Mosiah 4

When King Benjamin finished telling the Angel of God’s message, he looked out across his people. They had all fallen to the ground because the fear of God had come upon them.

They had seen themselves at their worst and witnessed their own guilt. They knew that they truly were less than the dust of the earth. With one voice, they all cried out, “Have mercy and give us the atonement of Jesus Christ’s blood, so that we may be forgiven for our sins. Purify our hearts. We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth and all other things. We believe that he will come and live among men and bring with him our salvation.”

After the people had spoken these words, the Spirit of God came upon them and they were filled with joy. Their sins had been forgiven and peace of mind had been granted to them.

King Benjamin said, “If the knowledge of God’s goodness has made you feel small and worthless in your fallen state, then you can also understand his power, his wisdom, his patience, and his suffering for his people. The atonement which has been prepared is for all who put their trust in God and keep his commandments until the end of their mortal life. This is the only path to salvation available to you. To be saved, you must believe in God’s power, give up your sinful behavior, repent your past sins, and humble yourself before God; then ask sincerely for his forgiveness. If you believe this, then act accordingly.

“Once you have known God’s goodness and tasted his love, you’ve felt the joy that comes from being forgiven. You are nothing before him, but his goodness will save you, anyhow, if you humble yourself to the truth that was brought from his angel. If you follow his laws and allow yourselves to be filled with the glory of God, you will live in peace without hurting one another. If you follow God’s laws, your children will not go hungry or naked, fight with each other, or be led astray by the devil. You will teach your children the wisdom of truth and sobriety, to love one another, and serve one another. Without judgment you will help those among you in need. Aren’t we all beggars? Don’t we all depend on the same God for food, clothing, and everything we have? Even now, you call upon him, begging for remission of your sins. Has your begging been in vain? No. God has filled you with his love and his spirit so that you can be filled with indescribable joy.

“Just as God has given you all that you have, you should give what you have to each other. If you deny your brother’s needs and condemn him for it, you are only condemning yourself by adding to your sins. In the end, you will die and all your possessions will be lost to you anyhow. The poor who would have given but have nothing to give, are without guilt. But the poor who covet wealth are as guilty as the rich who give nothing. To sustain the remission of sins you’ve received, help your poor fellows by giving according to your ability to give. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and give them relief from their wants.

“Do all of this in wisdom and order. No one is expected to do more than he can. When you borrow from your neighbor, always remember to return what was borrowed. To keep what was borrowed is a sin and might also cause your neighbor to sin. There are so many ways to sin that I cannot mention or even count them all. Watch yourselves, your thoughts, your words, your actions, and observe the commandments of God. Do this for the rest of your lives and you will not perish.”