Partake of the Goodness of God

Nephi wrote, “Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.”  He emphasized this again a few verses later when he wrote that God “doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness” (2 Nephi 26:28,33).  He wrote again of how we need to partake of God’s goodness in his final message: “You that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell” (2 Nephi 33:14).  Nephi seems to be suggesting that if we don’t partake of the goodness of God then we cannot be saved.  His brother Jacob continued with the same theme in the next chapter of the Book of Mormon: “Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest” (Jacob 1:7).  Jacob and Nephi wanted us to partake of the goodness of God—so how do we do that? 

             The people who listened to and heeded the words of King Benjamin were able to experience the goodness of God, and their account perhaps teaches us how we can do the same.  After being taught about the atonement of the Savior, they declared, “O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.”  After this earnest plea for forgiveness, they received it: “And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come.”  Right after this experience King Benjamin spoke to them of how they had come to a “knowledge of the goodness of God at this time,” suggesting to them that they had “come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (Mosiah 4:2-6).  They came to partake of the goodness of God in that they received a remission of their sins through the atonement of Christ and had their hearts changed.  They later spoke of the “mighty change” in their hearts and the “infinite goodness of God” that had come to them (Mosiah 5:2-3).  To partake of the goodness of God, as Nephi invited us to do, means as least in part to repent and receive a remission of our sins through the Savior.  Nephi explained that the Lord has given salvation “free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance” before suggesting that all can partake of His goodness.  It is repentance and forgiveness from the Lord that brings us to know of the goodness He gives despite our weakness and failings.