Benjamin has lived an entire life of service. He has an unending desire to be pure before the Lord. Regarding his own life, he states, I can answer a clear conscience before God this day (v. 15). He still has a couple of things which need to be taken care of before he yields up [his] mortal frame to its mother earth (v. 26). He needs to establish a successor and do it in a peaceful manner, and he needs to testify to the people, as he says, that your blood should not come upon me. This is the tradition of Nephite prophets, to magnify their calling as a watchman on the tower such that the Lord could not hold them responsible for the sins of their people.
The watchman on the tower has a responsibility to warn the people of impending danger. Ezekiel taught that the watchman was culpable if he did not fulfill his responsibility, if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand…if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way…his blood will I require at thine hand (Ezek 33:6-8). Jacob echoed these words, we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments (Jacob 1:19).
Hugh B. Brown
"President John Taylor said on one occasion, speaking to the brethren of the priesthood: 'If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those you might have saved, had you done your duty.'
"This is a challenging statement. If I by reason of sins of commission or omission lose what I might have had in the hereafter, I myself must suffer and, doubtless, my loved ones with me. But if I fail in my assignment as a bishop, a stake president, a mission president, or one of the General Authorities of the Church—if any of us fail to teach, lead, direct, and help to save those under our direction and within our jurisdiction, then the Lord will hold us responsible if they are lost as the result of our failure." (CR, Oct. 1962, p. 84 as taken from the BOM Institute Manual, p. 14)