Lest Their Shall Arise Contentions

King Benjamin gave this warning to his people in his final message to them: “But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah. For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul” (Mosiah 2:32-33). We don’t have any of the direct words of Mosiah, the father of King Benjamin, but it certainly makes sense that he would have urged his people to get rid of contention. He had united two peoples that didn’t even speak the same language, and certainly there were many challenges and contentions that arose with this integration. King Benjamin seems to have inherited those difficulties of unifying this diverse people, for “he had somewhat of contentions among his own people” and there was “much contention” in his days (Words of Mormon 1:12,16). Finally towards the end of his life it appears that he established peace among the people of Mosiah and the people of Zarahemla which had been united: “Now there was no more contention in all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who belonged to king Benjamin, so that king Benjamin had continual peace all the remainder of his days” (Mosiah 1:1). So it is not surprising that he would urge his people in his message at the temple to continue to rid themselves of contention in order to preserve their peace and prosperity. He included in that instruction these words for parents so that this peace could be passed on: “And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers” (Mosiah 4:14). To keep contention out of society, children must learn to live in peace with each other.  

                Several other passages in the Book of Mormon encourage us to likewise shun contention in our lives. Nephi wrote, “the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie;… that they should not contend one with another” (2 Nephi 26:32). When Alma organized a church “he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another” (Mosiah 18:21). Later we read, “Alma teach his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them” (Mosiah 23:15). When Alma the Younger saw the “all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people” he turned to “the word of God” and “pure testimony” to help them overcome their quarrels. Perhaps the most important teaching on contention came from the Savior Himself when He visited the Nephites: “And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been;… For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away” (3 Nephi 11:29-30). The effect of His teachings and ministry among them was such that “there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another,” an incredible result of the people’s willingness to follow Him (4 Nephi 1:2). All these passages invite us to look carefully at our lives and the discord that we allow to permeate it. This should be the goal for each of us in our families—to rid ourselves wholly of contentions and disputations so that we too can be “knit together in unity and in love one towards another.”