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.