One of my biggest heroes and influences in life is King Benjamin in The Book of Mormon. Although I was not there personally at the time of his speech he addressed to the people he served over, each time I read the account of his message he shares, I feel a huge desire to become more like Christ. I love that King Benjamin  focuses on service and equality among all of Heavenly Father’s children. And as he does so, establishes himself as the example. Throughout his address, Benjamin repeats the phrase, “And even I whom ye CALL your king…” The word that sticks out to me in this line is CALL. Through such phrasing, the king himself does not raise himself to a higher state or position than the people. He in turn puts the focus only on how his people address him. I love that he doesn’t say, “And I who AM your king…” I think the words that King Benjamin chooses to use are beautiful because it provides a selfless example to his people, not for his own sake, but for the purpose of having them look toward Christ who is and always will be our perfect example of kindness, equality, and selflessness.

                One of my favorite verses in Mosiah is chapter 4 verse 19: “For behold, are we not all beggars, Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?” King Benjamin automatically reduces the distance our society creates between those of different economic and social classes with this portion of his speech. He places each and every one of us onto one equal plane, letting our individual trials and hardships become a connection between each of Heavenly Father’s children.