Be Diligent: That thereby ye might win the PRIZE!

Charlie and I have been studying in the Book of Mormon the sermon of King Benjamin this past week (Mosiah chapters 2-4). We did a scripture poster that was inspired by a particular verse that stood out in chapter 4 at the conclution of his sermon. Our discussion focused on verse 27. In an earlier verse, and throughout King Benjamin's teachings, he is bold in putting the followers of Christ under obligation to keep the commandments of Christ. He says, "And now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them." (Mosiah 4:10)

To this we often think, "Well, this is the hard part," and unfortunately we often become overwhelmed and discouraged which becomes a stumbling block between us and Christ. King Benjamin knew, and the Lord certainly knew, that this would be the natural next thought in our minds at the conclution of such a powerful sermon on our duties to God, and so King Benjamin did not conclude his sermon until he gave this wise instruction on the "how" to do all these things. In verse 27 he said:

"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order." (Mosiah 4:27)

This became the center of our discussion and the light with which we examined all the teachings of King Benjamin in his great sermon, and we decided to make a scipture poster while we discussed what King Benjamin meant in verse 27 ans what he was teaching us in these chapters.

First he said that "it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength." I asked Charlie where our spiritual strength comes from. He immediately said, "From Christ!" I said that is right. So in this phrase King Benjamin is giving us wise counsel to seek strength through prayer and the atonement before we try to run the race on our own. This is what he means by "see that all these things are done in wisdom and order." While we are dependent on Christ for our spiritual strength and should not think that we can run the race on our own, lest we fail, King Benjamin reminds us that there is something that all of us can do, and need to do, no matter where we are in our journey toward becoming like Christ. He says: "It is expedient that he should be diligent."

So, it is not required for us to be able to do that which is not within our spiritual strength, with the understanding that as we come unto Christ he will take us as we are and as we cleave to him in all things he will make us stronger. What is required of us, what is expedient right now, (expedient = a means of attaining an end) is that we be diligent in all these things.

We discussed the word Diligent. It is a word I use a lot in our home and in discussions with Charlie about the attitude and effort he applies to school work and service in the home. Diligent is a word that descibes an action of will, a state of our attitude toward our duty. Diligent means: having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties. It's synonymns:

Industrious, hard-working, conscientious, particular, punctilious, painstaking, rigorous, careful, thorough, earnest; persevering, persistent, tenacious, zealous, dedicated, committed, unflagging, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, "diligent workers"

The opposite of diligent is lazy.

In this scripture King Benjamin is referring to our diligent attitudes and efforts toward our duty to God. He is teaching us that our spiritual strength, the ability to run, comes by degrees through a process in which we learn how to rely upon Christ fully; but diligence is a matter of attitude and will power, and our will and our attitude toward our duty to God is something that we can give to God in full. Sure, even our attitude, when we struggle, can be improved by asking God to help us be more humble, more patient, more persevering, etc. but still our will and our attitude is something that lies within our power to give and we must give it fully. If we do then WE CAN DO ALL THESE THINGS... through Christ.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)

(This was our family reunion theme this year.)

And wasn't that what King Benjamin's whole life and his sermon taught us. Charlie and I discovered this as we looked at the main points of King Benjamin's sermon in the prisom of what he was teaching us in verse 27. He taught the basics of the Gospel of Jesus Christ perfectly. He taught that Christ and his atonement are at the center of all we do. He taught us to serve with our whole hearts, to sincerely repent, and to keep the commandments. It's the first 4 principles and ordinances of the gospel and our baptismal covenant; and most importantly he shows us how to do all these things through Christ and with diligence.

I love King Benjamin!!