An Everlasting Dominion

When Moses and Aaron first went before Pharoah to request that he let the people go, he responded with these words, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?” (Exodus 5:2) He was full of pride, believing that he himself was divine and had great power over his people. One source says this, “As supreme ruler of the people, the pharaoh was considered a god on earth, the intermediary between the gods and the people.” His response to Moses reminds us of King Noah in the Book of Mormon who said this when Abinadi came preaching to his people: “Who is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged of him, or who is the Lord, that shall bring upon my people such great affliction?” He too was full of pride and refused to humble himself before the Lord. Noah and Pharaoh’s attitudes were not unlike the kings of the book of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar was so full of himself that he was willing to put to death anyone who wouldn’t worship his golden image. He declared, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30) Belshazzar his son was similarly prideful and Daniel declared to him, “O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven” (Daniel 5:22-23). These kings and many other rulers in the scriptures such as Sennacherib, King Herod, Amalickiah, and Giddianhi were puffed up with pride and would not humble themselves before the Lord. We now look back at them now with disdain for their haughtiness and folly, and the words of Isaiah likely describe their fate: “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave… For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God… Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:11-15).

                I was thinking of these examples of unrighteous rulers today as I read the words of King Benjamin to his people. These statements are extraordinary for a king and so different than the attitude of the kings listed above: “I have not commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I of myself am more than a mortal man. But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind…. I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you…. Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God….  O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!... I, even I, whom ye call your king, am no better than ye yourselves are; for I am also of the dust. And ye behold that I am old, and am about to yield up this mortal frame to its mother earth” (Mosiah 2:10-25). What an unusual humility for a king! King Benjamin recognized that though he was a king on earth, before God he was nothing. Despite his earthly power, he did not lose sight of the One who truly has divine power and to whom He would answer one day. He was willing to serve his people with his own hands and considered himself equals with them, recognizing his true relationship with the Almighty.

                Though most of us won’t have the opportunity to be rulers of nations, the example of King Benjamin is still important for us in our own sphere of influence. The Prophet Joseph gave us this warning: “We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:39). Each of us will likely have some opportunity to get “a little authority,” whether in homes as parents or in our jobs or in our community or in our church, and we must look to mimic King Benjamin when that happens. The key to leadership is to show the humility and love and deference before God that this great Book of Mormon king did. Joseph described the attributes we will need to be righteous leaders: “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile.” Those are the characteristics of a true leader, and if we can cultivate those we will have real power and this promise from the Lord: “The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-42,46).