Mosiah 1-6

Quotes of the Week:

"Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence of what sort of man he is.  Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth."

--C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 164-65

"Sins are personal, belonging to sinners and no one else."

--Unlocking the Book of Mormon, p. 154

Further Reading

I apologize for this incomplete list.  I inadvertently erased some of my information this week, and, unfortunately, the "Further Reading" list was the main casualty.  Again, apologies.

J. Devn Cornish, "Learning How the Atonement Can Change You", Ensign, Apr. 2002, 20
Jeffrey R. Holland, "None Were with Him", Ensign, May 2009, 86–88

Handouts

King Benjamin

Sydney S. Reynolds, “Book of Mormon Principles: King Benjamin on the Atonement,” Ensign, Apr 2004, 13–17
In my opinion, if King Benjamin had uttered only the words in Mosiah 3:19, the verse would still rank among the great gems in all our scriptures.”  The message King Benjamin gave to the families who listened to him in those long-ago days is clear and current for us today.

How wonderful that Mormon, the faithful abridger and compiler of the Book of Mormon, gave us King Benjamin’s “last lecture,” one of the most powerful in scripture, in King Benjamin’s own words. It is beautiful, succinct, simple, yet amazingly complex. Here is another wonderful Book of Mormon witness that the ancient prophets, even before the time of Christ, knew of His coming and His mission. Time and again they assured the people that even though Christ had not yet come to the earth and they must still keep the law of Moses, His promises were sure and His Atonement was effective for them. These glad tidings of great joy were had among the people of Nephi long before He came to visit them after His Resurrection.

Reading King Benjamin’s sermon may cause us to reflect once again on our indebtedness to the Lord for giving us such scripture. The Book of Mormon came to us from the hands of ancient prophets through the hand of a modern prophet who translated it by the gift and power of God. What a blessing it is to have the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ and of His great atoning sacrifice.

Mosiah 2:3-4--Preparation

Unlocking the Book of Mormon, p. 146

It would be a worthwhile practice for us to kneel in prayer as part of our preparation and prior to our going to our meetings.  We could thank the Lord that He has prepared a meeting, that we have been invited to attend, and then pray for those who are responsible for the content of the meeting.  Think of the impressions and impact on children who hear such prayers from parents who provide these patterns in their homes.

Mosiah 2:17--Service

Teachings of the Presidents of the Church--Spencer W. Kimball
On one occasion [Gordon B. Hinckley] tried to slow [Spencer W. Kimball] down a little, and he said, 'Gordon, my life is like my shoes--to be worn out in service.'  He so lived.  He so died.


Teachings of the Presidents of the Church--HJG
The true key to happiness in life is to labor for the happiness of others.  I pity the selfish man who has never experienced the joy which comes to those who receive the thanks and gratitude of the people whom they may have aided in the struggle of life. . . . Service is the true key to happiness.

Nell K. Newell, Welfare Services, Church News, 1/8/05

The bandage for  a sufferer of leprosy arrived at LDS Humanitarian Center in an ordinary plastic bag.  It looked like the many hundreds of others: made by hand from white, cotton thread, three inches wide by four feet long.

Like other similar bandages, this one was sturdy, designed so it would not stick to sores like flat bandages can, and could be sterilized for reuse.  These bandages, while relatively easy to make, can take more than 40 hours to complete.

But there was something special about his bandage.  At the top, the stitches were tight and orderly.  About halfway down, the stitches became increasingly uneven and loose.  After another few inches, the stitches once again became even.

Attached to the bandage was a small note written by hand that said:  "Just a note about this bandage.  I know it's not the most perfect bandage you've ever seen, but it was made by my younger sister (age 46) who died of breast cancer in February.  She worked on this right up till the end. . . . She was determined to finish it, but died before it was finished.  I finished it for her.  Even though it looks a little funny, no bandage was ever done with more love, effort or perseverance."  The letter was not signed.  There was no indication of who this woman was or where she was from.

All that can be surmised is that during her time of greatest affliction, this woman performed a simple act of kindness, something that would bring relief to a stranger.  One stitch at a time--hour after hour--in her final and most troubling hours, her thoughts and hands were devoted to easing the pain of another.

In the great events of world history, the making of a bandage for a leprosy patient may not merit a mention.  But perhaps beyond the veil, angels rejoice in a simple act of charity that serves as a symbol of all that is best within us.

Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something, p. 56
The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired.  One of the great ironies of life is this:  He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.

Robert J. Whetten, Ensign, 5/05
Every unselfish act of kindness and service increases your spirituality.

Mosiah 2:17-21, 34--Service and Gratitude

Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign , 5/04
How can we ever repay the debt we owe to the Savior?  He paid a debt He did not owe to free us from a debt we can never pay.


