Witnesses For Kingship

The morning commute on the train provides a nice opportunity to feast on the scriptures and other good books. One morning several years ago I was on the bus on my way to work. I was engaged in a manuscript for a book I was writing dealing with addiction and recovery. 

On this particular morning I was pondering on the witnesses of Christ as described by Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Nephi delighted in the words of Isaiah because, as he writes, "he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him." Then he goes on to say, "And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words" (2 Nephi 11: 2-3).

The Lord established His law of witnesses in the Old Testament by requiring two or three witnesses to testify of crimes, especially if the death penalty was to take effect (see Deuteronomy 17: 6). Interestingly, this law of witnesses comes into play with covenant making and the "book of the law." Much later the book of the law was found in the temple by Hilkiah the high priest, who delivers the book to Shaphan the scribe, who in turn delivers it to king Josiah. The verse records, "And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king" (2 Kings 22: 10).

In this same chapter in Deuteronomy, the duties of a king in Israel are set forth. The king is not supposed to "multiply to himself silver and gold" (Deuteronomy 17: 17). The king would report his stewardship and kingship to the people at the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Jews still celebrate this feast today. Click here for a link to this festival.

It is significant that King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon reports his stewardship and even quotes these verses in Deuteronomy, which was anciently called "the paragraph of the king." He said, "I say unto you that as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you" (Mosiah 2: 12).

It is almost certain that King Benjamin gave his marvelous sermon during the Feast of Tabernacles. There are references to sacrifices according to the Law of Moses. King Benjamin's people came up near the temple in tents, and during the Feast of Tabernacles the people would gather to the temple in booths. Later on Ezra addressed the people during this feast from a pulpit, while King Benjamin used a tower to address the people. There are other similarities (see Mosiah 2: 3-8; Leviticus 23: 42; Nehemiah 8: 4, 14). 

As King Benjamin's people prepare to make sacred covenants to become sons and daughters of Christ, he employs the law of witnesses by saying, "And of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day" (Mosiah 2: 14).  The congregation will stand as witnesses to the covenant, according to the book of the law.

Getting back to my original intent, as I was looking for this law of witnesses and turning to page 80 in the Book of Mormon where the three witnesses of the Savior testify, namely Nephi, Jacob, and Isaiah, I turned to page 79 on the other side of the page. I have to interject here that my scriptures are kind of messy with words highlighted in orange, and lines running to notes all over the page. One day, my orange highlighter had run out of ink, and apparently when I had previously marked the page with the three witnesses, I had used yellow highlighter.

That morning on the bus as I accidentally turned to page 79, the sunlight coming through the windows of the bus illuminated page 79. Four words were highlighted in what looked like yellow sunlight coming through the back of page 80.

Here are the verses highlighted:

"And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.

"And I will fortify this land against all other nations.

"And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God.

"For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words" (2 Nephi 10: 11-14).

The four "kings" were highlighted on the page, surrounded by glowing yellow in the morning sunlight.

I had a distinct impression and a powerful feeling come over me. I had written chapters in my book about kings and this particular festival. But it felt as if the Lord had a powerful message for me and my audience--those diligently seeking to find their way back from the darkness of addiction.

I didn't hear a voice, nor has my Redeemer ever appeared to me as He did to Nephi, Jacob, and Isaiah. But the impression was clear, as if He was saying to me, "You tell your addict friends (and yourself), I don't want you back as second-class citizens, or mere servants. I want you back as kings and queens!"