Benjamin makes it clear that we cannot give the Lord enough praise, nor can we serve him with sufficient diligence to pay back the debt we owe him. David proclaimed, I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth (Ps 34:1). Can David praise the Lord enough to pay back this great debt? The answer of Benjamin is a resounding, "No."
The Savior, likewise taught this principle in a parable, saying:
'But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow (think) not.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.' (Lu 17:7-10)
The greatness of this concept, other than teaching us appropriate humility before our Creator, is that it suppresses the pride of the pseudo-religious and self-righteous, who fail to understand that they are indeed unprofitable servants. No generation exemplified this truth more than the ecclesiastical leaders of Christ's day. Their sense of superiority is overflowing in the story of the gospels. Consider the man who was blind since birth. He was healed by Jesus, then was brought before the Sanhedrin to be interrogated by the religious leaders of the day. The once blind man gave a powerful testimony of the miracle and Jesus saying, Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing (Jn 9:32-33). To insinuate that Jesus of Nazareth was of God was offensive to them, and their answer exemplifies their pride, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out (Jn 9:34). How different is this than the attitude of Benjamin who said, I, whom ye call your king, am no better than ye yourselves are (v. 26).
Joseph Fielding Smith
"Our Redeemer has done everything that is essential for our salvation, and he has taught us that if we serve him with all our soul, and all our days, yet we are unprofitable servants and have done only that which it was our duty to do. Paul says we were bought with a price, and we are not our own. Our Redeemer has a perfect right to command us, and all that we do is for our own sakes. He can do without us, but we cannot do without him. We are told that we are unprofitable servants, and so we are, if we think of trying to pay our Savior back for what he has done for us, for that we never can do; and we cannot by any number of acts, or a full life of faithful service, place our Savior in our debt." (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p. 15)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Both premortally and after the astonishing atonement, Jesus said 'Glory be to the Father' (see Moses 4:2; D&C 19:19). What a contrast to those of us unprofitable servants who, after doing a few good deeds, insist on keeping score!
"We worry over whether or not our little deed is noticed. We notice the size of the letters on the mortal marquees over the tiny little theaters where our 'own little plot is always being played.'
"We continue to be overly concerned with getting mortal credit and over-establishing our worth. As God's children we do have great value and genuine intrinsic, individual worth. Must that intrinsic worth ever be at the mercy of our moods or of extrinsic, ephemeral measuring rods?" (Men and Women of Christ, p. 128)
Hugh Nibley
"An unprofitable servant is somebody who consumes more than he produces. You can't possibly produce what you consume. You can't produce even a blade of grass. No one can pay his own way in this world. If you say you've paid your own way, you can't. He is 'even supporting you from one moment to another-I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.' So much for being independent. You are dependent on him every minute. You should know that and realize that other people are too. What he wants you to do is to help them. He doesn't need your help." (Teachings of the Book of Mormon, lecture 28, p. 454)