#34 May 4 – 10, Mosiah 11-17

May 9, 2020

#34 May 4 – 10, Mosiah 11-17

Reference sources

            My original aim in writing this blog was to capture the things we talked about as a family over a 30-year period as we read the Book of Mormon together in the morning on school days. That’s one reason I write in a fairly conversational tone. This blog is not meant to be another commentary on the Book of Mormon. But I hope you might find some fresh insights that will open additional understanding and appreciation of this marvelous book for you and your family.

            As I have written, I have supplemented my own impressions and thoughts about the Book of Mormon and those I recall from family members with good ideas and insights from other sources. It might be helpful to briefly review those sources to (1) give credit where it is due and (2) direct you to some resources for your further study, if you choose to do so. Here are the reference sources I use most regularly and which I study/listen to each week.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon – this is an excellent print-based commentary written about 30 years ago by Robert Millet and Joseph F. McConkie. (Brent L. Topp also contributed to the 4^th volume.) It was originally published in 4 volumes. I have the original hard back books and have read and highlighted them several times. More recently, I downloaded the e-books from Deseret Book and read them on my iPad in the Deseret Bookshelf Library reader. I like doing that because I can copy and paste good insights in the Commentary into the notes for the appropriate verses in my Gospel Library app. Here is the link to see the second volume, which deals with the material we are currently studying. https://deseretbook.com/p/doctrinal-commentary-book-mormon-vol-2-jacob-through-mosiah-robert-l-millet-921?ref=Grid%20%7C%20Robert%20L.%20Millet%20%7C%20Taxon%3A%20838-6&variant_id=147153-paperback

Book of Mormon Central – There are many resources at Book of Mormon Central (BMC). I think it is the best place for serious students of the Book of Mormon to supplement their study. The web link is https://bookofmormoncentral.org/. You can sign up at BMC to receive a daily email with study suggestions and a link to Griffin and Halverson (see below).

There are two specific resources at Book of Mormon Central which I use regularly and recommend:

1.     Tyler Griffin and Taylor Halverson – These two BYU professors give a discussion each week on YouTube of the Come, Follow Me, chapters for that week. I find them very good! They have recently started podcasting their discussions, but you will miss the visuals which add a lot if you only listen to the audio podcast. The YouTube link for this week is: https://youtu.be/_wLUzLQVDVY.

2.     John W. Welch notes – Brother Welch, one of the co-founders of BMC, makes his notes for each B of M reading assignment available. I find it convenient to download the .pdf of the notes and open in Acrobat Reader on my iPad. Then I can highlight, copy and paste, just like from Deseret Bookshelf or the Gospel Library app. Here is the link for this week’s notes: https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/mosiah-11-17

            Finally, I find the Church-produced Book of Mormon Videos very good. They add to my appreciation of the chapters for which they are available. I often find non-verbal insights into the written word that are very enlightening. I think those who have produced these have done an excellent job. Here is the link for this week’s video: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/video/mosiah-11-18/2020-03-0200-abinadi-testifies-of-jesus-christ-mosiah-11-18-1080p

Just a word about this week’s Book of Mormon video. It is very good! I suggest you view the whole 25 minutes, which covers Mosiah 11-18, including baptisms at the Waters of Mormon from chapter 18, something we will discuss next week. The video begins with Alma, one of the priests of Noah, running for his life from the king’s guards. The defense of Abinadi in the court of Noah is powerful and his execution by fire was very emotional for me. It is well worth your time to watch.

When I quote specifically from one of these sources, I try to always give proper credit, which is appropriate. Sometimes, things I share are a summary of multiple sources and/or things I’ve learned on my own but may also be mentioned in one of the sources. In that case, I don’t always give specific mention of the source. When I shared that with Tyler Griffin in an email this week, he replied, You are more than welcome to use any resources you pick up from our videos. Don’t feel like you have to quote so much. If something is true, just teach it! I can guarantee that the angels up in Heaven aren’t taking notes on anything we say =-). Ok, thanks!

Mosiah Chapter 11

A new king on the throne

            After two chapters spoken in the first person by Zeniff, his final words in chapter 10 were: And now I, being old, did confer the kingdom upon one of my sons; therefore, I say no more. And may the Lord bless my people. Amen. (10:22) The voice will now shift from first person (Zeniff) to third person. This is probably the voice of Mormon though it is possible that another writer such as Alma or Limhi may be the narrator at this point.

