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Noni Benson's Story
I was born in, Salt Lake City, Utah. I have always lived in Utah. Most of the homes where I lived were in the Salt Lake Valley. I was raised in the LDS church, and have been active most of my life. My family tree includes the Kimball's, and my third great grandfather was Heber C Kimball. My life has been very full, and I could write much about it, but I would like to concentrate on just a little of my background experiences and how I learned about this work.
Growing up as a Mormon, I wasn't all that interested in reading the scriptures; my parents didn't read them, and we just mainly went to church, and listened to the leaders and followed them. I went to seminary while in high school, and I did start to read the Book of Mormon several times, but just couldn't stay interested. I was so busy with life, church callings, and being a mother, that it was difficult enough to just get through the days. I did almost finish it one time, when one of my five children, Shawn, was on his mission. I was really quite enjoying studying and pondering it, in fact, it was at this time when I was reading the Book of Mormon, and when I began reading the book called Mormon, this one scripture caused me to stop and really think:
Mormon 8:36- And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strife’s, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
I had always been taught that the Book of Mormon was written for our time, so I was confused that it was clearly written "and your churches, yea, even every one", so I pondered, and thought, now why didn't it say 'except my only true church,' because I had always heard and was taught that I belonged to 'the only true church on the face of the earth.' Most questions were answered about the same, 'someday we will know the answers to all things'. Well I just went with what I had decided to think long before this, and that was if I had a question or concern, 'I would just be obedient, the leaders will never lead us astray'. It's interesting though, how you can think that you 'KNOW'!
A few years passed, and I continued to enjoy reading and listening to scriptures on tape or cd's, kind of skipping around, until one year--2003, I began an intense scripture study. I was recently divorced and was seeking guidance on where my life was to be headed, and because of what I had been taught, this of course required much prayer, and scripture study. I read, no--I feasted on the Book of Mormon, then the D&C and the Pearl of Great Price, and then the Book of Mormon again! All of this was within about a year's time. By the time I finished it the second time, which was sometime in the summer of 2004, I had grown to have a great love for the Book of Mormon and I am so grateful for it. If it weren't for these scriptures I would not have been 'Seeking'…
1 Nephi 10:19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.
…and I would not have been looking forward to the day when we had enough faith that the sealed part of the plates would be revealed, and also the Book of Revelation would be explained:
Ether Chapter 4:1 And the Lord commanded the brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of the Lord, and write the things which he had seen; and they were forbidden to come unto the children of men until after that he should be lifted up upon the cross; and for this cause did king Mosiah keep them, that they should not come unto the world until after Christ should show himself unto his people.
2 And after Christ truly had showed himself unto his people he commanded that they should be made manifest.
3 And now, after that, they have all dwindled in unbelief; and there is none save it be the Lamanites, and they have rejected the gospel of Christ; therefore I am commanded that I should hide them up again in the earth.
4 Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.
5 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.
6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.
7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.
8 And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh.
9 And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire.
10 And he that believeth not my words believeth not my disciples; and if it so be that I do not speak, judge ye; for ye shall know that it is I that speaketh, at the last day.
11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.
12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.
16 And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed.
17 Therefore, when ye shall receive this record ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land.
18 Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.
19 And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. And behold it is I that hath spoken it. Amen.
And now to the point of, how I learned about this work.
In the fall of 2004, my sister (after about a year of coaxing), talked me into going with her to an LDS singles dance. This is where I met Jay Benson, after dating for about 2 weeks, one day while we were spending some time together, I noticed something he was reading, which every time we were together, he was reading this book. It seemed to affect him very strongly, even to the point that he would pace back and forth, and I began to wonder if he was going to be okay. I put my hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes, and asked if he was alright, and what is this that he was reading. He didn't tell me right away, but a few days passed, then he finally told me, "It's the Sealed Portion." I responded with, "when did they (the LDS church) announce it, how did I miss that?" Though, few it seems, may be searching for another to reveal the sealed book, because like me, I was waiting for 'The Only True Prophet of the Only True Church', to reveal it. Yet I believe that The Book of Mormon was revealed 'unto a man':
9 But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these words unto another;
10 But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.
It only makes sense to me that the sealed part would also be delivered 'unto a man'!
Yes there is more to my story, I would be happy to share the intimate details with anyone who asks. What's important to me is this work, this Marvelous Work and A Wonder®:
2 Nephi 27: 26 Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, yea, a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.
And what I believe to be called 'The Plan of the Father':
Noni Benson
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