Ye Shall Be Called The Children Of Christ

Recap from last week - what has been happening in Zarahemla? King Benjamin wanted to make sure that he had taught the people everything that was important for them to know. He had them gathered around the temple yo teach them. They pitched tents toward the temple so they could hear the message. They even errected a tower so that all could hear.

vs 27"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. "

King Benjamin had prayed to know what to teach them and was visited by an angel and recounted the message to the people

Christ shall receive a body through his mother Mary, and will come to earth to dwell, perform many miracles, go through the trials of life, he shall be put to death and rise on the third day, atoning for the sins of all man from Adam to the end of time. The mission of the Savior.

and during the message from the angel the people “they had fallen to the earth” (Mosiah 4:1).

1 AND now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them. [ the spirit was so string that they were physically overpowered by the weight now contrast that with verse 3]

2 And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. [ Let's look at this phrase a little bit more! see Hel 12:7-8. What does this tell us about the state of these people? This demonstrates how humble the people have become to recognize this very fact - the beginning of real repentance. the fact that while the dust of the earth is obedient to the commands of God (see Helaman 12:7–8), they as God’s children had not always been obedient to His commands.] And they all cried aloud with one voice, [it would be pretty hard for a crowd this size to be organized to all say the same exact thing at the same time out loud excepting only that they had all come in tune enough with the spirit to say the same thing; one voice could metaphorically mean they were expression the same thought; either way the spirit that moved the crowd to express the same thought would have had to have been pretty powerful. The same words are used again in 5:2 when he sends out messengers - so it tends to imply consistence or unity.] saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood [the application of such results in a remission of sin - see vs 3 atone=to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch, pacify, propitiate. So to apply the atoning blood is to cover over and reconcil them to God. ] of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the son of God, [He is not the son of Joseph. He is not the son of a man. This title the son Of God means that his Father is literally God our Father in Heaven. ] who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.

3 And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, [their souls were lifted up because of the Spirit of the Lord. Why? Because they asked for mercy, for a remission of their sins which was granted vs 2] having received a remission of their sins, [the phrase "remission of sins" is one not found in the KJV OT, it is only found in the NT, cf. Matt 26:28; Luke 1:77. The same general concept is found in the OT but the wording is phrased as "forgiveness of sins", "atonement for sins" or something to that effect. It is only mention 8 times in the Book Of Mormon. The First mention is in 2 Ne 25:26 & then again in Mosiah during King Benjamins address. Remission is defined as "Discharge from that which is due; relinquishment of a claim, right, or obligation; pardon of transgression; release from forfeiture, penalty, debt".] and having peace of conscience, [ It is God's desire that each of His children to enjoy the transcendent blessing of peace of conscience as taught in Mosiah 4:2–3. One who enjoy's a tranquil conscience experiences the freedom from anguish, shame, sorrow, guilt, and self-condemnation. It provides a foundation for happiness and self worth. ] because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.

What does it mean when we are “less than the dust of the earth”? (See Helaman 12:4–8; Moses 1:9–10.)

7 O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.

8 For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.

9 Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake.

10 And by the power of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley.

11 Yea, by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake;

12 Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center.

13 Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved.

14 Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done;

15 And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun.

16 And behold, also, if he say unto the waters of the great deep—Be thou dried up—it is done.

17 Behold, if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done.

[Why then is man less than the dust of the earth? because the dust and all of the elements of the earth respond to his voice - man does not man thinks for himself. What is required of us to become more than dust of the earth? ]

I want you to sit back for a moment and picture yourself there in the midst of this great group of people. How many have had the opportunity to visit some of the ruins in Mexico and south America? For those that have you know that around the temples are great areas were people could gather, but these areas are open with little place for shade, the tempeture is usually pretty hot and the humitity is up there as most are in jungles and rain forests. So picture that you have just heard a very powerful address from your beloved King and prophet, as he recounted what the angel of God had told him. You have felt the spirit and have been brought to your knees because the spirit was so strong.

