The word willing shows up three times in Nephi’s discussion of the baptismal covenant. Later, this word will also appear in the sacramental prayers. What do we promise when we partake of the sacrament? Do we promise that we will remember him always? No. Do we promise that we will keep every commandment? If we do, that’s not a promise that we’re likely to keep.
The blessing on the bread states that those who participate in the sacramental ordinance witness unto "God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing" to do the following three things:
To be willing to remember him always is a promise that we can all make, and that is what God wants—a willing heart. But that means we really must be willing. This is a willful commitment. It is voluntary. We must be submissive. This factor of willingness will later be reflected in King Benjamin’s speech. In Mosiah 5:5 as the Nephites have fallen down and felt the mighty change in their hearts, they say, "And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will." One might well assume that Benjamin had his people use this word in entering into their covenant on his occasion precisely because that language and understanding had become a traditional part of Nephite covenant making and theology.