King Benjamin now summed up the many points he had made in the foregoing part of his inspiring and inspiriting address. He admonished his people, that now after you have received all this written testimony, and have been taught from your youth that it is true, the burden of carrying forth the work of the Lord rests upon the shoulders of each one of you.
He said to them, "do not withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord," that thereby you may be led in "wisdom's paths." Learn to listen to that still small voice which comes from the Father to lead, and to direct, and to warn of things to come. Undoubtedly King Benjamin remembered the words of the Psalmist which he had read on the brass plates of Laban: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and let a willing spirit uphold me. (Ps. 51:10-12 Jewish Rendition). Then you will be preserved and prospered, and your prayers will be answered in blessings on your heads.
But if, he said, on the contrary, you reject the knowledge you have received, and refuse to obey God's commands, you become an enemy to Him. All thoughts of Him you reduce to excuses for your actions, and soon you will recall your words in His praise.
Little by little, such a man "listeth" to the evil spirit; he becomes dead to all righteousness, and hardened to the demands of justice. He, himself, forces God's Holy Spirit to leave his unworthy body, for "He dwelleth not in unholy temples." This man, unless he repents and turns to God, lives and dies His enemy. Conscience, that court of righteous and holy decisions which is folded up in the bosoms of all of us, awakens in him a "lively sense of his own guilt," thus removing from him the desire to mingle with those who serve the Lord and who seek to do His will. In other words, "He is the author of his own damnation." There is only one end to him, he receives a just reward for his sins, "which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever." That means just this: a sinner by his transgressions, loses certain privileges and blessings accruing to the righteous for their faithful performance of duty. The sinner may later repent and obtain the promised forgiveness of his trespasses, but he can never regain the place he lost when he was beguiled into by-and-forbidden paths. In the "strait and narrow way," he finds himself far behind those who have remained unwavering and true to God's commands. He cannot overtake them. Thus, forever, he lags behind them; behind those who were "firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord." (1 Ne. 2:10) In this way the opportunities he once parted with may be returned, but he, himself, is the one entirely responsible for any delay in their delivery. The sinner's punishment is that he can never escape the effects of his slothfulness, nor his willful disobedience. We, from this can understand how his pain and anguish are like a fire that cannot be quenched, "whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever."
When the transgressor, or the offender, whichever we choose to call him, sees before him, the multitudes of the righteous and thinks that he might have been among them had he also been upright in all his days, the thought dooms him to endure "a never ending torment," which in his breast is remorse.