Verse 3 is the end of the message from the angel and now King Benjamin begins his words to them. He begins by emphasized his people’s “nothingness” and unworthiness. Why begin there? (See Mosiah 4:5–8, 11–12.)

5 For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, [1) obtain humility and the need fo God What role does humility play in salvation? We must accept that their is a power greater than us. How do we or can we become more like Christ through humility? ] and your worthless and fallen state—

6 I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, [2) here we go again; we must know that we have a Father in Heaven, and that like any good Father he loves us and only wants the best for us. Why is it important that we understand that god is good? If we know that he is good and has only our best interests at hand then we will know that which we suffer is for our own good, to make us more like him otherwise he would not permit it to happen due to his goodness. ] and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; [ How do you feel knowing that he has great patience in his plan? ] and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, [3) That he has created a plan for our salvation What comfort comes from understanding that there was a complete plan from the beginning and that God is not just winging it? ] that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, [4) Then with that knowledge we must trust in him Why must we put our trust in him if we are to be saved? We need to trust him to complete the ordinances and keep his commands in order to enact the ssaving power of the atonement. God cannot save those who don't. ] and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, [5) knowledge and trust should lead to obedience if we love and honor our father in heaven How is diligent obedience a product of complete trust? ] and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body—

7 I say, that this is the man who receiveth salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Adam, [man or mankind – in the council in heaven we agreed using our agency to be bound by the consequences of any action of Adam who was to be our first parent – just as we are bound by any actions of any other of our parents – some are born into the church others are not…] or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world.

READ 8;

8 And this is the means whereby salvation cometh. [ OR here are the rules for salvation, they are the rules provided by God.] And there is none other salvation save this which hath been spoken of; neither are there any conditions whereby man can be saved [ including ignorance ] except the conditions which I have told you. [ See Mosiah 3:17 " salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ'. So in case you did not catch them the first time let me review.]

9 [1]Believe in God; [Why does it start that we have to believe in God? Without that belief we will not complete any of the elements required on our part.] [2]believe that he is, [ What is the signifigance of knowing that he still is - that he is a living God? ] and that [3]he created all things, [ What is the importance of knowing that he is the creator? If he had the power to create in the first place he certainly has the power to restore, rebuild or anything else required at his hand. ] both in heaven and in earth; [4]believe that he has all wisdom, [ How are you comforted knowing that God has all wisdom? ] and [5]all power, [ What is the importance of knowing that he has all power?] both in heaven and in earth; [6]believe that man doth not comprehend all the things [ Why is it important to recognize that man does nor know everything? as men in our present sate we cannot comprehend all the things of God - as such we should be careful to judge God or his actions on our behalf] which the Lord can comprehend.

10 And again, [7]believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, [Come to an undersdtanding of the plan, Why must we understand the need for repentance? ] and [8]humble yourselves before God; [What is the importance of humility? ] and [9]ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; [ Why do we need to ask for forgiviness? Why does the Lord just not automatically forgive everyone? ] and now, [10]if you believe all these things see that ye do them. [ Why is it important to do what he asks? just to believe is not enough - we need to act as he would have us act.]

11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, [ How does having a knowledge of God's love change things? ] and have received a remission of your sins, [ How does the knowledge that you have been forgiven of all of your sins change your attitude toward life? Now the address is going to change from how to receive a remission of sins to how to retain a remission of your sins - or what we need to do to continue to maintain the state of receiving a remission of our sins] which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, [ Why is this so important to remember? This remembrance of the great power of God is done to keep us humble ] and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, [that he has done all things for us, and waits patiently for us to exercise our agency to fulfill our divine destiny] unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, [ Why is prayer so important in the plan? prayer to strengthen our communication with him] and standing steadfastly in the faith [the us of the word standing is an action - to stand requires action, so he is not saying sitting steadfast (just having faith) but standing (exercising faith) is there a difference between sitting and standing steadfast? Are you acted upon or do you act upon - are you im-movable? ] of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. [The resurrection and atonement of Jesus Christ see Mosiah 3]

