Benjamin Speaks from A Tower

Event 47

Reference: Mosiah 2:8-41; 3:1-27

And it came to pass that he began to speak to his peoplefrom the tower; and they could not all hear his wordsbecause of the greatness of the multitude; therefore hecaused that the words which he spake should be written andsent forth among those that were not under the sound of hisvoice, that they might also receive his words. 9 And theseare the words which he spake and caused to be written,saying:MormonTemple in land ofZarahemla124 B.C.My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, youthat can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for Ihave not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with thewords which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me,and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye mayunderstand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may beunfolded to your view. 10 I have not commanded you to come uphither that ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I ofmyself am more than a mortal man. 11 But I am like as yourselves,subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I havebeen chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and wassuffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a kingover this people; and have been kept and preserved by hismatchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind andstrength which the Lord hath granted unto me. 12 I say unto youthat as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, evenup to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor anymanner of riches of you; 13 Neither have I suffered that ye shouldbe confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves one ofanother, nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or steal, or commitadultery; nor even have I suffered that ye should commit anymanner of wickedness, and have taught you that ye should keepthe commandments of the Lord, in all things which he hathcommanded you— 14 And even I, myself, have labored with mineown hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be ladenwith taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you whichwas grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I havespoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day. 15 Yet, my brethren, Ihave not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell thesethings that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these thingsthat ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before Godthis day.King Benjamin16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I hadspent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I haveonly been in the service of God. 17 And behold, I tell you thesethings that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when yeare in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. 18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I,whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not yeto labor to serve one another? 19 And behold also, if I, whom yecall your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet hasbeen in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O howyou ought to thank your heavenly King! 20 I say unto you, mybrethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise whichyour whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has createdyou, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that yeshould rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace onewith another— 21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him whohas created you from the beginning, and is preserving you fromday to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move anddo according to your own will, and even supporting you from onemoment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all yourwhole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.King BenjaminTemple in land ofZarahemla124 B.C.22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep hiscommandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keephis commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he neverdoth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep hiscommandments he doth bless you and prosper you. 23 And now, inthe first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you yourlives, for which ye are indebted unto him. 24 And secondly, hedoth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; forwhich if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore hehath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and willbe, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast? 25 Andnow I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Yecannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet yewere created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth tohim who created you. 26 And I, even I, whom ye call your king,am no better than ye yourselves are; for I am also of the dust. Andye behold that I am old, and am about to yield up this mortal frameto its mother earth. 27 Therefore, as I said unto you that I hadserved you, walking with a clear conscience before God, even so Iat this time have caused that ye should assemble yourselvestogether, that I might be found blameless, and that your bloodshould not come upon me, when I shall stand to be judged of Godof the things whereof he hath commanded me concerning you.28 I say unto you that I have caused that ye should assembleyourselves together that I might rid my garments of your blood, atthis period of time when I am about to go down to my grave, that Imight go down in peace, and my immortal spirit may join thechoirs above in singing the praises of a just God. 29 Andmoreover, I say unto you that I have caused that ye shouldassemble yourselves together, that I might declare unto you that Ican no longer be your teacher, nor your king; 30 For even at thistime, my whole frame doth tremble exceedingly while attemptingto speak unto you; but the Lord God doth support me, and hathsuffered me that I should speak unto you, and hath commanded methat I should declare unto you this day, that my son Mosiah is a king and a ruler over you. 31 And now, my brethren, I would thatye should do as ye have hitherto done. As ye have kept mycommandments, and also the commandments of my father, andhave prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands ofyour enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of myson, or the commandments of God which shall be delivered untoyou by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shallhave no power over you.King BenjaminTemple in land ofZarahemla124 B.C.32 But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentionsamong you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken ofby my father Mosiah. 33 For behold, there is a wo pronouncedupon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obeyhim, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinkethdamnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages aneverlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of Godcontrary to his own knowledge. 34 I say unto you, that there arenot any among you, except it be your little children that have notbeen taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye areeternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all thatyou have and are; and also have been taught concerning therecords which contain the prophecies which have been spoken bythe holy prophets, even down to the time our father, Lehi, leftJerusalem; 35 And also, all that has been spoken by our fathersuntil now. And behold, also, they spake that which wascommanded them of the Lord; therefore, they are just and true.36 And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have knownand have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress andgo contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdrawyourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place inyou to guide you in wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed,prospered, and preserved— 37 I say unto you, that the man thatdoeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God;therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemyto all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for hedwelleth not in unholy temples. 