The Know

The famous speech King Benjamin gave from his tower near the Nephite temple was certainly well received by his people: “And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us” (Mosiah 5:2). However, what may be less clear to the casual observer is how well received Benjamin’s teachings were by succeeding Nephite generations. As S. Kent Brown remarked, “we know that Benjamin’s words remained deeply influential in the society because later generations show a thorough acquaintance with them and thought them important enough to pass on to others (see Mosiah 8:3; Hel. 5:9). One might compare the American public’s general acquaintance with, and esteem for, the Gettysburg Address of Abraham Lincoln.”1

Many different circumstances act as the background of Benjamin’s speech: He was a king speaking to his people at the coronation of his son Mosiah, which perhaps also coincided with a sacred festival, and he was also giving his people a new name and national covenant.2 Additionally, part of the speech had been given to him by an angel, and he also quoted earlier prophets like Jacob.3 The speech may even include Hebrew poetics and wordplay unique to the situation.4 Despite the fact that all those factors combined to make a unique situation, phraseology and even large quotes of Benjamin’s speech are mirrored or quoted by prophets like Alma, Ammon, Helaman, Samuel, Mormon, and others—perhaps even Jesus Himself.5

Benjamin and Alma

One of the earliest individuals noticeably influenced by Benjamin was Alma the Younger, who was initially influential among “the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin … because of their unbelief” (Mosiah 26:1, 3; 27:8). Nonetheless, John W. Welch notes that Alma’s words and actions when he led the Church after his conversion strongly mirrored several of Benjamin’s teachings. Alma presided over those who “had taken upon them the name of Christ,” leading them in efforts of relief and equality and paraphrasing many of Benjamin’s phrases in his sermons.6

No one in the Nephite culture who was familiar with King Benjamin’s speech would easily miss Alma’s allusions to the order established by Benjamin. No doubt Alma was following the covenant pattern established by his father Alma at the waters of Mormon (see Mosiah 18), but the specific terminology that Alma used around 90 B.C. in implementing that ecclesiastical order was Benjamin’s.7

Several of his quotations and allusions are listed in the table below.

Table 1. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Alma

Benjamin and Ammon

Benjamin’s missionary grandson Ammon used several phrases reminiscent of Benjamin’s speech, including a reference to a law codified by his father, Mosiah, but potentially already in force under King Benjamin.8

Table 2. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Ammon

Benjamin and Helaman

Helaman specifically encouraged his sons Nephi and Lehi to remember the words of Benjamin, doing so in a way that echoes Benjamin’s own words.9

Table 3. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Helaman

Benjamin and Samuel

The prophet Samuel used a specific ten-part title for Christ that was revealed to Benjamin by an angel.10 This significant and specific title suggests that Samuel—who was probably one of the converts of Nephi and Lehi—was well aware of Benjamin’s sermon, especially as Samuel delivered his message to the people in Zarahemla, the city where Benjamin had delivered his speech 118 years earlier.11

Table 4. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Samuel

Benjamin and Mormon

Mormon honors Benjamin by using or retaining words of Benjamin’s speech from underlying records. In addition, Mormon also paraphrases Benjamin in several other instances as part of his own narrative and when admonishing his audience.12

Table 6. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Mormon

Benjamin and Jesus

Even some of Jesus’s teachings in 3 Nephi 18 echo the themes of Benjamin’s speech, which in turn seem to provide the language for the sacrament prayers in Moroni 4–5. The parallels here include clear references to God as the Eternal Father; asking the Father in the name of the Son Jesus Christ; blessing and sanctifying; a cup of wrath, blood, or wine; select individuals receiving the covenant; a covenant as a witness of willingness; and similar blessings in the resulting promises.13 When Mormon described Jesus’s ministry among the Nephites, he seemed to do it in the language of Benjamin.14 Jesus also seemed to use the words of Benjamin in His own first-person speech.15

Table 5. Benjamin’s speech in teachings of Jesus

Benjamin and Others

A recent article at Evidence Central has catalogued well over 150 potential intertextual relationships between Benjamin's speech and other parts of the Book of Mormon. Alongside others already mentioned, other righteous individuals like Abinadi, Amulek, Mosiah, and Moroni quote Benjamin’s speech. Even antagonistic individuals like Korihor and the mocking Nephites in Helaman 16