Our narrator tells us that Zeniff chooses one of his sons to take over as king. Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons; therefore Noah began to reign in his stead; and he did not walk in the ways of his father. (11:1) We don’t know how long Zeniff lived after conferring the kingdom on Noah, but he isn’t mentioned again. And Noah is definitely in charge!

            Why did Zeniff and his wife name one of their sons Noah? The name means “rest” or “repose.” I suspect they wanted their son to be inspired by the great patriarch Noah who saved his family at the time of the flood. Many of us have given our children names that we hope will inspire them. And why did Zeniff chose Noah to be king? Was he the oldest? Did he go astray after his father chose him? Did he fool his father into thinking he would be righteous? Or was he the only one of Zeniff’s sons who would take the throne? We don’t know. I ask the question to remind us that these are real people and this is their real story.

            Regardless of why he was chosen, what we do know is that Noah radically changed the affairs of the kingdom. Note that he did not “walk” in the ways of his father. He left the covenant path. Zeniff wasn’t perfect, but he was on the covenant path later in life. Noah left the path and chose to “walk” another way. In 19 verses, we see all the ways that Noah changed the affairs of the kingdom and violated the commandments of God. Later he and his priests will claim to live the Law of Moses. Check off in your mind how many of the Ten Commandments Noah and his like-minded wicked priests violated. Here is a bullet list of his transgressions:

·      Did not keep the commandments (v. 2)

·      Had many wives and concubines (v. 2)

·      Caused the people to commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness (v. 2)

·      Laid heavy taxes on the people (v. 3)

·      Used the taxes for his own gain (v. 4)

·      Put down the priests of his father and consecrated new ones, men who were lifted up in pride (v. 5)

·      Practiced idolatry (v. 6, 7)

·      Deceived the people with vain and flattering words (v. 7)

·      Set his heart on buildings, thrones, gold, etc. (v. 8, 9)

·      Desecrated the temple (v. 10, 11)

·      Built many buildings, including a great tower (v. 13)

·      Set his heart on riches, riotous living and immorality (v. 14)

·      Became a “wine-bibber” (v. 15)

·      Didn’t adequately protect his people (v. 17)

·      When victorious, boasted in his own strength and delighted in shedding blood (v. 19)

How did Noah get so bad so fast? One of our daughters, Melissa, shared her thoughts on this question with our family this week:

Just a quick thought on Zeniff - I've always been kinda fascinated with him because he admits to being slow to remember the Lord, but undergoes some sort of a conversion and learns to trust in the Lord. I've also wondered about his posterity--how did Noah become such a creep and Limhi end up so wonderful? My little pet theory is that Noah was young and impressionable in the days when his dad was slow to remember the Lord and enthusiastic for treasure and glory. That may have shaped his life and leadership style. Limhi, however, grew up seeing Zeniff trusting in the Lord and the good things that came from that. When it came his turn to lead, he followed the example of his grandfather (Zeniff) rather than of his father (Noah). I like Zeniff. He wasn't perfect but he was real. I like Limhi too. He overcame a real creep of a father (Noah) and it must have been heartbreaking for him.

Interesting thought! Thanks, darling! For whatever reason, Noah takes a dramatically different course from that of his father and it’s not good! Is it any accident that this story comes so soon in the Book of Mormon after the story of King Benjamin? I doubt it, though they are historical contemporaries.

In literature, “a foil is a character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, to highlight qualities of the other character.” (Wikipedia) Noah is a foil for Benjamin. Both are kings; both had righteous fathers and sons, but the similarities end there. The contrast is striking between Benjamin and Noah! Last week we talked about the branch point in two paths, one leading leading upward toward the Savior and the other leading downward toward Satan. Benjamin and Noah, if they ever stood at the same branch point, have certainly taken different paths. They model the beings whom they follow. Benjamin models the Savior and is a Christ-figure to his people. By contrast, Noah models his master and is a Satan-figure to his people. He teaches us what is important to Satan and what he would tempt us to do, if we choose to follow him by our small daily choices.

How did Noah get so evil? I don’t know and the record doesn’t really tell us. I doubt he was all of the sudden evil. It probably began with small, seemingly insignificant choices that led to other more wicked choices. He probably found ways to rationalize his behavior and justify to himself his departure from the ways of his father until he became a frankly evil man, a servant of Satan.

