How Did Later Prophets Utilize the Teachings of King Benjamin?

by Scripture Central (04/23/2024 00:00 am)

“O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.”

Helaman 5:9

King Benjamin and Mosiah stand on a tower in this still from the Book of Mormon Videos of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Know

The famous speech King Benjamin gave from his tower near the Nephite temple was certainly well received by his people: “And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us” (Mosiah 5:2). However, what may be less clear to the casual observer is how well received Benjamin’s teachings were by succeeding Nephite generations. As S. Kent Brown remarked, “we know that Benjamin’s words remained deeply influential in the society because later generations show a thorough acquaintance with them and thought them important enough to pass on to others (see Mosiah 8:3; Hel. 5:9). One might compare the American public’s general acquaintance with, and esteem for, the Gettysburg Address of Abraham Lincoln.”1

Many different circumstances act as the background of Benjamin’s speech: He was a king speaking to his people at the coronation of his son Mosiah, which perhaps also coincided with a sacred festival, and he was also giving his people a new name and national covenant.2 Additionally, part of the speech had been given to him by an angel, and he also quoted earlier prophets like Jacob.3 The speech may even include Hebrew poetics and wordplay unique to the situation.4 Despite the fact that all those factors combined to make a unique situation, phraseology and even large quotes of Benjamin’s speech are mirrored or quoted by prophets like Alma, Ammon, Helaman, Samuel, Mormon, and others—perhaps even Jesus Himself.5

Benjamin and Alma

One of the earliest individuals noticeably influenced by Benjamin was Alma the Younger, who was initially influential among “the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin … because of their unbelief” (Mosiah 26:1, 3; 27:8). Nonetheless, John W. Welch notes that Alma’s words and actions when he led the Church after his conversion strongly mirrored several of Benjamin’s teachings. Alma presided over those who “had taken upon them the name of Christ,” leading them in efforts of relief and equality and paraphrasing many of Benjamin’s phrases in his sermons.6

No one in the Nephite culture who was familiar with King Benjamin’s speech would easily miss Alma’s allusions to the order established by Benjamin. No doubt Alma was following the covenant pattern established by his father Alma at the waters of Mormon (see Mosiah 18), but the specific terminology that Alma used around 90 B.C. in implementing that ecclesiastical order was Benjamin’s.7

Several of his quotations and allusions are listed in the table below.

Table 1. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Alma

Benjamin	Alma
“I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn.” (Mosiah 2:17)	“And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me.” (Alma 38:9)
“And he never doth vary from that which he hath said; ... therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples.” (Mosiah 2:22, 37)	“Neither doth he vary from that which he hath said. … And he doth not dwell in unholy temples.” (Alma 7:20–22; compare Helaman 4:24)
“Were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God. For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates. … I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries …” (Mosiah 1:3–5)	“They should be ... kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until … they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon. ... And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, [the plates of brass] have enlarged the memory of this people. … Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates.” (Alma 37:4, 8–9)

Benjamin and Ammon

Benjamin’s missionary grandson Ammon used several phrases reminiscent of Benjamin’s speech, including a reference to a law codified by his father, Mosiah, but potentially already in force under King Benjamin.8

Table 2. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Ammon

Benjamin	Ammon
“Neither have I suffered that … ye should make slaves one of another.” (Mosiah 2:13)	“But Ammon said unto him: It is against the law of our brethren, which was established by my father, that there should be any slaves among them.” (Alma 27:9)
“Ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.” (Mosiah 4:12)	“For by his hand were they all created from the beginning. … I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true.” (Alma 18:32, 34)
“And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations.” (Mosiah 3:25)	“Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction.” (Alma 26:19)

Benjamin and Helaman

Helaman specifically encouraged his sons Nephi and Lehi to remember the words of Benjamin, doing so in a way that echoes Benjamin’s own words.9

Table 3. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Helaman

Benjamin	Helaman
“My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates … we must have suffered in ignorance. …And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.” (Mosiah 1:3; 3:17)	“O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come.” (Helaman 5:9)

Benjamin and Samuel

The prophet Samuel used a specific ten-part title for Christ that was revealed to Benjamin by an angel.10 This significant and specific title suggests that Samuel—who was probably one of the converts of Nephi and Lehi—was well aware of Benjamin’s sermon, especially as Samuel delivered his message to the people in Zarahemla, the city where Benjamin had delivered his speech 118 years earlier.11

Table 4. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Samuel

Benjamin	Samuel
“And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.” (Mosiah 3:8)	“And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name.” (Helaman 14:12)

Benjamin and Mormon

Mormon honors Benjamin by using or retaining words of Benjamin’s speech from underlying records. In addition, Mormon also paraphrases Benjamin in several other instances as part of his own narrative and when admonishing his audience.12

