{words of King Benjamin}

Last night Jake and I were reading Mosiah Chapter 2 out of The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. As we were reading the words of King Benjamin, we came across verses 20-22. It says:

20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another-

21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye many live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another- I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if you keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

Aren't those beautiful words? The three (actually four) things that stick out to me the most are:

1. We need to give thanks and praise God with our whole souls.
2. God "has caused that [we] should rejoice". God's purpose is to make us happy. Everything he has given us is to give us joy.
3. Each day He lends us breath and let's us live according to our own will. (The key is to now align our will with His.)
4. If we keep His commandments, He promises we will prosper and be blessed.

I am grateful for King Benjamin's words and the insight the scriptures can give us.