King Benjamin’s Ancient Teachings on Financial Peace and Stewardship (Episode Three)

King Benjamin’s counsel on stewardship, charity, and wise preparation forms part of a larger message that unfolds across his final recorded addresses. (This article is Episode 3 in the King Benjamin series. Episode 2, King Benjamin on Becoming as a Little Child: Overcoming the Natural Man (Episode Two), precedes this installment and provides essential background for the principles discussed here.)

In the last article, we saw how King Benjamin’s righteous leadership brought a war-torn people into unity and covenant peace with God. Yet Benjamin understood that peace must be preserved not only in the soul but also in the stewardship of temporal affairs.

Dave Ramsey, a well-known modern financial success story, teaches financial peace to his listeners and viewers on his radio and television programs. He identifies three major divisions to achieve that peace: budget, save, and give.

King Benjamin, an ancient American king and prophet, taught principles of financial peace hundreds of years before Dave Ramsey ever packaged them.

In one of his final addresses to his people from the tower at the temple in the city of Bountiful—before relinquishing monarchal authority to the next king, Mosiah—Benjamin counseled:

See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order. (Mosiah 4:27)

Do no more than is within your power, he urged. Reasonably providing help when necessary constitutes wisdom in service, avoiding the burnout that comes from overextending. God—the Servant of all—expects time, thought, and planning to go into ministrations rendered in His name.

King Benjamin instructed that “all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27). Order, in and of itself, requires planning for success, accessing resources, and determining what resources to render.

Budgeting is both a process and an action. The process involves deciding how resources—whether currency or goods—will be saved or spent. Every person has a budget, whether good or bad. A budget reflects the resources available for use.

If the budget has no provision to give beyond the care of one’s family, Benjamin instructs:

Ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give. [Mosiah 4:24]

Give only if wisdom allows it from rational means above the care of family. One exception is tithing, which God commands directly by revelation and attaches to a promise and blessing. Otherwise, family always comes first. Yet even when resources are lacking, the desire to give—if I had, I would give—is the most important part of giving. Structuring a budget with the intention to give helps keep God’s commandment to assist those less fortunate than ourselves.

Having substance to give but lacking the organization to give it, due to poor financial management, is not an excuse to withhold help. Do only what you can now and leave the rest to those who have the ability to do more. Not all of humanity has the same abilities—but all have gifts from God.

Moroni, the ancient prophet who made the final record in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, taught:

I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them. For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom; and to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; and to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.

And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles; and again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things; and again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits; and again, to another, all kinds of tongues; and again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues. And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will. [Moroni 10:8–17]

The ability to manage resources wisely is one of those gifts. Just as teaching, healing, and prophecy are meant to lift others, so is the skill of budgeting—structuring our means so we can meet family needs and still give to those in want. Both spiritual and temporal gifts come from the same divine source, and both are given to bless, not to hoard. Budgets, like spiritual gifts, have a divine purpose: they enable us to share and support one another with what God has entrusted to us.

Both King Benjamin and Dave Ramsey teach that peace—whether spiritual or financial—comes through wise stewardship, deliberate planning, and a willingness to serve others with what we have.

King Benjamin declared that “all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27), tying the concept of order directly to wisdom, measured effort, and sustainable service. He taught that those who cannot give materially should still possess the heart to give, for the willingness itself is a form of righteousness before God (Mosiah 4:24).

Dave Ramsey, speaking to a modern audience, breaks financial peace into organized steps: budget, save, and give. His method insists on living within one’s means, building reserves, and structuring generosity into the plan—not as an afterthought, but as a deliberate priority.

The thematic overlap is clear:

• Order in both teaching systems means intentional resource management.

• Giving is not optional—it is an integral sign of a healthy steward.

• Sustainability matters; running “faster than [we] have strength” (Mosiah 4:27) is as dangerous to the giver as to the gift.

While separated by two millennia and vastly different cultural contexts, both King Benjamin and Dave Ramsey teach that prosperity is a means to bless others, not merely to secure self-comfort. Their shared message is that true financial peace comes when money is managed with discipline, purpose, and charity—principles as relevant today as they were in Zarahemla.

King Benjamin’s counsel and Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps share a common foundation: disciplined stewardship, purposeful planning, and generosity rooted in principle. The following parallels show how timeless truths echo across vastly different eras and cultures.

5 Ways Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps Parallel King Benjamin’s Counsel

1. Live Within Your Means

   • Ramsey: Avoid debt; spend only what you can afford.

   • Benjamin: “All things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27)—plan resources so needs are met without overextension.

2. Build an Emergency Reserve

   • Ramsey: Save for unforeseen needs to protect your family.

   • Benjamin: Care for your household first, so you can give without jeopardizing family welfare.

3. Give with Intentionality

   • Ramsey: Make generosity part of your plan, not an afterthought.

   • Benjamin: Even if you “have not,” cultivate the desire to give, and give when you are able (Mosiah 4:24).

