gifts contingent on faith being displayed by the recipient. This would seem to counter the theme of unqualified grace—that we should give to anyone who asks, without judgment. Or, perhaps this reading could be taken to emphasize the sense in which the beggar who asks is displaying a sincere kind of faith, analogous to those who ask God and beg for blessings, "in faith, believing that [they] shall receive." The other possible reading here is that God himself is exercising faith that the recipient will receive the blessings that God bestows (cf. D&C 88:33).
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is the relationship between service and retaining a remission of sins? While the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament provide lifetime and weekly opportunities to remit sins, how does service do so on a daily basis? Is this part of fulfilling baptismal covenants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: In the sacrament prayer, we are told to always remember Christ so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. Is there a relationship between daily service of others, and having the Spirit with us always?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Does this verse imply that we should be involved with daily service? Or just that the occasional service will suffice to help us retain the daily remission of sins?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What does it mean to "walk guiltless before God"?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Why is it important to minister to both spiritual and temporal wants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is a "want"? Is that the same as a desire? Should we be giving people what they want, or just what we think they need?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be called the children of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be "spiritually begotten"? How is this different from being begotten as spirits by our Heavenly Father?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How can hearts be changed "through faith on [Christ's] name?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How does this change of heart constitute a new birth?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Under his head. What does this phrase mean?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How are we made free "under [Christ's] head? What does it mean to be "made free"?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How does salvation come by a given name?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Could "taking upon you the name of Christ" be the same as receiving an anointing as a high priest--the mark referred to in Jacob 4:14?
  • Mosiah 5:8: What does it mean to covenant to "be obedient unto the end of your lives"?
  • Mosiah 5:9: What does it mean to "be found at the right hand of God"? Where does this imagery come from?
  • Mosiah 5:9: How are we "called by the name of Christ"?
  • Mosiah 5:10: What does it mean to be found "on the left hand of God"?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean for the people to have a new name given unto them?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean that the new name "never should be blotted out"? What does "blotted out" mean?
  • Mosiah 5:11: Why would transgression lead to the new name being blotted out?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does transgression mean? Is there a difference between transgression and sin?
  • Mosiah 5:11: How is it that the name can be possibly "blotted out of your hearts"? Is it written there? What does it even mean for the name to be in your heart?
  • Mosiah 5:12: How can the name of Christ be written on your heart? What does it mean to retain it written there?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What does it mean to be on the left hand of God?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What is the relationship between hearing and knowing the voice of God and having Christ's name written in our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How does serving a master lead one to know him?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for Christ to be "far from the thoughts and intents of [our hearts]?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How can we keep Christ in our thoughts and close to the intents of our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for us to be called by the name of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:14: How does this analogy with the ass relate to what king Benjamin is saying?
  • Mosiah 5:14: If we do not belong to Christ, who do we belong to that would lead Christ to drive us away?
  • Mosiah 5:14: Why will Christ drive us away if we do not know the name by which we are called?
  • Mosiah 5:14: What does it mean to know the name by which we are called? What is that name? How are we called by that name?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to "be steadfast and immovable? What does that have to do with abounding in good works?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What are the good works that we are supposed to abound in?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Benjamin to call Christ "the Lord God Omnipotent"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Christ to "seal you his"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to be "brought to heaven"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What is "everlasting salvation and eternal life"? Are these two things equivalent?
  • Mosiah 5:15: How is everlasting salvation and eternal life brought about "through the wisdom and power, and justice, and mercy" of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:15: Who is the "God above all" that "created all t hings, in heaven and in earth"? Is that Christ or His Father?
  • Mosiah 6:1: Why would it be expedient for king Benjamin to "take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God"? Do we ever read of the leaders making use of this list?
  • Mosiah 6:1: What is the difference between this act of organization, and the later Church organization under the leadership of Alma?
  • Mosiah 6:2: How is it possible that all of the people could enter into this covenant with God?
  • Mosiah 6:2: Is there a problem with people "joining the Church" en masse? Isn't that supposed to be an individual choice? Why don't we baptize whole congregations into the Church anymore?
  • Mosiah 6:2: What does it mean to "take upon...the n ame of Christ"? How does this differ from what we do at baptism?
  • Mosiah 6:3: What did consecration of Nephite kings entail? Do they follow coronation rites of ancient Israel?
  • Mosiah 6:3: Mosiah is consecrated "to be a ruler and a king"--what's the difference between a ruler and a king?
  • Mosiah 6:3: King Benjamin appoints priests "to teach the people". How is this different from Old Testament priests who served in the temple? Does this indicate that there were now two types of priests--temple priests and teaching priests"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Mosiah 4:26 offers more advice about "retaining a remission of your sins from day to day" -- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and administering to their relief.
  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Alma 12:10 explains how our attitude is important to growing in spiritual knowledge (verse 12). "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until he know them in full."
  • Mosiah 4:27.Use 2 Timothy 4:6-8 as an example of proper attitude towards enduring to the end. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..." Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us how to choose our focus: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
  • Mosiah 5:8: Deuteronomistic reforms. For more information on the Deuteronomistic reforms during the time of Lehi, see article by Kevin Christensen here

