Book of Mormon Commentary CofC - Odessa, Missouri Community ...

Book of Mormon Commentary
Words of Mormon Chapter 1
CONCERNING THIS KING BENJAMIN, VER. 18-27
Words 1:20 But behold, King Benjamin gathered together his armies, and he did stand against them;
and he did fight with the strength of his own arm, with the sword of Laban;
1:20 Mormon asserted that the Nephites under King Benjamin's reign were disturbed by
"somewhat contentions among his own people" (18). This was followed by the information that
the Lamanites came "to battle against his people" (19). Mormon did not throw any light on the
cause of internal dissension. It is often true that nothing unites a people so quickly as the attacks of
outside forces against them. This could have been Mormon's purpose in mentioning the friction
among the Nephites.
"In the strength of the Lord" they united against the Lamanites "until they had slain many
thousands" (21). The struggle continued "until they had driven them out of all the lands of their
inheritance" (II N. 7:30, 34;Jb. 2:53;0. 1:49;W.M. 1:22).
Words 1:23 And it came to pass that after there had been false Christs, and their mouths had been shut,
and they punished according to their crimes;
1:23 These were followed by other imposters: false prophets, preachers, and teachers. They were
also punished, and many dissenters left and sought asylum among the Lamanites.
This was followed by a reign of righteousness, for “King Benjamin was a holy man" who had "the
assistance of the holy prophets" (25). With the aid of these prophets, unity was re- stored
throughout all the land. The record declares that these holy men “did speak the word of God, with
power and with authority; and they did use much sharpness because of the stiffneckedness of the
people" (26).
The result of these combined forces- the word and power of God, King Benjamin, and the
prophets- was a religious revival in the land. Mormon stresses that it was not until the king labored
“with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul" that they established "peace in
the land" (27).