Jesus and King Benjamin on Accountability

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

This article part of a chapter on the teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning inequality, organized in order to deconstruct the prosperity gospel and other modern bad ideas.  If you haven't already, take a look at the introduction to this chapter which explains what I mean by 'prosperity gospel', otherwise enjoy and feel free to join in the discussion.

In the last article about accountability, I spent the majority of the article attempting to use the Book of Mormon to answer the question of who is accountable for poverty and inequality - is it the poor, or is it society?  While there is some interesting content in the Book of Mormon regarding this question, and a clear case against the prosperity gospel, the more potent argument the book gives to this debate is that determining accountability is irrelevant.

The Book of Mormon message is clear - do not judge others, and certainly do not change your charity because of your judgment of others.

Jesus

In 3 Nephi 13 & 14, Jesus iterates his Sermon on the Mount, which he gave to the Israelites during his ministry, to the Nephites.  In ch. 14, he lectures the Nephites on judging others:

1 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he turned again to the multitude, and did open his mouth unto them again, saying: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Judge not, that ye be not judged.

 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother: Let me pull the mote out of thine eye—and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

It doesn't matter if our judgment is right, we are simply told not to judge.

Jesus was speaking to the average person with this statement - we are to suspend our judgment, and reach out in charity and love to assist those around us.  In Nephite society there were of course times when it was appropriate to judge - for example government leaders who were literally elected as 'judges', and religious leaders, both of whom had to make difficult judgments at times to best serve the Nephite community.

But for the most part, the Nephites were being told to put away their pride, their envy, and their inequality, and to honor the name of Christ by reaching out in love to others, including the requirement to share their resources to those less fortunate.

King Benjamin

Second only to the Sermon on the Mount, King Benjamin's address in Mosiah 2-5 is one of the most powerful discourses on the Gospel in the Book of Mormon.

After teaching the people about the Gospel of Jesus, and the opportunity of the people to repent and to 'receive a remission of sins', he instructs the people how they are to retain the forgiveness of sins which they have received - by treated others with kindness.

Benjamin lists several features of a civil society, including living peaceably with neighbors, teaching and caring for children, and of course administering substance to those that stand in need.  He then gives a warning to those who would withhold their assistance because they judge the poor.

Mosiah 4:

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

 17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

 18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

 19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind? ...

 21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.

 22 And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.

 23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.

Benjamin clearly states that those who have will be under condemnation if they do not give to those who have not.  And to not give because you think that a the poverty of others is deserved is evil.

Benjamin continues with a warning to the poor - but it is not the type of warning that the prosperity gospel would give, by warning them that their own wickedness caused their poverty, but a reminder that they too should have the heart to give to others, even if they actually cannot.

 24 And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give.

 25 And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received.

Just to be sure that his message that giving to the poor is a requirement of the gospel was clear, Benjamin closes with this:

 26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.

 27 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.