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10

Mosiah 4:21-25

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapters 4-6
Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:6-10. 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."
  • Mosiah 4:6. This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
  1. Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
  2. Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
  3. 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.
  • Mosiah 4:8: 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).
  • Mosiah 4:9. The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
  1. Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
  2. 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."
  3. 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.
  1. Knowledge of God -- knowing who God is, and that he has all power and righteousness, is a crucial first step to making the life changes necessary to gain salvation.
  2. Receive a Remission of Sins -- the repentance process brings us into the presence of God, where we can taste of God's love and feel pure joy. However, in experiencing the greatness of God, we are faced with the reality of our mortal impotence and failings. Through "intentional humility" (purposeful remembrance of our status before God) we can maintain the sense of joy and love that we felt during the repentance process.
  3. Call upon the Lord, Stand Steadfast -- these are the first of many commandments that are given to the newly repentant to keep them in the path.
The promise is in verse 12. Those that have "received" a remission of sins through following this pattern, may "retain" a remission of sins by continuing to follow it.
  • Mosiah 4:26: Remission. Websters 1828 dictionary gives six definitions of remission, including: 5. Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Matt. 26. Heb. 9.
  • Mosiah 4:28: New Year's resolution. Scholars believe that the origin of New Year's Resolutions can be "traced back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians." The most popular yearly resolution was to return borrowed tools to their rightful owners, showing that returning borrowing items was an ancient problem. It is interesting that in the ancient Americas that returning borrowed items was a big enough of a problem to be addressed in the same speech as taking care of the poor, teaching children properly and realizing one's reliance on God - all which are discussed by ancient leaders in Babylon.
  • Mosiah 4:30: Watch yourselves. Alma 39:9 uses the phrase cross yourself to describe the same heightened sense of self-awareness. Because it is impossible to hide our sins from God, our words, works, and even thoughts can condemn us (see Alma 12:14).
  • Mosiah 4:30: Remember. Remembering is sometimes a greater task than it seems, and so important to "retaining a remission of sins" that is used in the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77,79). It may help you to remember that the Lord has promised to "abundantly pardon" the man who forsakes his evil thoughts (see Isaiah 55:6-9).
  • Mosiah 5:2: Cried with one voice. Verse 2 tells us that the people all cried with one voice. Given that the people did not all hear the words of King Benjamin at the same time (because there were too many too all hear at once--see Mosiah 2:8) the "one voice" in this phrase probably refers to their unity--rather than that they all spoke at the same time.
  • Mosiah 5:5: Enter into a covenant. Compare the terms of this covenant with the promises we make when partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 4:3). In this verse, the people covenant to be obedient to his commandments. In verse 8, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ, as part of a process of changing their hearts through "faith on his name." Finally, in verse 12, they are asked to "remember to retain the name always" in their hearts.
  • Mosiah 5:7: Become his sons and daughters. When the people enter into a covenant with God, they "become [Christ's] sons and daughters." Although we enter this world as God's children, we can be spiritually born again when our "hearts are changed through faith on his name." All mankind is required to pass from a fallen (carnal) state to a state of righteousness in order to be redeemed (see Mosiah 27:25). This is the beginning of a transformative process that requires a life-long commitment to be obedient.
  • Mosiah 5:8: Take upon you the name of Christ. To "take upon you the Name of Christ" appears to be a holy priesthood ordinance, appropriately revealed here by King Benjamin in the temple. Since this ordinance and covenent is not clearly revealed in our modern bible, it may be one of the "plain and precious things" that the was taken out of the scriptures by the Deuteronomistic reforms around the time Lehi left Jerusalem, and that the Lord has restored to us through the Book of Mormon.
The phrase "take upon you the Name of Christ" does not appear anywhere in our modern version of the Bible.
  • Mosiah 5:12: Name written always in your hearts. We are literally expected to come to "hear and know the voice" of Jesus. The act of remembering is crucial to the process of building a personal relationship with the Savior. It is important to remember why we serve, and who we follow.
  • Mosiah 5:15: Seal you his. The final verses of this passage focus on remembering the covenant and name of Christ, to keep it "written in your hearts." Once we have received a knowledge of God, through our conversion and spiritual rebirth, we participate in a relationship with God. If we consistently abound in good works, we may receive a further promise of "everlasting salvation and eternal life" through an additional act of sealing.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:12: Grow in knowledge. How can knowledge grow? How is this related to the growing seed and increasing faith described in Alma 32:29ff?
  • Mosiah 4:21: In faith, believing that ye shall receive. Who is exercising faith here, God or the recipient of the blessings? How does this decision affect our understanding of this verse and the underlying theme in the greater context? If the recipient is the one exercising faith, then this seems to make God's gifts contingent on faith being displayed by the recipient. This would seem to counter the theme of unqualified grace—that we should give to anyone who asks, without judgment. Or, perhaps this reading could be taken to emphasize the sense in which the beggar who asks is displaying a sincere kind of faith, analogous to those who ask God and beg for blessings, "in faith, believing that [they] shall receive." The other possible reading here is that God himself is exercising faith that the recipient will receive the blessings that God bestows (cf. D&C 88:33).
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is the relationship between service and retaining a remission of sins? While the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament provide lifetime and weekly opportunities to remit sins, how does service do so on a daily basis? Is this part of fulfilling baptismal covenants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: In the sacrament prayer, we are told to always remember Christ so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. Is there a relationship between daily service of others, and having the Spirit with us always?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Does this verse imply that we should be involved with daily service? Or just that the occasional service will suffice to help us retain the daily remission of sins?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What does it mean to "walk guiltless before God"?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Why is it important to minister to both spiritual and temporal wants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is a "want"? Is that the same as a desire? Should we be giving people what they want, or just what we think they need?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be called the children of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be "spiritually begotten"? How is this different from being begotten as spirits by our Heavenly Father?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How can hearts be changed "through faith on [Christ's] name?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How does this change of heart constitute a new birth?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Under his head. What does this phrase mean?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How are we made free "under [Christ's] head? What does it mean to be "made free"?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How does salvation come by a given name?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Could "taking upon you the name of Christ" be the same as receiving an anointing as a high priest--the mark referred to in Jacob 4:14?
  • Mosiah 5:8: What does it mean to covenant to "be obedient unto the end of your lives"?
  • Mosiah 5:9: What does it mean to "be found at the right hand of God"? Where does this imagery come from?
  • Mosiah 5:9: How are we "called by the name of Christ"?
  • Mosiah 5:10: What does it mean to be found "on the left hand of God"?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean for the people to have a new name given unto them?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean that the new name "never should be blotted out"? What does "blotted out" mean?
  • Mosiah 5:11: Why would transgression lead to the new name being blotted out?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does transgression mean? Is there a difference between transgression and sin?
  • Mosiah 5:11: How is it that the name can be possibly "blotted out of your hearts"? Is it written there? What does it even mean for the name to be in your heart?
  • Mosiah 5:12: How can the name of Christ be written on your heart? What does it mean to retain it written there?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What does it mean to be on the left hand of God?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What is the relationship between hearing and knowing the voice of God and having Christ's name written in our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How does serving a master lead one to know him?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for Christ to be "far from the thoughts and intents of [our hearts]?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How can we keep Christ in our thoughts and close to the intents of our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for us to be called by the name of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:14: How does this analogy with the ass relate to what king Benjamin is saying?
  • Mosiah 5:14: If we do not belong to Christ, who do we belong to that would lead Christ to drive us away?
  • Mosiah 5:14: Why will Christ drive us away if we do not know the name by which we are called?
  • Mosiah 5:14: What does it mean to know the name by which we are called? What is that name? How are we called by that name?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to "be steadfast and immovable? What does that have to do with abounding in good works?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What are the good works that we are supposed to abound in?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Benjamin to call Christ "the Lord God Omnipotent"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Christ to "seal you his"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to be "brought to heaven"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What is "everlasting salvation and eternal life"? Are these two things equivalent?
  • Mosiah 5:15: How is everlasting salvation and eternal life brought about "through the wisdom and power, and justice, and mercy" of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:15: Who is the "God above all" that "created all t hings, in heaven and in earth"? Is that Christ or His Father?
  • Mosiah 6:1: Why would it be expedient for king Benjamin to "take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God"? Do we ever read of the leaders making use of this list?
  • Mosiah 6:1: What is the difference between this act of organization, and the later Church organization under the leadership of Alma?
  • Mosiah 6:2: How is it possible that all of the people could enter into this covenant with God?
  • Mosiah 6:2: Is there a problem with people "joining the Church" en masse? Isn't that supposed to be an individual choice? Why don't we baptize whole congregations into the Church anymore?
  • Mosiah 6:2: What does it mean to "take upon...the n ame of Christ"? How does this differ from what we do at baptism?
  • Mosiah 6:3: What did consecration of Nephite kings entail? Do they follow coronation rites of ancient Israel?
  • Mosiah 6:3: Mosiah is consecrated "to be a ruler and a king"--what's the difference between a ruler and a king?
  • Mosiah 6:3: King Benjamin appoints priests "to teach the people". How is this different from Old Testament priests who served in the temple? Does this indicate that there were now two types of priests--temple priests and teaching priests"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Mosiah 4:26 offers more advice about "retaining a remission of your sins from day to day" -- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and administering to their relief.
  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Alma 12:10 explains how our attitude is important to growing in spiritual knowledge (verse 12). "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until he know them in full."
  • Mosiah 4:27.Use 2 Timothy 4:6-8 as an example of proper attitude towards enduring to the end. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..." Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us how to choose our focus: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
  • Mosiah 5:8: Deuteronomistic reforms. For more information on the Deuteronomistic reforms during the time of Lehi, see article by Kevin Christensen here

