After naming Mosiah as the new king, Benjamin moves on to the other purpose of his sermon. He shares some truths about Jesus Christ which he learned from an angel. Most importantly, he testifies that we must be willing to be changed by the Savior in order to be saved through the atoning blood of Christ.
Chapter Outline
- An angel appeared to Benjamin with good tidings (v. 1-4)
- Jesus Christ will be born, work miracles, suffer and die, and rise from the dead (v. 5-10)
- His blood atones for those who ignorantly sin (v. 11-18)
- Everyone else must humble themselves and repent (v. 19-27)
My Takeaways
- The good news of the gospel brings us joy.
- There are things that we can only accomplish by living in a “tabernacle of clay.”
- The Savior will help us overcome all of our unintentional failures.
- God helps us overcome our natural (mortal) selves and become saints.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ An angel brings good tidings – Mosiah 3:1-4
The Glad Tidings of Great Joy – Mosiah 3:2-4
2 And the things which I shall tell you are made known unto me by an angel from God. And he said unto me: Awake; and I awoke, and behold he stood before me. 3 And he said unto me: Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come…
❖ The life of Jesus – Mosiah 3:5-10
What Is the Significance of the Phrase “a Tabernacle of Clay?”
Before casting Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, God explained to them how their lives would change. Eve would bring forth children in sorrow. (As Lehi explained to his sons, Adam and Eve were not capable of bearing children before this time: 2 Nephi 2:22-23.) Adam and Eve would now have to labor…
What Does It Mean to “Cast Out Devils?”
Twenty-four times in the New Testament we read about devils being “cast out” of people. All of these passages appear in the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The gospel of Mark even ends with the Savior promising that those who believe in Him will have power to cast out devils (Mark 16:17). The…
That a Righteous Judgment Might Come – Mosiah 3:5-10
5 For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty…
His Name
An angel taught King Benjamin that we are saved through faith in the Savior’s name. Why His name? Because names represent our essence, and the way we treat people’s names reflects our relationship with them.
❖ Those who ignorantly sin are saved – Mosiah 3:11-18
Those…Who Have Ignorantly Sinned – Mosiah 3:11-12
11 For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. 12 But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none…
❖ Christ can help us overcome the natural man – Mosiah 3:19-27
What Is the “Natural Man?”
The angel who visited King Benjamin promised that his message would fill Benjamin and his people with joy. His core message was that Jesus Christ, “the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity,” would come to earth and suffer for our sins, making salvation possible for us (Mosiah…
Overcoming the Natural Man
Paul taught that the natural man doesn’t understand the things of God. King Benjamin added that the natural man is an enemy to God. He taught that God can help us not only understand spiritual things, but also to become holy.
“As a Child” – Mosiah 3:19
The angel who appeared to King Benjamin had a joyful message for him: The Atonement of Jesus Christ blesses us in two ways: It overcomes the effects of sins we commit in ignorance. It also overcomes the effects of our intentional sins, if we exercise faith in Him and repent. Included in the first category…
Why Is It Good to Be Submissive?
King Benjamin taught that our natural state is contrary to God’s will. He further explained that God is willing to help us overcome this state and become saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. However, in order to receive this gift, we must be “submissive.” Specifically, we must be “willing to submit to all things…
Why Would God “Inflict” Things on Us?
This is the second of three posts in response to a question I received last week. Yesterday, I wrote that God’s love is most clearly demonstrated in the life and suffering of Jesus Christ, that the Savior feels genuine empathy for us, and that when we experience God’s love, we are filled with joy. Today,…
New Testament Parallels
None Other Name
Peter taught that there is “none other name” by which we can be saved, except the name of Jesus Christ. When we use His name properly, and when we take His name upon ourselves, we receive His power.
Divine Nature
Peter testified that God is willing to share His nature with us, helping us overcome the corrupting inflluences of the world. In truth, we all have a divine nature, in the sense that we are children of God with a potential to become like Him.
They Know Not
Acknowledging the boundaries of human knowledge can help us forgive. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” We can also extend grace to others by assuming they will do better when they know better.
“Glad Tidings of Great Joy” – Mosiah 3:3
The Greek word euaggelion (εὐαγγέλιον) means “good news” or “glad tidings.” It appears 76 times in the New Testament, and it is always translated “gospel” in the King James Version of the Bible. The verb form of the word—euaggelizó (εὐαγγελίζω)—which appears 54 times, is usually translated “preach” or “preach the gospel.” But six times, it…
What Is a Saint?
The angel who taught King Benjamin emphasized that all people, in their natural state, are in opposition to God. He said that we will always be in this state unless we “[yield] to the enticings of the Holy Spirit,” and “[become saints] through the atonement of Christ the Lord.” He then listed a number of characteristics…
What Is the Significance of the Title “the Lord Omnipotent?”
Jesus Christ is capable of doing things which seem impossible to us. Jesus Christ is capable of doing things which seem impossible to us. Like Abraham and Sariah, like Mary and Elizabeth, and like the people of King Benjamin, we can experience His power in our lives.
