Mosiah Chapter 18

18:4-5 - Understand the setting
Understanding the setting helps so much sometimes.  Here in these verses, it talks about the Waters of Mormon.

1. It says that the waters were in the borders of the land, so on the fringes - secluded and withdrawn.
2. The land was infested by wild beasts - maybe people avoided the area as a result of the danger.
3. There was a fountain of pure water.  At first glance, it seems like a "fountain" wouldn't be well suited for baptism...so I looked in the index for "fountain" and found a reference to 1 Nephi 2:9, which talks of the fountain of the Red Sea.  The footnote there says, "IE fount, or source, like the Gulf of Akaba, which empties into the Red Sea." This makes more sense because a source of water is much more suitable for baptism than a fountain.
4. There was a thicket of small trees.  Note that it's not a small thicket of trees, but a thicket of small trees.  The thicket had to be large enough to keep a lot of people hidden from King Noah's regular view (about 450 people!).

Having this understanding of the setting helps us see more insight into the motivations, trials, struggles, and deliverance of these people, and we can better see how the Lord will deliver us.


18:8-11 - "...as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death..."
This is the attitude that we should have.  True love involves selfless attitude and selfless actions.  If we truly understand the doctrine of the character of God, and have perfect charity towards those around us, we will want to help them, and then we will.
Bishop Richard C. Edgley talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 9-11 - he said that this idea of mourning with those who mourn, and comforting those who stand in need of comfort is essential to a loving and caring organization.  "I choose to call it 'enduring together.' What happens to one happens to all.  We endure together."
Elder Michael J. Teh also talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 35-37.  He said, "Many believe that for service to be meaningful, it should consist of having elaborate plans and forming a committee.  Although many of these worthwhile projects help, much of the service needed in the world today relates to our day-to-day associations with each other.  Often we find these opportunities within the confines of our own home, neighborhood, and ward."
He also quoted C.S. Lewis from the Screwtape Letters: "Do what you will, there is going to be some benevolence, as well as some malice, in your patient's soul.  The great thing is to direct the malice to his immediate neighbours whom he meets every day and to thrust his benevolence out to the remote circumference, to people he does not know.  The malice thus becomes wholly real and the benevolence largely imaginary."
This tongue-in-cheek view helps give us insight into helping others.  We should not extend our malice onto those close to us, but rather benevolence.  And really...we should extend benevolence to all and malice to none.


18:20 - "...preach nothing save it were repentance and faith..."
This doesn't mean that this is all that we preach...we just teach that others should come unto Christ.  This is the end result of what faith and repentance does for us.