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10

Mosiah 4:26-30

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapters 4-6
Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:6-10. 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."
  • Mosiah 4:6. This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
  1. Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
  2. Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
  3. 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.
  • Mosiah 4:8: 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).
  • Mosiah 4:9. The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
  1. Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
  2. 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."
  3. 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.
  1. Knowledge of God -- knowing who God is, and that he has all power and righteousness, is a crucial first step to making the life changes necessary to gain salvation.
  2. Receive a Remission of Sins -- the repentance process brings us into the presence of God, where we can taste of God's love and feel pure joy. However, in experiencing the greatness of God, we are faced with the reality of our mortal impotence and failings. Through "intentional humility" (purposeful remembrance of our status before God) we can maintain the sense of joy and love that we felt during the repentance process.
  3. Call upon the Lord, Stand Steadfast -- these are the first of many commandments that are given to the newly repentant to keep them in the path.
The promise is in verse 12. Those that have "received" a remission of sins through following this pattern, may "retain" a remission of sins by continuing to follow it.
  • Mosiah 4:26: Remission. Websters 1828 dictionary gives six definitions of remission, including: 5. Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Matt. 26. Heb. 9.
  • Mosiah 4:28: New Year's resolution. Scholars believe that the origin of New Year's Resolutions can be "traced back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians." The most popular yearly resolution was to return borrowed tools to their rightful owners, showing that returning borrowing items was an ancient problem. It is interesting that in the ancient Americas that returning borrowed items was a big enough of a problem to be addressed in the same speech as taking care of the poor, teaching children properly and realizing one's reliance on God - all which are discussed by ancient leaders in Babylon.
  • Mosiah 4:30: Watch yourselves. Alma 39:9 uses the phrase cross yourself to describe the same heightened sense of self-awareness. Because it is impossible to hide our sins from God, our words, works, and even thoughts can condemn us (see Alma 12:14).
  • Mosiah 4:30: Remember. Remembering is sometimes a greater task than it seems, and so important to "retaining a remission of sins" that is used in the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77,79). It may help you to remember that the Lord has promised to "abundantly pardon" the man who forsakes his evil thoughts (see Isaiah 55:6-9).
  • Mosiah 5:2: Cried with one voice. Verse 2 tells us that the people all cried with one voice. Given that the people did not all hear the words of King Benjamin at the same time (because there were too many too all hear at once--see Mosiah 2:8) the "one voice" in this phrase probably refers to their unity--rather than that they all spoke at the same time.
  • Mosiah 5:5: Enter into a covenant. Compare the terms of this covenant with the promises we make when partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 4:3). In this verse, the people covenant to be obedient to his commandments. In verse 8, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ, as part of a process of changing their hearts through "faith on his name." Finally, in verse 12, they are asked to "remember to retain the name always" in their hearts.
  • Mosiah 5:7: Become his sons and daughters. When the people enter into a covenant with God, they "become [Christ's] sons and daughters." Although we enter this world as God's children, we can be spiritually born again when our "hearts are changed through faith on his name." All mankind is required to pass from a fallen (carnal) state to a state of righteousness in order to be redeemed (see Mosiah 27:25). This is the beginning of a transformative process that requires a life-long commitment to be obedient.
  • Mosiah 5:8: Take upon you the name of Christ. To "take upon you the Name of Christ" appears to be a holy priesthood ordinance, appropriately revealed here by King Benjamin in the temple. Since this ordinance and covenent is not clearly revealed in our modern bible, it may be one of the "plain and precious things" that the was taken out of the scriptures by the Deuteronomistic reforms around the time Lehi left Jerusalem, and that the Lord has restored to us through the Book of Mormon.
The phrase "take upon you the Name of Christ" does not appear anywhere in our modern version of the Bible.
  • Mosiah 5:12: Name written always in your hearts. We are literally expected to come to "hear and know the voice" of Jesus. The act of remembering is crucial to the process of building a personal relationship with the Savior. It is important to remember why we serve, and who we follow.
  • Mosiah 5:15: Seal you his. The final verses of this passage focus on remembering the covenant and name of Christ, to keep it "written in your hearts." Once we have received a knowledge of God, through our conversion and spiritual rebirth, we participate in a relationship with God. If we consistently abound in good works, we may receive a further promise of "everlasting salvation and eternal life" through an additional act of sealing.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:12: Grow in knowledge. How can knowledge grow? How is this related to the growing seed and increasing faith described in Alma 32:29ff?
  • Mosiah 4:21: In faith, believing that ye shall receive. Who is exercising faith here, God or the recipient of the blessings? How does this decision affect our understanding of this verse and the underlying theme in the greater context? If the recipient is the one exercising faith, then this seems to make God's gifts contingent on faith being displayed by the recipient. This would seem to counter the theme of unqualified grace—that we should give to anyone who asks, without judgment. Or, perhaps this reading could be taken to emphasize the sense in which the beggar who asks is displaying a sincere kind of faith, analogous to those who ask God and beg for blessings, "in faith, believing that [they] shall receive." The other possible reading here is that God himself is exercising faith that the recipient will receive the blessings that God bestows (cf. D&C 88:33).
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is the relationship between service and retaining a remission of sins? While the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament provide lifetime and weekly opportunities to remit sins, how does service do so on a daily basis? Is this part of fulfilling baptismal covenants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: In the sacrament prayer, we are told to always remember Christ so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. Is there a relationship between daily service of others, and having the Spirit with us always?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Does this verse imply that we should be involved with daily service? Or just that the occasional service will suffice to help us retain the daily remission of sins?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What does it mean to "walk guiltless before God"?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Why is it important to minister to both spiritual and temporal wants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is a "want"? Is that the same as a desire? Should we be giving people what they want, or just what we think they need?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be called the children of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be "spiritually begotten"? How is this different from being begotten as spirits by our Heavenly Father?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How can hearts be changed "through faith on [Christ's] name?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How does this change of heart constitute a new birth?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Under his head. What does this phrase mean?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How are we made free "under [Christ's] head? What does it mean to be "made free"?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How does salvation come by a given name?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Could "taking upon you the name of Christ" be the same as receiving an anointing as a high priest--the mark referred to in Jacob 4:14?
  • Mosiah 5:8: What does it mean to covenant to "be obedient unto the end of your lives"?
  • Mosiah 5:9: What does it mean to "be found at the right hand of God"? Where does this imagery come from?
  • Mosiah 5:9: How are we "called by the name of Christ"?
  • Mosiah 5:10: What does it mean to be found "on the left hand of God"?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean for the people to have a new name given unto them?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean that the new name "never should be blotted out"? What does "blotted out" mean?
  • Mosiah 5:11: Why would transgression lead to the new name being blotted out?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does transgression mean? Is there a difference between transgression and sin?
  • Mosiah 5:11: How is it that the name can be possibly "blotted out of your hearts"? Is it written there? What does it even mean for the name to be in your heart?
  • Mosiah 5:12: How can the name of Christ be written on your heart? What does it mean to retain it written there?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What does it mean to be on the left hand of God?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What is the relationship between hearing and knowing the voice of God and having Christ's name written in our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How does serving a master lead one to know him?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for Christ to be "far from the thoughts and intents of [our hearts]?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How can we keep Christ in our thoughts and close to the intents of our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for us to be called by the name of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:14: How does this analogy with the ass relate to what king Benjamin is saying?
  • Mosiah 5:14: If we do not belong to Christ, who do we belong to that would lead Christ to drive us away?
  • Mosiah 5:14: Why will Christ drive us away if we do not know the name by which we are called?
  • Mosiah 5:14: What does it mean to know the name by which we are called? What is that name? How are we called by that name?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to "be steadfast and immovable? What does that have to do with abounding in good works?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What are the good works that we are supposed to abound in?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Benjamin to call Christ "the Lord God Omnipotent"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Christ to "seal you his"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to be "brought to heaven"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What is "everlasting salvation and eternal life"? Are these two things equivalent?
  • Mosiah 5:15: How is everlasting salvation and eternal life brought about "through the wisdom and power, and justice, and mercy" of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:15: Who is the "God above all" that "created all t hings, in heaven and in earth"? Is that Christ or His Father?
  • Mosiah 6:1: Why would it be expedient for king Benjamin to "take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God"? Do we ever read of the leaders making use of this list?
  • Mosiah 6:1: What is the difference between this act of organization, and the later Church organization under the leadership of Alma?
  • Mosiah 6:2: How is it possible that all of the people could enter into this covenant with God?
  • Mosiah 6:2: Is there a problem with people "joining the Church" en masse? Isn't that supposed to be an individual choice? Why don't we baptize whole congregations into the Church anymore?
  • Mosiah 6:2: What does it mean to "take upon...the n ame of Christ"? How does this differ from what we do at baptism?
  • Mosiah 6:3: What did consecration of Nephite kings entail? Do they follow coronation rites of ancient Israel?
  • Mosiah 6:3: Mosiah is consecrated "to be a ruler and a king"--what's the difference between a ruler and a king?
  • Mosiah 6:3: King Benjamin appoints priests "to teach the people". How is this different from Old Testament priests who served in the temple? Does this indicate that there were now two types of priests--temple priests and teaching priests"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Mosiah 4:26 offers more advice about "retaining a remission of your sins from day to day" -- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and administering to their relief.
  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Alma 12:10 explains how our attitude is important to growing in spiritual knowledge (verse 12). "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until he know them in full."
  • Mosiah 4:27.Use 2 Timothy 4:6-8 as an example of proper attitude towards enduring to the end. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..." Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us how to choose our focus: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
  • Mosiah 5:8: Deuteronomistic reforms. For more information on the Deuteronomistic reforms during the time of Lehi, see article by Kevin Christensen here

