King Benjamin continues his address—The Lord Omnipotent will minister among men in a tabernacle of clay—Blood will come from every pore as He atones for the sins of the world—His is the only name whereby salvation comes—Men can put off the natural man and become Saints through the Atonement—The torment of the wicked will be as a lake of fire and brimstone.
About 124 B.C.
📒 Mosiah 3
📜 13 And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them.
Who do prophets testify of?
A devotional dissection of Mosiah 3:13
1. “The Lord God hath sent his holy prophets…”
When we hear this, we are reminded that prophets are sent by God, not by themselves. Their calling is not self‑promotion, cultural commentary, or political strategy.
Their mission is divine.
And what is that mission?
The principle: Mission of Prophets
Across scripture, prophets labor so we will know the will of God, recognize His voice, and be led to the One who saves.
Prophets are sent by God
God Himself declares:
“I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
“I… sent unto you all my servants the prophets.”
Jeremiah 7:25
“The Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy.”
Amos 7:15
These verses remind us that prophets do not rise from ambition; they rise because God sends them.
Prophets speak God’s words, not their own
The Lord assures His servants:
“I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”
Exodus 4:12
“I will put my words in his mouth; he shall speak all that I command.”
Deuteronomy 18:18
“Thou shalt speak my words unto
them.”
Ezekiel 2:7
Prophets speak with clarity because God fills their mouths.
Prophets testify of Christ
This is the heart of their mission.
“There is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets.”
2 Nephi 25:18
“To him give all the prophets witness.”
Acts 10:43
“A prophet would the Lord God raise up… a Messiah.”
1 Nephi 10:4
From the beginning, prophets have pointed us to Christ—His coming, His atonement, His redemption.
Prophets help us recognize God’s voice
They teach us how to hear Him.
“I… will make myself known unto him in a vision.”
Numbers 12:6
“Manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit.”
1 Nephi 22:2
“They shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost.”
D&C 68:3
Through prophets, we learn to discern the Lord’s voice from every other voice.
Unified Flow:
▪︎ Prophets are sent by God.
▪︎ Prophets speak God’s words.
▪︎ Prophets testify of Christ.
▪︎ Prophets help us hear and follow Him.
2. “…that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come…”
Here the verse answers the question directly.
Prophets testify of Christ.
They declare Him before His coming, at His coming, and after His coming.
They point us toward His life, His atonement, His resurrection, and His covenant power.
This is why Nephi says:
“We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ… that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”
2 Nephi 25:26
Prophets do not testify of themselves.
They testify of Him.
3. “…the same might receive remission of their sins…”
Why do prophets testify of Christ?
Because only Christ can remit sins, and prophets want us to receive that gift.
The principle: Remission of Sins
Prophets call us to repentance not to shame us, but to lead us to joy—the joy that comes when Christ removes what we cannot remove on our own.
Christ is the source of remission
“My blood… shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Matthew 26:28
“Without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Hebrews 9:22
These verses anchor the truth that remission is possible only through Christ’s atoning blood.
Prophets preach repentance so we can receive remission
“Repent, and be baptized… for the remission of sins.”
Acts 2:38
“Repentance and remission of sins should be preached.”
Luke 24:47
“John did… preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
Mark 1:4
Prophets preach repentance because repentance opens the way to Christ’s cleansing power.
Belief in Christ brings remission
“Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
Acts 10:43 (The same verse Mosiah 3:13 echoes.)
This ties your entire study together:
Prophets testify of Christ so we will believe in Christ—and through belief, receive remission.
Remission brings joy
“They had received a remission of their sins… and it caused great joy.”
Mosiah 4:3, 11
This matches the line perfectly:
Prophets lead us to joy.
We look to Christ as the source
“…that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”
2 Nephi 25:26
This verse is the doctrinal hinge between Mosiah 3:13 and your Bible study question.
It answers both:
▪︎ Who do prophets testify of?
▪︎ Where do we look for remission?
The answer is the same: Christ.
Remission is a spiritual rebirth
“Remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.”
2 Nephi 31:17
“Received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins.”
D&C 20:37
Prophets point us not only to forgiveness, but to transformation.
Unified Flow
With these verses, your section now reads as a single, devotional testimony:
▪︎ Christ alone provides remission.
▪︎ Prophets preach repentance so we can
access His power.
▪︎ Belief in Christ opens the way to
forgiveness.
▪︎ Remission brings joy.
▪︎ We look to Christ as the only Source.
▪︎ The Spirit seals the cleansing.
4. “…and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them.”
This is the prophetic pattern:
Prophets speak of Christ’s redemption as if it were already accomplished, because God’s promises are sure.
Mosiah teaches this plainly:
“Speaking of things to come as though they had already come.”
Mosiah 16:6
Why do prophets speak this way?
Because faith rests on certainty, not speculation.
Because joy is available now, not only after His coming.
Because we are meant to live as a redeemed people even while we are still learning to walk with Him.
The prophetic pattern across scripture
They teach the law to point us to Christ
Nephi explains that the law and the prophets were always meant to direct us to the Messiah:
“We keep the law… for this end hath the law become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ.”
2 Nephi 25:24–25
“We worship the Father in his name… and we rejoice in Christ.”
2 Nephi 25:26
This is the same pattern Mosiah 3:13 describes:
Prophets testify of Christ so we can rejoice as though He had already come.
They prophesy of Christ with absolute confidence
Nephi continues:
“We labor diligently… to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God.”
2 Nephi 25:23, 26–27
Prophets speak with this confidence because Christ’s redemption is certain, even before it is historically fulfilled.
They persuade us to look forward to Christ as if He were already present
Jarom records the same pattern:
“The prophets… persuaded them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was.”
Jarom 1:11
This is the exact spirit of Mosiah 3:13:
Rejoice now, because Christ’s coming is sure.
Unified Flow
With these verses, the section now reads as a single, devotional testimony:
▪︎ Prophets speak of Christ’s redemption
as already accomplished.
▪︎ They do this so our faith rests on
certainty, not possibility.
▪︎ They teach the law to point us to Christ,
not to themselves.
▪︎ They persuade us to look to Christ as
though He already stood among us.
▪︎ They invite us to rejoice now, because
His promises are sure.
▪︎ They help us live as a redeemed people
even before we see Him face to face.
Summary
When we ask, “Who do prophets testify of?” Mosiah 3:13 gives us a unified, Christ‑centered answer:
▪︎ Prophets are sent by God to speak His
words and reveal His will.
▪︎ Prophets testify of Christ, the promised
Messiah foretold in every generation.
▪︎ Prophets call us to receive remission of
sins through Him, because only Christ
can cleanse, redeem, and restore.
▪︎ Prophets speak of His redemption as
already accomplished, so our faith rests
on certainty and our joy begins now.
Across all scripture, prophets turn our hearts, our hope, and our faith toward Jesus Christ—the One who saves, heals, and makes us whole.
I'll Fly Away
By Hank Williams
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