Table of Contents
Mosiah 1
Mosiah CHAPTER 1 King Benjamin teaches his sons the language and prophecies of their fathers—Their religion and civilization have been preserved because of the records kept on the various plates—Mosiah is chosen as king and is given custody of the records and other things. About 130–124 B.C.
The Scriptures Bless Our Family
How did the plates of brass and the plates of Nephi bless King Benjamin’s people? How do the scriptures bless our family?
Mosiah 2
Mosiah CHAPTER 2 King Benjamin addresses his people—He recounts the equity, fairness, and spirituality of his reign—He counsels them to serve their Heavenly King—Those who rebel against God will suffer anguish like unquenchable fire. About 124 B.C.
Book of Mormon Stories “King Benjamin” Images and Story
Book of Mormon Stories “King Benjamin” Images and Story
Friend March 2016 “King Benjamin Teaches His People” Story and Images
Teaching Children the Gospel “Lesson 10: King Benjamin” Crossword puzzle tells story of King Benjamin.
When I serve others, I am serving God.
Ask the students to tell some things they know about kings. Write those things on the chalkboard under the heading KINGS. After watching the videos about King Benjamin, ask the students if King Benjamin did any of the things listed on the board. Ask if they think King Benjamin was a good king, and why.
(Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020) When you hear the word king, you might think of crowns, castles, servants, and thrones. In Mosiah 1–3, you will read about a different kind of king. Rather than living off the labors of his people, King Benjamin “labored with [his] own hands” (Mosiah 2:14). Instead of having others serve him, he served his people “with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord [had] granted unto [him]” (Mosiah 2:11). This king did not want his people to worship him; rather, he taught them to worship a King greater than himself, for he understood that it is “the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth” (Mosiah 3:5).
by Jeremy Winborg
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Mosiah 1-3”This week’s activity page has a simple crown your children could make. Maybe they would like to take turns standing on a chair or stool and pretending to be King Benjamin while you share some things King Benjamin taught his people, found in Mosiah 2–3. You could also share with them “Chapter 12: King Benjamin” (Book of Mormon Stories, 32–35) to give them an overview of King Benjamin’s teachings.
Come Follow Me Kid “Mosiah 1-3” Cards with the teachings of King Benjamin that the children could read while pretending to be King Benjamin. (Suggestion: Do this a little at a time by using the cards that go along with each lesson title.)
You could make a small tower and let family members take turns reading King Benjamin’s words while standing on it. (You could make a simple crown or costume as well for the speaker to wear.) The rest of the family could listen from inside a makeshift tent. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 “Mosiah 1-3”
Friend August 1988 “Sharing Time: Be a Righteous Leader” Cut out King Benjamin and statements. Read statements as you glue them between the steps of the tower. Cut slits marked with broken lines and place King Benjamin on tower between railing.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Mosiah 1-3” Mosiah 2:17 might be a good verse for your children to learn. You could help them repeat it a few words at a time. Or you could write the verse down, with several key words missing, and ask your children to find the missing words. Then you could talk with your children about why God wants us to serve each other.
Lessons and Activities for Everyone “Mosiah 1-3” See more options at link
Friend April 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Read Mosiah 2:17 together. Then help your little ones take turns standing on a chair, like King Benjamin on the tower. (You could make a simple crown or print the one below for the speaker to wear) While on the chair, help them repeat a simple line about service, like “God is happy when I help others” or, “By serving others I’m serving God.”
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Mosiah 1-3” Invite the children to repeat the following sentence a few words at a time as they clap each syllable with you: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). Repeat this until the children have learned some or all of the words. Testify that when we help others, we are also helping Heavenly Father and Jesus and making Them happy. Ask the children to share ways they can help others.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Mosiah 1-3” You could help your children search Mosiah 2:11–18 to find out what King Benjamin did to serve others. Then your children could write on strips of paper some ways they can serve family members. Put the papers in a container, like a bag or jar, so your children can pick one each day and do that act of service for someone.