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10

Mosiah 5:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapters 4-6
Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:6-10. 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."
  • Mosiah 4:6. This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
  1. Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
  2. Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
  3. 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.
  • Mosiah 4:8: 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).
  • Mosiah 4:9. The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
  1. Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
  2. 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."
  3. 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.
  1. Knowledge of God -- knowing who God is, and that he has all power and righteousness, is a crucial first step to making the life changes necessary to gain salvation.
  2. Receive a Remission of Sins -- the repentance process brings us into the presence of God, where we can taste of God's love and feel pure joy. However, in experiencing the greatness of God, we are faced with the reality of our mortal impotence and failings. Through "intentional humility" (purposeful remembrance of our status before God) we can maintain the sense of joy and love that we felt during the repentance process.
  3. Call upon the Lord, Stand Steadfast -- these are the first of many commandments that are given to the newly repentant to keep them in the path.
The promise is in verse 12. Those that have "received" a remission of sins through following this pattern, may "retain" a remission of sins by continuing to follow it.
  • Mosiah 4:26: Remission. Websters 1828 dictionary gives six definitions of remission, including: 5. Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Matt. 26. Heb. 9.
  • Mosiah 4:28: New Year's resolution. Scholars believe that the origin of New Year's Resolutions can be "traced back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians." The most popular yearly resolution was to return borrowed tools to their rightful owners, showing that returning borrowing items was an ancient problem. It is interesting that in the ancient Americas that returning borrowed items was a big enough of a problem to be addressed in the same speech as taking care of the poor, teaching children properly and realizing one's reliance on God - all which are discussed by ancient leaders in Babylon.
  • Mosiah 4:30: Watch yourselves. Alma 39:9 uses the phrase cross yourself to describe the same heightened sense of self-awareness. Because it is impossible to hide our sins from God, our words, works, and even thoughts can condemn us (see Alma 12:14).
  • Mosiah 4:30: Remember. Remembering is sometimes a greater task than it seems, and so important to "retaining a remission of sins" that is used in the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77,79). It may help you to remember that the Lord has promised to "abundantly pardon" the man who forsakes his evil thoughts (see Isaiah 55:6-9).
  • Mosiah 5:2: Cried with one voice. Verse 2 tells us that the people all cried with one voice. Given that the people did not all hear the words of King Benjamin at the same time (because there were too many too all hear at once--see Mosiah 2:8) the "one voice" in this phrase probably refers to their unity--rather than that they all spoke at the same time.
  • Mosiah 5:5: Enter into a covenant. Compare the terms of this covenant with the promises we make when partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 4:3). In this verse, the people covenant to be obedient to his commandments. In verse 8, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ, as part of a process of changing their hearts through "faith on his name." Finally, in verse 12, they are asked to "remember to retain the name always" in their hearts.
  • Mosiah 5:7: Become his sons and daughters. When the people enter into a covenant with God, they "become [Christ's] sons and daughters." Although we enter this world as God's children, we can be spiritually born again when our "hearts are changed through faith on his name." All mankind is required to pass from a fallen (carnal) state to a state of righteousness in order to be redeemed (see Mosiah 27:25). This is the beginning of a transformative process that requires a life-long commitment to be obedient.
  • Mosiah 5:8: Take upon you the name of Christ. To "take upon you the Name of Christ" appears to be a holy priesthood ordinance, appropriately revealed here by King Benjamin in the temple. Since this ordinance and covenent is not clearly revealed in our modern bible, it may be one of the "plain and precious things" that the was taken out of the scriptures by the Deuteronomistic reforms around the time Lehi left Jerusalem, and that the Lord has restored to us through the Book of Mormon.
The phrase "take upon you the Name of Christ" does not appear anywhere in our modern version of the Bible.
  • Mosiah 5:12: Name written always in your hearts. We are literally expected to come to "hear and know the voice" of Jesus. The act of remembering is crucial to the process of building a personal relationship with the Savior. It is important to remember why we serve, and who we follow.
  • Mosiah 5:15: Seal you his. The final verses of this passage focus on remembering the covenant and name of Christ, to keep it "written in your hearts." Once we have received a knowledge of God, through our conversion and spiritual rebirth, we participate in a relationship with God. If we consistently abound in good works, we may receive a further promise of "everlasting salvation and eternal life" through an additional act of sealing.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:12: Grow in knowledge. How can knowledge grow? How is this related to the growing seed and increasing faith described in Alma 32:29ff?
  • Mosiah 4:21: In faith, believing that ye shall receive. Who is exercising faith here, God or the recipient of the blessings? How does this decision affect our understanding of this verse and the underlying theme in the greater context? If the recipient is the one exercising faith, then this seems to make God's gifts contingent on faith being displayed by the recipient. This would seem to counter the theme of unqualified grace—that we should give to anyone who asks, without judgment. Or, perhaps this reading could be taken to emphasize the sense in which the beggar who asks is displaying a sincere kind of faith, analogous to those who ask God and beg for blessings, "in faith, believing that [they] shall receive." The other possible reading here is that God himself is exercising faith that the recipient will receive the blessings that God bestows (cf. D&C 88:33).
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is the relationship between service and retaining a remission of sins? While the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament provide lifetime and weekly opportunities to remit sins, how does service do so on a daily basis? Is this part of fulfilling baptismal covenants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: In the sacrament prayer, we are told to always remember Christ so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. Is there a relationship between daily service of others, and having the Spirit with us always?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Does this verse imply that we should be involved with daily service? Or just that the occasional service will suffice to help us retain the daily remission of sins?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What does it mean to "walk guiltless before God"?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Why is it important to minister to both spiritual and temporal wants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is a "want"? Is that the same as a desire? Should we be giving people what they want, or just what we think they need?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be called the children of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be "spiritually begotten"? How is this different from being begotten as spirits by our Heavenly Father?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How can hearts be changed "through faith on [Christ's] name?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How does this change of heart constitute a new birth?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Under his head. What does this phrase mean?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How are we made free "under [Christ's] head? What does it mean to be "made free"?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How does salvation come by a given name?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Could "taking upon you the name of Christ" be the same as receiving an anointing as a high priest--the mark referred to in Jacob 4:14?
  • Mosiah 5:8: What does it mean to covenant to "be obedient unto the end of your lives"?
  • Mosiah 5:9: What does it mean to "be found at the right hand of God"? Where does this imagery come from?
  • Mosiah 5:9: How are we "called by the name of Christ"?
  • Mosiah 5:10: What does it mean to be found "on the left hand of God"?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean for the people to have a new name given unto them?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean that the new name "never should be blotted out"? What does "blotted out" mean?
  • Mosiah 5:11: Why would transgression lead to the new name being blotted out?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does transgression mean? Is there a difference between transgression and sin?
  • Mosiah 5:11: How is it that the name can be possibly "blotted out of your hearts"? Is it written there? What does it even mean for the name to be in your heart?
  • Mosiah 5:12: How can the name of Christ be written on your heart? What does it mean to retain it written there?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What does it mean to be on the left hand of God?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What is the relationship between hearing and knowing the voice of God and having Christ's name written in our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How does serving a master lead one to know him?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for Christ to be "far from the thoughts and intents of [our hearts]?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How can we keep Christ in our thoughts and close to the intents of our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for us to be called by the name of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:14: How does this analogy with the ass relate to what king Benjamin is saying?
  • Mosiah 5:14: If we do not belong to Christ, who do we belong to that would lead Christ to drive us away?
  • Mosiah 5:14: Why will Christ drive us away if we do not know the name by which we are called?
  • Mosiah 5:14: What does it mean to know the name by which we are called? What is that name? How are we called by that name?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to "be steadfast and immovable? What does that have to do with abounding in good works?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What are the good works that we are supposed to abound in?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Benjamin to call Christ "the Lord God Omnipotent"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Christ to "seal you his"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to be "brought to heaven"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What is "everlasting salvation and eternal life"? Are these two things equivalent?
  • Mosiah 5:15: How is everlasting salvation and eternal life brought about "through the wisdom and power, and justice, and mercy" of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:15: Who is the "God above all" that "created all t hings, in heaven and in earth"? Is that Christ or His Father?
  • Mosiah 6:1: Why would it be expedient for king Benjamin to "take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God"? Do we ever read of the leaders making use of this list?
  • Mosiah 6:1: What is the difference between this act of organization, and the later Church organization under the leadership of Alma?
  • Mosiah 6:2: How is it possible that all of the people could enter into this covenant with God?
  • Mosiah 6:2: Is there a problem with people "joining the Church" en masse? Isn't that supposed to be an individual choice? Why don't we baptize whole congregations into the Church anymore?
  • Mosiah 6:2: What does it mean to "take upon...the n ame of Christ"? How does this differ from what we do at baptism?
  • Mosiah 6:3: What did consecration of Nephite kings entail? Do they follow coronation rites of ancient Israel?
  • Mosiah 6:3: Mosiah is consecrated "to be a ruler and a king"--what's the difference between a ruler and a king?
  • Mosiah 6:3: King Benjamin appoints priests "to teach the people". How is this different from Old Testament priests who served in the temple? Does this indicate that there were now two types of priests--temple priests and teaching priests"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Mosiah 4:26 offers more advice about "retaining a remission of your sins from day to day" -- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and administering to their relief.
  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Alma 12:10 explains how our attitude is important to growing in spiritual knowledge (verse 12). "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until he know them in full."
  • Mosiah 4:27.Use 2 Timothy 4:6-8 as an example of proper attitude towards enduring to the end. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..." Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us how to choose our focus: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
  • Mosiah 5:8: Deuteronomistic reforms. For more information on the Deuteronomistic reforms during the time of Lehi, see article by Kevin Christensen here