Table 6. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Mormon

Benjamin	Mormon
“And I give unto them a name that never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression. … [If] this highly favored people of the Lord should fall into transgression, and become a wicked and an adulterous people, that the Lord will deliver them up, that thereby they become weak like unto their brethren; and he will no more preserve them by his matchless and marvelous power, as he has hitherto preserved our fathers.” (Mosiah 1:12–13)	“They had become a wicked people. … And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; … therefore the Lord did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power. … And thus had they fallen into this great transgression; yea, thus had they become weak, because of their transgression.” (Helaman 4:22, 24–26)
“Beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah. 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.” (Mosiah 2:32–33, 36–37)	“All these wars and contentions were commenced and … in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world … to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one. For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey.” (Alma 3:25–27)
“And [He] shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.” (Mosiah 3:5)	“And there were great and marvelous works wrought by the disciples of Jesus, insomuch that they did heal the sick, and raise the dead, and cause the lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear; and all manner of miracles did they work among the children of men; and in nothing did they work miracles save it were in the name of Jesus.” (4 Nephi 1:5)

Benjamin and Jesus

Even some of Jesus’s teachings in 3 Nephi 18 echo the themes of Benjamin’s speech, which in turn seem to provide the language for the sacrament prayers in Moroni 4–5. The parallels here include clear references to God as the Eternal Father; asking the Father in the name of the Son Jesus Christ; blessing and sanctifying; a cup of wrath, blood, or wine; select individuals receiving the covenant; a covenant as a witness of willingness; and similar blessings in the resulting promises.13 When Mormon described Jesus’s ministry among the Nephites, he seemed to do it in the language of Benjamin.14 Jesus also seemed to use the words of Benjamin in His own first-person speech.15

Table 5. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Jesus

Benjamin	Jesus
“For if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul.” (Mosiah 2:33; see 3:18, 25)	“For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul.” (3 Nephi 18:29)
“And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name. … And … [God] doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive.” (Mosiah 4:20–21)	“And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.” (3 Nephi 18:20)
“And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.” (Mosiah 5:9)	“It is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand. For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.” (Mosiah 26:23–24)

Benjamin and Others

A recent article at Evidence Central has catalogued well over 150 potential intertextual relationships between Benjamin's speech and other parts of the Book of Mormon. Alongside others already mentioned, other righteous individuals like Abinadi, Amulek, Mosiah, and Moroni quote Benjamin’s speech. Even antagonistic individuals like Korihor and the mocking Nephites in Helaman 16

Benjamin, Law, and Culture

Benjamin’s legacy of leadership lived on, too, and Welch describes him as a Nephite founding father in theological, legal, and cultural terms.17 He had the difficult task of unifying disparate cultural groups, and his speech may have been given in part to incorporate the Mulekites into Nephite society.18 His list of criminal and sinful prohibitions—murder, plunder, stealing, adultery, or any manner of wickedness—is found paraphrased six times.19 He prohibited slavery and imprisonment among the Nephites, perhaps for the first time in their history.20 The foundation he laid led to a sort of doctrinal, political, economic, and even somewhat technological renaissance in succeeding generations.21

The Why

The differences in authorial voice are one of the strong testaments to the veracity of the Book of Mormon, which claims to have many authors. Thus, it might seem counterintuitive to also see similarities in style between Book of Mormon authors as also being evidence of the Book of Mormon’s truth; yet it would be even more unsettling and alarming if Book of Mormon authors evinced no awareness of each other and their common culture. The Book of Mormon walks that line in an impressive way, maintaining authorial voice while also carrying subtle references to other authors throughout. In the words of John W. Welch, these brilliant uses of Benjamin’s classic verbiage “would have appeared to the Nephites both marvelously familiar and revealingly innovative.”22

Clearly, later Nephite and even Lamanite prophets diligently studied the words of King Benjamin and incorporated them into their own teachings. If even prophets studied the words of previous prophets religiously, then readers today should also do so. Hilton noted, “Identifying and examining intertextuality can show us how prophets carefully studied the words of their predecessors, which can motivate us to deepen our own studies.”23 Jesus taught the Nephites, “Search [all] the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things” (3 Nephi 23:5). People sometimes ask God for counsel concerning topics that are already addressed in scripture, but Hugh Nibley suggests that we ought to appreciate scripture already received:

Notice that the scriptures are never outdated. Moroni quoted prophecies thousands of years old [to Joseph Smith] because those prophecies were still in effect. … If you pray for an angel to visit you, you know what he’ll do if he comes. He'll just quote the scriptures to you—so you’re wasting your time waiting for what we already have.24

This is not to discount the importance of modern prophets. Jesus taught, “Every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52). Saints must treasure up the revelation of the past while also treasuring the current revelations of the modern day.

Benjamin was adored by his people and taught them many enduring doctrines, including the distinctive principles of charity and self-sacrifice.25 He set the stage for his son Mosiah as a ruler, seer, and democratizer in his own right.26 It was only when a generation arose that had not heard Benjamin’s speech that the Nephites were led into sin, and even then the legacy of his words endured.27 As readers today internalize the words of Benjamin, they like the ancient Nephites can have “a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2).