”And now it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold, they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them; and they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying, 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.”
”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, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.“ (LDS Mosiah 4:1-3, RE Mosiah 2:1-2)
The preaching of king Benjamin had such a profound effect upon the people that it brought about an event that changed the lives of the people, forever. Those who heard and believed the teachings of king Benjamin were hearing of message from God. King Benjamin was faithfully teaching the people the things that an angel from God taught him. They were hearing the word of God as faithfully taught by and angel, and faithfully taught by king Benjamin. The words were given to king Benjamin. They were not his own. This is what is required to have real faith. Then, believing the word of God to them, they were changed, forever. They saw themselves in their true state and standing before God, which is a truly realizing they are a lost and fallen people. Even though they had been “good” people and faithfully respected their righteous leader, they had not as yet been truly converted to Christ. But they believed the teachings of king Benjamin, even though it meant that their standing before God was not as good as they probably hoped it would be. Upon realizing this, they fell to the earth. But instead of giving into despair or being depressed over their state, they cried, not to king Benjamin for help, but directly to God. They plead, “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.”
The words themselves are not magical, but they are powerful because they truly reflect the thoughts and feelings of their hearts, for their hearts are broken and the spirits contrite. They obviously have no time to prove their repentance, but the state of their hearts and minds is enough for God to answer their prayer! The answer to their prayer changes them. The fear of God turns to incredible joy! On the spot, they receive a remission of their sins and have peace of conscience. Why? How is this done? They only heard words, and they believed and responded to those words. As a result of believing and a simple act of doing, they were changed. They became sons and daughters of Christ. But this does not change their need to continue to have a broken heart and contrite spirit. King Benjamin reminds them to always remember “the greatness of God and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.” By doing this, they could retain the remission of sins which they had received and also grow in the knowledge of God.
This is the kind of experience that is required to be born of God. Have you had this kind of experience? If so, have you retained the love of God in your heart and so lived as to retain the remission of sins which you have received?