Mosiah 4:9-10 -- On Belief, Repentance, and Humility

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them."
Mosiah 4:9-10


This is King Benjamin speaking to his people. I love that guy. There are very few examples of really good leaders out there, but he is one of them. He took his huge responsibility seriously and taught his people (and his family) the gospel, being totally real with them and illustrating that he was also a man and subject to God, and that it was his job to labor to serve *them* (Mosiah 2:14-17). This is some advice that he gave to his people, and it seems like good advice for all of us. One of King Benjamin's big themes was humility, and that compared to God we are nothing.

Thinking about that today, I feel like that is one of the big keys that we are missing in our lives sometimes. We want God to give us what we think we deserve, and justify us, when instead we should be asking God that his will be done in our lives, whatever that is, and we should be making the most of what God has already given us in thankfulness.

Humility doesn't mean self-hatred or that we can't find value in what we do. It is more about thinking about who we are compared to other people and not thinking we are better. As we walk God's path, he will teach us our talents, help us find new ones, and show us that he loves and values us as his children. We are of infinite worth. God just wants us to learn how to let other people win, and to see the needs of other people and help *them* feel valued and loved rather than striving for our own recognition or elevation. He wants us to realize that he knows better than we do, in every single case, rather than claiming that God or the universe has wronged us in some way. Today, let's turn to God in humility, and repent. When we need answers, let's find them in God, because he is the source of truth and light. Trying to find our answers elsewhere will lead us down a dark path.