After King Benjamin finished speaking, he sent word through the crowd, asking if they believed what he’d told them.
The People’s Covenant
They answered with one voice: “Yes! We believe everything you’ve said. And we know it’s true because of the Spirit of the Lord Almighty. He’s changed us completely—changed our hearts—so that we don’t want to do evil anymore. All we want now is to do good. Through God’s endless goodness and the power of his Spirit, we’ve seen what’s coming. If we needed to, we could prophesy about everything. It’s our faith in what you’ve taught us that’s given us this deep understanding. That’s why we’re filled with such overwhelming joy. We’re ready to make a covenant with God—to do his will and obey his commands in everything, for the rest of our lives. We don’t want to bring endless suffering on ourselves, the way the angel warned. We don’t want to drink from the cup of God’s anger.”
This was exactly what King Benjamin had hoped to hear. He said to them, “You’ve spoken the words I wanted to hear. The covenant you’re making is a good and righteous one.”
Children of Christ
“Because of this covenant, you’ll be called the children of Christ—his sons and daughters. Today he has spiritually given birth to you. You say your hearts have been changed through faith in his name. So you’ve been born of him. You’ve become his sons and daughters.”
“Under him, you’re free. There’s no other way to be made free. No other name brings salvation. So I want you to take on the name of Christ—all of you who’ve made this covenant with God to stay faithful to the end. Anyone who does this will stand at God’s right hand, because he’ll know the name he’s called by. He’ll be called by the name of Christ.”
“But whoever refuses to take on the name of Christ will be called by some other name—and he’ll find himself on God’s left hand.”
Guard the Name
“Remember: this is the name I told you I’d give you—the name that can never be erased unless you turn away from God. So be careful. Don’t let your sins erase that name from your hearts. I’m telling you—keep that name written in your hearts always. That way you won’t end up on God’s left hand. You’ll recognize his voice when he calls you. You’ll know the name he calls you by.”
“How can someone know a master they’ve never served? A master who’s a stranger to them—someone far from their thoughts and intentions? Let me ask you this: Would someone take his neighbor’s donkey and keep it? Of course not. He wouldn’t even let it graze with his own animals. He’d drive it away and kick it out. That’s how it’ll be with you if you don’t know the name you’re called by.”
“So stay steady. Don’t waver. Always overflow with good works, so that Christ the Lord God Almighty can seal you as his own. Then you’ll be brought to heaven—to everlasting salvation and eternal life—through the wisdom, power, justice, and mercy of the one who created everything in heaven and on earth. He is God above all. Amen.”