All posts tagged King Benjamin

Parenting Tips from King Benjamin

Usually, whenever I think of King Benjamin, I think of his speech on the tower.

And that was great, no doubt about it. But lately, I’ve been considering the example that King Benjamin is to parents.

I) King Benjamin taught his sons to be men of understanding
This is a direct example of King Benjamin’s parenting abilities. He taught his sons the language of his fathers that they might be men of understanding.

First of all, we have to recognize the significance of understanding. It is more than knowing. Often, we hear about opening our ears to hear, our eyes to see, and our hearts to understand. Being understanding connotes humility and conversion to the message that we have received. It is more than knowing. It is an application of knowledge received.

Secondly, we need to understand what the “language of our fathers” are. In this case, the fathers of King Benjamin were righteous people. I think about my fathers, my mothers, my ancestors. I don’t know many of them. So I can’t really teach my children in their language. But there are good things I’ve learned from my parents. I want this information to be passed on to my children. Additionally, I want to teach them of my spiritual fathers – the heroes of the gospel that I look up to. The men and women who have helped to form my faith and testimony. When I teach my children of these “fathers” they will also become people who understand.

II) He admits his faults.
In Mosiah 2:10-16, King Benjamin accounts for his service as King. He admits that he is a mortal man. He doesn’t claim to be any better than the people in his kingdom. He is humble.

I think of myself as a mother – do I show this in my parenting? Do I act like I know that I’m a mortal, or do I act like I’m perfect and shouldn’t be questioned?

I have noticed, in life, it is easier to give “breaks” to the people who are free to admit their weakness. When someone acts perfect and isn’t perfect, it is a lot harder to be patient with them (even if they would like the break!). I know that I’m imperfect. I want my children to be patient with me because I happen to have no idea what I’m doing. This means that I have to fess up to my weaknesses. If I act like I’m some kind of domineering, omniscient force, I don’t think that they will readily accept my weakness.

It is so easy to respect King Benjamin because he is open about his intentions, his work, his limitations. He doesn’t say these things to win anyone over or be political. He is honest – even if that means he must readily accept his own faults.

III) King Benjamin was a peacemaker

“And now there was no more contention in all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who belonged to king Benjamin, so that king Benjamin had continual peace all the remainder of his days.” – Mosiah 1:1

This is what I want for my home and family. I have to admit, my home isn’t always a peaceful place. sometimes it is full of confusion. Sometimes there is an air of contention. I don’t like it when these things happen. I want to make my home a haven of peace – of countinual peace.

There are a few things that I contributed to the peace that he was able to establish

  1. He spoke the word of God with authority. – I need to have authority in my home. This doesn’t mean I need to exercise unrighteous dominion, but there does need to be order. As a parent, I need to be the one who is a voice of authority. If I give this up to my kids, I do them a disservice. They do not fully understand what they want or need. I can, along with my husband, rule our home with authority in a way that uplifts and inspires our children.
  2. He labored with all of his faculties. – I think that this is so important. There are many reasons that I need to work hard. In order for peace to reign in my home, I know that the conditions of my home need to inspire peace and tranquility. I need to work hard to maintain cleanliness and order in the home. It is impossible to feel peace in a messy or filthy house. And, as a parent, If I laze around and expect my children to do the housework, then I won’t be able to establish peace. It is better for me to work hard, alongside my children – therefore reinforching our relationship through work.
  3. He fought to protect his Kingdom. – I may not have to fight with the sword of Laban, but I do have a fight. There are forces that want to push their way into the walls of my home. I have experienced these. I was born out of wedlock. My parents were divorced. I was divorced. Satan used many tactics to do what he could to destroy my family. It has had far-reaching effects. If I don’t fight to protect my family, then I know that there is a good chance we will not make it. Everything is on the line. My children, my children’s children depend on my efforts to protect our home in much the same way the Nephites relied on King Benjamin.