And what about his wicked priests and the people? Why did they follow him? That’s an even more interesting and personally applicable question. John Welch points out that life was pretty good under Noah, at least for some of the people.

We may wonder why so many of the people in the city of Nephi went along with Noah. One reason might have been economic security. Noah’s large building campaigns would have produced high rates of employment. Life was good in that sense. Presumably there was upward mobility in this relatively small society and those opportunities encouraged people to not want to rock the boat. When Abinadi came to preach repentance, the people did not agree with Abinadi’s ominous condemnations. There may have been some heavy rationalizations going on in their minds …

Do we see any of Noah’s vices in any of our political leaders? Pride, greed for power and influence, corruption, immorality, oppression of the poor, lack of sanctity for life, etc.? And yet, as a people, we condone their actions and even vote for them because we have a job, our 401K is doing well (at least until COVID 19) and because they are far away in Washington or London.

S. Michael Wilcox, an excellent teacher and Church educator, retired CES instructor at BYU and University of Utah, gave an instructive and provocative talk, King Noah Blindness and the Vision of Seers based on this relationship between Noah’s vices and the responses of his people. Here is the link if you’d like to listen. It is very good and would make a really good Sunday listening and discussing experience for a family with teenagers: https://deseretbook.com/p/king-noah-blindness-vision-seers-s-michael-wilcox-2740?variant_id=108871-ebook

If you have the Deseret Bookshelf Plus Library, you can download and listen for free.

Who was Abinadi and where did he come from?

            Into the world of wicked king Noah and his wicked priests and a community who supported (willingly or not) their sinful ways comes a courageous man, a prophet of God by the name of Abinadi.

            And it came to pass that there was a man among them whose name was Abinadi; and he went forth among them, and began to prophesy, saying: Behold, thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me, saying, Go forth, and say unto this people, thus saith the Lord—Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their abominations, and their wickedness, and their whoredoms; and except they repent I will visit them in mine anger. (11:20)

            Who was Abinadi? We don’t know. He was “a man among them.” Some have suggested that he may have been one of the righteous priests of Zeniff who were “put down” by Noah. We don’t know how old he was, but somehow, I think we was a little older and more mature. (Maybe it’s because, for me, Abinadi will always look like he was portrayed by Arnold Friberg in his classic painting of Abinadi in king Noah’s court. How could it be otherwise? If you’ve forgotten, here is a link to the picture: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-library/images/abinadi-before-king-noah-39651?lang=eng)

            Abinadi doesn’t have a lot good to say to Noah and his priests. The Lord has sent him with a powerful message of warning, which he courageously delivers.

Except they repent and turn to the Lord their God, behold, I will deliver them into the hands of their enemies; yea, and they shall be brought into bondage; and they shall be afflicted by the hand of their enemies. (11:21)

… except this people repent and turn unto the Lord their God, they shall be brought into bondage; and none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God. (11:23)

And except they repent in sackcloth and ashes, and cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will not hear their prayers, neither will I deliver them out of their afflictions; and thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me. (11:25)

Griffin and Halverson point out that these are “conditional” prophecies or curses pronounced against the people. The Lord, through His prophet Abinadi, is warning Noah and his people to repent by telling them what He will do except they repent. Their fate is not sealed. They have a chance to change and repent. Like Jonah preaching in the wicked city of Nineveh, the Lord warns them through his prophet that they will be destroyed if they do not repent. However, in distinction to the people of Nineveh, who did repent (much to the consternation of Jonah), the Nephites of the city of Lehi-Nephi reject his message.

For this warning, they were wroth with him, and sought to take away his life. … when king Noah had heard of the words which Abinadi had spoken unto the people, he was also wroth; and he said: Who is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged of him, or who is the Lord, that shall bring upon my people such great affliction? I command you to bring Abinadi hither, that I may slay him, for he has said these things that he might stir up my people to anger one with another, and to raise contentions among my people; therefore I will slay him. Even the eyes of the people were blinded. (11:26-29).

But Abinadi has not finished his message and the Lord wants to give Noah and his people time to repent, so, much like the Savior when the people of his own home town of Nazareth tried to kill Him for declaring that He was the Messiah (see Luke chapter 4), the Lord delivered him out of their hands. (11:26) Abinadi was saved at this time from death, but later, after he has delivered his message, he will seal that message with his life.

