There is a lot to recommend King Benjamin of the Book of Mormon. He was a man of God, a great king, and a great military leader.

He was also a spectacular communicator.

His last discourse to his people had a profound and lasting impact on everyone, except for those too young to hear or understand it.

It shows what a profound message, effectively delivered can do. Today's subject is his effectiveness.

He didn't have much technology at his disposal. However, he made good use of what he had.

In Mosiah 1:10 we read where he sent out a proclamation to the entire land of Zarahemla. Somehow, he had the capability to do that, to communicate with his entire population. We can only speculate how.

In Mosiah 2:7 we learn that there were too many for him to teach within the walls of the temple. He had a tower erected so that they could hear him.

In Mosiah 2:8 we learn that even this was not sufficient. King Benjamin had his words written down so that they could be taken to all the people who could not hear his voice.

After concluding these logistical details, he begins by reminding his audience that he is not a hypocrite and follows all the guidelines he gives his people. See Mosiah 2:9-15. This would have given profound credibility to his words.

In Mosiah 5:1 we learn that King Benjamin wanted to know if his message was effective. He somehow asked his people if they believed his words.

In Mosiah 6:1 we learn that King Benjamin made a record of everyone who had entered into the covenant.

In Mosiah 6:3 we learn that he appointed priests and teachers to further instruct his people in the commandments of God.

King Benjamin prepared a phenomenal message for his people. He publicized his impending message widely, making certain the people knew when and where to come to hear it. Probably exceeding his expectations, the crowd was too large for him to address and be heard, so he had a tower erected. When even that wasn't sufficient he had his words written down and dispersed to the people who couldn't otherwise hear him. He then followed up to see if his words had had an impact and the people believed him. He then made records of all those that did. Not content with that, he arranged for the people to be further taught.

How do current local church leaders hold up to this standard?

Many of them don't do much about publicity. The Church's phenomenal digital tools are badly underutilized and misused. They probably wouldn't put King Benjamin's address on the Calendar or update it with all the facts. Without knowing the who, what, where, when, why, and how, people couldn't participate fully. They don't seem to do much to ensure people can hear or be understood at any church event. The podium and microphone are poorly managed. I've never known any of them to follow up to see if messages are effective and reaching people.

Overall, I think we are doing a rather poor job in living up to King Benjamin's example.

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