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10

Mosiah 5:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapters 4-6
Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:6-10. 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."
  • Mosiah 4:6. This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
  1. Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
  2. Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
  3. 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.
  • Mosiah 4:8: 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).
  • Mosiah 4:9. The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
  1. Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
  2. 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."
  3. 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.
  1. Knowledge of God -- knowing who God is, and that he has all power and righteousness, is a crucial first step to making the life changes necessary to gain salvation.
  2. Receive a Remission of Sins -- the repentance process brings us into the presence of God, where we can taste of God's love and feel pure joy. However, in experiencing the greatness of God, we are faced with the reality of our mortal impotence and failings. Through "intentional humility" (purposeful remembrance of our status before God) we can maintain the sense of joy and love that we felt during the repentance process.
  3. Call upon the Lord, Stand Steadfast -- these are the first of many commandments that are given to the newly repentant to keep them in the path.
The promise is in verse 12. Those that have "received" a remission of sins through following this pattern, may "retain" a remission of sins by continuing to follow it.
  • Mosiah 4:26: Remission. Websters 1828 dictionary gives six definitions of remission, including: 5. Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Matt. 26. Heb. 9.
  • Mosiah 4:28: New Year's resolution. Scholars believe that the origin of New Year's Resolutions can be "traced back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians." The most popular yearly resolution was to return borrowed tools to their rightful owners, showing that returning borrowing items was an ancient problem. It is interesting that in the ancient Americas that returning borrowed items was a big enough of a problem to be addressed in the same speech as taking care of the poor, teaching children properly and realizing one's reliance on God - all which are discussed by ancient leaders in Babylon.
  • Mosiah 4:30: Watch yourselves. Alma 39:9 uses the phrase cross yourself to describe the same heightened sense of self-awareness. Because it is impossible to hide our sins from God, our words, works, and even thoughts can condemn us (see Alma 12:14).
  • Mosiah 4:30: Remember. Remembering is sometimes a greater task than it seems, and so important to "retaining a remission of sins" that is used in the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77,79). It may help you to remember that the Lord has promised to "abundantly pardon" the man who forsakes his evil thoughts (see Isaiah 55:6-9).
  • Mosiah 5:2: Cried with one voice. Verse 2 tells us that the people all cried with one voice. Given that the people did not all hear the words of King Benjamin at the same time (because there were too many too all hear at once--see Mosiah 2:8) the "one voice" in this phrase probably refers to their unity--rather than that they all spoke at the same time.
  • Mosiah 5:5: Enter into a covenant. Compare the terms of this covenant with the promises we make when partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 4:3). In this verse, the people covenant to be obedient to his commandments. In verse 8, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ, as part of a process of changing their hearts through "faith on his name." Finally, in verse 12, they are asked to "remember to retain the name always" in their hearts.
  • Mosiah 5:7: Become his sons and daughters. When the people enter into a covenant with God, they "become [Christ's] sons and daughters." Although we enter this world as God's children, we can be spiritually born again when our "hearts are changed through faith on his name." All mankind is required to pass from a fallen (carnal) state to a state of righteousness in order to be redeemed (see Mosiah 27:25). This is the beginning of a transformative process that requires a life-long commitment to be obedient.
  • Mosiah 5:8: Take upon you the name of Christ. To "take upon you the Name of Christ" appears to be a holy priesthood ordinance, appropriately revealed here by King Benjamin in the temple. Since this ordinance and covenent is not clearly revealed in our modern bible, it may be one of the "plain and precious things" that the was taken out of the scriptures by the Deuteronomistic reforms around the time Lehi left Jerusalem, and that the Lord has restored to us through the Book of Mormon.
The phrase "take upon you the Name of Christ" does not appear anywhere in our modern version of the Bible.
  • Mosiah 5:12: Name written always in your hearts. We are literally expected to come to "hear and know the voice" of Jesus. The act of remembering is crucial to the process of building a personal relationship with the Savior. It is important to remember why we serve, and who we follow.
  • Mosiah 5:15: Seal you his. The final verses of this passage focus on remembering the covenant and name of Christ, to keep it "written in your hearts." Once we have received a knowledge of God, through our conversion and spiritual rebirth, we participate in a relationship with God. If we consistently abound in good works, we may receive a further promise of "everlasting salvation and eternal life" through an additional act of sealing.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:12: Grow in knowledge. How can knowledge grow? How is this related to the growing seed and increasing faith described in Alma 32:29ff?
  • Mosiah 4:21: In faith, believing that ye shall receive. Who is exercising faith here, God or the recipient of the blessings? How does this decision affect our understanding of this verse and the underlying theme in the greater context? If the recipient is the one exercising faith, then this seems to make God's gifts contingent on faith being displayed by the recipient. This would seem to counter the theme of unqualified grace—that we should give to anyone who asks, without judgment. Or, perhaps this reading could be taken to emphasize the sense in which the beggar who asks is displaying a sincere kind of faith, analogous to those who ask God and beg for blessings, "in faith, believing that [they] shall receive." The other possible reading here is that God himself is exercising faith that the recipient will receive the blessings that God bestows (cf. D&C 88:33).
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is the relationship between service and retaining a remission of sins? While the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament provide lifetime and weekly opportunities to remit sins, how does service do so on a daily basis? Is this part of fulfilling baptismal covenants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: In the sacrament prayer, we are told to always remember Christ so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. Is there a relationship between daily service of others, and having the Spirit with us always?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Does this verse imply that we should be involved with daily service? Or just that the occasional service will suffice to help us retain the daily remission of sins?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What does it mean to "walk guiltless before God"?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Why is it important to minister to both spiritual and temporal wants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is a "want"? Is that the same as a desire? Should we be giving people what they want, or just what we think they need?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be called the children of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be "spiritually begotten"? How is this different from being begotten as spirits by our Heavenly Father?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How can hearts be changed "through faith on [Christ's] name?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How does this change of heart constitute a new birth?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Under his head. What does this phrase mean?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How are we made free "under [Christ's] head? What does it mean to be "made free"?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How does salvation come by a given name?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Could "taking upon you the name of Christ" be the same as receiving an anointing as a high priest--the mark referred to in Jacob 4:14?
  • Mosiah 5:8: What does it mean to covenant to "be obedient unto the end of your lives"?
  • Mosiah 5:9: What does it mean to "be found at the right hand of God"? Where does this imagery come from?
  • Mosiah 5:9: How are we "called by the name of Christ"?
  • Mosiah 5:10: What does it mean to be found "on the left hand of God"?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean for the people to have a new name given unto them?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean that the new name "never should be blotted out"? What does "blotted out" mean?
  • Mosiah 5:11: Why would transgression lead to the new name being blotted out?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does transgression mean? Is there a difference between transgression and sin?
  • Mosiah 5:11: How is it that the name can be possibly "blotted out of your hearts"? Is it written there? What does it even mean for the name to be in your heart?
  • Mosiah 5:12: How can the name of Christ be written on your heart? What does it mean to retain it written there?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What does it mean to be on the left hand of God?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What is the relationship between hearing and knowing the voice of God and having Christ's name written in our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How does serving a master lead one to know him?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for Christ to be "far from the thoughts and intents of [our hearts]?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How can we keep Christ in our thoughts and close to the intents of our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for us to be called by the name of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:14: How does this analogy with the ass relate to what king Benjamin is saying?
  • Mosiah 5:14: If we do not belong to Christ, who do we belong to that would lead Christ to drive us away?
  • Mosiah 5:14: Why will Christ drive us away if we do not know the name by which we are called?
  • Mosiah 5:14: What does it mean to know the name by which we are called? What is that name? How are we called by that name?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to "be steadfast and immovable? What does that have to do with abounding in good works?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What are the good works that we are supposed to abound in?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Benjamin to call Christ "the Lord God Omnipotent"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Christ to "seal you his"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to be "brought to heaven"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What is "everlasting salvation and eternal life"? Are these two things equivalent?
  • Mosiah 5:15: How is everlasting salvation and eternal life brought about "through the wisdom and power, and justice, and mercy" of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:15: Who is the "God above all" that "created all t hings, in heaven and in earth"? Is that Christ or His Father?
  • Mosiah 6:1: Why would it be expedient for king Benjamin to "take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God"? Do we ever read of the leaders making use of this list?
  • Mosiah 6:1: What is the difference between this act of organization, and the later Church organization under the leadership of Alma?
  • Mosiah 6:2: How is it possible that all of the people could enter into this covenant with God?
  • Mosiah 6:2: Is there a problem with people "joining the Church" en masse? Isn't that supposed to be an individual choice? Why don't we baptize whole congregations into the Church anymore?
  • Mosiah 6:2: What does it mean to "take upon...the n ame of Christ"? How does this differ from what we do at baptism?
  • Mosiah 6:3: What did consecration of Nephite kings entail? Do they follow coronation rites of ancient Israel?
  • Mosiah 6:3: Mosiah is consecrated "to be a ruler and a king"--what's the difference between a ruler and a king?
  • Mosiah 6:3: King Benjamin appoints priests "to teach the people". How is this different from Old Testament priests who served in the temple? Does this indicate that there were now two types of priests--temple priests and teaching priests"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Mosiah 4:26 offers more advice about "retaining a remission of your sins from day to day" -- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and administering to their relief.
  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Alma 12:10 explains how our attitude is important to growing in spiritual knowledge (verse 12). "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until he know them in full."
  • Mosiah 4:27.Use 2 Timothy 4:6-8 as an example of proper attitude towards enduring to the end. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..." Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us how to choose our focus: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
  • Mosiah 5:8: Deuteronomistic reforms. For more information on the Deuteronomistic reforms during the time of Lehi, see article by Kevin Christensen here