12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this [referring to verse 11: taste of God's love; aleways remember him; remember his patience in fulfilling his plan with you; stay humble; praying always; standing faithfull ] ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; [ What is is signifigant difference between receiving and retaining a remission of sin? Retention clearly depends on the regularity of our repentance. In the church we worry, and should, over the retention of new members, but the retention of our remissions is cause for even deeper concern” (“King Benjamin’s Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship,” in John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom” [1998], 16).] and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, [ Why is it important to be growing in the knowledge of God? in doing those things, we will grow in our understanding of God and His ways - line upon line, as we come closer to him the more we understand his ways, the more we emulate him the more we understand him...] or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

According to King Benjamin what obligations do parents have to their children as found in verses 14 & 15? (See Mosiah 4:14–15.)

14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; [ care for them temporally ] neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, [ How do we prepare children not to transgress the laws of God? First teach them the laws, Be good examples, pray for them, encourage, remind... How can they know whether they are transgressing the laws if they are not taught the Laws of God first ] and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.

15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth [meaning there is only one way; as there is only one complete truth ] and soberness; [self-restraint; seriousness, gravity, or solemnity of conduct or character. Devoid of frivolity, excess, exaggeration, or speculative imagination; straightforward] ye will teach them to love [ teach them to understand and have that same God like love that you have come to know. Which implies that they too will need to experience and perform those requirement s found in verse 11] one another, and to serve one another.

What conditions in the world today make King Benjamin’s counsel to parents especially important?

King Benjamin also instructed his people to care for the needy (READ Mosiah 4:13, 16-18, 21).

According to verse 13 how does one's attitude toward others change when they act acording to their knowledge of Christ?

13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, [ you have developed that true Christ like love within yourself. You have begun to really love your neighbor as yourself. ] and to render to every man according to that which is his due. [ An just what is due every man? again this would be seen from the eyes of the Lord - so all of the blessing are avaiable to every man]

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; [Assistance in time of distress] ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just— [What is wrong with this frame of logic? casting judgement on someone else ]

18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; [ repent of what? First casting judgement on someone else; 2 not exercising the God like love that you have come to know. You have become a hypocrite in a sense. You don't practise what you believe and know.] and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, [ Our only hope for salvation is by relieing on God for our salvation, and to do so we must beg for forgiveness. So we can imply also that you are the hands of God as you have formed a partnership with him? ] for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? [ so what do you think he is trying to say here about us in comparing us; asking God for a remission of sin and how we should treat the begger? Our model is to use Christ as the example. George Albert Smith giving his coat to the poor man ourside of temple square, President Thomas S. Monson shared a specific example of President Smith going out of his way to show love for someone in need: “On a cold winter morning, the street cleaning crew [in Salt Lake City] was removing large chunks of ice from the street gutters. The regular crew was assisted by temporary laborers who desperately needed the work. One such wore only a lightweight sweater and was suffering from the cold. A slender man with a well-groomed beard stopped by the crew and asked the worker, ‘You need more than that sweater on a morning like this. Where is your coat?’ The man replied that he had no coat to wear. The visitor then removed his own overcoat, handed it to the man and said, ‘This coat is yours. It is heavy wool and will keep you warm. I just work across the street.’ The street was south Temple. The good Samaritan who walked into the Church Administration Building to his daily work and without his coat was President George Albert Smith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His selfless act of generosity revealed his tender heart. Surely he was his brother’s keeper.] Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another. [ so what are we to use as a standard of what to give? As the Lord would. That sounds all well and good but is that really practical in the society that we live in today? We are taught to put away a two years supply of food, if we have that then do we have surplus should we give that all away as well? How does one determine the standard of how and what to give with all of these influences bearing down? Lord has established ways in which we can help the needy. When we give fast offerings or donate money, goods, time, or other service to the Church, we can be confident that our contributions are being used wisely.]