See Service Ideas, or Secret Service for additional ideas
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Mosiah 1-3” Help the children trace their hands on a piece of paper and draw something they can do to serve their families. Sing together a song about service, such as “When We’re Helping” (Children’s Songbook, 198).
Ensign April 2020 “Family Study Fun” Gratitude Tower of Service
King Benjamin built a tower and taught his people that when we serve each other, we are really serving God (see Mosiah 2:17).
- Build a tower. It can be a chair, an ottoman, a few boxes, etc.
- Take turns getting up on your tower and thanking someone in the family for the service they have done recently.
- Now take turns getting on the tower again and sharing with the family one way you’re going to provide service this week.
Discussion: Why is it important to serve others? How does it make you feel when someone serves you? How can we serve someone (and God) as a family this week?
Latter Day Kids “Serve One Another” Lesson ideas
I should not boast about my service and my good works.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Mosiah 1-3”
- Invite the children to share how they would define the word boast, or help them find the definition in a dictionary. Help them search Mosiah 2:15–24, looking for reasons why King Benjamin did not boast about his service to others. Why should we serve others? After the children share their ideas, help them understand that we should seek to serve others because we love them and God, not so that we will look good to others.
- Ask the children to share situations in which someone might boast or brag about something. Why is it wrong to boast in those situations? Invite them to use counsel from King Benjamin’s speech in Mosiah 2:15–24 to help them with their answers.
All of my blessings come from Heavenly Father.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Mosiah 1-3” Explain that King Benjamin taught that all of our blessings come from Heavenly Father. Invite the children to listen for a blessing Heavenly Father has given us as you read Mosiah 2:21. What other blessings has Heavenly Father given us? How can we show that we are thankful for these things? (see Mosiah 2:22).
Friend February 2023 “What’s on Your Mind?”
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Mosiah 1-3” Here’s a game you could play to help your children recognize Heavenly Father’s blessings. The children could pass around a picture of the Savior as they sing or listen to a song about gratitude (see “Gratitude” in the topics index of the Children’s Songbook). Stop singing or stop the music periodically, and invite whoever is holding the picture to talk about a blessing they are grateful for. According to Mosiah 2:22–24, how can we show that we are thankful for our blessings?
See also Gratitude: Activity & Games
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Mosiah 1-3” King Benjamin’s service to his people was inspired by his deep gratitude to God. How will you inspire similar feelings in your children? You could read together Mosiah 2:21 and start a list of blessings Heavenly Father has given us. Then maybe you could add to the list other blessings your children think of.
Blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.
What did King Benjamin teach about the consequences of knowing truth but not living it? What did he teach about how to obtain true happiness?
Friend May 2011 “King Benjamin’s Tower” Review for Mosiah 2
Mosiah 3
Mosiah CHAPTER 3 King Benjamin continues his address—The Lord Omnipotent will minister among men in a tabernacle of clay—Blood will come from every pore as He atones for the sins of the world—His is the only name whereby salvation comes—Men can put off the natural man and become Saints through the Atonement—The torment of the wicked will be as a lake of fire and brimstone. About 124 B.C.
Jesus Christ will help me become more like Him.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Mosiah 1-3” An angel told King Benjamin important truths about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Maybe you and your children could look for pictures of some of the events mentioned in Mosiah 3:5–10 (see, for instance, Gospel Art Book, nos. 30, 41, 42, 57, 59). As you read Mosiah 3:5–10, your children could raise their hands when they hear something in the passages that appears in one of the pictures.
Jesus Christ helps me overcome the natural man.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Mosiah 1-3” Have your children ever helped prepare food using a recipe? Maybe you could talk about that experience and use Mosiah 3:19 to come up with a “recipe” for how we can become like Jesus Christ. How does Jesus help us become like Him?
