Thoughts on Education From King Benjamin

For many years I have been searching and searching for the best way to teach my children. I found many wonderful plans and curriculum, but nothing seemed to fit or feel right. We decided we needed a new goal. Our goal had been to make our children smart and leaders. We changed that to faithful and fruitful. Once we changed focus our minds eased and we have since settled on what and how to teach our children. Our first priority is to teach them who they really are, who their Father is, and how to be saved, anything else is either to help with this or is just icing. I have spent many hours talking to mothers who have been able to do this and they all told me to study the scriptures and teach them to my children, and remember our perspective needs to include more than this life, it needs to include eternity. I have been following their advice for some time now, especially focusing on the Book of Mormon and the words of the modern prophets and apostles..

Last week I began a careful study of King Benjamin's farewell teachings to his people. The account begins with information about his family, specifically his sons, one of which is going to succeed him as king. King Benjamin taught many things to his three sons, but only a few are mentioned specifically. The other things are either too sacred to share or less important that what Mormon actually took the time to engrave the details of. Either way what was have in the Book of Mormon is important for us to know and it is there to guide us in teaching our own children.

Mosiah chapter 1 verse 2says that, “he causes that they (his sons) should be taught in all the language of his fathers.” His specific purpose in this is to make sure that they are men of understanding and know the prophesies delivered by God. I pondered just this part for a two days. What does it mean to be “men of understanding?” What does he mean by “all the language of his fathers?” I don't claim to be a great scriptorian, but I believe that the Holy Ghost can teach me what I need to know. Here is what I have come up with. All the language … is the Egyptian characters that Lehi, Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni wrote on the Gold Plates. In verse four it says that Lehi was taught this language so he could read the record on the Brass Plates and could teach them to his children. Something that I had never noticed before is that the Brass and God Plates were written in the same language.

King Benjamin also taught his sons this record (vs. 3) that is why they know the mysteries of God and do not live in ignorance like the Lamanites. I believe that they were taught this language so they could read the Brass Plate and this is what made them men of understanding. King Benjamin wanted God's words and especially his commandments to be “always before (their) eyes” (vs. 5). Without being able to read and understand God's words this is impossible and worse we would have to rely on other men for our salvation. Brigham Young specifically warned against this

"What a pity it would be if we were led by one man to utter
destruction! Are
you afraid of this? I am more afraid that this people have so
much
confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire of the Lord whether
they are led by Him. I am fearful they settle down in a blind self-security,
trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless
confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their
salvation,k
and weaken that influence they could give tho their leaders, did
they know for
themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in
the right way. Let
every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit
of God to themselves,
whether their leaders are walking in the path that the
Lord dictates or not.
This has been my exhortation continually.” (JD
9:149-50)

Their father wanted them to know the prophesies and reading for themselves would have been the best way to accomplish this.

Knowing the scriptures is what gives us understanding, acting on the things written in them
makes us wise. It seemed strange at first that he only wanted to make them men of understanding and not wise, but wisdom is earned not given. He could not make them wise. He wanted to give them everything he could by way of knowledge and understanding of the things of God, hoping they would choose to be wise. I share this goal with the king. I teach my children the gospel in the language of our scripture and explain over and over until they understand, then hope they choose the right and earn wisdom.

It also made me pause that he caused these things to be taught to them rather than teaching them himself, but he was busy running a kingdom and keeping peace. I am going to assume he delegated the actual teaching, at least in their younger years, to their mother. This also parallels my experience and goals. It is comforting to see the path I am trying to follow in the scriptures.

The Doctrine of Christ

For several years I have been on a quest. I have been looking at how I can more fully bring my life into harmony with God's will. I have spent countless hours reading and praying and asking God to tell me what He wants me to do. About six months ago I decided that I needed to understand the gospel more. I decided to leave off all of my secular learning and focus on studying the gospel. My life has completely changed. I am a new person and like Christ and Alma advised us to do, I have been born again. My focus in life is very different. I no longer wish to be smart, I hope to be righteous and please God. I have developed faith necessary to make things happen in my life. My life is centered on my role as a daughter of God, which includes being a wife, mother, and disciple. Everything I do now has a divine purpose. I can even see a divine purpose in laundry and cooking dinner. This has not been easy, but it has been fun. It has been frustrating, yet fulfilling.

Recently I was reading in Second Nephi and all that I have been thinking about became clear. My thoughts begin in chapter 31:13 which tells us the steps to spiritual enlightenment. The first is follow the Son with full purpose of heart. Step two is to act no hypocrisy and no deception before God. The third step is repent of your sins. Step four is to witness to the Father that you are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by following Him in baptism. Then the reward you receive is the Holy Ghost. This may look like a one time thing, after all how many times is a person baptized? This actually happens constantly in our lives, which is why God gave us the ordinance of the Sacrament so that each week we have the opportunity to show God we are willing to take upon us the name of His Son. Going through this process brings the Holy Ghost to our lives. Another amazing part of the gift is the Holy Ghost gives us the ability to speak with the tongue of angels. Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost and speak the words of Christ (2 Nephi 32:3). This is amazing to me. We can speak the words of Christ only when we know them, although, so in the same verse Nephi tells us to feast upon the words of Christ. This will get them into our inner most parts and allow the Holy Ghost to bring them to our remembrance when it is necessary.

These steps lead us onto a path, through the gate of baptism, which is strait and narrow. Once on the path we leave at our peril, for Christ tells us that if we start and then deny Him it would have been better to not have knows Him (2 Nephi 31: 14). This is startling because to know Him and the Father is eternal life (John 17:3), to not know them seems to be damnation, progression stopped.

Staying on the path leads to eternal life. Verse 18 of the 31st chapter in second Nephi says,

“And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life;
yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments
of the Father and the Son, and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses
of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath
made, that if ye entered in by the way ye would receive.”

This tells us what our goal is, eternal life, and how to get there. First enter the gate, next keep the commandments, then receive, not just once, but more like entertain, the Holy Ghost, all the way unto the end until we receive what he promised. The promise is found in John 14. It is called the Second Comforter. Christ Himself comes to us and makes our calling and election sure because we have proven that we will do all that the Lord asks, not matter what. Then we will have power, like Helaman's son, Nephi and Joseph Smith to have whatever we ask granted (Helaman 10:5-11, TPJS p. 340).

This is a long process and for most it won't happen in this life. The time line doesn't matter, as long as we start of the path and never get off or get back on when we realize we are off. The promise is made and God can't lie, just ask Enos (Enos 1:6). He will follow through. We will have eternal life. Because of Christ's atoning sacrifice , it is done and waiting for us to take advantage of it. If we don't understand all we have to do is ask (2 Nephi 32:4). I did and my understanding is unclouded now.

Nephi declares this to be the doctrine of Christ and writes in ch 32:6, “There will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh.” This is really all we have to worry about for now. This gives us plenty to work on for a lifetime. The verse concludes with a teaser to keep us enduring. “And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.” I am excited to find out what the Lord has planned for me to do. I am looking forward to this personal interview with Him to learn what he wants me, individually, to do. This confirms something I heard a while ago, “Your mission is life to to find your mission in life and then do it.”