Mosiah Chapter 12

Abinadi returns two years later

            And it came to pass that after the space of two years that Abinadi came among them in disguise, that they knew him not, and began to prophesy among them … (12:1)

            Where has Abinadi been for two years? Maybe like Elijah hiding from the wicked king Ahab at the brook Cherith (1 Kings 17), Abinadi was hiding somewhere in the wilderness for two years to give the people of Noah a chance to repent. Alternatively, a fascinating thought suggested by Bro. Welch is that he went to Zarahemla to see king Benjamin.

            Was Abinadi sitting out in the wilderness by himself for two years? That is a long time to spend alone out with the jaguars and the boa constrictors. The only other known Nephite settlement at this time was in Zarahemla. If Abinadi was an older prophet and had come back with the original settlers who had inherited the land of Nephi, he would know at least approximately where the land of Zarahemla was. … King Benjamin and Abinadi were both prophets of the Lord. They could well have worked and consulted together. We usually think of Abinadi as a solo operator, but he may have had connections with other prophets. He may have gone to Benjamin as an established royal priesthood leader to seek guidance from the Lord and to gather wisdom by memorizing the scriptures. (Welch Notes)

            And why was Abinadi in disguise? We have often laughed in our family scripture study that Abinadi came in disguise and then, as soon as he opens his mouth, he “blows his cover” by saying, Thus has the Lord commanded me, saying—Abinadi (12:1). But it is much more likely that he was in disguise so he could safely move about in the city of Lehi-Nephi to observe and see if the people and their leaders have repented as commanded by the Lord. To his disappointment, he finds that they have not repented. They have hardened their hearts against [the Lord’s] words; they have repented not of their evil doings… (12:1) (There is another reason why he may have been in disguise which I’ll mention a little later.)

            Abinadi, true to his nature, is bold in decrying the wickedness of Noah and his people. But this time, his prophecies are no longer conditional. They have not repented so the Lord has sent him to tell the people what will be. Again speaking for the Lord, Abinadi is no longer making conditional “except” statements. He is now making “will” and “shall” pronouncements in the name of the Lord. Note his language:

            I will visit them in my anger, yea, in my fierce anger will I visit them in their iniquities and abominations. (12:1)

            Thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that this generation, because of their iniquities, shall be brought into bondage, and shall be smitten on the cheek; yea, and shall be driven by men, and shall be slain; and the vultures of the air, and the dogs, yea, and the wild beasts, shall devour their flesh. (12:2)

            The life of king Noah shall be valued even as a garment in a hot furnace; for he shall know that I am the Lord. (12:3)

            Abinadi is speaking in the first person for the Lord - Thus saith the Lord! (12:2) By the principle of Divine Investiture of Authority, Abinadi is speaking for the Lord, actually speaking as the Lord Himself would speak, if He were there in person. This is the most powerful language a prophet can use! To deny his words now is to deny the Lord Himself. In this, we also begin to see Abinadi as a type of Christ Himself. Watch for ways in which Abinadi is a Christ figure. I’ll point on some, but there are several.

            Abinadi, speaking for the Lord Jehovah, the pre-existent Jesus Christ, goes on to pronounce further curses on the people for their wickedness. He curses them with sore afflictions … famine … pestilence … heavy burdens … hail … insects and the east wind … and a great pestilence. (12:4-7) The similitude of Abinadi to Moses is also striking and unmistakeable. As you read, watch for the ways in which Abinadi is like Moses. This makes sense because all prophets are types of Christ, so it is not surprising that Moses and Abinadi, both prophets and both types of Christ, are similar to each other.

There is only one more conditional curse to be pronounced: except they repent I will utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth … (12:8) Eventually, after great tribulation, the people of Noah do repent, so they are not “utterly destroyed” (as were the Jaredites and eventually the Nephite nation). But it will be too late for Noah, who will have been killed by then. Unfortunately, his wicked priests go on to be a continual scourge to the Nephites. But they are forced to remain in the wilderness and are eventually hunted at this day by the Lamanites. (25:9)

Abinadi is brought before king Noah

            The people of Noah with their blind eyes and hard hearts reject the words of Abinadi and take him before the king.

