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Book of Mormon Commentary
Mosiah Chapter 1
KING BENJAMIN PREPARES FOR A SUCCESSOR, VER. 1-69
Mos 1:2 And it came to pass that he had three sons; and he called their names Mosiah, and Helorum,
and Helaman.
1:2 King Benjamin's oldest son is prominent in Book of Mormon history, but his brothers are
mentioned only this once. The Helaman who wrote the book which follows the Book of Alma is
not the prince mentioned here, but the son of Alma.
King Benjamin anticipated that one of his sons should be his successor, and "caused that they
should be taught in all the language of his fathers." Their learning was both secular and sacred.
Benjamin wrote, "that thereby they might become men of understanding; and ...know concerning
the prophecies" (3). He especially emphasized the value of the record "on the plates of brass."
Without them "we must have suffered in ignorance …not knowing the mysteries of God" (4). He
explained that except for this record "even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief" (7).
Doubtless the condition of the Mulekites which were found in the land of Zarahemla was the
motivation of this last statement.
Mos 1:4 And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass,
saying, My sons, I would that ye should remember, that were it not for these plates, which contain these
records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not
knowing the mysteries of God:
1:4 It has been noted previously, but bears repeating, that the experience with the brass plates was
a watershed event in young Nephi's life, and the plates would have had even greater import for
him than for his father. The fact that the brass plates were engraved on metal and that they
required "the language of the Egyptians" to read both provide the likely model for the plates that
Nephi forged, both for creating a record on metal as well as the language (which would have been
sacralized for him, whatever the possible pragmatics of its origin on the brass plates). It is even
quite likely that the physical dimensions of the plates of Nephi would have followed the model of
the brass plates.
Mos 1:8 And we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning
these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their
fathers, which are not correct.
1:8 Benjamin provides some important information here that should be analyzed. He first indicates
that the ability to read the records of the prophets has allowed them to continue to believe, in
contrast to "our brethren, the Lamanites." The Lamanites would have been deprived of the brass
plates, which deprived them of much of what we consider the Old Testament. They would have
missed Nephi's writings entirely simply because Nephi does not begin them until after the split has
occurred. Benjamin takes for granted the loss of true religion to the Lamanites, and places that
blame on their inability to read the accounts (not because they could not read in this case, but
because they do not have the text to read from).