Social: Some of the elite in a society would be the nobility related to the king through lineage. Others would be other important ruling clans. It would appear that Mosiah was attempting to “equalize” this element in society by requiring that all be treated as equal.
Another important way in which stratification could occur is in the religious elite. Those who are specially set apart to perform religious practices for the community have prestige, and it is a short step from prestige to privilege. Not only does Mosiah attempt to “equalize” the political social structure, he attempts to “equalize” the religious social structure.
Note that while all of these units of society have specific roles, the social effect of the stratification was felt economically first – which is why the most clear command declares that each of these potentially privileged peoples work with their own hands. Mosiah is cutting off the principle social distinguisher of access to prestige economic materials. We don’t have the descriptions of them here, but Benjamin specifically noted the fine clothing.
Clothing is a marker of social status in virtually all human societies, and Mesoamerican cultures were no exceptions. Clothing had meaning not only in what one could wear, but how it could be worn, and styles that were appropriate to station.
It is no wonder that in a culture so oriented to understand the social divisions that can be created by clothing that the “fine clothes” becomes one of the important points describing the divisions in society.