King Benjamin continually teaches of the goodness of God. It is a central tenet of the Christian faith that we come to this understanding of our dependence on Him, for, in view of the infinite Atonement, we are indeed all unprofitable servants—no matter how devoted our worship and service. We are perpetually indebted to God. This truth is explained by President Joseph F. Smith:
I am inclined to acknowledge the hand of God in all things. If I see a man inspired with intelligence, with extraordinary ability and wisdom, I say to myself he is indebted to God for that wisdom and ability; and that, without the providence or interposition of the Almighty, he would not have been what he is. He is indebted to the Lord Almighty for his intelligence, and for all that he has; for the earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof. God originated and designed all things, and all are his children. We are born into the world as his offspring; endowed with the same attributes. The children of men have sprung from the Almighty, whether the world is willing to acknowledge it or not. He is the Father of our spirits. He is the originator of our earthly tabernacles. We live and move and have our being in God our Heavenly Father. And having sprung from him with our talents, our ability, our wisdom, we should at least be willing to acknowledge his hand in all the prosperity that may attend us in life, and give to him the honor and glory of all we accomplish in the flesh. We are particularly dependent upon the Almighty for everything we possess of a worldly character. There is not a man on the earth possessed of the wisdom or power of himself to cause even a spear of grass to grow, or to produce a kernel of wheat or of corn, or any fruit, vegetable, or any material whatever which is essential for the sustenance, the happiness and the well-being of a human creature in the world. It is true we can go to the earth, we find it prepared to a certain extent, and we cultivate, plow and plant, and we reap the harvest; but God has ordained that the fruits of our labor shall be in subjection and in obedience to certain laws which he himself controls, and which he has kept out of the power of man. Man may boast of having a great deal of wisdom; of having accomplished a great deal in this nineteenth century; but, if he did but know it, he derives the ability by which he accomplishes these things from God his Father, who is in heaven. He does not possess the power in and of himself. (Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, comp. John A. Widtsoe (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939), 62)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell adds these thoughts on the subject of our dependence upon the Lord:
While the egoistic urge of the natural man is to invite others, “Look at me,” instead we should increasingly say, “Look to God and live” (Alma 37:47). When our natural instinct is to claim credit, increasingly we should ponder what they have done for us—a rescuing which we mortals were absolutely powerless to effect for ourselves. No wonder we are comparatively “unprofitable servants” (Mosiah 2:21)… .
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 [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1991], 31, 128)