1 AND now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken unto them. [ Remember the response of the people in 4:2 they cried with one voice. He could tell by the spirit their reaction to the message. In this case it is not as obvious so he sends out messengers to see how they are responding. ]

2 And they all cried with one voice, [ They all stood up and said "Yes". 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 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. Has this happened in your life? If not why? 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. [ Their new character traits. What is the natural disposition of man? The opposite of this, to see what we can get away with. "We consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker and is caught up to dwell with Him." Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith pg 51. ]

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 what might 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 deceived, magic, as they get older...our ears can deceive us, especially as we get older. But the witness of the spirit does not. ] and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things.

4 And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy.

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 [ 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. Maybe to imply also that they should view the life of king Benjamin as an example for them as well. ] desired of them; [ So using the strong words that he used in chapter 3 motivated them to action - so he was happy with the result. ] 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. This is the same thing that God did through Moses with the children of Israel in Exodus 19:5-10 as in verse 5 here "they all cried with one voice". ] is a righteous covenant.

7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made [ How we get the name see verse 5. So here King Benjamin is going to speak as to our responsibility as members of Christs church. ] ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; [ Those who have coventanted to live the type of life the Gospel requires. (D&C 25:1) What does it mean to be the sons and daughters of Christ? 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. Also see Moses 6:58-60 King Benjamin identifies a change in heart (i.e. a semitism for a change in desires) in the people. As a result of this they are identified as "children of Christ...spiritually begotten...through faith on his name". Works could not be implicated to any significant degree as very little time had elapsed between the delivery of his address which brought about the faith and change in their hearts and this pronouncement. Thus, Grace only by faith is once again implied. ] 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 [ 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.

8 And under this head [ Jesus Christ is the 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; [ Thus, those who exercise faith in the sacred name of Jesus Christ and repent of their sins and enter into his covenant and keep his commandments can lay claim on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Those who do so will be called by his name at the last day. Taking upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ By Elder Dallin H. Oaks Apr 1985. As we do we take upon ourselves the name of Christ by covenant, we are now called Christians, not to start a controversy but you cannot really bear the name of Christ completely until you have been baptized into his church through the proper authority. We also bear another covenant name as well and that is Israel and you cannot bear that name either without being a baptized member. Israel means "let God prevail", and "soldier" (Jesus The Christ; Talmage about page 40). We are fighting a war against sin. It started in the premortal sphere, now it has moved to this earth where Satan has an advantage(Satan does not have the veil over his eyes, we do), we are also at the same time trying to learn how to control these physical bodies which can be very difficult at times. So we must fight against an established foe while we walk by faith. ] therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, [ The Savior taught "And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.” (3 Ne. 27:5–6.) ] 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 created 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. ] 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 significance. ] for he shall be called by the name of Christ. [ The name that we take. ]

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. Interesting that on Aug 16th 2018 President Russell M. Nelson’s call to identify the Church by its full, formal name—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—doesn’t constitute a name change but rather corrects misnomers that have persisted since the Church’s early history. The effort follows the Savior’s own scriptural directive and allows member and nonmember alike to acknowledge His role. “The name of the Church is not negotiable, because the Lord has told us what His Church shall be called,” said President Nelson. “so, we’re not changing names. We’re correcting a name—that’s important to note.” On August 16, President Nelson released a statement asking for a stop to the use of nicknames, abbreviations, and incorrect names—such as Mormon and LDS—that have overtaken and overshadowed the Church’s appropriate name. ]

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. ]

12 I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, [ We also find a similiar reference from is Christ himself when he is speaking in 3 Ne. 27:5 Again we find the details that this is what they were taught to do from the plates of brass, so it is written in their plates of brass, they know about his, they already know that this is what they should be doing. In the Hebrew Book Of Enoch Enoch features the importance of taking upon ourselves the name of Christ. names, corresponding to the seventy tongues of the world,"s were Ishmael asks, "Why are thou called by the name of thy Creator?"s? Later on, the Lord Himself explains, "I committed to him Wisdom and Intelligence more than (to) all the angels. And I called his name the LESSER YAH."(3 Enoch 48-C:2) Enoch isn't the only one called after the Messiah. In chapter 10, Enoch reveals a whole company of "honored and revered ones, who are called YHWH, by the name of their King. "(3 Enoch 10:3) Apparently, taking the name of Christ isn't an unspeakable heresy. Imagine the accusations of blasphemy that would fly if the Creedists had heard someone call themselves "the Lesser Christ" or something like that: "And He called me THE LESSER YHWH in the presence of all His heavenly household."*(3 Enoch 12:5) These honored ones have literally taken upon themselves the name of the Messiah. The apocryphal Apocalypse of Elijah rings a familiar tune when it describes the "last times" and the taking of names: The Lord said, "I will write My name upon their forehead and I will seal their right hand, and they will not hunger or thirst." ... Now those upon whose forehead the name of Christ is written and upon whose hand is the seal both the small and the great, will be taken up upon their wings and lifted up before his wrath. (Elijah 1:9, 5:4) Was this what Christ was referring to when He referenced a scripture saying "For by this name ye shall be called at the last day"? which we read here. One cannot find any such reference in the traditional canon. Perhaps the Nephites had access to the Slavonic Book of Enoch, or the Apocalypse of Elijah? If they did, it might explain why the Risen Jesus assumes "the people" should already know about taking upon themselves the name of the Messiah at the last day. Another custodian of the brass plates, King Benjamin, seems to draw from Enoch for his material. Following the perfect brass plate pattern, King Benjamin begins by reminding the crowd that the "[Son of God]'s blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam." (Mosiah 3:11) When the people believe him, King Benjamin encourages them here to "take upon them] the name of Christ" and "that [they] should remember to retain the name written always in [their] hearts." Benjamin isn't the originator of this metaphor; he's reading apocryphal material on the brass plates. 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. ] 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? [ 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 other-words 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.

15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, [ The Lord or God of all power or unlimited power. the term "Omnipotent" is only used once in the Bible (cf. Rev. 19:6) and is only used in the BofM in this quotation of the angel (v. 3:3, 3:17, 3:18, 3:21), twice by Benjamin (v. 2, and here), and then it is never used again. Naturally, there are other statements saying effectively the same thing, but the term itself is not used anywhere else. ] may seal you his, [ "Seal", the concept is that of having a king place his seal upon you, as a signet ring being pressed into hot wax on a letter to prove it has the king's approval. The Hebrew term is as follows: chatham {khaw-tham'} a primitive root; TWOT - 780; v AV - seal 18, seal up 6, marked 1, stopped 1, variant 1; 27 1) to seal, seal up, affix a seal or affix one's seal, fasten up by sealing, to lock up. For context, it is used in Deut. 32:34, 1 Ki. 21:8, Neh. 10:1, Esther 3:12, and in the Prophets as well. The Greek term, as appearing in Rom. 4:11 carries the same meaning. so, when the Scriptures talk about a person being sealed it means the person has had the Lord stamp His seal upon them. ] that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, 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.