King Benjamin's Last Words~Scripture Study

Mosiah 1

I haven't realized before just how often scripture study is mentioned in The Book of Mormon; however, as I have studied this past little while I have noticed the theme. Today in my scriptures study King Benjamin taught his children the importance of scripture study when he said, "My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God...I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief...O my sons, I would that ye should remember these sayings are true, and also the records are true" (Mosiah 1:3,5,6).

King Benjamin's final words to his children was an admonition for them to search the scriptures. He explains to his sons that had that not had the scriptures, they would have been left to their own ignorance. So it is with us--if we stop using the tool (scriptures) that we have, we will become ignorant. We will forget what we have known. We will lose our testimonies. Does it really surprise us that King Benjamin's last words were to counsel his children to study the scriptures?