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10

Mosiah 5:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapters 4-6
Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:6-10. 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."
  • Mosiah 4:6. This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
  1. Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
  2. Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
  3. 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.
  • Mosiah 4:8: 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).
  • Mosiah 4:9. The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
  1. Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
  2. 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."
  3. 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.
  1. Knowledge of God -- knowing who God is, and that he has all power and righteousness, is a crucial first step to making the life changes necessary to gain salvation.
  2. Receive a Remission of Sins -- the repentance process brings us into the presence of God, where we can taste of God's love and feel pure joy. However, in experiencing the greatness of God, we are faced with the reality of our mortal impotence and failings. Through "intentional humility" (purposeful remembrance of our status before God) we can maintain the sense of joy and love that we felt during the repentance process.
  3. Call upon the Lord, Stand Steadfast -- these are the first of many commandments that are given to the newly repentant to keep them in the path.
The promise is in verse 12. Those that have "received" a remission of sins through following this pattern, may "retain" a remission of sins by continuing to follow it.
  • Mosiah 4:26: Remission. Websters 1828 dictionary gives six definitions of remission, including: 5. Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Matt. 26. Heb. 9.
  • Mosiah 4:28: New Year's resolution. Scholars believe that the origin of New Year's Resolutions can be "traced back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians." The most popular yearly resolution was to return borrowed tools to their rightful owners, showing that returning borrowing items was an ancient problem. It is interesting that in the ancient Americas that returning borrowed items was a big enough of a problem to be addressed in the same speech as taking care of the poor, teaching children properly and realizing one's reliance on God - all which are discussed by ancient leaders in Babylon.
  • Mosiah 4:30: Watch yourselves. Alma 39:9 uses the phrase cross yourself to describe the same heightened sense of self-awareness. Because it is impossible to hide our sins from God, our words, works, and even thoughts can condemn us (see Alma 12:14).
  • Mosiah 4:30: Remember. Remembering is sometimes a greater task than it seems, and so important to "retaining a remission of sins" that is used in the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77,79). It may help you to remember that the Lord has promised to "abundantly pardon" the man who forsakes his evil thoughts (see Isaiah 55:6-9).
  • Mosiah 5:2: Cried with one voice. Verse 2 tells us that the people all cried with one voice. Given that the people did not all hear the words of King Benjamin at the same time (because there were too many too all hear at once--see Mosiah 2:8) the "one voice" in this phrase probably refers to their unity--rather than that they all spoke at the same time.
  • Mosiah 5:5: Enter into a covenant. Compare the terms of this covenant with the promises we make when partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 4:3). In this verse, the people covenant to be obedient to his commandments. In verse 8, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ, as part of a process of changing their hearts through "faith on his name." Finally, in verse 12, they are asked to "remember to retain the name always" in their hearts.
  • Mosiah 5:7: Become his sons and daughters. When the people enter into a covenant with God, they "become [Christ's] sons and daughters." Although we enter this world as God's children, we can be spiritually born again when our "hearts are changed through faith on his name." All mankind is required to pass from a fallen (carnal) state to a state of righteousness in order to be redeemed (see Mosiah 27:25). This is the beginning of a transformative process that requires a life-long commitment to be obedient.
  • Mosiah 5:8: Take upon you the name of Christ. To "take upon you the Name of Christ" appears to be a holy priesthood ordinance, appropriately revealed here by King Benjamin in the temple. Since this ordinance and covenent is not clearly revealed in our modern bible, it may be one of the "plain and precious things" that the was taken out of the scriptures by the Deuteronomistic reforms around the time Lehi left Jerusalem, and that the Lord has restored to us through the Book of Mormon.
The phrase "take upon you the Name of Christ" does not appear anywhere in our modern version of the Bible.
  • Mosiah 5:12: Name written always in your hearts. We are literally expected to come to "hear and know the voice" of Jesus. The act of remembering is crucial to the process of building a personal relationship with the Savior. It is important to remember why we serve, and who we follow.
  • Mosiah 5:15: Seal you his. The final verses of this passage focus on remembering the covenant and name of Christ, to keep it "written in your hearts." Once we have received a knowledge of God, through our conversion and spiritual rebirth, we participate in a relationship with God. If we consistently abound in good works, we may receive a further promise of "everlasting salvation and eternal life" through an additional act of sealing.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:12: Grow in knowledge. How can knowledge grow? How is this related to the growing seed and increasing faith described in Alma 32:29ff?
  • Mosiah 4:21: In faith, believing that ye shall receive. Who is exercising faith here, God or the recipient of the blessings? How does this decision affect our understanding of this verse and the underlying theme in the greater context? If the recipient is the one exercising faith, then this seems to make God's gifts contingent on faith being displayed by the recipient. This would seem to counter the theme of unqualified grace—that we should give to anyone who asks, without judgment. Or, perhaps this reading could be taken to emphasize the sense in which the beggar who asks is displaying a sincere kind of faith, analogous to those who ask God and beg for blessings, "in faith, believing that [they] shall receive." The other possible reading here is that God himself is exercising faith that the recipient will receive the blessings that God bestows (cf. D&C 88:33).
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is the relationship between service and retaining a remission of sins? While the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament provide lifetime and weekly opportunities to remit sins, how does service do so on a daily basis? Is this part of fulfilling baptismal covenants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: In the sacrament prayer, we are told to always remember Christ so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. Is there a relationship between daily service of others, and having the Spirit with us always?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Does this verse imply that we should be involved with daily service? Or just that the occasional service will suffice to help us retain the daily remission of sins?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What does it mean to "walk guiltless before God"?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Why is it important to minister to both spiritual and temporal wants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is a "want"? Is that the same as a desire? Should we be giving people what they want, or just what we think they need?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be called the children of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be "spiritually begotten"? How is this different from being begotten as spirits by our Heavenly Father?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How can hearts be changed "through faith on [Christ's] name?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How does this change of heart constitute a new birth?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Under his head. What does this phrase mean?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How are we made free "under [Christ's] head? What does it mean to be "made free"?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How does salvation come by a given name?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Could "taking upon you the name of Christ" be the same as receiving an anointing as a high priest--the mark referred to in Jacob 4:14?
  • Mosiah 5:8: What does it mean to covenant to "be obedient unto the end of your lives"?
  • Mosiah 5:9: What does it mean to "be found at the right hand of God"? Where does this imagery come from?
  • Mosiah 5:9: How are we "called by the name of Christ"?
  • Mosiah 5:10: What does it mean to be found "on the left hand of God"?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean for the people to have a new name given unto them?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean that the new name "never should be blotted out"? What does "blotted out" mean?
  • Mosiah 5:11: Why would transgression lead to the new name being blotted out?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does transgression mean? Is there a difference between transgression and sin?
  • Mosiah 5:11: How is it that the name can be possibly "blotted out of your hearts"? Is it written there? What does it even mean for the name to be in your heart?
  • Mosiah 5:12: How can the name of Christ be written on your heart? What does it mean to retain it written there?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What does it mean to be on the left hand of God?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What is the relationship between hearing and knowing the voice of God and having Christ's name written in our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How does serving a master lead one to know him?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for Christ to be "far from the thoughts and intents of [our hearts]?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How can we keep Christ in our thoughts and close to the intents of our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for us to be called by the name of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:14: How does this analogy with the ass relate to what king Benjamin is saying?
  • Mosiah 5:14: If we do not belong to Christ, who do we belong to that would lead Christ to drive us away?
  • Mosiah 5:14: Why will Christ drive us away if we do not know the name by which we are called?
  • Mosiah 5:14: What does it mean to know the name by which we are called? What is that name? How are we called by that name?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to "be steadfast and immovable? What does that have to do with abounding in good works?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What are the good works that we are supposed to abound in?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Benjamin to call Christ "the Lord God Omnipotent"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Christ to "seal you his"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to be "brought to heaven"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What is "everlasting salvation and eternal life"? Are these two things equivalent?
  • Mosiah 5:15: How is everlasting salvation and eternal life brought about "through the wisdom and power, and justice, and mercy" of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:15: Who is the "God above all" that "created all t hings, in heaven and in earth"? Is that Christ or His Father?
  • Mosiah 6:1: Why would it be expedient for king Benjamin to "take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God"? Do we ever read of the leaders making use of this list?
  • Mosiah 6:1: What is the difference between this act of organization, and the later Church organization under the leadership of Alma?
  • Mosiah 6:2: How is it possible that all of the people could enter into this covenant with God?
  • Mosiah 6:2: Is there a problem with people "joining the Church" en masse? Isn't that supposed to be an individual choice? Why don't we baptize whole congregations into the Church anymore?
  • Mosiah 6:2: What does it mean to "take upon...the n ame of Christ"? How does this differ from what we do at baptism?
  • Mosiah 6:3: What did consecration of Nephite kings entail? Do they follow coronation rites of ancient Israel?
  • Mosiah 6:3: Mosiah is consecrated "to be a ruler and a king"--what's the difference between a ruler and a king?
  • Mosiah 6:3: King Benjamin appoints priests "to teach the people". How is this different from Old Testament priests who served in the temple? Does this indicate that there were now two types of priests--temple priests and teaching priests"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Mosiah 4:26 offers more advice about "retaining a remission of your sins from day to day" -- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and administering to their relief.
  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Alma 12:10 explains how our attitude is important to growing in spiritual knowledge (verse 12). "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until he know them in full."
  • Mosiah 4:27.Use 2 Timothy 4:6-8 as an example of proper attitude towards enduring to the end. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..." Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us how to choose our focus: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
  • Mosiah 5:8: Deuteronomistic reforms. For more information on the Deuteronomistic reforms during the time of Lehi, see article by Kevin Christensen here