Benjamin, Law, and Culture

Benjamin’s legacy of leadership lived on, too, and Welch describes him as a Nephite founding father in theological, legal, and cultural terms.17 He had the difficult task of unifying disparate cultural groups, and his speech may have been given in part to incorporate the Mulekites into Nephite society.18 His list of criminal and sinful prohibitions—murder, plunder, stealing, adultery, or any manner of wickedness—is found paraphrased six times.19 He prohibited slavery and imprisonment among the Nephites, perhaps for the first time in their history.20 The foundation he laid led to a sort of doctrinal, political, economic, and even somewhat technological renaissance in succeeding generations.21

The Why

The differences in authorial voice are one of the strong testaments to the veracity of the Book of Mormon, which claims to have many authors. Thus, it might seem counterintuitive to also see similarities in style between Book of Mormon authors as also being evidence of the Book of Mormon’s truth; yet it would be even more unsettling and alarming if Book of Mormon authors evinced no awareness of each other and their common culture. The Book of Mormon walks that line in an impressive way, maintaining authorial voice while also carrying subtle references to other authors throughout. In the words of John W. Welch, these brilliant uses of Benjamin’s classic verbiage “would have appeared to the Nephites both marvelously familiar and revealingly innovative.”22

Clearly, later Nephite and even Lamanite prophets diligently studied the words of King Benjamin and incorporated them into their own teachings. If even prophets studied the words of previous prophets religiously, then readers today should also do so. Hilton noted, “Identifying and examining intertextuality can show us how prophets carefully studied the words of their predecessors, which can motivate us to deepen our own studies.”23 Jesus taught the Nephites, “Search [all] the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things” (3 Nephi 23:5). People sometimes ask God for counsel concerning topics that are already addressed in scripture, but Hugh Nibley suggests that we ought to appreciate scripture already received:

Notice that the scriptures are never outdated. Moroni quoted prophecies thousands of years old [to Joseph Smith] because those prophecies were still in effect. … If you pray for an angel to visit you, you know what he’ll do if he comes. He'll just quote the scriptures to you—so you’re wasting your time waiting for what we already have.24

This is not to discount the importance of modern prophets. Jesus taught, “Every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52). Saints must treasure up the revelation of the past while also treasuring the current revelations of the modern day.

Benjamin was adored by his people and taught them many enduring doctrines, including the distinctive principles of charity and self-sacrifice.25 He set the stage for his son Mosiah as a ruler, seer, and democratizer in his own right.26 It was only when a generation arose that had not heard Benjamin’s speech that the Nephites were led into sin, and even then the legacy of his words endured.27 As readers today internalize the words of Benjamin, they like the ancient Nephites can have “a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2).