Come Follow Me Kid “Mosiah 1-3” Treat (Recipe for Becoming Like Christ)- Mosiah 3:19 has a “recipe” for how we can become like Jesus Christ. Read it and have them listen to things that will help us become like Jesus. For each thing they can hear/find, add an ingredient to a bowl to make a favorite family recipe. Remind them that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the most important “ingredient.” (idea from manual)
Ensign April 2020 “Weekly CFM Insights” Why Does King Benjamin Invite Us to Become like a Child?
For the Strength of Youth April 2024 “What is “the natural man”? The term natural man describes “a person who chooses to be influenced by the passions, desires, appetites, and senses of the flesh rather than by the promptings of the Holy Spirit” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Natural Man,” Gospel Library).
Book of Mormon Seminary Student Manual (2024) “Mosiah 3:19” President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency recounted the following story:
A wise Cherokee, one of the indigenous tribes in the United States, told his grandson a parable about life. “Inside me there is a terrible fight between two wolves,” the grandfather said. “One is evil: full of anger and envy, self-pity and sorrow, greed and lies. The other is good: full of kindness and compassion, humility and truth, love and joy. That fight is going on inside each of us.” “Which wolf will win?” the grandson asked. (Dallin H. Oaks, “Choices,” For the Strength of Youth, Sep. 2021, 13; story adapted from Shayne M. Bowen, “Agency and Accountability,” New Era, Sep. 2012, 8)
- How have you noticed this struggle between the “two wolves” in yourself?
In the story President Oaks shared, the response of the grandfather to his grandson’s question about which wolf would win was, “The one you feed.”
What might it mean to “feed” the natural man or woman inside all of us?
Following Jesus Christ is the only way to return to Heavenly Father.
Draw a sun at the top of the board to represent heaven. Draw several paths that lead to different places around the board but only one path that leads to heaven. Ask the children to find that path and place a picture of Jesus on it. Read Mosiah 3:17, and testify that following Jesus Christ is the only way to return to Heavenly Father.
Listen to the Prophet (Conference)
Friend October 2020 “Matt and Mandy” As the family reads about King Benjamin, Matt says how cool it must have been to be there listening to a prophet. Mandy reminds him they already get to do that at conference.
Primary 4: Book of Mormon “King Benjamin Teaches His People” (See more at link.) Tell the children about the latest general conference of the Church. If possible, show them a copy of the conference issue of the Ensign or international magazine. Compare this conference to the meeting King Benjamin held with his people. Explain how the Church helps all its members receive messages from the President of the Church and other General Authorities through radio, television, and satellite broadcasts and through printed materials. Discuss some of the topics from the last conference. Encourage the children to read or listen to the messages from the next general conference and follow the counsel of our prophets and leaders.
Friend April 2024 “Come, Follow Me Activities: Turn to the Prophet” Make your own tent with blankets, pillows, and furniture. Then watch or read one of the prophet’s talks inside together!
For younger children: We are blessed when we listen to the prophet. Play a game about turning to the prophet’s words. Have your children close their eyes. Stand nearby and read or play one of the prophet’s talks. See how fast your children can turn to his words!
Friend April 2020 “Family Night Fun” Indoor Campout:
- Sing “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, 110–11).
- When King Benjamin taught his people, they set up their tents facing the temple to hear him speak (see Mosiah 2:5–6). It was kind of like general conference!
- Set up a tent in your house using chairs and blankets. Then sit in your tent and watch a conference talk or Church video together.
Friend March 2018 “Pitch Your Tent” Cutout to build a Nephite tent. Can put strips of paper in the tent of things learned in the lesson
Friend November 2019 “Friends by Mail” During general conference, we used the “Pitch Your Tent” cutouts (March 2018) to create a 3D model and added quotes from President Nelson’s talk! Ava and Maryanne P., ages 8 and 6, Washington, USA
Additional Resources
Friend May 2024 “Who Is King Benjamin?”
Friend August 2001 “Prophets Teach and Warn”
Lessons and Activities for Everyone “Mosiah 1-3” Story booklet and tower activity
Friend June 1992 “King Benjamin”
Friend June 1988 “Benjamin: the Prophet King”
The Cozy Red Cottage Lesson aid ideas
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