22 And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, [ A principle that we need to remind ourselves of often, all that we have belongs first to God - they are his - he is only sharing them with us. If we remain humble we understand this principle and riches will e used for the proper purposes to God. ] to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.

23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.

Why is charitable service an important characteristic of members of Christ’s Church?

Council to the poor! Mosiah 4:24-25

24 And again, I say unto the poor, [council to the poor] ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would [ It is my (King Benjamin's) hope that. This is here is relation to the next verse. He is saying that I hope this is the intent of your heart. When read in conjuction with the next verse we can see that there is an implication to not covet ] that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give. [ Or the only reason for me not giving is that I just don't have anything to give; ]

25 And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, [ so if you stop at I give not because I have not you are guiltless; however if you start down the road of saying "I would give a lot more if I had a lot more - then you have started to covet; the implication is that you are now giving away something that is not your's at this time; and so the caution here is that if you cross that line you have coveted. Do we see this in society today? sounds like a lot of people in society today they want to give someone elses money to the poor, not their own. Talking to a good friend the other day who had recently had a discussion with a college student who was going into politics. He asked her why she was going into politics - she responded so that she could help provide homes and jobs for the less fortuniate. He said well if that is your goal why don't you go find a way to male lot's of money and then just give it to them - to which she responded well that would just not be right. So what is good old King Benjamin teaching us here about give away something that is not ours? ] otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received. [so if you are giving away or say that you would give away something that is not yours then you are guilty of coveting something that is not yours. Interesting if that idea caught hold in Washington! ]

Why do you think serving others helps us retain a remission of our sins? (See Mosiah 4:26.)
26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, [ the Law of Consecration - or fast offerrings as we know them today.] such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.

Have a class member read Mosiah 4:27 aloud. What does it mean to do all things “in wisdom and order”? How can you be helped by this counsel?

27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. [How is this race of life run? Does it matter who finishes first? No; it is only a matter of how we finish. Everyone will run a different coarse as well; this race is for us - the things of God are learned line upon line; this is how the Svior learned them, it is how Joseph Smith learned them it is how we need to learn them. Speed is not a factor.] And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, [ How is one diligent? consistent, persevering, painstaking effort] that thereby he might win the prize; [ What is the prize we are shooting for here? and this prize is eternal life - the most precious of all of the gifts of God.] therefore, all things must be done in order.

King Benjamin taught his people that to avoid sin and maintain their commitment to God, they must watch their thoughts, words, and deeds (Mosiah 4:29–30). How are our thoughts, words, and deeds related? How will our words and deeds be affected when we watch our thoughts?

29 And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.

30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

READ Mosiah 5:2-3
How did the people know that King Benjamin’s words were true? (See Mosiah 5:2.)

2 And they all cried with one voice, [notice again the choice of words "all cried with one voice" this time it appears as if it is a way of implying consistence which makes the use of the words in Mosiah 4 seem to imply that everyone was touched by the same spirit - they all acted consistently to the message of the spirit.] saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, [ How did this mighty change happen? Because they had applied what they had been taught in 3:19. THey had allowed their hearts to become subject to the enticings of the spirit which taught them and was the cause for the change. What is required of us to make this happen in our lives? It requires a mighty change not just a little one to overcome the powers of carnal or natural man; hence a mighty change is required to loose the disposition to do evil, and stay changed. Once you have lost the inhibitions to do evil you will most likely stay on the changed path as you have replace the bad desires with only good ones. ] or in our hearts, [the heart is associated with our feelings, not and intelectual change but a change to our soul] that we have no more disposition to do evil, [This borders on the line of having one's calling and election made sure. As having such yields that one will have no more desire to sin again.] but to do good continually. [What is the natural disposition of man? the opposite of this, to see what we can get away with. How might our lives and relationships be affected if we “had no more disposition to do evil”? ]

3 And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come; [ What did Jesus tell Nicodemus when he asked what was required to become like God? John 3:4 "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." But notice what the Savior told Nicodemus just before that in verse 3 Jesus said "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." so why is it important to be able to see that which is to come in order to institute this mighty change? So what does it mean to have views of that which is to become? Do they always need to be open visions? What are some of the ways this is accomplished? Our eyes can be decived, magic, as they get older...our ears can decieve us, especially as we get older. But the witness of the spirit does not. ] and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things.

