Leaders Labor with their Own Hands

I love being able to read about the history of the descendants of Nephi and some of the qualities that made them good and righteous leaders to their people and to their children. I learn so much from these great examples, and many of the leaders that we read about in the scriptures share similar sentiments.

In Mosiah 1:3, it says of King Benjamin, "And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying, 'My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God."

Then, similar to the advice that our modern-day prophet President Thomas S. Monson in his last public address, King Benjamin says in Mosiah 1:7, "And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers."

You can click to enlarge the below chart. I've put together three examples of great leadership from recent scriptures, from three great leaders. Note that in each example, the leaders worked for what they had, and for the common good. I love that King Mosiah, the son of King Benjamin, had learned from his father that it was important to serve others and become "not burdensome to his people,"

Come Follow Me: Mosiah

(Please note: You can click on any image to see it below in larger detail.)

This is the current focus of the Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families reading:

I wanted to recap though, by pointing out that Mosiah is the start of a new section of the Book of Mormon, where the Small Plates that start with Lehi's family leaving Jerusalem now go into the Large Plates that Mormon abridged, with "Words of Mormon" being where Mormon explains the abridgment, like this: Small Plates -> Words of Mormon -> Large Plates, abridged.

What's so fascinating to me about the Small Plates is that that half of the writers wrote very little, even only a few verses so we know that a great deal of time passed and there were probably many incredible stories during those 100s of years that were summed up in one or two sentences, but we don't have those details, except to understand that "we had many seasons of peace; and we had many seasons of serious war and bloodshed." (Omni 1:3).  I've indicated how much time passed and how few of verses were written in the chart above. This makes what few sentences each chose to wrote that much more powerful. I think they chose with care what they finally wrote before they passed the plates along to someone else.

This is so poignant for me now because while the Book of Mormon frequently talks of war, we don't always get to see it from the emotional point of view of the individuals that were living that life. We know it was bad though, as in The Words of Mormon, Mormon laments, "And it is many hundreds of years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people." (Mormon 1:2) 

He ends his short 18 verses about his abridgment by saying in verse 18, "Wherefore, with the help of these, King Benjamin, by laboring with all the might of his body and the faulty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did one more establish peace in the land."

I love this, because we learned that just like our humble Savior, King Benjamin served among his people, and taught his son, the future King Mosiah, to also humbly serve. King Benjamin says:

This message of hope and goodness is consistent as we turn to our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, and other worthy sources, like the Book of Mormon, to guide us through a global crisis that is giving us just the tiniest glimpse of a world at war. Their focus is on keeping the commandments of God, having a home-centered church, and on serving others, because when we "are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). Less than a week ago, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a letter sharing some of their global efforts to bring relief to others, including an invitation for anyone that wants to, to help serve in these efforts by contributing in ways like joining in the effort to make masks.

It's interesting comparing some of the last words King Benjamin spoke to his people in a large gathering and the last words that our previous and beloved prophet, President Monson, spoke to his people in a large gathering. I compared these two especially because in Mosiah 2:30, King Benjamin, recognizing that he has reached the ends of his years on earth says, "For even at this time, my whole frame doth tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak unto you; but the Lord God doth support me, and hath suffered me that I should speak unto you ..." We have seen our modern day prophets in our last days, and the photo I chose to use below is from President Monson's last General Conference talk, when his frame did tremble, too, as he was nearing the end of his goodly life on this earth.

King Benjamin:

King Benjamin goes on to say, in verse 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 neverending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

President Thomas S. Monson in his parting words taught of the importance of studying and pondering the Book of Mormon to protect us from sin and evil and be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit:

I am grateful to read from inspired prophets in ancient times and hear their voice in modern times, that their message is consistent, that we are children of God, and that we can turn to God. I look to the last words that President Russell M. Nelson shared during April 2020 General Conference, in a talk called "Go Forward in Faith,":

      " The many inspiring components of this April 2020 general conference—and the sacred week that we now begin—can be summarized by two divinely decreed words: 'Hear Him.;¹ We pray that your focus on Heavenly Father, who spoke those words, and on His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, will loom largest in your memories of all that has transpired. We pray that you will begin anew truly to hear, hearken to, and heed the words of the Savior.² I promise that decreased fear and increased faith will follow.

      Thank you for your desire to make your homes true sanctuaries of faith, where the Spirit of the Lord may dwell. Our gospel study curriculum, Come, Follow Me, will continue to bless your lives. Your consistent efforts in this endeavor—even during those moments when you feel that you are not being particularly successful—will change your life, that of your family, and the world. We will be strengthened as we become even more valiant disciples of the Lord, standing up and speaking up for Him, wherever we are."

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Want to learn more about my faith?

I believe the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. We learn from people in ancient times about how to be a follower of Christ. You can email me at esumnertime@gmail.com if you'd like me to send you a free copy of this book or to learn more about my faith. You can also visit https://www.comeuntochrist.org/ to learn more about the Savior, Jesus Christ, and how learning about him and what he taught when he was here on earth has enriched my life.