“The tongues of dying men enforce attention like deep harmony.” Thus spake William Shakespeare in Richard II (II.1.5–6). We are attuned to the benedictory pronouncements of those we admire and respect.
In a special way, we accord lasting significance to the final recorded pronouncements of the great prophets such as Jacob (Israel) in the Old Testament, and Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, King Benjamin, Abinadi, Samuel, Mormon, Moroni, and others from the Book of Mormon. King Benjamin, in his last days, at a time when he declared “my whole frame doth tremble exceedingly” (Mosiah 2:30), exhorted his people in a final, masterful sermon, to obey the commandments of God: “And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them” (Mosiah 4:10).
I can recall the last words my father said to me. In his senior years, he had become increasingly feeble, so, to assist him in his personal care, I had given him a new electric razor. He looked at it, smiled gratefully, and then, much to my surprise, returned it to me, saying in a weak voice, “Do this for me,” since he was at the time too weak to do it on his own. I bent over and carefully shaved away his whiskers—a kind of father-son celebration of a long and productive life. He passed away not long thereafter. “Do this for me.” The symbolic meaning of that phrase echoes still in my mind. To me it implies the exhortation to do those things of righteousness and follow those principles of obedience that he had exemplified throughout his life. What better way for children to honor the name of their parents than to follow their example and emulate the “godly walk and conversation” (D&C 20:69) cultivated as a legacy of faith and courage. (Richard J. Allen)