Gatherings and Goodbyes

 There are several stories in the scriptures in which a prophet says a final goodbye to his people or family.  I thought it would be interesting to compare what it is that they thought most important to leave as their testimony when expressing their permanent farewell.  Here are the prophets that I looked at:

·         Adam: We read in the Doctrine and Covenants that “three years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, who were all high priests, with the residue of his posterity who were righteous, into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessing” (D&C 107:53).  The Lord visited them and Adam taught his posterity about future events that would take place.

·         Paul: When Paul was returning to Jerusalem at the end of his third mission, he gathered together a group of the Saints from Ephesus so he could say a final goodbye.  He told them that they would “see [his] face no more” (Acts 20:25).  What did he leave with them as his final words? He spoke of his own service to them, of faith in the Savior, and of the coming challenges they would face as “grievous wolves” would enter in. His final words were these: “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

·         King Benjamin: King Benjamin’s final words to his people were in many ways similar to Paul’s.  He likewise spoke about his own service and how he had fully discharged his duty to teach them the gospel.  He spoke of the Savior and his mission extensively (quoting from the angel), and invited his people to take upon them the name of Christ.  His final words contained this powerful invitation: “I would that ye would be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord Omnipotent, may seal you his” (Mosiah 5:15).

·         Lehi: Lehi gathered his children and grandchildren together and counseled with all of them shortly before his death.  We have his words to Laman, Lemuel, Jacob, Joseph, Sam, and his grandchildren.  Like Adam he prophesied about their future posterity, and he promised great blessings to them such as in his words to Laman’s children: “[The Lord] will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever” (2 Nephi 4:7).

·         The Brother of Jared: At the end of his life, the brother of Jared gathered together the people in order to know their wishes before his death.  “They did number their people” and he and his brother sought to satisfy the desires of the people (Ether 6:21).  His last recorded words were also a prophesy about his posterity: Speaking about having kings he said, “Surely this thing leadeth into captivity” (Ether 6:23). 

From these different stories of the scriptures we can see the things that these prophets thought were most important.  They focused on the individual people that they were bidding farewell to, spoke of Christ, made prophecies about the future, and left a witness that their duties had been discharged leaving the next generation completely responsible for their actions.