Post by Heloram –
Quite a bit has transpired since my last post. In his advanced age, my father – King Benjamin – had decided to pass the leadership of this wonderful people to my older brother Mosiah. He wanted to make the declaration personally and asked Mosiah to make a proclamation throughout the land, that all the people gather themselves together at the temple to hear King Benjamin. This was no small request. The people have multiplied exceedingly and have waxed great in the land. There are so many people we don’t even number them.
Taking advantage of this opportunity to gather at the temple, the people brought the firstlings of their flocks so they could offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses, giving thanks to the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem and had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and had appointed just men to be their teachers and a just king who had established peace in the land of Zarahemla, who had taught them to keep the commandments of God that them might be filled with love towards God and all men. Needless to say, the whole event went from a simple proclamation that my father was retiring to a national gathering of appreciation to God and Country.
People didn’t just send a representative to hear what the king had to say, but they came as families, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, grand children as well, from oldest to youngest. Each family kept together as a family pitching their tents with the door facing the temple so they could stay in their tents while they listened to the king.
Now about the tower. The multitude was so great, there was no way King Benjamin could teach them all within the walls of the temple, so he has us erect a tower from where he could speak and the people could all hear him. Well, most people could see him but the crowd was so big, not very many could hear him. So, father had us write down everything he spoke so we could take his words to everyone who had assembled to receive his words.
As I mentioned, the main purpose of this great gathering was to have a smooth hand off of the kingdom’s leadership from my father Benjamin to my brother Mosiah. But I think the gathering became much more significant. By quoting my father’s introductory statement, word for word, will help set the stage for the real purpose of this great meeting.
“My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.”
If that isn’t an attention grabber I don’t know what would be.
The great thing about it all, and though it was quite cumbersome to write down every word and then run it from tent to tent and family to family, is that I now have a written copy of the whole event. For me and my blogging purposes this works out great. In my next several posts, I will share with you what “mysteries of God” were unfolded to our view. Hopefully you can be in a mind frame with a humble heart where the spirit can drive this message home into your heart as it has with us having heard and read it immediately as it was being spoken.
(Book of Mormon | Mosiah 2:1 – 9)
