Mosiah 1

There was no more fighting in the land of Zarahemla. All the people under King Benjamin’s rule lived in peace, and he enjoyed that peace for the rest of his life.

Benjamin Teaches His Sons

He had three sons—Mosiah, Helorum, and Helaman. He made sure they learned the language of their ancestors so they would grow into wise men who understood the prophecies their fathers had received from the Lord. He taught them about the brass plates and said, 'My sons, remember this: without these plates—these records and commandments—we would be stumbling around in the dark right now, knowing nothing about the ways of God. Our father Lehi could never have remembered all these things to teach his children without these plates. Because he knew Egyptian, he could read these engravings and teach them to his children, who taught them to their children. That’s how God’s commandments have been kept alive down to this very day. 'Listen, my sons—without these things that God has preserved so we could read and understand his mysteries and keep his commandments always before us, even our fathers would have drifted away from the truth. We would be just like our relatives, the Lamanites, who know nothing about these things. Even when someone tries to teach them, they won’t believe because of the false traditions they inherited from their fathers. My sons, remember that what I’m telling you is true, and these records are true. Look at the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and words of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now. They’re true, and we know it for certain because we can see them with our own eyes. 'So study them carefully and learn from them. Keep God’s commandments so you can thrive in this land, just as the Lord promised our fathers. King Benjamin taught his sons many more things that aren’t written in this book.

Passing the Kingdom to Mosiah

After Benjamin finished teaching his sons, he grew old. He knew death was coming soon, so he decided it was time to pass the kingdom to one of his sons. He called Mosiah before him and said, 'My son, send a proclamation throughout the land—to all the people of Zarahemla and the people of Mosiah who live here. Gather everyone together. Tomorrow I’m going to announce to this people that you are their new king and ruler over this land the Lord our God has given us. I’m also going to give this people a name that will set them apart from all the other people the Lord God brought out of Jerusalem. I’m doing this because they have been faithful in keeping the Lord’s commandments. 'I’m giving them a name that will never be erased—unless they abandon their faith. But here’s the warning: if this people—whom the Lord has blessed so much—turns to evil and becomes corrupt and unfaithful, the Lord will let them become weak like their relatives. He won’t protect them anymore with his extraordinary power the way he’s protected our fathers all this time. 'I’m telling you, if he hadn’t reached out and protected our fathers, they would have fallen into the hands of the Lamanites and been destroyed by their hatred.

The Sacred Trust

After Benjamin finished speaking to his son, he handed over to him all the responsibilities of the kingdom. He also gave him charge of the brass plates, the plates of Nephi, the sword of Laban, and the Liahona—the compass that led our fathers through the wilderness. The Lord had prepared it to guide them, and it worked according to how much faith and attention they gave it. When they were unfaithful, they didn’t make progress on their journey. Instead they were pushed backward and faced God’s anger. They were struck with hunger and terrible hardships to shake them awake and remind them of their duty.

Gathering the People

Mosiah did exactly as his father commanded. He sent word to all the people in the land of Zarahemla to gather at the temple so they could hear what his father had to say to them.