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10

Mosiah 6:1-7

Home > The Book of Mormon > Mosiah > Chapters 1-6 > Chapters 4-6
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Chapters 1-6. The relationship of Chapters 1-2 to the rest of Chapters 1-6 is discussed at Mosiah 1-6.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 1-2 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:6-10. 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."
  • Mosiah 4:6. This verses contain a three-part pattern that King Benjamin repeats in the verses that follow.
  1. Knowledge of God -- come to know the characteristics (attributes) of God, his power, wisdom, and long-suffering (patience).
  2. Trust in the Lord -- trust that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse you from your sins.
  3. 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.
  • Mosiah 4:8: 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).
  • Mosiah 4:9. The pattern of verse 6 is repeated here, in a slightly different way.
  1. Believe in God -- know God as the creator of both heaven and earth, the possessor of all wisdom and all power.
  2. 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."
  3. 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.
  1. Knowledge of God -- knowing who God is, and that he has all power and righteousness, is a crucial first step to making the life changes necessary to gain salvation.
  2. Receive a Remission of Sins -- the repentance process brings us into the presence of God, where we can taste of God's love and feel pure joy. However, in experiencing the greatness of God, we are faced with the reality of our mortal impotence and failings. Through "intentional humility" (purposeful remembrance of our status before God) we can maintain the sense of joy and love that we felt during the repentance process.
  3. Call upon the Lord, Stand Steadfast -- these are the first of many commandments that are given to the newly repentant to keep them in the path.
The promise is in verse 12. Those that have "received" a remission of sins through following this pattern, may "retain" a remission of sins by continuing to follow it.
  • Mosiah 4:26: Remission. Websters 1828 dictionary gives six definitions of remission, including: 5. Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Matt. 26. Heb. 9.
  • Mosiah 4:28: New Year's resolution. Scholars believe that the origin of New Year's Resolutions can be "traced back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians." The most popular yearly resolution was to return borrowed tools to their rightful owners, showing that returning borrowing items was an ancient problem. It is interesting that in the ancient Americas that returning borrowed items was a big enough of a problem to be addressed in the same speech as taking care of the poor, teaching children properly and realizing one's reliance on God - all which are discussed by ancient leaders in Babylon.
  • Mosiah 4:30: Watch yourselves. Alma 39:9 uses the phrase cross yourself to describe the same heightened sense of self-awareness. Because it is impossible to hide our sins from God, our words, works, and even thoughts can condemn us (see Alma 12:14).
  • Mosiah 4:30: Remember. Remembering is sometimes a greater task than it seems, and so important to "retaining a remission of sins" that is used in the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77,79). It may help you to remember that the Lord has promised to "abundantly pardon" the man who forsakes his evil thoughts (see Isaiah 55:6-9).
  • Mosiah 5:2: Cried with one voice. Verse 2 tells us that the people all cried with one voice. Given that the people did not all hear the words of King Benjamin at the same time (because there were too many too all hear at once--see Mosiah 2:8) the "one voice" in this phrase probably refers to their unity--rather than that they all spoke at the same time.
  • Mosiah 5:5: Enter into a covenant. Compare the terms of this covenant with the promises we make when partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 4:3). In this verse, the people covenant to be obedient to his commandments. In verse 8, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ, as part of a process of changing their hearts through "faith on his name." Finally, in verse 12, they are asked to "remember to retain the name always" in their hearts.
  • Mosiah 5:7: Become his sons and daughters. When the people enter into a covenant with God, they "become [Christ's] sons and daughters." Although we enter this world as God's children, we can be spiritually born again when our "hearts are changed through faith on his name." All mankind is required to pass from a fallen (carnal) state to a state of righteousness in order to be redeemed (see Mosiah 27:25). This is the beginning of a transformative process that requires a life-long commitment to be obedient.
  • Mosiah 5:8: Take upon you the name of Christ. To "take upon you the Name of Christ" appears to be a holy priesthood ordinance, appropriately revealed here by King Benjamin in the temple. Since this ordinance and covenent is not clearly revealed in our modern bible, it may be one of the "plain and precious things" that the was taken out of the scriptures by the Deuteronomistic reforms around the time Lehi left Jerusalem, and that the Lord has restored to us through the Book of Mormon.
The phrase "take upon you the Name of Christ" does not appear anywhere in our modern version of the Bible.
  • Mosiah 5:12: Name written always in your hearts. We are literally expected to come to "hear and know the voice" of Jesus. The act of remembering is crucial to the process of building a personal relationship with the Savior. It is important to remember why we serve, and who we follow.
  • Mosiah 5:15: Seal you his. The final verses of this passage focus on remembering the covenant and name of Christ, to keep it "written in your hearts." Once we have received a knowledge of God, through our conversion and spiritual rebirth, we participate in a relationship with God. If we consistently abound in good works, we may receive a further promise of "everlasting salvation and eternal life" through an additional act of sealing.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:12: Grow in knowledge. How can knowledge grow? How is this related to the growing seed and increasing faith described in Alma 32:29ff?
  • Mosiah 4:21: In faith, believing that ye shall receive. Who is exercising faith here, God or the recipient of the blessings? How does this decision affect our understanding of this verse and the underlying theme in the greater context? If the recipient is the one exercising faith, then this seems to make God's gifts contingent on faith being displayed by the recipient. This would seem to counter the theme of unqualified grace—that we should give to anyone who asks, without judgment. Or, perhaps this reading could be taken to emphasize the sense in which the beggar who asks is displaying a sincere kind of faith, analogous to those who ask God and beg for blessings, "in faith, believing that [they] shall receive." The other possible reading here is that God himself is exercising faith that the recipient will receive the blessings that God bestows (cf. D&C 88:33).