• 1. S. Kent Brown, Voices from the Dust: Book of Mormon Insights (American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 2004), 75.
• 2. Brown, Voices from the Dust, 69: “The chief purpose for the gathering, of course, was the formal transfer of royal authority from king to crown prince.” See also Book of Mormon Central, “Why Is the Theme of Kingship So Prominent in King Benjamin’s Speech? (Mosiah 1:10),” KnoWhy 79 (April 15, 2016). There is good evidence that the speech may have surrounded an Israelite festival like Succoth. See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did the Nephites Stay in Their Tents during King Benjamin’s Speech? (Mosiah 2:6),” KnoWhy 80 (April 18, 2016). It may have been a Jubilee year or reset the calendar for such occurrences. See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Alma Wish to Speak “with the Trump of God”? (Alma 29:1),” KnoWhy 136 (July 5, 2016). Connections have also been proposed to the Day of Atonement; see Book of Mormon Central, “Why Does King Benjamin Emphasize the Blood of Christ? (Mosiah 4:2),” KnoWhy 82 (April 20, 2016).
• 3. John Hilton III, Voices in the Book of Mormon: Discovering Distinctive Witnesses of Jesus Christ (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book; Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2024), 136–143, lists thirteen connections in a table. Brown, Voices from the Dust, 77, 87n23, suggests that Benjamin may have also modeled his speech on the Israelite Samuel’s speech. See also John Tvedtness, “King Benjamin and the Feast of Tabernacles,” in By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley, 2 vols., ed. John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies [FARMS]; Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book), 2:210–213, 219; John W. Welch and Daryl R. Hague, “Benjamin’s Sermon as a Traditional Ancient Farewell Address,” in King Benjamin’s Speech: That Ye May Learn Wisdom, ed. John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1998), 89–117.
• 4. Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did King Benjamin Use Poetic Parallels So Extensively? (Mosiah 5:11),” KnoWhy 83 (April 21, 2016); Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did King Benjamin Say That His People Would Be Sons and Daughters at God’s Right Hand? (Mosiah 5:7),” KnoWhy 307 (May 1, 2017); Book of Mormon Central, “How Are Acts of Service Related to Wisdom? (Mosiah 2:17),” KnoWhy 308 (May 3, 2017); Evidence Central, “Wordplay on Benjamin,” Evidence 0055, September 19, 2020; Evidence Central, “Parallelisms in Benjamin’s Speech,” Evidence 0375, October 17, 2022; Evidence Central, “Benjamin’s Masterful Oration,” Evidence 0373, October 3, 2022; Evidence Central, “Benjamin’s Prophetic Lawsuit,” Evidence 0359, July 18, 2022; Evidence Central, “Mosiah’s Coronation,” Evidence 0056, September 19, 2020; Evidence Central, “Covenant Renewal Formula,” Evidence 0054, September 19, 2020.
• 5. The nature of the relationship between Benjamin’s and Abinadi’s words is complicated by uncertainty about the chronology and how either one would have known of the other’s words given their disparate geographical settings. See John Hilton III, “Abinadi’s Legacy: Tracing His Influence through the Book of Mormon,” in Abinadi: He Came Among Them in Disguise, ed. Shon D. Hopkin (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book; Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2018), 103–109 for discussion of this issue.
• 6. Alma 1:19. John W. Welch, “Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History,” in King Benjamin’s Speech, 44. “Alma implemented many of the religious and social policies articulated by Benjamin. Alma required that all those who ‘had taken upon them the name of Christ’ (Alma 1:19; compare Mosiah 5:9) should ‘impart of their substance” to the poor and the needy, ‘every man according to that which he had’ (Alma 1:27; compare Mosiah 4:26); that no church leader should ‘ [esteem] himself above his hearers’ (Alma 1:26; compare Mosiah 2:26); that the names of all hardened transgressors ‘were blotted out' (Alma 1:24; compare Mosiah 5:11); that ‘every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey’ (Alma 3:27; compare Mosiah 2:32); that all should strive to retain ‘a remission of their sins’ (Alma 4:14; compare Mosiah 4:12), should have ‘experienced this mighty change in [their] hearts’ (Alma 5:14; compare Mosiah 5:2); and that the people should be ‘humble, and … submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments’ (Alma 7:23; compare Mosiah 3:19; 2:20). Speaking to the people in Ammonihah, Alma exhorted them to become ‘humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering’ (Alma 13:28), essentially restating Mosiah 3:19.”King Benjamin’s Speech, 44. “Alma implemented many of the religious and social policies articulated by Benjamin. Alma required that all those who ‘had taken upon them the name of Christ’ (Alma 1:19; compare Mosiah 5:9) should ‘impart of their substance” to the poor and the needy, ‘every man according to that which he had’ (Alma 1:27; compare Mosiah 4:26); that no church leader should ‘ [esteem] himself above his hearers’ (Alma 1:26; compare Mosiah 2:26); that the names of all hardened transgressors ‘were blotted out’(Alma 1:24; compare Mosiah 5:11); that ‘every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey’ (Alma 3:27; compare Mosiah 2:32); that all should strive to retain ‘a remission of their sins’ (Alma 4:14; compare Mosiah 4:12), should have ‘experienced this mighty change in [their] hearts’ (Alma 5:14; compare Mosiah 5:2); and that the people should be ‘humble, and … submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments’ (Alma 7:23; compare Mosiah 3:19; 2:20). Speaking to the people in Ammonihah, Alma exhorted them to become ‘humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering’ (Alma 13:28), essentially restating Mosiah 3:19.”
