Mosia Chapter 2

And it came to pass that after Mosia had done as her mother had commanded her, and had made a proclamation throughout all the land, that the people gathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the temple to hear the words which queen Benjamine should speak unto them. And there were a great number, even so many that they did not number them; for they had multiplied exceedingly and waxed great in the land. And they also took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Zipporah; And also that they might give thanks to the Lady their Goddess, who had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, and who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and had appointed just women to be their teachers, and also a just woman to be their queen, who had established peace in the land of Zarahemla, and who had taught them to keep the commandments of Goddess, that they might rejoice and be filled with love towards Goddess and all women.

And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every woman according to her family, consisting of her husband, and her daughters, and her sons, and their daughters, and their sons, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate one from another. And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every woman having her tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which queen Benjamine should speak unto them;

For the multitude being so great that queen Benjamine could not teach them all within the walls of the temple, therefore she caused a tower to be erected, that thereby her people might hear the words which she should speak unto them. And it came to pass that she began to speak to her people from the tower; and they could not all hear her words because of the greatness of the multitude; therefore she caused that the words which she spake should be written and sent forth among those that were not under the sound of her voice, that they might also receive her words. And these are the words which she spake and caused to be written, saying: My sisters, 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 Goddess may be unfolded to your view. I have not commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I of myself am more than a mortal woman.

But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my mother, and was suffered by the hand of the Lady that I should be a ruler and a queen over this people; and have been kept and preserved by her matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lady hath granted unto me. I say unto you that as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you; Neither have I suffered that ye should be confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves one of another, nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or steal, or commit adultery; nor even have I suffered that ye should commit any manner of wickedness, and have taught you that ye should keep the commandments of the Lady, in all things which she hath commanded you— And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.

Yet, my sisters, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before Goddess this day. Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of Goddess.

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your Goddess. Behold, ye have called me your queen; and if I, whom ye call your queen, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?

And behold also, if I, whom ye call your queen, who has spent her days in your service, and yet has been in the service of Goddess, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly queen! I say unto you, my sisters, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that Goddess who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another— I say unto you that if ye should serve her who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve her with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

And behold, all that she requires of you is to keep her commandments; and she has promised you that if ye would keep her commandments ye should prosper in the land; and she never doth vary from that which she hath said; therefore, if ye do keep her commandments she doth bless you and prosper you. And now, in the first place, she hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto her. And secondly, she doth require that ye should do as she hath commanded you; for which if ye do, she doth immediately bless you; and therefore she hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto her, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to her who created you. And I, even I, whom ye call your queen, am no better than ye yourselves are; for I am also of the dust. And ye behold that I am old, and am about to yield up this mortal frame to its father earth.

Therefore, as I said unto you that I had served you, walking with a clear conscience before Goddess, even so I at this time have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together, that I might be found blameless, and that your blood should not come upon me, when I shall stand to be judged of Goddess of the things whereof she hath commanded me concerning you. I say unto you that I have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together that I might rid my garments of your blood, at this period of time when I am about to go down to my grave, that I might go down in peace, and my immortal spirit may join the choirs above in singing the praises of a just Goddess. And moreover, I say unto you that I have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together, that I might declare unto you that I can no longer be your teacher, nor your queen;

For even at this time, my whole frame doth tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak unto you; but the Lady Goddess doth support me, and hath suffered me that I should speak unto you, and hath commanded me that I should declare unto you this day, that my daughter Mosia is a queen and a ruler over you. And now, my sisters, I would that ye should do as ye have hitherto done. As ye have kept my commandments, and also the commandments of my mother, and have prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands of your enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my daughter, or the commandments of Goddess which shall be delivered unto you by her, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you.

But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my mother Mosia. For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon her who listeth to obey that spirit; for if she listeth to obey her, and remaineth and dieth in her sins, the same drinketh damnation to her own soul; for she receiveth for her wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of Goddess contrary to her own knowledge. I say unto you, that there are not any among you, except it be your little children that have not been taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Mother, to render to her all that you have and are; and also have been taught concerning the records which contain the prophecies which have been spoken by the holy prophetesses, even down to the time our mother, Sariah, left Jerusalem; And also, all that has been spoken by our mothers until now. And behold, also, they spake that which was commanded them of the Lady; therefore, they are just and true.

And now, I say unto you, my sisters, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lady, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved— I say unto you, that the woman that doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against Goddess; therefore she listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lady has no place in her, for she dwelleth not in unholy temples.

Therefore if that woman repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to Goddess, the demands of divine justice do awaken her immortal soul to a lively sense of her own guilt, which doth cause her to shrink from the presence of the Lady, and doth fill her breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever. And now I say unto you, that mercy hath no claim on that woman; therefore her final doom is to endure a never-ending torment. O, all ye old women, and also ye young women, and you little children who can understand my words, for I have spoken plainly unto you that ye might understand, I pray that ye should awake to a remembrance of the awful situation of those that have fallen into transgression. And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of Goddess. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with Goddess in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lady Goddess hath spoken it.