Mosiah 6

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 6/20 Green 3/21 Orange 6/22 Brown 2023.)

Chapter 6

King Benjamin records the names of the people and appoints priests to teach them—Mosiah reigns as a righteous king. About 124–121 B.C.

  1 And now, king Benjamin thought it was expedient, after having finished speaking to the people, that he should ^atake the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God to keep his commandments. Records are so important to God. This could also be looked at as a temple recommend. All these people were being “recommended to the Lord” by entering this covenant. They were gathered at the temple. Did they have the endowment then? 
  2 And it came to pass that there was not one soul, except it were little children, but who had entered into the covenant and had taken upon them the name of Christ. Amazing statistic!
  3 And again, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of all these things, and had consecrated his son ^aMosiah to be a ruler and a king over his people, and had given him all the charges concerning the kingdom, and also had ^bappointed ^cpriests to ^dteach the people, that thereby they might hear and know the commandments of God, and to stir them up in remembrance of the ^eoath which they had made, he dismissed the multitude, and they returned, every one, according to their ^ffamilies, to their own houses. Even though they had this amazing collective conversion, King Benjamin knew that with time they would be tempted to forget or get complacent or distracted. So he sent teachers among them to keep reminding them of the oath they'd made. Is this what happens to you each week when you take the Sacrament? Does it say, "Hey, remember you promised God you would keep His commandments and always remember Him. Are you doing that? Remember, you PROMISED!" I wonder what he means by “stirring them up” to remember their covenants. We know Satan “stirs” people up to contend. Is the connotation of this word one of chastisement? correction? Reminders of judgment? A ‘fear of the Lord’ kind of reminding? How much of that do you hear today to “stir” you up? Do you only have the scriptures? If so, and you aren’t really reading them, then this may be why so many have the “all is well in Zion” syndrome. Definitions of "stir": to disturb the quiet of; to bring into notice or debate; to rouse to activity : evoke strong feelings in; widespread notice and discussion  The trick is to "stir" with the Spirit and not have Satan "stirring" with contention. 
  4 And Mosiah began to reign in his father’s stead. And he began to reign in the thirtieth year of his age, making in the whole, about four hundred and seventy-six years from the ^atime that Lehi left Jerusalem. This is a LONG time. We're only about 250 years into this nation's history. I can't even imagine in another 200 years, where people would be in retaining the history and beliefs of the first settlers. Let’s see how long they last...
  5 And king Benjamin lived three years and he died.
  6 And it came to pass that king Mosiah did ^awalk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe his judgments and his statutes, and did keep his commandments in all things whatsoever he commanded him.
  7 And king Mosiah did cause his people that they should till the earth. And he also, himself, did till the earth, that thereby he might ^anot become burdensome to his people, that he might do according to that which his father had done in all things. And there was no contention among all his people for the space of three years. So far the collective experience has lasted three years. They had not had contention for at least nine years total.