Scripture Study: Words of Mormon-Mosiah 2
I have always loved the words of King Benjamin in the early chapters of Mosiah. I've been listening to the Book of Mormon on CD as I drive to and from work lately, usually doing just a couple of chapters at at time, and sometimes listening to them twice to give me time to think about what I'm hearing. Today, as I listened to the words of that kind and humble prophet-king, I learned some new things that I want to remember. I haven't done much of this on my blog, but I couldn't think of a better place to put this so that I can think about it some more. I promise pictures and poetry very soon!
At the end of Words of Mormon, we learn a little about Benjamin's history, starting in about verse 12. Mormon, our abridger and narrator, describes the setting; how Benjamin took over the position of king when his father Mosiah died, and the struggles he had through his reign. It occurred to me that the people king Benjamin called to hear him speak had had a hard time keeping the commandments (Words of Mormon 1:12-16). There had been contentions and wars, and there were many holy men who taught the people diligently, including King Benjamin who taught them and exhorted them with all of his energies to be faithful and love God. THESE were the people he called to hear his final speech, and as he prepared to give that speech he promised he would give them a new name (the name of Christ) because they had been diligent in keeping the commandments (Mosiah 1:11). They had been diligent? Wait, weren't they stiffnecked just a chapter ago? These weren't two separate groups of people; they were the same people -- once so faithless that they required chastising and much instruction, but now so diligent that they were prepared to receive the covenant. From that I learn that there is always a way to make it right with God. We might wander and even be deceived, but if we turn to Him and return to Him, He wants to bless us, and to teach us, and to give us instruction and insight ... if we'll listen. We don't have to be perfect to make a covenant -- we don't have to be without flaws or mistakes in our life. We just need to listen and to give our effort.
Then, King Benjamin warned his people that if they should forget their covenant, and fail to keep it and become a wicked and adulterous people, there would be severe consequences. The word adulterous stuck out to me. That always seems to be the ultimate sin; the ultimate condemnation, and I stopped to think about it. Adultery is not much of a temptation for me. I may have been a flighty and flirty and foolish teenager, but sex outside of marriage was not ever even a blip on my naive little radar. As a people, we talk about it all.the.time, though; so much that I get a little weary of the conversation, which isn't because I think it's unimportant. I've seen what infidelity in a marriage can do to people. I've seen the hurt that results from promiscuity ... hurt to others, hurt to oneself ....
But then I remembered back to when I was teaching Old Testament in Seminary, and about how the Lord frequently referred to the Israelites, as a people, in language that inferred infidelity, promiscuity, and adultery. I had learned that this didn't just mean that they were sexually unfaithful to their spouses, but rather that as a people they were, from time to time, spiritually unfaithful to their God. They loved their idols and things of the world more than they loved God. They were adulterous. Sometimes I think that when we hear that word in the scriptures, all we think about is sexual infidelity, and I think we're missing the mark and seeing with immature eyes. We're like little kids, snickering behind our hands because the teacher just said "sex" out loud. We're so focused on the one meaning because we don't see the real problem.
How do we become spiritually faithful and remain spiritually faithful? How do we keep our covenant of spiritual fidelity with our God? In Matthew 12:39, it says that an adulterous generation seeks after a sign; I always wondered how sign-seeking and sexual sin were directly connected, but now I see it differently. A spiritually unfaithful heart seeks outward signs from God to force Him to "prove" Himself and His love for us. It refuses to believe in the love or existence of God without that proof. When we're spiritually faithful to God, loving Him, trusting Him, and putting none of our other temporal gods and priorities before Him, we don't need signs. In fact, we would never ask for them. Trust is part of love, and we would trust Him ... trust in Him. Besides, we would be able to clearly identify His love for us, His presence, and His power in the signs that actually do surround us in abundance every day.
Old King Benjamin has more to teach me, but that's my take away for today. Has this been obvious to everyone else already?
At the end of Words of Mormon, we learn a little about Benjamin's history, starting in about verse 12. Mormon, our abridger and narrator, describes the setting; how Benjamin took over the position of king when his father Mosiah died, and the struggles he had through his reign. It occurred to me that the people king Benjamin called to hear him speak had had a hard time keeping the commandments (Words of Mormon 1:12-16). There had been contentions and wars, and there were many holy men who taught the people diligently, including King Benjamin who taught them and exhorted them with all of his energies to be faithful and love God. THESE were the people he called to hear his final speech, and as he prepared to give that speech he promised he would give them a new name (the name of Christ) because they had been diligent in keeping the commandments (Mosiah 1:11). They had been diligent? Wait, weren't they stiffnecked just a chapter ago? These weren't two separate groups of people; they were the same people -- once so faithless that they required chastising and much instruction, but now so diligent that they were prepared to receive the covenant. From that I learn that there is always a way to make it right with God. We might wander and even be deceived, but if we turn to Him and return to Him, He wants to bless us, and to teach us, and to give us instruction and insight ... if we'll listen. We don't have to be perfect to make a covenant -- we don't have to be without flaws or mistakes in our life. We just need to listen and to give our effort.
Then, King Benjamin warned his people that if they should forget their covenant, and fail to keep it and become a wicked and adulterous people, there would be severe consequences. The word adulterous stuck out to me. That always seems to be the ultimate sin; the ultimate condemnation, and I stopped to think about it. Adultery is not much of a temptation for me. I may have been a flighty and flirty and foolish teenager, but sex outside of marriage was not ever even a blip on my naive little radar. As a people, we talk about it all.the.time, though; so much that I get a little weary of the conversation, which isn't because I think it's unimportant. I've seen what infidelity in a marriage can do to people. I've seen the hurt that results from promiscuity ... hurt to others, hurt to oneself ....
But then I remembered back to when I was teaching Old Testament in Seminary, and about how the Lord frequently referred to the Israelites, as a people, in language that inferred infidelity, promiscuity, and adultery. I had learned that this didn't just mean that they were sexually unfaithful to their spouses, but rather that as a people they were, from time to time, spiritually unfaithful to their God. They loved their idols and things of the world more than they loved God. They were adulterous. Sometimes I think that when we hear that word in the scriptures, all we think about is sexual infidelity, and I think we're missing the mark and seeing with immature eyes. We're like little kids, snickering behind our hands because the teacher just said "sex" out loud. We're so focused on the one meaning because we don't see the real problem.
How do we become spiritually faithful and remain spiritually faithful? How do we keep our covenant of spiritual fidelity with our God? In Matthew 12:39, it says that an adulterous generation seeks after a sign; I always wondered how sign-seeking and sexual sin were directly connected, but now I see it differently. A spiritually unfaithful heart seeks outward signs from God to force Him to "prove" Himself and His love for us. It refuses to believe in the love or existence of God without that proof. When we're spiritually faithful to God, loving Him, trusting Him, and putting none of our other temporal gods and priorities before Him, we don't need signs. In fact, we would never ask for them. Trust is part of love, and we would trust Him ... trust in Him. Besides, we would be able to clearly identify His love for us, His presence, and His power in the signs that actually do surround us in abundance every day.
Old King Benjamin has more to teach me, but that's my take away for today. Has this been obvious to everyone else already?
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