Mosiah 3
People in this chapter
Benjamin tells his people that what he is about to say was made known unto me by an angel from God (v. 2). The angel woke him and said he had come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy, because the Lord had heard Benjamin's prayers (vv. 3-4). Nearly everything else in the chapter is the angel speaking.
Tap any highlighted phrase to jump to the commentary that unpacks it.
Mosiah 3:1-4Glad Tidings of Great Joy
1And again my brethren, I would call your attention, for I have somewhat more to speak unto you; for behold, I have things to tell you concerning that which is to come. 2And the things which I shall tell you are made known unto me by an angel from God. And he said unto me: Awake; and I awoke, and behold he stood before me. 3And he said unto me: Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy. 4For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.
Benjamin tells his people that an angel woke him and gave him a message of glad tidings of great joy. The angel came because the Lord had heard Benjamin's prayers.
Mosiah 3:5-10The Lord Omnipotent Shall Come Down
5For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. 6And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men.
7And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.
The angel says Christ will suffer temptation, pain, hunger, thirst and fatigue, more than any man could survive, until blood comes from every pore because of the sins of His people.
8And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.
The angel gives the Savior's name, Jesus Christ, and His mother's name, Mary, more than a hundred years before He was born. He is the Son of God and the Creator of all things.
9And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. 10And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men.
Christ will come to His own people, and they will call Him only a man, say He has a devil, scourge Him and crucify Him. He will rise the third day and judge the world.
Mosiah 3:11-18His Blood Atoneth
11For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. 12But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ's blood atones for those who died without knowing God's will or sinned in ignorance. Those who knowingly rebel can be saved only through repentance and faith in Christ.
13And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them. 14Yet the Lord God saw that his people were a stiffnecked people, and he appointed unto them a law, even the law of Moses. 15And many signs, and wonders, and types, and shadows showed he unto them, concerning his coming; and also holy prophets spake unto them concerning his coming; and yet they hardened their hearts, and understood not that the law of Moses availeth nothing except it were through the atonement of his blood.
God sent prophets so people could believe in Christ before He came and be forgiven. He gave the law of Moses, full of types of Christ, but the law saves no one apart from His Atonement.
16And even if it were possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins. 17And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent. 18For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
Mosiah 3:19-22Putting Off the Natural Man
19For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
Since the Fall, our natural, unchanged self pulls against God. We change by yielding to the Holy Spirit and putting off the natural man, and we become saints through Christ's Atonement.
A saint becomes as a child: submissive, meek, humble, patient and full of love, willing to accept what the Lord allows, as a child trusts his father.
20And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 21And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent. 22And even at this time, when thou shalt have taught thy people the things which the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, even then are they found no more blameless in the sight of God, only according to the words which I have spoken unto thee.
The angel prophesies that knowledge of the Savior will reach every nation. Once people have been taught, only repentance and faith in Christ will make them blameless.
Mosiah 3:23-27A Bright Testimony at the Judgment Day
23And now I have spoken the words which the Lord God hath commanded me. 24And thus saith the Lord: They shall stand as a bright testimony against this people, at the judgment day; whereof they shall be judged, every man according to his works, whether they be good, or whether they be evil. 25And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls.
The angel's words will be a witness at the judgment. Each person will be judged by their works, and those who chose evil will see their own guilt and shrink from the Lord.
26Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup of the wrath of God, which justice could no more deny unto them than it could deny that Adam should fall because of his partaking of the forbidden fruit; therefore, mercy could have claim on them no more forever. 27And their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever. Thus hath the Lord commanded me. Amen.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- How Can One Overcome the Natural Man?Scholars note that verse 19 stands near the structural center of Benjamin's address, and trace how its call to submit like a child runs through the whole speech.
- What Makes Mankind an Enemy to God?A study of what the Book of Mormon means by calling the natural man an enemy to God.
- Natural ManScripture references for the natural man and how he is overcome.
- Atone, AtonementThe Atonement of Jesus Christ, which the angel describes in verses 7-18.
Where this echoes in Scripture
Glad Tidings of Great Joy
- Luke 2:10-11I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day… a Saviour.The same message, given to shepherds at His birth.
- Mosiah 4:1The words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord.
- Alma 13:22Yea, and the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, doth declare it unto all nations.
The Lord Omnipotent Shall Come Down
- John 1:1-3, 14All things were made by him… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
- Revelation 19:6Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
- Luke 22:44His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
- D&C 19:18Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore.
- Alma 7:10He shall be born of Mary… she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel.
His Blood Atoneth
- Acts 4:12There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
- 2 Nephi 9:25Where there is no law given there is no punishment… the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them.
- Moroni 8:12Little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world.
- Galatians 3:24The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.
- D&C 29:46-47Little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten.
Putting Off the Natural Man
- 1 Corinthians 2:14The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
- Ephesians 4:22-24Put off… the old man… and that ye put on the new man.
- Matthew 18:3Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
- Luke 22:42Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
- Mosiah 15:7The will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.
A Bright Testimony at the Judgment Day
- Matthew 26:39O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
- 3 Nephi 11:11I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me.
- D&C 19:16I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.
- Alma 11:43We shall be brought to stand before God… and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.