            And it came to pass that they were angry with him; and they took him and carried him bound before the king, and said unto the king: Behold, we have brought a man before thee who has prophesied evil concerning thy people, and saith that God will destroy them. And he also prophesieth evil concerning thy life, and saith that thy life shall be as a garment in a furnace of fire. … And he pretendeth the Lord hath spoken it. (12:9-12)

            In their blind rationalizing way, the people ask, And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great sins have thy people committed, that we should be condemned of God or judged of this man? And now, O king, behold, we are guiltless, and thou, O king, hast not sinned; therefore, this man has lied concerning you, and he has prophesied in vain. (12:13-14)

            In the talk by Brother Wilcox mentioned above, he discusses these verses and talks about how we too often call evil good and good evil. When parents express concern about the choices of the friends of a teenage son or daughter, the response is often, “You are judging them! You don’t know them like I do!” If you have a teenager in this situation (or if you are a teenager), I strongly suggest listening to his talk.

Abinadi is questioned by the priests of Noah

            While Abinadi is in prison, Noah gathers his priests together that he might hold a council with them what he should do with him. (12:17) Abinadi is brought back into Noah’s court and they began to question him, that they might cross him, that thereby they might have wherewith to accuse him; but he answered them boldly, and withstood all their questions, yea, to their astonishment; for he did withstand them in all their questions, and did confound them in all their words. (12:19) This situation is similar to that of the wicked Jewish leaders who tried to trap Jesus in His words on His last days preaching in the temple. In a similar manner, the Savior confounded them all.

            One of the priests of Noah then asks a really interesting question: one of them said unto him: What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth; (12:20-21)

Who asked that question? Well, it was obviously one of the priests of Noah. It is usually assumed that the person who asked the question had wicked intent, desiring to trap Abinadi and find reason to put him to death. But in our family, we wonder if it was actually Alma who asked the question. Perhaps Alma, one of Noah’s priests, was beginning to see the light and respond to the Spirit of the Lord, similar to Zeezrom in questioning Alma (the Younger) and Amulek in Ammonihah when his heart began to soften and he began to ask sincere questions. (See Alma 14) Perhaps Alma’s heart was changing and he was inspired to ask that question. (Lori and I have carefully watched the Book of Mormon video for this week to see if the producers of that video had Alma be the one to ask that question, but it doesn’t look like it was.)

Regardless of who asked the question, this was a “fast ball down the middle” (a baseball term for a pitch that the batter can hit out of the park) for Abinadi! Don’t try to trap a prophet by quoting another prophet, especially not Isaiah! And, if are going to use a scripture to try to trap a prophet, you better know what comes next in the scriptures. Or possibly, Alma intentionally set up Abinadi to “hit it out of the park” with his answer, which Abinadi definitely does!

The question comes from Isaiah chapter 52. Isaiah 53 is the most powerful chapter in the Old Testament in teaching about the coming ministry of Christ as the “suffering servant.” Abinadi knows that and appears to have Isaiah 53 memorized so he can quote the whole chapter in response.

But first, Abinadi let’s the wicked priests have it with both barrels! Are you priests, and pretend to teach this people, and to understand the spirit of prophesying, and yet desire to know of me what these things mean? I say unto you, wo be unto you for perverting the ways of the Lord! For if ye understand these things ye have not taught them; therefore, ye have perverted the ways of the Lord. Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; (12:25-27)

Abinadi, with prophetic discernment, sees right through them. He asks them, what teach ye this people? They respond, We teach the law of Moses.

Abinadi replies, If ye teach the law of Moses why do ye not keep it? Why do ye set your hearts upon riches? Why do ye commit whoredoms and spend your strength with harlots, yea, and cause this people to commit sin, that the Lord has cause to send me to prophesy against this people, yea, even a great evil against this people? (12:27-29)

Abinadi has them “on the ropes” (a boxing term). Know ye not that I speak the truth? Yea, ye know that I speak the truth; and you ought to tremble before God. And it shall come to pass that ye shall be smitten for your iniquities. (12:30-31)

He now goes on the offensive and asks them a penetrating question, Doth salvation come by the law of Moses? What say ye? (12:31) They answer that salvation does come by the law of Moses, to which Abinadi replies, I know if ye keep the commandments of God ye shall be saved. (12:33) He then quotes the first two of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Thou shalt have no other God before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing in heaven above, or things which are in the earth beneath. (12:34-36)

Looking around at the graven images in the ornate court of Noah, he puts them even more on the defensive by asking, Have ye done all this? I say unto you, Nay, ye have not. And have ye taught this people that they should do all these things? I say unto you, Nay, ye have not. (12:36-37)

Mosiah Chapter 13

Abinadi, like Moses, teaches the Ten Commandments

            Noah and his priests have heard enough! Noah says, Away with this fellow, and slay him; for what have we to do with him, for he is mad. (13:1) No trial! No hearing of evidence. No vote of the council. The king, speaking for Satan, whose servant he is, wants Abinadi dead. His heart has a murderous spirit.

