Busy week? Me too. LDS Living is here to catch you up and get you ready for discussions on Sunday. Here’s a nugget of wisdom from this week’s Come, Follow Me study of Mosiah 4–6.
After a short intermission where the people could express the mighty change occurring in their hearts, King Benjamin resumed his address.
We Are All Beggars
When Christ spoke in parables, He spoke for those who have ears that they would hear (see Matthew 11:15). King Benjamin was less subtle when explaining a specific gospel principle that comes up throughout the scriptures.
“And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.
“Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—
“But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.
“For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?
“And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.
“And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another” (Mosiah 4:16–21).
This week’s Come, Follow Me nugget is more the size of a rock, but there is just so much that King Benjamin teaches in Mosiah 4.
The most obvious parallel to Christ’s teachings is found in Matthew 18, where He presents the parable of the unforgiving servant. A story of an old-world middle management type who fell behind in his payment to the king. Very behind. And when the man asked the king for forgiveness, it was given. But then he did not extend that same mercy to those indebted to him for much smaller amounts.
We can also find this directed message to be humble and forgiving in how we read the parable of the prodigal son. It’s easy when sharing this story in church to relate to the oldest son who stayed faithful to the father, or even to the father himself who was sad to see a son make painful choices. And on the surface, those stories happen, but in the cosmic scheme, we are all the son who looks for mercy when we return to the Father.
When Christ taught about prayer, He compared it to a child asking their parent for a loaf of bread or fish. Even we flawed humans know to give good gifts and to at least not answer those requests with a stone or a snake. So if we understand that, how much more does God know to give good things?
Parables try to make sense of the incomprehensible. They liken eternal principles to how we live our lives today, and it’s not always an exact science. But time and time again, the Lord and His prophets have tried to make clear that we are all the same in the sight of God. We are all in need of His grace. And when we begin to understand that, we hopefully will start to share that same grace with everyone we meet along the way.
So that was my takeaway this week. To hear more takeaways from other Latter-day Saints on this block of scripture, join our study group on Facebook and Instagram.
Sunday on Monday is a Come, Follow Me podcast hosted by Tammy Uzelac Hall that is released every Monday to guide you through the scripture readings for the week. This week covers Mosiah 4–6 and our podcast guests were Sharmaine Howell and Heather Johns. You can listen to full episodes on Deseret Bookshelf Plus and find out more at ldsliving.com/sundayonmonday.