Jeffrey R. Holland, " Because of Your Faith," October 2010
I have struggled to find an adequate way to tell you how loved of God you are and how grateful we on this stand are for you. I am trying to be voice for the very angels of heaven in thanking you for every good thing you have ever done, for every kind word you have ever said, for every sacrifice you have ever made in extending to someone—to anyone—the beauty and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  
And to the near-perfect elderly sister who almost apologetically whispered recently, “I have never been a leader of anything in the Church. I guess I’ve only been a helper,” I say, “Dear sister, God bless you and all the ‘helpers’ in the kingdom.” Some of us who are leaders hope someday to have the standing before God that you have already attained.


Thomas S. Monson, "The Divine Gift of Gratitude," October 2010
My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.
My beloved friend President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.”

Mosiah 3:7-8,11, 17--The Atonement

Jeffrey R. Holland, "None Were with Him", Ensign, May 2009, 86–88
Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path . . . Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”


Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, p. 91-92
He who most deserved peace and was the Prince of Peace had peace taken from him.  He who deserved no rebuke, let alone physical abuse, went under the lash that his taking of such stripes might spare us such pain if only we would repent.  The total cost of such combined spiritual and physical suffering is incalculable.  Yet the iniquities, including the sorrows and sadness, of every mortal being who ever has lived or will live in this world were laid across one lonely set of shoulders.  In the most magnificent display of strength ever known in the world of human endeavor, they were carried until full payment had been made.

Mosiah 3:16, 18-19, 21--Becoming as a Little Child

Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, 5/06
King Benjamin describes that change with a beautiful comparison, used by prophets for millennia and by the Lord Himself. It is this: that we can, and we must, become as a child—a little child.
For some that will not be easy to understand or to accept. Most of us want to be strong. We may well see being like a child as being weak. Most parents have wanted their children at times to be less childish. Even the Apostle Paul used these words as he was about to urge us to incorporate charity, the pure love of Christ, into our lives: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
But King Benjamin, who understood as well as any mortal what it meant to be a man of strength and courage, makes it clear that to be like a child is not to be childish. It is to be like the Savior, who prayed to His Father for strength to be able to do His will and then did it. Our natures must be changed to become as a child to gain the strength we must have to be safe in the times of moral peril.

David B. Haight, Ensign, 11/83
Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years.  People grow old by deserting their ideals, their faith.  There is always the love of wonder, a childlike appetite for what is next, the joy of your life.  You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear or despair.  In the center of our heart is a recording chamber, and so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage, and faith, so long are we young.

Mosiah 3:19--The Natural Man

Unlocking the Book of Mormon, p. 153A

Robert Millet:

1. The natural man cannot or does not perceive spiritual realities

2.  The natural man allows into his life those things that are harsh, vulgar, and crude.

3. Instead of seeking to do the Lord's will, the natural man pits his own will against that of the Lord--wishing, ultimately, that the Lord would agree with him.

4.  The natural man seeks to have more, do more, and be more than those around him; this competitive nature eventually saps the joy out of accomplishment and causes the natural man to focus on elevating himself at the cost of diminishing those around him.

Mosiah 3:19--Inflict

Neal A. Maxwell, One More Strain of Praise, p. 13

Use of the word inflict suggests customized challenges and tutoring that require an added and special submissiveness.

Mosiah 4:2-3--Repentance

Gospel Principles, p.107
We come to earth for the purpose of growing and progressing.  This is a life-long process.
The privilege of repenting . . . sometimes requires great courage, much strength, many tears, unceasing prayers, and untiring efforts to live the commandments of the Lord.
As we repent, the Atonement of Jesus Christ becomes fully effective in our lives, and the Lord forgives our sins.  We become free from the bondage of our sins, and we find joy.

Mosiah 4:11-16, 26--Retaining a Remission of Sin

Neal A. Maxwell, "King Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship"
Much emphasis was given by King Benjamin to retaining a remission of our sins.  We do not ponder that concept very much in the church.  We ought to think of it a lot more.  Retention clearly depends on the regularity of our repentance.  In the church we worry, and should, over the retention of new members, but the retention of our remissions is cause for even deeper concern.

Mosiah 4:17-22--Care for the Poor

Joseph Smith, as quoted by Hugh Nibley, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, 9:226

It is better to feed ten impostors than to run the risk of turning away one honest petition.

Mosiah 4:27--In Wisdom and Order

Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, 11/01
My ability to run is not so swift now.  While I am looking forward to that future time when, with a resurrected body, I can once again sprint over a field and feel the wind blowing through my hair, I do not dwell on the fact that I cannot do it now.  That would be unwise.  Instead, I take steps that I can take. . . .
Let me cite a hypothetical example of a dear sister in any ward, the one who has perfect children who never cause a disturbance in church.  She is the one working on her 20th generation in her family history, keeps an immaculate home, has memorized the book of Mark, and makes wool sweaters for the orphaned children in Romania.  No disrespect, of course, intended for any of these worthy goals.  Now, when you get tempted to throw your hands in the air and give up because of this dear sister, please remember you're not competing with her any more than I'm competing with the members of the Quorum of the Twelve in winning a 50-yard dash.
The only thing you need to worry about is striving to be the best you can be.  And how do you do that?  You keep your eye on the goals that matter most in life, and you move towards them step by step.