4. Practice Sustainable Service

   • Ramsey: Avoid burnout—pace your financial goals for long-term success.

   • Benjamin: “Run not faster than [you] have strength” (Mosiah 4:27).

5. See Prosperity as Stewardship

   • Ramsey: Wealth is a tool to bless others, not just yourself.

   • Benjamin: Prosperity is a trust from God, to be used for lifting those in need.

Set aside resources for unexpected circumstances. Preparing for the family means arranging for those not-so-favorable times or building a surplus for the future. Surplus means having more than is adequate to sustain life. These resources—whether money or goods—become the reserve for needful things: cars, homes, college, retirement, religious missions, and more.

As the scripture teaches, “I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give” (Mosiah 4:24). God does not expect His children to give all that has been prepared for one family so that both families are left without. He does not expect a household to give away its store of wheat until there is nothing left. But He does expect a willing heart to give.

The attitude of giving precedes the act of giving. It is the goal toward which saving points. The discipline of saving is not just self-preservation—it is the preparation to bless others when the opportunity arises. Saving creates the means to fulfill the desire to give.

King Benjamin’s teachings on wisdom and order (Mosiah 4:27) directly support the principle of saving. His counsel to avoid overextending resources, to preserve family stability, and to be prepared to give when able aligns perfectly with the modern concept of financial peace. Dave Ramsey’s “save” step formalizes what Benjamin taught long ago: disciplined preparation today ensures the ability to bless others tomorrow.

Within every budget—and above all else—set aside ten percent of all income for God or charitable purposes. Giving should be part of the budget from the start, not something left for whatever remains afterward.

The key to a winning budget is a plan to give. If the expectation to give is built into the budget, then there is no reason to “say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not” (Mosiah 4:24). God blesses those who willingly give, returning in some form that for which they worked.

How those blessings come will differ for each person and family. One family may take on extra work solely to give more. God blesses each willing giver—whether through physical ability to work, extra income, access to resources, or other means.

King Benjamin exhorted his people about the generosity of the Lord toward them:

He doth require that ye should do as He hath commanded you; for which if ye do, He doth immediately bless you; and therefore He hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto Him, and are, and will be, forever and ever. (Mosiah 2:24)

King Benjamin reveals forgiveness as the greatest reward of service. He teaches that serving another person is service to God, for which God immediately blesses the giver. Caring for the poor is part of that divine call to serve.

Benjamin also taught that the blessing of heaven comes to those with a willing heart—offered often and without limit. For those under covenant to give ten percent of their income as a tenet of faith, going above and beyond that conviction cultivates hope and frugality. Offerings to religious organizations, charities, and philanthropic causes enrich not only the lives of others but also the giver—especially the anonymous giver.

Dave Ramsey’s third major step—give—aligns directly with King Benjamin’s teachings. Both affirm that generosity should be intentional, planned, and done with a willing heart. Benjamin’s counsel reaches deeper, showing that giving is more than financial generosity—it is covenant service to God, met with immediate blessings and eternal indebtedness to the Giver of all.

Benjamin explains why his people should live by these principles:

For the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God. (Mosiah 2:26)

The scriptures record no direct statement from King Benjamin instructing his subjects to budget and save. However, the implication is clear: in order to provide for a family, planning has a place in providing properly.

King Benjamin further instructed:

I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath (Mosiah 2:26).

The king understood that a person cannot give what they do not have. He clarified that the faithful must give of what they possess to the poor and needy as part of retaining a remission of sins—an individual covenant between a person and God, ancient and modern.

He even listed the ways a covenant person should serve:

• Feeding the hungry

• Clothing the naked

• Visiting the sick

He explained that “visiting the sick” includes understanding their needs and administering “to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants” (Mosiah 2:26).

Benjamin also gave a budgetary warning to all:

And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order. (Mosiah 4:26–27)

Everyone is a beggar before God, who works tirelessly to provide needs and righteous wants. Benjamin testifies that God will help His people, and He expects His people to help others—in unity, with wisdom, and in order.

King Benjamin’s counsel—whether explicit or implied—carries the full weight of a prophet-king who understood the connection between spiritual health and wise temporal stewardship. His teachings on budgeting, saving, and giving are not isolated financial tips but covenant-based principles that preserve peace, strengthen families, and extend the blessings of God to others.

In Mosiah’s record, these principles emerge as part of retaining a remission of sins, walking guiltless before God, and living in unity as a covenant people. Like Dave Ramsey’s modern Financial Peace system, Benjamin’s framework is simple yet powerful: order your resources, prepare for needs, and give with a willing heart.

While separated by two millennia, both approaches affirm that disciplined stewardship blesses both giver and receiver—and that lasting peace, financial or spiritual, requires planning, diligence, and generosity. As King Benjamin’s counsel on stewardship drew to a close, he shifted from the order and discipline of managing temporal blessings to the very foundation of lasting peace—faith in the living God. In , we will follow his call to break free from spiritual bondage, trust in the Lord’s wisdom and mercy, and act on that belief with humble obedience.