| 2:1 And it came to pass that after Mosiah had done
as his father had commanded him, and had made a
proclamation throughout all the land, that the people
gathered themselves together throughout all the land,
that they might go up to the temple to hear the words
which king Benjamin should speak unto them. |
|
| 2:2 And there were a great number, even so many
that they did not number them; for they had multiplied
exceedingly and waxed great in the land. |
|
| 2:3 And they also took of the firstlings of their
flocks, that they might offer sacrifice and burnt
offerings according to the law of Moses; |
|
| 2:4 And also that they might give thanks to the
Lord their God, who had brought them out of the land of
Jerusalem, and who had delivered them out of the hands of
their enemies, and had appointed just men to be their
teachers, and also a just man to be their king, who had
established peace in the land of Zarahemla, and who had
taught them to keep the commandments of God, that they
might rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all
men. |
|
| 2:5 And it came to pass that when they came up to
the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every
man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and
his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their
daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every
family being separate one from another. |
|
| 2:6 And they pitched their tents round about the
temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof
towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in
their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should
speak unto them; |
|
| 2:7 For the multitude being so great that king
Benjamin could not teach them all within the walls of the
temple, therefore he caused a tower to be erected, that
thereby his people might hear the words which he should
speak unto them. |
|
| 2:8 And it came to pass that he began to speak to
his people from the tower; and they could not all hear
his words because of the greatness of the multitude;
therefore he caused that the words which he spake should
be written and sent forth among those that were not under
the sound of his voice, that they might also receive his
words. |
|
| 2:9 And these are the words which he spake and
caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that
have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my
words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have
not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the
words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken
unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your
hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the
mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view. |
|
| 2:10 I have not commanded you to come up hither that
ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I of
myself am more than a mortal man. |
|
| 2:11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all
manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been
chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and
was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a
ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and
preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all
the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted
unto me. |
|
| 2:12 I say unto you that as I have been suffered to
spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and
have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches
of you; |
|
| 2:13 Neither have I suffered that ye should be
confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves one
of another, nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or
steal, or commit adultery; nor even have I suffered that
ye should commit any manner of wickedness, and have
taught you that ye should keep the commandments of the
Lord, in all things which he hath commanded you-- |
|
| 2:14 And even I, myself, have labored with mine own
hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be
laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon
you which was grievous to be borne--and of all these
things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses
this day. |
|
| 2:15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things
that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that
thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things
that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience
before God this day. |
|
| 2:16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto
you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not
desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of
God. |
|
| 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may
learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the
service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service
of your God. |
|
| 2:18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I,
whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought
not ye to labor to serve one another? |
|
| 2:19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king,
who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been
in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O
how you ought to thank your heavenly King! |
|
| 2:20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should
render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul
has power to possess, to that God who has created you,
and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye
should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in
peace one with another-- |
|
| 2:21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who
has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you
from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live
and move and do according to your own will, and even
supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye
should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would
be unprofitable servants. |
|
| 2:22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to
keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye
would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the
land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath
said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth
bless you and prosper you. |
|
| 2:23 And now, in the first place, he hath created
you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are
indebted unto him. |
|
| 2:24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do
as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth
immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you.
And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be,
forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast? |
|
| 2:25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves?
I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much
as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust
of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created
you. |
|
| 2:26 And I, even I, whom ye call your king, am no
better than ye yourselves are; for I am also of the dust.
And ye behold that I am old, and am about to yield up
this mortal frame to its mother earth. |
|
| 2:27 Therefore, as I said unto you that I had served
you, walking with a clear conscience before God, even so
I at this time have caused that ye should assemble
yourselves together, that I might be found blameless, and
that your blood should not come upon me, when I shall
stand to be judged of God of the things whereof he hath
commanded me concerning you. |
|
| 2:28 I say unto you that I have caused that ye
should assemble yourselves together that I might rid my
garments of your blood, at this period of time when I am
about to go down to my grave, that I might go down in
peace, and my immortal spirit may join the choirs above
in singing the praises of a just God. |
|
| 2:29 And moreover, I say unto you that I have caused
that ye should assemble yourselves together, that I might
declare unto you that I can no longer be your teacher,
nor your king; |
|
| 2:30 For even at this time, my whole frame doth
tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak unto you;
but the Lord God doth support me, and hath suffered me
that I should speak unto you, and hath commanded me that
I should declare unto you this day, that my son Mosiah is
a king and a ruler over you. |
|
| 2:31 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should do
as ye have hitherto done. As ye have kept my
commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and
have prospered, and have been kept from falling into the
hands of your enemies, even so if ye shall keep the
commandments of my son, or the commandments of God which
shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in
the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you. |
|
| 2:32 But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise
contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil
spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah. |
|
| 2:33 For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him
who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to
obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same
drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for
his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed
the law of God contrary to his own knowledge. |
|
| 2:34 I say unto you, that there are not any among
you, except it be your little children that have not been
taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye
are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render
to him all that you have and are; and also have been
taught concerning the records which contain the
prophecies which have been spoken by the holy prophets,
even down to the time our father, Lehi, left Jerusalem; |
|
| 2:35 And also, all that has been spoken by our
fathers until now. And behold, also, they spake that
which was commanded them of the Lord; therefore, they are
just and true. |
|
| 2:36 And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that
after ye have known and have been taught all these
things, if ye should transgress and go contrary to that
which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves
from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in
you to guide you in wisdom's paths that ye may be
blessed, prospered, and preserved-- |
|
| 2:37 I say unto you, that the man that doeth this,
the same cometh out in open rebellion against God;
therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and
becometh an 1enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord
has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy
temples. |
[1] Acts 13:10 ...thou enemy
of all righteousness... |
| 2:38 Therefore if that man repenteth not, and
remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of
divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively
sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink
from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast
with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an 1unquenchable
fire, whose 2flame ascendeth up forever
and ever. |
[1] Matthew 3:12: ...but he will burn up the chaff
with unquenchable fire.
[2] Revelation 14:11:
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and
ever... |
| 2:39 And now I say unto you, that mercy hath no
claim on that man; therefore his final doom is to endure
a never-ending
torment. |
|
| 2:40 O, all ye old men, and also ye young men, and
you little children who can understand my words, for I
have spoken plainly unto you that ye might understand, I
pray that ye should awake to a remembrance of the awful
situation of those that have fallen into transgression. |
|
| 2:41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should
consider on the blessed and happy state of those that
keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are
blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and
if they hold out faithful to the end they are received
into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a
state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember
that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken
it. |
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