The Book of Mosiah

Mosiah 1

Peace prevailed during the reign of King Benjamin. He bore three sons, named Mosiah, Helorum, and Helaman1, who were educated in reading, writing, and the history of their ancestors. They were taught about the prophecies, God’s covenants with their ancestors, and the plates brought from Jerusalem by Nephi.

“My sons,” Benjamin said to them, “I want you to remember that if it were not for these plates that record God’s commandments, we would suffer in ignorance and not know the mysteries of God. Without the plates, Lehi could not have remembered all of this to teach to his children, nor could they have passed it on to their children. Without the plates, our belief would have failed us and we would be as the Lamanites are, lost, without knowing the way. I want you to know that these plates are truthful records from our distant history before Lehi left Jerusalem, and the history of our ancestors since we arrived in this new land. Read them diligently and keep the commandments of God, so that we may prosper in this land according to the promises made to our forefathers by God.”

As Benjamin grew old, he chose his son Mosiah as his successor. “My son,” he said, “I want you to gather the people of Zarahemla together tomorrow, so that I can make a proclamation to them about your succession as King. I also want to give them a new name by which they will be distinguished above all other people and forever remembered. I offer this new name as a remembrance of their diligence in keeping God’s commandments. However, if these favored people of God should transgress and fall into wickedness and adultery, God will weaken them by withdrawing his protection. Without God’s preservation, we will be destroyed by the Lamanites as surely as our ancestors would have been if they hadn’t also been protected.”

Benjamin told Mosiah all that he knew about being king and managing the affairs of the kingdom. He also gave Mosiah custody of the brass plates from Jerusalem, the plates of Nephi, Laban’s sword, and the magic compass, Liahona, which had led their ancestors through the wilderness according to their devotion to God. [124 BC]