38 Therefore if that man repentethnot, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands ofdivine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of hisown guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of theLord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish,which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth upforever and ever. 39 And now I say unto you, that mercy hath noclaim on that man; therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending torment.40 O, all ye old men, and also ye young men, and you littlechildren who can understand my words, for I have spoken plainlyunto you that ye might understand, I pray that ye should awake toa remembrance of the awful situation of those that have fallen intotransgression. 41 And moreover, I would desire that ye shouldconsider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep thecommandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the endthey are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell withGod in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, rememberthat these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.King BenjaminTemple in land ofZarahemla124 B.C.1 AND again my brethren, I would call your attention, for I havesomewhat more to speak unto you; for behold, I have things to tellyou concerning that which is to come. 2 And the things which Ishall tell you are made known unto me by an angel from God. Andhe said unto me:Awake;Angel of Lordand I awoke, and behold he stood before me. 3 And he said untome:King BenjaminAwake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, Iam come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy. 4 Forthe Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thyrighteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thoumayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people,that they may also be filled with joy. 5 For behold, the timecometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the LordOmnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity toall eternity, shall come down from heaven among the childrenof men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall goforth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healingthe sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind toreceive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all mannerof diseases. 6 And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spiritswhich dwell in the hearts of the children of men. 7 And lo, heshall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, andfatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death;for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be hisanguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.Angel of Lord8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Fatherof heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from thebeginning; and his mother shall be called Mary. 9 And lo, hecometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto thechildren of men even through faith on his name; and even afterall this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath adevil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. 10 And heshall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth tojudge the world; and behold, all these things are done that arighteous judgment might come upon the children of men. 11For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those whohave fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died notknowing the will of God concerning them, or who haveignorantly sinned.12 But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth againstGod! For salvation cometh to none such except it be throughrepentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. 13 And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men,to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, thatthereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, thesame might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice withexceedingly great joy, even as though he had already comeamong them. 14 Yet the Lord God saw that his people were astiffnecked people, and he appointed unto them a law, even thelaw of Moses. 15 And many signs, and wonders, and types, andshadows showed he unto them, concerning his coming; and alsoholy prophets spake unto them concerning his coming; and yetthey hardened their hearts, and understood not that the law ofMoses availeth nothing except it were through the atonement ofhis blood. 16 And even if it were possible that little childrencould sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they areblessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even sothe blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.Angel of LordTemple in land ofZarahemla124 B.C.17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no othername given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation cancome unto the children of men, only in and through the name ofChrist, the Lord Omnipotent. 18 For behold he judgeth, and hisjudgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in hisinfancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls exceptthey humble themselves and become as little children, andbelieve that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and throughthe atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent. 19 For thenatural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall ofAdam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to theenticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man andbecometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, andbecometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full oflove, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit toinflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.20 And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come whenthe knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation,kindred, tongue, and people. 21 And behold, when that timecometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it belittle children, only through repentance and faith on the name ofthe Lord God Omnipotent. 22 And even at this time, when thoushalt have taught thy people the things which the Lord thy Godhath commanded thee, even then are they found no moreblameless in the sight of God, only according to the wordswhich I have spoken unto thee. 23 And now I have spoken thewords which the Lord God hath commanded me. 24 And thussaith the Lord:They shall stand as a bright testimony against this people, atthe judgment day; whereof they shall be judged, every manaccording to his works, whether they be good, or whetherthey be evil. 25 And if they be evil they are consigned to anawful view of their own guilt and abominations, which dothcause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into aThe Lord state of misery and endless torment, from whence they canno more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to theirown souls. 26 Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup ofthe wrath of God, which justice could no more deny untothem than it could deny that Adam should fall because of hispartaking of the forbidden fruit; therefore, mercy could haveclaim on them no more forever. 27 And their torment is as alake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable,and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever.The LordTemple in land ofZarahemla124 B.C.Thus hath the Lord commanded me. Amen.Angel of Lord