The people of King Benjamin responded to his words by pleading with God to “apply the atoning blood of Christ,” so that their sins could be forgiven. In response, the Spirit of the Lord filled them with joy and gave them “peace of conscience” (Mosiah 4:2-3).
King Benjamin then taught them how to retain this closeness to God over time. In particular he told them to:
- Believe in God, humble themselves, and pray every day (Mosiah 4:4-12)
- Love and serve one another, and teach their children to do the same (Mosiah 4:13-26)
- Follow the commandments of God “in wisdom and order” (Mosiah 4:27-30)
The people then entered a covenant to obey God for the rest of their lives, and Benjamin taught them what it means to take upon yourself the name of Christ (Mosiah 5).
He then did two things to help the people keep their covenant: he recorded their names, and he appointed priests to remind them of what they had promised (Mosiah 6).
Here’s an outline of King Benjamin’s sermon, with my takeaways.
Here are some blog posts about the key themes from these chapters:
Receiving and Retaining a Remission of Your Sins
- They Had Viewed Themselves in Their Own Carnal State – Mosiah 4:1-3
- What Does It Mean to “Apply the Atoning Blood of Christ?”
- They Were Filled with Joy – Mosiah 4:2-3
- Believe in God – Mosiah 4:9-10
- Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins – Mosiah 4:11-12
Serving Others
- Are We Not All Beggars? – Mosiah 4:19-21
- What Does It Mean to Serve Others “According to Their Wants?”
Taking upon Yourself the Name of Christ
- A Mighty Change – Mosiah 5:2-5
- What Does It Mean to Become the Sons and Daughters of Christ?
- I Would That Ye Should Take Upon You the Name of Christ – Mosiah 5:7-8
- How Knoweth a Man the Master Whom He Has Not Served – Mosiah 5:13
How the Church Helps Us Maintain Our Faith
- He Should Take the Names – Mosiah 6:1-2
- What Is a Priest?
- That He Should Take the Names – Mosiah 6:1-3
- What Is the Relationship Between the Family and the Church?
Blog Posts: April 21-26
“Take upon You the Name of Christ” – Mosiah 5:8
King Benjamin told his son Mosiah that he had two reasons to call the people together: to declare that Mosiah was now the king, and to give the people “a name that never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression” (Mosiah 1:12). After the people heard his message about Jesus Christ, they repented…
“In Wisdom and Order” – Mosiah 4:27
After teaching his people to care for the poor and the needy, King Benjamin added a caution: “See that all these things are done in wisdom and order,” he said, “for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.” He added that it is important to be diligent, “that…
What Is a “Remission” of Your Sins?
The word aphesis (ἄφεσις) appears 17 times in the Greek New Testament. It literally means “letting go” or “setting at liberty.” When Jesus reads the prophecy from Isaiah 61 that the Messiah would “preach deliverance to the captives, and…set at liberty them that are bruised,” He used the word aphesis twice. (See Luke 4:18 on biblehub.com.)…
The Greatness and Goodness of God
There are two things we need to know about God. The first is that He is capable of doing “great and marvelous works,” far beyond our abilities, and even beyond our comprehension (Jacob 4:8). The second is that He loves us and is kind and merciful (Moroni 8:3). In the first chapter of the Book…
“Blotted Out” – Mosiah 1:12, Mosiah 5:11
King Benjamin told his son Mosiah that he was going to give his people “a name that never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression” (Mosiah 1:12). When the people gathered, Benjamin shared some things he had learned from an angel. Among the teachings of the angel was the importance of the name…
“That Christ…May Seal You His” – Mosiah 5:15
After urging his people to take upon themselves the name of Christ, informing them that this is the name by which God will call them, and reminding them that they needed to serve Him in order to know Him, King Benjamin ended his final sermon by expressing his hope that the people would be “steadfast…
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