IV) He did not tax or become burdensome to His people.
This is easy to see why not taxing the people would be good for a kingdom, but it also applies to parentings. Even though I’m not a king, I do have a stewardship. I wonder, do I ever “tax” my children – put undue burdens on them – because of my own refusal to work hard or repent?

I love the things we learn in the scriptures. What do you learn about parenting from King Benjamin? How do you think that you can apply his example to your life?

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by chococatania on June 4, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Book of Mormon, Family, Insights, Mosiah, Motherhood
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Posted by chococatania on June 4, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/parenting-tips-from-king-benjamin/

Charity Believeth all Things


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So…now we’re really getting to the good stuff. Charity has a strong connection with faith. I’m sure you’ve either noticed it in the scriptures or heard it a lot – faith, hope, and charity. Today, we are studying about faith – and what it has to do with charity.

There are a lot of good places to find definitions of faith or examples of faith. But I love how King Benjamin taught the connection between faith and charity.

“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.

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, and have received a remission of your 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, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and 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.

And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.” – Mosiah 4:9-13

So…here’s how it works.

1. Believe in God
Here’s faith. We believe in God. We believe that He created all things, has all power, and that he may be a little bit smarter than we are.

Believing God means that we trust in Him.

As our trust and belief in Him grows we will begin to exercise our faith by doing a few things (good works).

2. Do Good Works
I don’t mean this in the typical sense – of serving one another. But I mean we need to do the work that only we can do. We need to give Heavenly Father the only thing we can give Him – our wills. We give up the natural man. We repent. We humble ourselves. We ask for forgiveness.

3. We Receive a Remission of Sins
When we receive a remission of sins, then we will know of His goodness and taste of His love. And – remember – God’s love is charity. It is His pure love – that never fails. We can experience charity – long before we do a single act of service – just by being faithful (through belief in Christ and repentance).

What I find interesting about this is how hard it can be to repent sometimes. Have you found it difficult? I have sinned, and continue to sin. When I approach the the Lord, I often feel ashamed of my sins because I want to be better. I love Heavenly Father, and I know that He loves me. I don’t want to disappoint him. The act of repentance can be hard; we must experience Godly sorrow in order to truly repent. Sometimes it is tempting to think that we would be better off to go without repenting – so we can avoid the shame and discomfort of such growth.

However, it is when we repent that we are filled with such Joy.

I love Alma’s experience -

And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.” – Alma 36:20-21

As difficult as was the pain Alma experienced, he had to wade through the sorrow of repentance in order to feel the miraculous joy of God’s pure love.

Once we experience this, we need to retain it in our hearts. (Always remember Him).

4. Our Knowledge of God Grows
Here’s why knowing God is kind of a good thing for us:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” – John 17:3

Knowing God: knowing His love, commandments, and mysteries is the way that we inherit eternal life. Of course, we can’t know Him if we aren’t living worthy of His Spirit and revelation.

5. We will have charity for others
It is when we develop a love of the Lord and experience His love for us that we are able to share His love for others.

I have experienced this. I know it is true. Because I have felt the deep and abiding love that Heavenly Father has for me, I know that He loves all of His children. When I am close to the Lord, experiencing His charity, I’m filled with this idea, “I need to share this with others.” The only way that I can show my gratitude for the atonement and blessings that God has given me is by sharing the Love He has for others. I know that the Lord loves all of His children. The best way for me to help express this love is by supporting others.

Oh, and one more thing. When I experience the love of the God, my love for Him grows. I want to please Him. I want to make Him happy. And I know that when I sin against others, it hurts the Lord. Conversely, I know what King Benjamin has taught:

“…when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” – Mosiah 2:17

My love for others grow as my love for God grows. My love for God is strengthened as I show love for others. And all of this starts with the simple act of faith. It’s neat how that works.

We can develop true charity for others. We just need to take the first step: faith. What do you do to increase your faith? How have you felt faith strengthen your ability to have charity?