5 And we are willing to enter into a covenant [ What is the covenant that we must be willing to enter into? Taking upon us the Name and will of Christ ] with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.

6 And now, these are the words which king Benjamin desired of them; and therefore he said unto them: Ye have spoken the words that I desired; [Which were that they were willing to enter into a binding covenant with God to do his will] and the covenant which ye have made [Most all covenants made have some sort of formal act associated with them, here we are not told of one other than documenting the names of those who had made the covenant] is a righteous covenant.

7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made [ How we get the name see verse 5] ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; [ What does it mean to be the sons and daughters of Christ?] for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him [ Have you ever thought about what are the elements required to be born of him as his children? all of the elements that are present at birth are present when we are born again as sons and daughters of Christ. 1) The spirit is there 2) Blood is there 3) water is there. This is exactly what happens in baptism we are born of the water and of the spirit and it is the atoning blood of Christ that cleanses us. Moses 6:59 So that he becomes our spiritual Father. so we have the Father of our Spirit which is Our Father in Heaven; The father of our flesh which is our earthly father; and then the father of our eternal life who is Jesus Christ. The concept of being spiritually born again is one that is commonly considered a NT theme, but is in fact one that has its source in the OT, cp. Deut. 10:16, Deut. 30:6, Isa. 44:3, Isa. 53:8-10, Isa. 66:7, Jer. 4:4, Jer. 24:7, Ezek. 18:31] and have become his sons and his daughters.

What does it mean to “take upon [ourselves] the name of Christ”? (See Mosiah 5:8–11;

8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, [ Why do we need to take the name? Usually the right hand is the favored hand. Symbolically hands express power, strength and providence or blessings. Hence the granting of blessings... including the Priesthood is done by the laying on of hands, the earth was create by the hands of God. Also a placement next to God in heaven, in the traditional place of honour, mentioned in the New Testament as the place of Christ at Mark 16:19, Luke 22:69, Matthew 22:44 and 26:64, Acts 2:34 and 7:55, 1 Peter 3:22 and elsewhere. so if this is the position in which Christ is placed is it not the same place that we want to be? The right hand of God (dextera Domini "right hand of the Lord" in Latin) or God's right hand What does it mean to sit on the right hand of God? (To receive exaltation and live with God again.) What kind of people will be entitled to sit on the right hand of God? on the left hand of God? (See Matthew 25:33–46; D&C 29:27:"27 And the righteous shall be gathered on my right hand unto eternal life; and the wicked on my left hand will I be ashamed to own before the Father;". ] for he shall know the name by which he is called; [a little twist here as The Hebrew "ben yamin" means "son of the right hand". Interesting that he uses on the right hand of God as well in these verses. So the use of name by which they are called has extra signifigance. No doubt that King Benjamin had been instructed of the importance of his name. ] for he shall be called by the name of Christ. [The name that we take. here again the signifigance of a name was very important. ]

10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God. [and it really does not matter at this point what other name they took; all other names have no power to cleans and save the soul.]

11 And I would that ye should remember also, that this is the name that I said I should give unto you that never should be blotted out, except it be through transgression; therefore, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts. [ notice how we loose the name, it comes from the heart - What is the heart symbolic of? Three primary symbols:1)The place of affections like joy, fear, hatred 2) An expression of spiritual receptivity or lack of it 3) True gospel understanding is to take place in the heart.. ]

What can we do each day to help us keep Christ’s name written in our hearts? (See Mosiah 5:11–14.)
Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained: “Our willingness to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ affirms our commitment to do all that we can to be counted among those whom he will choose to stand at his right hand and be called by his name at the last day. In this sacred sense, our witness that we are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ constitutes our declaration of candidacy for exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Exaltation is eternal life, ‘the greatest of all the gifts of God’ (D&C 14:7)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1985, 105; or Ensign, May 1985, 83).

