Mosiah — Chapter 4
1 Now when King Benjamin was done telling the people everything the angel had told him to tell them, he looked at them and saw they had fallen on the ground, because they were afraid of the Lord.
2 They had seen that they were sinners and less than the dust of the earth. And they said all together: “O have mercy and let the blood of Christ bring us forgiveness. We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who made heaven and earth and all things, and who will come down and live with people.”
3 When they had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord came over them, and they were filled with joy because their sins were forgiven. Their minds and hearts were full of peace because of the great faith they had in Jesus Christ who would come, just as King Benjamin had told them.
4 Then King Benjamin spoke to them again: My friends, my brothers and sisters, my family, my people: Listen to me so you will understand the rest of the things I want to tell you.
5 If knowing about God’s goodness has now helped you understand that you have sinned, and that you are less than the dust of the earth —
6 I tell you, if you have learned about God’s goodness, and great power, and wisdom, and patience with people; and if you have learned about Christ’s sacrifice which was planned before the world was made–that those who trust God and keep his commandments until the end of their lives (I mean, until their mortal body dies) —
7 I tell you that those people will be saved through Christ’s sacrifice, which was planned before the world was made, to help all people who have lived and who will ever live since the fall of Adam and Eve.
8 The way I have told you about is the only way you can be saved.
9 Believe in God. Believe that he lives, and that he made everything in heaven and in earth. Believe that he has all wisdom and all power in heaven and earth. Believe that people do not understand everything the Lord can understand.
10 Also believe that you must repent of your sins and stop doing them, and ask God with all your heart to forgive you. Now, if you believe all these things, make sure you do them.
11 As I told you before, if you have learned about God’s glory and goodness and love, and if you have been forgiven for your sins (which is why your souls are so happy), I want you to always remember how great God is, and how small you are. Remember how good and patient he is with you, even though you do not deserve it. Remember this and pray to God every day, and believe in the things the angel told me to tell you.
12 If you do this, you will always be happy, and you will always be filled with God’s love, and your sins will always be forgiven. You will learn more and more about the glory of your Maker (or about things which are just and true).
13 You will not want to hurt each other, but you will want to live in peace and be honest with everyone.
14 Don’t let your children go hungry or naked. Don’t let them break God’s commandments or fight and argue with each other. Don’t let them serve the devil, the king of sin — the evil spirit our ancestors told us about. The devil is an enemy to everything good.
15 But teach your children to do what is right, and to be serious, and to love and serve each other.
16 Help those who need help and give what you can to those in need. Don’t say no to poor people who ask for your help.
17 Maybe you will say: “These people have caused their own suffering, so I will not give them any food or money, because they do not deserve it.”
18 I tell you, O people, those who do this need to repent very much, because they will not be able to live with God again.
19 Aren’t we are all poor people? Don’t we all need God to give us everything we have — our food, our clothes, our gold and silver, and everything we need?
20 Even now, you have been asking God to forgive your sins. Has he let you ask for forgiveness and then not forgiven you? No. He has blessed you with his Spirit and filled you with so much joy that you cannot even find words to talk about it.
21 So if God, who made you, and who has given you everything you need, gives you the good things you pray for with faith, O then, shouldn’t you share what you have with each other?
22 If you judge other people who ask you for help, and punish them by not giving them help, God will punish you even more unless you repent, because God gave you everything you have.
23 Woe to those who do not help others! Their riches will be destroyed with them. I have said these things to you who have lots of money and things of the world,
24 But I want to tell you people who do not have lots of money and things of the world, but have enough to feed yourselves each day: If you cannot give to someone who needs help because you do not have enough, you should say in your hearts: “I would give to you if I could, but I cannot.”
25 If you say this in your hearts, you will not be guilty. If you don’t, it means you want to have what belongs to other people, and you will be punished.
26 I want you to give what you can to every person who needs your help. Give food to the hungry and clothes to the naked. Visit and help the sick. Help people’s bodies and spirits. This way your sins will always be forgiven and you will be able to keep God’s commandments every day.
27 Do all these things in a wise way. Do not do more than you are able to do, but work hard and be wise.
28 Remember, too, that if you borrow something from your neighbor, you must give it back, or else you will be stealing, and you may make your neighbor sin, too.
29 I cannot tell you about all the ways you can sin, because there are so many ways to sin that I cannot even count them all.
30 But I can tell you that you must always watch yourselves, and watch what you think and do. You must always keep God’s commandments and believe in what you have heard about Christ’s coming all your lives. Now, O people, remember these things so you will not be destroyed.
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