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by chococatania on February 10, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Book of Mormon, Charity Study Series, Insights, Mosiah
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Posted by chococatania on February 10, 2012

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/charity-believeth-all-things/

Joy and Thanksgiving: Compare/Contrast Those who keep the Commandments

In today’s Joy and Thanksgiving assignment, we are comparing and contrasting two groups of people described by King Benjamin. This is kind of a long scripture block…just so you know.

“And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved—

I say unto you, that the man that doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God; therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples.

Therefore if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever.

And now I say unto you, that mercy hath no claim on that man; therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending torment.

O, all ye old men, and also ye young men, and you little children who can understand my words, for I have spoken plainly unto you that ye might understand, I pray that ye should awake to a remembrance of the awful situation of those that have fallen into transgression.

And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.” – Mosiah 2:41

Here is how I mark scriptures that compare and contrast.

When we compare and contrast, we look for what the items being compared have in common and how they differ. Usually, we can learn something from this comparison!

Commonalities between the groups

  • They both had been taught the things of the gospel.
  • They both had known the things of the gospel.
  • They both make choices based on what they have been taught and what they know.
  • They both experience consequences based on their decisions.

Differences between the groups
The First Group

  • The first group chooses to sin. As a result, they withdraw themselves from the spirit of God.
  • The Lord can no longer guide, bless, or prosper them.
  • Come out in open rebellion against God – listing to obey the evil Spirit. – This is open rebellion because they knew better.
  • An enemy to righteousness.
  • Is an unholy temple, so the Lord will not dwell with them.
  • If they die before repenting, then they die an enemy to God.
  • Bound by justice, and because they refused to repent, cannot receive mercy.
  • No Lord, No Righteousness, No Mercy → guilt, pain, anguish, fire.

When I think about this first group, I realize that King Benjamin doesn’t tell us these things to “scare us into righteousness.” These verses aren’t a manipulation. They are the facts. When someone refuses to keep the commandments and come unto Christ, then he cuts himself off from the atonement of Christ. He cuts himself off from the Spirit and the happiness of God. It is what it is – simple.

The Second Group

  • Keep the commandments.
  • Blessed and Happy
  • Blessed in all things: both temporal and spiritual
  • Received into Heaven
  • Dwell with God in a never-ending state of happiness.
  • Keep the commandments → Never ending happiness

As I write this, I keep getting impressed by the fact that a part of keeping the commandments is repenting. We aren’t expected to be sinless. We are expected to keep the commandments. Because this is the expectation, then we are allowed room to sin – as long as we repent.

If we refuse to keep the commandments, then we refuse to repent.

I don’t mean this to be an excuse for sinning and breaking the commandments. We need to do our best. However, we’re human, so we will sin. Also, if we could perfectly keep the commandments, then there would be no need for Christ. Which is ridiculous. We need to keep the commandments – which means we need to repent. Which implies, that the Lord knows that we’ll sin, he just wants us to change it when we do.

Then, when we repent, we are blessed. We are blessed through the atonement of Jesus Christ. We are received into Heaven, thanks to His infinite Mercy, and we are able to dwell with God in a state of Never-ending happiness.

It’s a really good deal for us.

***
For tomorrow’s assignment, click here.

1 Comment
by chococatania on November 16, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Book of Mormon, Compare and Contrast, Insights, Joy and Thanksgiving, Mosiah, Scripture Study
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Posted by chococatania on November 16, 2011

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/joy-and-thanksgiving-comparecontrast-those-who-keep-the-commandments/

A Pattern to Effective Gospel Teaching (Mosiah 4:1-3)

I have been thinking about gospel learning and teaching a lot lately. I’ve been thinking about how the gospel has been presented to me and how I’m sharing the gospel with those I must teach (like my children, etc).

I have to admit, I’m not always very receptive when the message of the gospel is given in a gloomy-lectur-y way. I wish I could say that I was always better at being receptive even if the message is given in a way that seems to rub me wrong. But it takes me a lot of journal-writing and prayer to sift through a message that seems full of doom and criticism to finally get through to the Spirit of what was being taught.