12 I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, [Where should we write the name once we have received it What does it mean to be written in our hearts?] that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, [How do we learn to hear and know the voice? ] and also, the name by which he shall call you.

13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, [ How do we come to know about the man whose name we have taken? The Hebrew term "yada" is translated to "know" in the KJV. But the Hebrew term is much more than the common English usage of "know" which primarily is used to express intellectual or academic knowledge. The Hebrew term is very much couched in the concept of knowledge by experience - ie Adam knew Eve and they begot Able. You know someone well because you have spent a lot of time with them. That is the idea here. You know the Lord and He knows you because of experience, you have done His will and therefore know His desires and thoughts. How does service to him help us understand him better? ] and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?

14 And again, doth a man take an ass which belongeth to his neighbor, and keep him? [ Are we talking about stealing the neighbors stuff here? NO; we are not talking about stealing here, but providing for the ass - feeding and watering it when you know it is not yours and you get no work or labor from it - in otherwords it would not make sense to take care of it would it.] I say unto you, Nay; [funny that this is the same sound that the ass would make...] he will not even suffer that he shall feed among his flocks, but will drive him away, and cast him out. I say unto you, that even so shall it be among you if ye know not the name by which ye are called.

READ Mosiah 6:1–2 King Benjamin saw that all his people (except those who were too young) had entered into the covenant to obey God’s commandments (Mosiah 6:1–2). Why was it important to record their names?

1 AND now, king Benjamin thought it was expedient, [it was important and need to be done before anyone forgot] after having finished speaking to the people, that he should take the names [their names were recorded in the records of the church as a witness that they had entered into a covenant with God. What does the action of physically taking down the names do to those people who made the covenants? Where have our names been physically taken down as we have made covenants? Baptism, Confirmation, Priesthood Ordination, Endowment, Sealing, Tithing Settlement ] of all those who had entered into a covenant with God to keep his commandments. [ What role does record keeping play in accountibility and covenant making? ]

2 And it came to pass that there was not one soul, except it were little children, [that is pretty inclusive - everyone] but who had entered into the covenant and had taken upon them the name of Christ.

His final act of the day is to appoint teachers and priests over the people (See Mosiah 6:3.)

3 And again, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of all these things, and had consecrated his son Mosiah to be a ruler and a king over his people, and had given him all the charges concerning the kingdom, and also had appointed priests to teach the people, that thereby they might hear and know the commandments of God, and to stir them up in remembrance of the oath which they had made, he dismissed the multitude, and they returned, every one, according to their families, to their own houses.

How do our teachers and Church leaders help us remember the covenants and promises we have made?

I would like to close this lesson in much the same way that King Benjamin closed his remarks that day, so go back to the place that you were earlier when you pictured yourself listening to King Benjamin - Just as he encouraged his people to enjoy all of the blessings and privledges; I encourage you as I paraphrased from his words- That we should be...

15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, [The only one who has the power to] may seal you his, [that the stamp of the Lords approval may rest upon our heads, signifing that we are his] that you [we] may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, [ with him[ in his presence ] through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.

Additional Teaching Ideas
The following material supplements the suggested lesson outline. You may want to use one or both of these ideas as part of the lesson.
1. “Under this head ye are made free” (Mosiah 5:8)
• •In calling his people the children of Christ, King Benjamin said, “Under this head ye are made free” (Mosiah 5:8). How does obedience to the Lord bring freedom?
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “in obedience there is joy and peace unspotted, unalloyed; and as God has designed our happiness, … He never has—He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 256–57).
• •How have you seen obedience to God’s commandments bring happiness to your life and the lives of those around you?