- 4Now when king Benjamin had finished speaking the words that had been delivered to him by the angel of the Lord, he looked around at the crowd. Because the fear of the Lord overcame them, they had fallen to the ground. 2They looked at themselves in their carnal state, feeling no better than dust on the ground. In unison, they cried out: Have mercy on us and purify our hearts with Christ’s atoning blood, that we might receive a remission of our sins. They believed in Jesus, the Son of God who created all things, heaven, and earth, and who would come down to mankind.
- 3After they had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord embraced them and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins. And according to what king Benjamin had taught them, and because of the great faith they had in Jesus Christ, they gained peace of conscience. 4And king Benjamin resumed teaching them, saying: My friends, my brothers and sisters, my relatives, and my people, please listen for I have more to say. 5If you’ve come to realize, upon hearing about God’s goodness, that you’re nothing, worthless, and fallen, 6then I say, if you also understand God’s unmatched power, wisdom, patience, and long-suffering for mankind and comprehend that the atonement was planned at the outset of creation to provide salvation for anyone who puts their trust in the Lord, keeps His commandments diligently, and continues in faith until the end of their life, the life of the mortal body, 7then you’re the one who receives salvation through the atonement. Salvation was prepared for mankind when creation was first planned. It’s available to all individuals who have lived since the Fall of Adam, those who are currently living, and those who will live in the future until the end of the world. 8There’s no other means of obtaining salvation besides what I’ve taught you.
- 9Believe in God! Believe that He exists and that He created all things, both in heaven and on earth. Believe He has all wisdom and power, both in heaven and on earth. Mankind can’t comprehend everything the Lord can comprehend. 10In addition, believe that repentance, humility, and sincerity of heart before God are required for Him to forgive you. Now if you believe all these things, make sure you do them. 11Additionally, as I’ve mentioned earlier, now that you’ve learned about God’s glory, known about His goodness, felt His love, and received a remission of your sins, which brings great joy to your souls, I want you to always remember God’s greatness. Remember you’re nothing without Him and acknowledge His grace and patience even though we are unworthy creatures. Let this humble you deeply. Every day, pray using the Lord’s name and remain steadfast in your confidence in what’s to come, which was foretold to us by the angel. 12If you do this, you’ll always rejoice and be filled with God’s love, and you’ll continue to receive forgiveness for your sins. Moreover, you’ll grow in your understanding of the glory of the One who created you and gain knowledge of what’s righteous and true. 13You won’t wish to hurt each other. You’ll be honest, pay your debts, and live in peace. 14You won’t let your children go hungry or naked or let them violate God’s laws and fight and quarrel with each other. Nothing will be tolerated that serves the accuser, the evil spirit referred to by our forefathers, who’s the master of sin and an enemy of all righteousness. 15However, you should teach your children to always walk in the path of truth, to be considerate and kind, and to love and serve one another.
- 16Remember to always help those who need it and give what you can to those in need. Don’t ignore beggars and turn them away to perish. 17You may think they brought their suffering upon themselves and therefore you don’t want to help them, or give them food, or share any of your belongings. You may not want to end their suffering, thinking they deserve to suffer. 18But I say to each of you: Whoever does this has a great need to repent. Unless they repent of what they’ve done, they’ll perish forever and won’t have any part in God’s kingdom. 19Indeed, aren’t we all beggars? Don’t we all depend on the same Being, who is God, for everything we have — food, clothing, gold and silver, and everything we own? 20You’ve been calling on His name, asking for forgiveness for your sins. Has He refused your request? No, He’s poured out His Spirit upon you, filling your heart with joy and leaving you speechless due to the overwhelming happiness you feel.
- 21If God has created you and you rely on Him for your lives and everything you have, and if He grants you whatever you ask for in faith, believing that you will receive it, then you should share the things you have with each other even more. 22If you judge someone who asks you for something that you possess, and you refuse to help them in order to prevent their suffering, then you deserve even greater condemnation for withholding what you have. Everything you possess ultimately belongs to God, including your own life, and yet you didn’t need to ask Him for it, nor are you willing to repent of your greed. 23Therefore I warn you: Woe to those who have abundance and the ability to share and help others but choose not to. They’ll face dire consequences. Woe to that person, for they will lose all their possessions when they die. 24On the other hand, I want to address those who are poor and have very little, barely surviving day-to-day. I mean all you who don’t help the beggar because you don’t have anything to give — I want you to know that in your hearts, you refrain from giving because you lack the means to do so. If you had the resources, you would give. 25If you acknowledge this truth, you aren’t guilty. However, if you deny it, you’re condemned, and rightfully so, because you covet other people’s belongings.
- 26In light of the things I’ve told you — to maintain a remission of your sins daily and to walk guiltless before God, it’s important to share your belongings with the poor. Each person should give based on what they have, by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and providing spiritual and temporal relief according to their circumstances. 27See that all these things are done with patience and wisdom. No one is required to work beyond their capacity. Diligent efforts can lead to success. Therefore live your life thoughtfully, being mindful of order and diligence. 28Remember that when you borrow something from your neighbor, it’s important to return it as promised. Not doing so would be considered a sin, and it may even cause your neighbor to commit a sin as well. 29Finally, there are countless ways to commit sin and I can’t possibly list them all. 30However, I can warn you that if you don’t remain vigilant and pay close attention to your thoughts, words, and actions, and if you don’t follow God’s commandments and maintain your faith in the Lord until the end of your life, you will perish. So please, remember this and avoid perishing!
Chapter 2