“9 And these are the words which he spake and caused to
be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves
together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for
I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the
words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and
open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be
unfolded to your view.”
The
context of this scripture centers around King Benjamin and his final speech to
his people shortly before his death. His sermon is perhaps one of the greatest
found in the Book of Mormon. He focuses his thoughts on important topics likes
the Atonement, the role of Jesus Christ, and how to serve one another. While
emphasis is often placed on his actual words, one can also gain significant
insights when they study this verse as well.
In
this verse King Benjamin pleads with the people that they “hearken unto [him],
and open [their] ears.” It is interesting to note that the two verbs he chooses
were hearken and open. These two words denote actions that require a certain amount
of initiative from within the individual. Instead of passively hearing his
words, King Benjamin invites his people, and simultaneously people today, to actively
choose to engage in his sermon.
Additionally, he places
equal emphasis on opening their “hearts that [they] may understand” the
doctrine on a more sacred level. A common motif found throughout all scripture
is the heart and the role it plays in helping a person gain a testimony of the
gospel. To actively listen with the heart, the individual needs to invoke the
power of the Holy Ghost so that the truths may be interpreted spiritually. The
process whereby this occurs is not always easy, however, it proves to be the
most effective method for the conversion of the soul. Spiritual learning
transcends all physical forms and allows the individual to more deeply
understand God. Even later, King Benjamin states that by opening one’s ears and
heart, “the mysteries of God may be unfolded to [one’s] view.” These great
mysteries deal with the core doctrine of Christ and the personal application of
it to one’s self. As people strive to better understand the Plan of God for all
humanity by using the spirit, they will ultimately be able to move forward with
faith knowing how they personally fit within that Plan.
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