All Posts Referencing Mosiah 3
- Holiness to the Lord (4/27/2026)
- Into Thy Hands (4/4/2026)
- Jesus Christ is the Way (2/14/2026)
- King Benjamin: The Natural Man (1/22/2026)
- The Fall of Adam and Eve (1/19/2026)
- The Heaven and the Earth (1/12/2026)
- Degrees of Difficulty: Controlling What We Can (12/3/2025)
- “Thus Shall My Church Be Called” (10/14/2025)
- From Eternity to Eternity (7/9/2025)
- Overcoming the World (6/17/2025)
- Practicing Virtue and Holiness (5/16/2025)
- Book of Mormon Elements in Doctrine and Covenants 20 (3/14/2025)
- Endless (3/8/2025)
- Wickedness (2/13/2025)
- A Book of Mormon Nativity (12/25/2024)
- Moroni’s Collaborative Conclusion (12/18/2024)
- Samuel the Lamanite on the Burden of Freedom (9/10/2024)
- “Repentance…Bringeth Unto the Power of the Redeemer” (8/27/2024)
- Weakness vs. Rebellion (6/19/2024)
- Retain the Name (5/5/2024)
- His Name (4/28/2024)
- Overcoming the Natural Man (4/25/2024)
- Christmas, Easter, and the Book of Mormon (3/27/2024)
- The Root and the Offspring (12/28/2023)
- Divine Nature (11/24/2023)
- Without the Camp (11/8/2023)
- Perfected Through Suffering (11/4/2023)
- Every Knee, Every Tongue (10/13/2023)
- Learning from General Conference (9/26/2023)
- None Other Name (7/7/2023)
- They Know Not (6/21/2023)
- Numbered with the Transgressors (6/3/2023)
- “Ye Visited Me” (5/27/2023)
- Wedding Garments and Extra Oil (5/21/2023)
- Abuse (4/20/2023)
- Passing Through the Midst of Them (2/5/2023)
- Our Great Creator (1/21/2023)
- “The Grass Withereth, the Flower Fadeth” (9/21/2022)
- Josiah and Benjamin (7/12/2022)
- The Living Christ and the Book of Mormon (12/26/2021)
- The Healer (12/22/2021)
- The Creator (12/21/2021)
- Angels (11/9/2021)
- Integrity (10/29/2021)
- Willing (6/17/2021)
- Brimstone (6/10/2021)
- Every Nation, Kindred, Tongue, and People (4/20/2021)
- With a Loud Voice (4/11/2021)
- The Sound of Rejoicing (3/27/2021)
- “That Ye May Not Shrink” – 2 Nephi 9:46 (2/27/2021)
- Son of God (12/27/2020)
- Mary (12/26/2020)
- “Even as I Am” – 3 Nephi 27:27 (10/20/2020)
- “Behold, I Am Jesus Christ” – 3 Nephi 9:15-18, 11:10-11 (9/18/2020)
- “I Will Cause That My People Shall Rejoice” – Mosiah 7:14 (4/29/2020)
- “Blotted Out” – Mosiah 1:12, Mosiah 5:11 (4/25/2020)
- “As a Child” – Mosiah 3:19 (4/19/2020)
- “Glad Tidings of Great Joy” – Mosiah 3:3 (4/18/2020)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Affirm? (12/28/2019)
- What Is the Significance of the Name “Jesus?” (12/26/2019)
- How Does the Gospel Bring Us Joy? (12/23/2019)
- What Is Meekness? (12/22/2019)
- Why Would God “Inflict” Things on Us? (12/3/2019)
- What Do We Know About God’s Love for Us? (12/2/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach about Sacrifice? (11/17/2019)
- What Does It Mean to “Cast Out Devils?” (10/24/2019)
- Will We Be Judged by the Apostles? (10/9/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be Saved “In and Through” the Grace of God? (8/27/2019)
- Why Did the Nephites Keep the Law of Moses? (8/11/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Minister? (8/3/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Seek the Kingdom of God? (7/30/2019)
- What Should I Do When I Feel Guilty? (6/24/2019)
- How Can I Be More Humble? (5/13/2019)
- What Is a Saint? (4/22/2019)
- Why Is It Good to Be Submissive? (4/13/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Patience? (4/11/2019)
- What Is the Significance of the Title “the Lord Omnipotent?” (3/13/2019)
- How Do Book of Mormon Prophets Use the Title “Savior?” (3/11/2019)
- What Is the Significance of the Names and Titles of Jesus in the Book of Mormon? (3/3/2019)
- What Is the Significance of the Phrase “a Tabernacle of Clay?” (2/5/2019)
- What Is the “Natural Man?” (2/4/2019)
- What Is the Significance of the Savior Bleeding “from Every Pore?” (2/3/2019)
- What Does It Mean to “Apply the Atoning Blood of Christ?” (1/31/2019)
- Those…Who Have Ignorantly Sinned – Mosiah 3:11-12 (6/16/2018)
- The Glad Tidings of Great Joy – Mosiah 3:2-4 (3/13/2018)
- And Becometh as a Child – Mosiah 3:19 (11/17/2017)
- The Natural Man – Mosiah 3:19 (10/17/2017)
- That a Righteous Judgment Might Come – Mosiah 3:5-10 (10/16/2017)
- A Righteous Judgment – Mosiah 3:9-10 (12/30/2016)
- No Other Name…nor Any Other Way nor Means – Mosiah 3:17 (12/29/2016)
- A Tabernacle of Clay – Mosiah 3:5 (12/13/2016)
- Causing…the Blind to Receive Their Sight – Mosiah 3:5-6 (12/3/2016)
- In Adam, or by Nature, They Fall – Mosiah 3:16 (2/5/2016)
- And Putteth off the Natural Man – Mosiah 3:19 (2/2/2016)
- In a Tabernacle of Clay – Mosiah 3:5-8 (1/12/2016)
- Willing to Submit – Mosiah 3:19 (4/20/2015)
- Mosiah 3:11-12 Wo Unto Him Who Knoweth That He Rebelleth Against God (10/12/2014)