Mosiah 3

Benjamin continued, “An angel of God visited me and said, ‘Awaken and hear the words I have to say, because I bring good news of great joy. God has heard your prayers and judged you favorably. I have been sent to tell you that in the near future our eternal God will come down from heaven to live among men. He will work mighty miracles such as healing the sick and diseased, raising the dead, restoring the lame to walk, giving vision to the blind and hearing to the deaf. You may rejoice in this news and tell your people, so that they will also be filled with joy. He will cast out devils and the evil spirits that reside in the people’s hearts.

“He will suffer temptations, pain, hunger, thirst, and fatigue just as mortals do,’ the angel said, ‘but to an even greater depth because of his anguish over the wickedness and abominations of his people. Because of the people’s disregard for his laws, he will bleed from every pore. He will be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God. His mother will be named Mary. Though he brings salvation to his people through faith in his name, he will be named as the devil, tormented, and crucified.

“But on the third day, he will arise from death and judge the world. His blood and self-sacrifice will atone for Adam’s fall from grace that has been conveyed to his descendants. His resurrection will save the people who have sinned and died in ignorance of God’s laws. But those who knowingly violate God’s laws are cursed, unless they repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ. For this reason, God has sent his holy prophets out among all men to proclaim that whoever believes in the coming of Jesus Christ will receive remission for their sins, as if he had already come. For this you may rejoice.

“Because God saw that his people were a stubborn lot, he gave them the law of Moses. God has given you many signs and prophecies of his coming, and yet, the people don’t understand that the law of Moses is meant to prepare them for his arrival and his atonement. Even sinless children could not be saved without his atonement, because they are children of the fallen Adam. Except for the blood atonement of Jesus Christ, there is no other way for the salvation of man.

“Behold, God’s judgments are fair. Children who die in infancy will not perish. Likewise, unless men humble themselves and become as little children, they cannot receive salvation through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. People have all fallen from salvation through their common ancestor, Adam. But if they become submissive, meek, humble, patient, filled with love, and willing to submit themselves to God, as children submit themselves to their parents, they will become saints instead of men through the power of Jesus Christ.

“The time will come when knowledge of Jesus Christ will spread through all nations and peoples,’ the angel concluded. ‘When that time comes, only young children will be held blameless and all others may only be saved through repentance and devotion to God.’

“I, Benjamin, have now spoken the words that God has commanded me to speak. He has told me that this message will stand as a testimony on judgment day. You will be judged for your actions that are good as well as your actions that are evil. If they are evil, you will be witness to your own profound guilt and abominations, and will fall from God’s presence into eternal torment and misery. If you choose to disregard God, you drink from the cup of God’s wrath as surely as Adam, who ate the forbidden fruit. For those of you who choose this course, there will be no mercy. Your torment will be like a lake of eternal fire and burning sulfur with smoke ascending forever and ever.

“This is what God has commanded I say to you.”