I have been thinking about this because I know that those who give these messages don’t mean to give them in a dooms-day way. I think that they mean to be motivating the listener to understand the need for obedience and the gospel. I also know that as a teacher – and especially as a teacher of children and youth – I think that I need to make sure my approach is hopeful without being “sugar-coated.”

Today, I came across the following scripture, and learned the pattern that I’ve been searching for! (yay for scriptures!)
Pattern for God-like Gospel teaching

  1. Make sure that your teaching is done with the Spirit and with purpose – King Benjamin delivers a message to the People – as prompted by the Spirit. He begins his address to the people
    “And these are the words which he spake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.” – Mosiah 2:9

    – at this point, the people know exactly why King Benjamin is addressing them. I admit that this may not always be necessary…I mean, if you are teaching a class, the students already know why you are speaking to them. However, remembering your purpose will always help you to keep the Spirit when teaching.

  2. Take the time to relate to the people you are teaching. – King Benjamin is such a great example of this. Even though he is the king, he recognizes, genuinely, that he is no different than many of them. His assignment may be different, but his value and status as a Son of God is the same as the value of any other man or woman. He shares:
    “I have not commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I of myself am more than a mortal man.

    But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me. – Mosiah 2:10-11

    As I think about why King Benjamin would express this so explicitly, I think that it is because his admission – helps to let the message of the gospel go to the People undistilled. He is as reliant on the mercy of the Savior and the blessing of God, even as king, as any of the other people. How on earth can the people be expected to recognize their own “nothingness” if King Benjamin doesn’t do so.

    When we preach the gospel, we need to remember that our talks or lessons are to be given – not in a prideful or hierarchical way, but we should be giving these messages as humble servants of God.

  3. Be receptive to the Spirit – understand the message that you need to give. King Benjamin continues in His address, bearing testimony of the Savior, and delivering a message directly from God.
    “For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.” – Mosiah 3:4

    While we may not see an angel and get express instruction on teaching people, we may still have this responsibility or charge. For example, as a mother, I am responsible for teaching my children the gospel – I need to declare the gospel so that my children can be filled with joy. Additionally, I have been called and set apart as a leader to the Young Women. It is my duty to declare this message to them – as prompted by the Holy Ghost. And, if I’m living worthy of the Spirit, then the Holy Ghost will direct me. I have many opportunities to teach -through formal assignment, precept, and example. And the message we teach is the Lord’s. It is His gospel. His good news.

  4. Let the Spirit do the work. Sometimes this takes a lot of faith, but we need to let the Spirit do the work of delivering the message we give to the hearts of the listeners. After King Benjamin gives the first part of His address, the Spirit begins to work on the listeners. They begin to understand their weakness. They begin to understand that they are natural men – enemies to God. They realize that they need the Savior. Their reaction is recorded as follows:
    “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.

    And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood 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, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men. – Mosiah 4:1-2

    – the people “fear” the Lord – or, in other words, they “reverence” Him. They begin to understand their dependence on Him, but they also feel the Love and mercy that He has for them.

    I have experienced this. The amazing thing about the gospel and Jesus Christ is, when we feel the humility that God would have us feel, it isn’t degrading. We recognize our weakness, we recognize His blessing and mercy to us, and we are filled with overwhelming humility – Wow! He really loves me. I will share one experience:
    When I was single, I was praying a lot. I wanted to be married. I wasn’t desperate to be married. I wouldn’t marry just anyone. But being a single mother to two children was extremely difficult. There was too much to do. There were lonely nights. There was pain and grief.

    Over time, I started to date this guy. Things started off well, but they ended quite sourly. I didn’t always conduct myself in a way that was worthy of the companionship of the Spirit. Dating after you’ve been married can be pretty…difficult.

