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In chapter two of the Book of Mosiah, King Benjamin’s people “gathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the temple to hear the words which King Benjamin should speak unto them… They pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family… every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple… (King Benjamin) caused a tower to be erected.” In addition to the similar settings, the character of King Benjamin, himself, is conspicuously similar to one Bishop M’ Kendree, who, according to a local Methodist publication dated August 1826, gave his farewell address at this particular revival. As presiding leader over the area, he was described as extremely beloved and venerated, yet worn with old age and feeble. In this condition he addressed his congregants for the last time, a sermon purportedly so powerful that it sent his listeners to the ground and provoked such a spirit of unity that nearly all in attendance gave themselves to Christ. At the conclusion of his valedictory address, preachers were appointed to various “stations” in the Ontario district. The reader of the Book of Mormon will remember that King Benjamin gave his farewell address just before he was “about to go down to (his) grave” and that his “whole frame (did) tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak…” The love of the people for King Benjamin was palpable as they leaned on every word he spoke concerning their “nothingness” before God and their dire need to rely on the merits of Christ for their salvation. The power of his sermon was such that “there was not one soul, except it were little children, but who had entered into the covenant and had taken upon them the name of Christ.” Priests were then appointed to teach the Nephite people.
Other camp meeting elements that appear in the Book of Mormon include references to “stations,” already mentioned, and “altars.” Reports of the aforementioned Palmyra area revival describe newly appointed “Stations of Preachers.” Interestingly, Mormon uses the same terminology as he recounts how Ammon appointed the other Sons of Mosiah to their “several stations” (Alma 17:18). Earlier in the same chapter, Mormon describes the great success of their missionary efforts, writing that “by the power of their words many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name and confess their sins before him.” The use of the word “altar” is another indication of camp meeting influence on the Book of Mormon. The raised stand from which the circuit preachers delivered their messages often featured a bench directly below and in front of it, commonly referred to as the “altar of God.” It was here that convicted souls would come to confess their “awful state,” exhibit their fainting or falling behaviors, and plead for mercy until the moment of absolution arrived. Interestingly, emotionally unaffected congregants were admonished to “go to the grove to seek God.”2
1 Robert D. Anderson, Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith: Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1999), pp. 115, 132, 133). 2 Michael T. Walton, “Joseph Smith and Science: The Methodist Connection. A Case Study in Mormonism as a Response to 19th Century American Revivalism,” Aug. 1984 Sunstone presentation, quoted in Robert D. Anderson, Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith: Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1999), p. 132). |
Once the
reader becomes acquainted with the New York camp meeting format, parallels in
the Book of Mormon become obvious. In one particular Methodist revival that
occurred only a mile from Palmyra in 1826, thousands upon thousands of contrite
worshippers made their way to the campsite with their families, pitched their
tents, and positioned them with the front facing the raised stand where the
ministers would preach.
The character
of King Benjamin also seems to draw inspiration from a Presbyterian minister
named Benjamin Stockton. According to William Smith, Joseph’s
younger brother, the Reverend Stockton had attempted to recruit the Smith family
but had deeply offended them when another Smith brother, Alvin, tragically
passed away. Evidently, Stockton had publicly informed the family that Alvin was
suffering in hell as a result of his being “unchurched.” In his sermons,
Benjamin Stockton was equally inflammatory. Psychoanalyst Robert D. Anderson
argues that Stockton’s words likely created a great deal of anxiety in Joseph’s
developing mind (as evidenced by Joseph’s later vision of Alvin in the
Celestial Kingdom) and that his condemnatory approach is reflected in King
Benjamin’s scathing sermon mentioned above.1
Palmer
mentions that Methodist camp meetings often featured companion preachers, one to
preach and one to exhort. Some were known for their ability to preach the
scriptures, while others were more skilled at summarizing the preacher’s main
points and converting thought to action through impassioned exhortation. Those
familiar with the Book of Mormon will recognize this pattern in the “team-teaching”
of Alma and Amulek, and will recall Moroni’s frequent use of the word “exhort”
in his famous challenge to the reader (Moroni 10:4). Methodist ministers were
also encouraged to keep their sermons “plain” and to the point. The reader
finds numerous examples where Nephi and others talk about “delighting in
plainness” and the “plain and precious truths” missing from the Bible.