Mosia Chapter 4

And now, it came to pass that when queen Benjamine had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto her by the angel of the Lady, that she cast her eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lady had come upon them. And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesua Christ, the Daughter of Goddess, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of women.

And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lady came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesua Christ who should come, according to the words which queen Benjamine had spoken unto them. And queen Benjamine again opened her mouth and began to speak unto them, saying: My friends and my sisters, my kindred and my people, I would again call your attention, that ye may hear and understand the remainder of my words which I shall speak unto you.

For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of Goddess at this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state— I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of Goddess, and her matchless power, and her wisdom, and her patience, and her long-suffering towards the children of women; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to her that should put her trust in the Lady, and should be diligent in keeping her commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of her life, I mean the life of the mortal body— I say, that this is the woman who receiveth salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Eve, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world. And this is the means whereby salvation cometh. And there is none other salvation save this which hath been spoken of; neither are there any conditions whereby woman can be saved except the conditions which I have told you. Believe in Goddess; believe that she is, and that she created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that she has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that woman doth not comprehend all the things which the Lady can comprehend.

And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before Goddess; and ask in sincerity of heart that she would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them. And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of Goddess, or if ye have known of her goodness and have tasted of her love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of Goddess, and your own nothingness, and her goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lady daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of Goddess, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of her that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true. And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every woman according to that which is her due. And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of Goddess, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the mistress of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our mothers, she being an enemy to all righteousness.

But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another. And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto her that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up her petition to you in vain, and turn her out to perish. Perhaps thou shalt say: The woman has brought upon herself her misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto her of my food, nor impart unto her of my substance that she may not suffer, for her punishments are just—

But I say unto you, O woman, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except she repenteth of that which she hath done she perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the queendom of Goddess. For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even Goddess, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on her name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has she suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; she has poured out her Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy. And now, if Goddess, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another. And if ye judge the woman who putteth up her petition to you for your substance that she perish not, and condemn her, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to Goddess, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done. I say unto you, wo be unto that woman, for her substance shall perish with her; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.

And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give. And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received.

And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before Goddess—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every woman according to that which she hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants. And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a woman should run faster than she has strength. And again, it is expedient that she should be diligent, that thereby she might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order. And I would that ye should remember, that whosoever among you borroweth of her neighbor should return the thing that she borroweth, according as she doth agree, or else thou shalt commit sin; and perhaps thou shalt cause thy neighbor to commit sin also. And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of Goddess, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lady, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O woman, remember, and perish not.