    Anyways, I repented, and moved forward. I broke up with that dude. I realigned myself with the Lord with a fervent promise to fight to have the Spirit every single day.

    Life went on.

    Not long afterwards, I met another dude – “homey.” And he was a blessing like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I love my children. I love my family. But I’ve never felt love and companionship like I did as I started getting to know and courting Homey. It was completely amazing. We started making plans to get married, and I knew, through the blessing of meeting Homey, that the Lord was approving my repentance, my life, and my dedication to Him.

    I had a meeting with my Bishop, and he asked me to look at this picture of the Savior.As I looked, he asked me if I had a testimony of The Savior; If I knew that Christ loved me.

    I will never forget that moment. As I looked at the picture, I felt like the woman, who washed Christ’s feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. My sins, which were many, were forgiven (see Luke 7:47).

    I knew that the blessing that I was experiencing – meeting Homey, and ultimately marrying him were miracles. I knew that Christ had made every good thing in my life possible. I knew I was nothing without Him. I knew that even though I wanted to do what was right, I was weak and imperfect. I knew that I needed the Lord. It was the Spirit that taught me this truth. The Bishop may have helped be the vehicle to this message, but he couldn’t “force me” into learning it. He patiently let the Spirit do His work.

    When we let the Spirit teach, it always goes a lot better. King Benjamin didn’t manipulate the people. He didn’t spell out what they needed to do, specifically, to put off the natural man. He didn’t tell them how to dress, what time to show up to church, or what they should study for FHE. He taught them correct principles: Be meek, Be submissive, Be patient, and Be full of love. The Spirit brought this message to the hearts of the listeners and instructed how each of them could apply the principles taught personally.

    Because they had this experience with the Spirit, their love and reverence for the Lord grew. They understood their need for Him. Because the Spirit was teaching them, King Benjamin could give a general address that would effect each listener personally If we follow this pattern when we teach, then our children and those we are called to serve will also receive specific tutelage from the Master Teacher through His Spirit.

  5. Remember that this is Good News! Gospel teaching doesn’t stop at the recognition for us needing the Savior. In fact, the most important step comes last! Gospel teaching is complete when we convey the message of hope and joy.

    The people of King Benjamin, after hearing the words of King Benjamin and covenanting to come unto Christ have the following experience:

    “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, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, 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.” – Mosiah 4:1-3

    The people were filled with peace and joy. These are the fruits of the Spirit! They did not leave this situation dwelling on their nothingness. They didn’t feel hopeless, miserable, or good-for-nothing. They weren’t consumed with guilt. They understood that they fell short, but they also truly understood the role of the Savior in their lives – that He would perfect them.

    This had also happened in my life. Because of the blessings of the Savior, I was filled with peace and hope. I was also blessed with a physical blessing. I knew that Jesus Christ loved me, His atonement was accessible, and I felt so much joy. Courting Homey was one of the happiest times of my life. The Lord, through His mercy, worked a miracle in me and my life.

    This is the kind of result we should strive for when we are teaching the gospel. Those who are faithful that hear the message should be filled with hope and vigor. They will recognize their need for the Savior, but won’t dwell on their shortcomings. Instead, they will dwell on the hope of our Savior – on His mercy and atonement. They will know that, despite their nothingness, God will turn them into something. While we can’t force a person to come unto Christ, I think that we should dwell on the hope of the gospel, rather than our natural state and imperfection. It is important for us to understand our need for a Savior, but the fact that perfection is possible through the atonement is the hopeful message that really motivates us to choose the Right. The gospel message is good news: glad tidings. When we teach, we cannot forget this part!

    6. Super long post, I know…but I hope it is helpful to someone (other than me).

4 Comments
by chococatania on November 7, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Book of Mormon, Family, General tips for home, Insights, Mosiah, Motherhood, Single Motherhood
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Posted by chococatania on November 7, 2011

http://thatgoodpart.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/a-pattern-to-effective-gospel-teaching-mosiah-41-3/

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