• 7. Welch, “Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History,” 44. For more examples of citations of Benjamin by Alma, see Evidence Central, “Benjamin’s Speech (Literary Influence),” Evidence 0374, October 10, 2022.
• 8. Evidence Central, “Benjamin’s Speech (Literary Influence),” Evidence 0374, October 10, 2022.
• 9. Hilton, Voices in the Book of Mormon, 115; Evidence Central, “Benjamin’s Speech (Literary Influence),” Evidence 0374, October 10, 2022.
• 10. Hilton, Voices in the Book of Mormon, 206–207; John W. Welch, “Textual Consistency,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: FARMS; Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1992), 22–23; Welch, “Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History,” 46; Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Samuel Rely So Heavily on the Words of Past Prophets? (Helaman 14:1),” KnoWhy 185 (September 12, 2016). Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Benjamin Give Multiple Names for Jesus at the Coronation of His Son Mosiah? (Mosiah 3:8),” KnoWhy 536 (October 17, 2019).
• 11. Jesus uses a title for Himself in 3 Nephi 9:15 that bears similarity to Mosiah 3:8 and Mosiah 4:2, perhaps paraphrasing Benjamin and Samuel.
• 12. Welch, “Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History,” 46–47: “Other texts in the Book of Mormon quote or paraphrase Benjamin, including 3 Nephi 6:18, which recalls Benjamin’s speech in the phrases ‘sin ignorantly,’ and ‘wilfully rebel against God’ (Mosiah 3:11, 12). In Mormon 7:7, such phrases as ‘sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above’ and ‘a state of happiness which hath no end’ again reflect Benjamin’s lasting influence (see Mosiah 2:28, 41). Further similarities, such as those between Mosiah 5 and the Nephite sacramental covenant at the temple in 3 Nephi 18, also show how the words and phrases of Benjamin’s speech remained useful, meaningful, and normative for years to come.” Also see Evidence Central, “Benjamin’s Speech (Literary Influence),” Evidence 0374, October 10, 2022.
• 13. John W. Welch, “Benjamin’s Covenant as a Precursor of the Sacrament Prayers,” in King Benjamin‘s Speech Made Simple, ed. John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1999), 215–224; Book of Mormon Central, “Where Did Moroni Get the Sacramental Prayers From? (Moroni 4:1),” KnoWhy 250 (December 12, 2016).
• 14. Book of Mormon Central, “Why Are Children So Prominent in 3 Nephi? (3 Nephi 26:14),” KnoWhy 220 (October 31, 2016).
• 15. Jesus seems to use language and ideas similar to Benjamin’s when He speaks to the brother of Jared, though this antedates Benjamin by several thousand years (Ether 3:14; Mosiah 5:7). It is possible that Moroni translated or reframed it with the words of Benjamin or that Jesus or an angel had delivered those words to Benjamin for his speech. Evidence Central, “Benjamin’s Speech (Literary Influence),” Evidence 0374, October 10, 2022.
• 16. John W. Welch, “Benjamin’s Covenant as a Precursor of the Sacrament Prayers,” in King Benjamin‘s Speech Made Simple, ed. John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1999), 215–224; Book of Mormon Central, “Where did Moroni Get the Sacramental Prayers from? (Moroni 4:1),” KnoWhy 250 (December 12, 2016). The Evidence Central post mentioned above draws upon many findings that have been noted by John W. Welch, John Hilton III, and others; however, it also identifies many potential connections not identified in other research.
• 17. Jesus seems to use language and ideas similar to Benjamin when he speaks to the brother of Jared (Ether 3:14; Mosiah 5:7), though this antedates the brother of Jared by several thousand years. It is possible that Moroni translated or reframed it with the words of Benjamin, or that Jesus or an angel had delivered those words to Benjamin for his speech. Evidence Central, “Benjamin’s Speech (Literary Influence),” Evidence 0374, October 10, 2022.
• 18. Welch, “Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History,” 42–43, 48–50. Hilton notes that Benjamin perhaps cited Jacob because both individuals may have been trying to help assimilate indigenous peoples in Nephite society. Hilton, Voices in the Book of Mormon, 143.
• 19. Welch, “Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History,” 40, 44–45.
• 20. Welch, “Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History,” 39–41.
• 21. Welch, “Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History,” 39–45, 48–50. On page 41 Welch writes, “The legacy left by Benjamin in Nephite thought and culture combines a number of traditional elements with a significant degree of innovation. His major contribution seems to have been to solidify the theology and culture of his people, much as he had consolidated the political power and territory in the land of Zarahemla. In so doing, he set the stage for the next 150 years of Nephite experience.”
• 22. Welch, “Benjamin’s Covenant,” 218–219.
• 23. Hilton, Voices in the Book of Mormon, 128. See also p. 152.
• 24. Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion (Provo, UT: FARMS; Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1989), 86–87.
• 25. Book of Mormon Central, “Why Were Benjamin and Mosiah Such Beloved and Effective Leaders? (Mosiah 6:6),” KnoWhy 84 (April 22, 2016); Book of Mormon Central, “How Did King Benjamin Teach His People to Trust God More? (Mosiah 4:9),” KnoWhy 314 (May 17, 2017); Book of Mormon Central, “How Can Honest Labor and Self-Reliance Bring Lasting Happiness? (2 Nephi 5:17),” KnoWhy 365 (September 19, 2017).
• 26. Book of Mormon Central, “Which Nephite King Had the Gift of Interpretation? (Mosiah 21:28, 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon),” KnoWhy 99 (May 13, 2016); Book of Mormon Central, “How Did King Benjamin’s Speech Lead to Nephite Democracy? (Mosiah 29:32),” KnoWhy 301 (April 17, 2017).
• 27. Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Alma Need to ‘Establish the Order of the Church’ in Zarahemla Again? (Alma 6:4),” KnoWhy 113 (June 2, 2016).