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is the relationship between service and retaining a remission of sins? While the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament provide lifetime and weekly opportunities to remit sins, how does service do so on a daily basis? Is this part of fulfilling baptismal covenants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: In the sacrament prayer, we are told to always remember Christ so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. Is there a relationship between daily service of others, and having the Spirit with us always?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Does this verse imply that we should be involved with daily service? Or just that the occasional service will suffice to help us retain the daily remission of sins?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What does it mean to "walk guiltless before God"?
  • Mosiah 4:26: Why is it important to minister to both spiritual and temporal wants?
  • Mosiah 4:26: What is a "want"? Is that the same as a desire? Should we be giving people what they want, or just what we think they need?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be called the children of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:7: What does it mean to be "spiritually begotten"? How is this different from being begotten as spirits by our Heavenly Father?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How can hearts be changed "through faith on [Christ's] name?
  • Mosiah 5:7: How does this change of heart constitute a new birth?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Under his head. What does this phrase mean?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How are we made free "under [Christ's] head? What does it mean to be "made free"?
  • Mosiah 5:8: How does salvation come by a given name?
  • Mosiah 5:8: Could "taking upon you the name of Christ" be the same as receiving an anointing as a high priest--the mark referred to in Jacob 4:14?
  • Mosiah 5:8: What does it mean to covenant to "be obedient unto the end of your lives"?
  • Mosiah 5:9: What does it mean to "be found at the right hand of God"? Where does this imagery come from?
  • Mosiah 5:9: How are we "called by the name of Christ"?
  • Mosiah 5:10: What does it mean to be found "on the left hand of God"?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean for the people to have a new name given unto them?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does it mean that the new name "never should be blotted out"? What does "blotted out" mean?
  • Mosiah 5:11: Why would transgression lead to the new name being blotted out?
  • Mosiah 5:11: What does transgression mean? Is there a difference between transgression and sin?
  • Mosiah 5:11: How is it that the name can be possibly "blotted out of your hearts"? Is it written there? What does it even mean for the name to be in your heart?
  • Mosiah 5:12: How can the name of Christ be written on your heart? What does it mean to retain it written there?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What does it mean to be on the left hand of God?
  • Mosiah 5:12: What is the relationship between hearing and knowing the voice of God and having Christ's name written in our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How does serving a master lead one to know him?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for Christ to be "far from the thoughts and intents of [our hearts]?
  • Mosiah 5:13: How can we keep Christ in our thoughts and close to the intents of our hearts?
  • Mosiah 5:13: What does it mean for us to be called by the name of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:14: How does this analogy with the ass relate to what king Benjamin is saying?
  • Mosiah 5:14: If we do not belong to Christ, who do we belong to that would lead Christ to drive us away?
  • Mosiah 5:14: Why will Christ drive us away if we do not know the name by which we are called?
  • Mosiah 5:14: What does it mean to know the name by which we are called? What is that name? How are we called by that name?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to "be steadfast and immovable? What does that have to do with abounding in good works?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What are the good works that we are supposed to abound in?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Benjamin to call Christ "the Lord God Omnipotent"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean for Christ to "seal you his"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What does it mean to be "brought to heaven"?
  • Mosiah 5:15: What is "everlasting salvation and eternal life"? Are these two things equivalent?
  • Mosiah 5:15: How is everlasting salvation and eternal life brought about "through the wisdom and power, and justice, and mercy" of Christ?
  • Mosiah 5:15: Who is the "God above all" that "created all t hings, in heaven and in earth"? Is that Christ or His Father?
  • Mosiah 6:1: Why would it be expedient for king Benjamin to "take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God"? Do we ever read of the leaders making use of this list?
  • Mosiah 6:1: What is the difference between this act of organization, and the later Church organization under the leadership of Alma?
  • Mosiah 6:2: How is it possible that all of the people could enter into this covenant with God?
  • Mosiah 6:2: Is there a problem with people "joining the Church" en masse? Isn't that supposed to be an individual choice? Why don't we baptize whole congregations into the Church anymore?
  • Mosiah 6:2: What does it mean to "take upon...the n ame of Christ"? How does this differ from what we do at baptism?
  • Mosiah 6:3: What did consecration of Nephite kings entail? Do they follow coronation rites of ancient Israel?
  • Mosiah 6:3: Mosiah is consecrated "to be a ruler and a king"--what's the difference between a ruler and a king?
  • Mosiah 6:3: King Benjamin appoints priests "to teach the people". How is this different from Old Testament priests who served in the temple? Does this indicate that there were now two types of priests--temple priests and teaching priests"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Mosiah 4:26 offers more advice about "retaining a remission of your sins from day to day" -- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and administering to their relief.
  • Mosiah 4:11-15. Alma 12:10 explains how our attitude is important to growing in spiritual knowledge (verse 12). "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until he know them in full."
  • Mosiah 4:27.Use 2 Timothy 4:6-8 as an example of proper attitude towards enduring to the end. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..." Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us how to choose our focus: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
  • Mosiah 5:8: Deuteronomistic reforms. For more information on the Deuteronomistic reforms during the time of Lehi, see article by Kevin Christensen here

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapter 3                      Next page: Chapters 7-10

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