Crystal Clear

The Book of Mormon is awesome.  I always learn something from it every time I read or listen to it.  One of the things I really like about it is how clear it is in teaching doctrine.

One of my favorite teachers and prophets is King Benjamin.  He was a righteous Nephite king who was also the Prophet and lead his people in righteousness. When he was old and knew he wouldn't be around much longer King Benjamin wanted to address his people. He knew he could not address all the people in the temple because there were too many.  So he had a tower built that he could teach from.

All the people came with their families and pitched tents around the temple facing the tower so they could listen to their prophet and king address them. There were so many people that not all of them were within earshot -- obviously this is in the days before microphones (around 124 BC).  :-) -- So King Benjamin had his words written down so that the people that couldn't hear him, could read them. King Benjamin's address is recorded in Mosiah 2-5.

It is a wonderful sermon and well worth the short read.  King Benjamin is very clear and bold in proclaiming Christ's doctrine.

Anyway I gave all that preface just to say that this section I'm about to quote from King Benjamin's address really stood out to me when I listened to it not long ago.

Mosiah 2:36-41 

36 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— 

37 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. 

38 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. 

39 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. 

40 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. 

41 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.

So many people nowadays seem to be easily swayed from the truth and are not only falling away from the Church but are openly rebelling against God.

In speaking boldly and plainly King Benjamin makes crystal clear what the consequences are for those who openly rebel against God after being taught the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I, for one, am not a fan of never-ending torment.  Yet so many once righteous followers of Christ are being deceived by Satan and are dropping like flies.

So many people with once strong testimonies of Christ are now openly rebelling by denying Christ and our Heavenly Father and many of them now persecute those who do believe.  Call it the last days or signs of the times -- which it certainly is.  I call it very sad.

I just hope that those who are in open rebellion against God will wise up and follow King Benjamin's advice to repent before it is too late.

That's my two cents.