In Mosiah chapter 2, King Benjamin addresses his people for the last time as their prophet-king. As a missionary I ran across the following scripture that I thought was a semi-humorous way to start a talk, especially if you were nervous: "For even at this time, my whole frame doth tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak unto you" (Mosiah 2:30). It wasn't until fairly recently that it dawned on me what was going on.
King Benjamin had Parkinson's disease or something similar. Kings typically rule until they pass on. Prophets serve their whole lives. Yet, in verse 29 King Benjamin states, "I say unto you that I have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together, that I might declare unto you that I can no longer be your teacher, nor your king." He is unable to serve in those capacities any more. Then he says that as he attempts to speak unto the people his "whole frame doth tremble exceedingly." Now, maybe he was just old and frail and shook a lot because his body was weakened but to me it sounds like Parkinson's disease or maybe essential tremor. "But the Lord God doth support me, and hath suffered me that I should speak unto you" (Mosiah 2:30). The Lord gave him strength that he could stand and speak. It can be very hard to initiate and maintain speech for someone with Parkinson's disease due to the bradykinesia (slowed starting of movements).
Anyway, I could be wrong of course, and could just be reading in my clinical training but it's an interesting hypothesis. It makes sense that he would pass on his duties to a son if he was in that state.
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