            But Abinadi has not finished giving his message. When they try to take him away, he boldly says, Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver; neither have I told you that which ye requested that I should tell; therefore, God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time. (13:3)

            The people of the king don’t dare to lay their hands on him for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses’ did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord. (13:5)

            If Noah and his priests haven’t figured it out before, certainly they get it now – Abinadi is like Moses standing before them. They say they teach the law of Moses. Well, the Lord has sent another “Moses” to them as a witness against them. He quotes the Ten Commandments, which Moses obtained on Mt. Sinai. His face shines with exceeding luster, like that of Moses did when he came done the mountain and the people could not look on his face. (Exodus 34:35). Maybe that is why Abinadi wore a disguise. Maybe his face already shone when he came into the court of Noah but he kept it veiled until now.

            Surely Noah realizes that, if this man represents Moses and is pronouncing curses on us, then I must represent Pharaoh. He is right! In this drama, we have two types of Christ – Abinadi and Moses. And we have two types of Satan – Noah and Pharaoh. This is powerful and the stakes are high!

            Abinadi goes on to quote the remainder of the Ten Commandments. By the way, some in modern times have claimed that we are not subject to the Ten Commandments because they were part of the Law of Moses. Yes, they were given to Moses, but we are still responsible to keep them. They have been repeated in the Book of Mormon here by Abinadi and they are found in the Doctrine and Covenants (see D&C 42 and 59). In the mouth of three scriptural witnesses, we are accountable for the Ten Commandments even in modern times. But the Savior taught a higher law which goes beyond the outward observance of the Ten Commandments and speaks to the inward attitude of the heart regarding obedience to these great laws and principles. For example, the Savior said,

            Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit adultery;

            But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart. (3 Nephi 12:27-28)

            This is the Law of the Gospel, the higher law which the Savior taught. In the scriptures, it is best found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and the Sermon at the Temple (3 Nephi 12-14).

Abinadi teaches of the atonement

            Abinadi proceeds in his masterful defense before king Noah and his priests to teach of the Savior and the atonement which He will make. I say unto you, that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses. (13:28)

            Abinadi continues powerfully to call upon Moses and all the prophets as his witnesses,

Did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?

Have they not said that God himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth?

Yea, and have they not said also that he should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, and that he, himself, should be oppressed and afflicted? (13:33-35)

            Noah and the wicked priests are listening, but, except for Alma, not with open hearts but, like a ferocious animal patiently waiting until the right moment to pounce on its prey, they are waiting for Abinadi to say something for which they can convict him. They now have it. After Abinadi finishes his message, Noah and his priests will confer for 3 days (a symbolic amount of time) and then accuse him as follows, Abinadi, we have found an accusation against thee, and thou art worthy of death. For thou hast said that God himself should come down among the children of men; and now, for this cause thou shalt be put to death unless thou wilt recall all the words which thou hast spoken evil concerning me and my people. (17:7-8) They will convict Abinadi of blasphemy for saying that God Himself will come down from heaven among the children of men. Ironically, blasphemy is the charge on which Christ was convicted before the Sanhedrin and the wicked Jewish leaders, the charge that led them to pronounce Him worthy of death. In His case, even more ironically, Christ, as the Son of God, is the only person ever to live on the earth who could not be accused of blasphemy, i.e. falsely speaking as if He were God, because He is!

Mosiah Chapter 14

            We are finally to the most important part of this week’s reading and I’m almost out of gas (or petrol) and time. I should have started here. The next three chapters are one of the most (if not the most) cogent and powerful discourses on the mission of the Savior, His infinite atonement, the Fall, the Resurrection and the Redemption of mankind found in all of scripture. I will make just a few comments but leave it to you to read these chapters carefully and digest their powerful truths regarding the Savior and His mission.

Abinadi quotes Isaiah 53

            About 30 percent, including some 478 verses, of the the Book of Isaiah is quoted in the Book of Mormon. There are 19 chapters quoted in their entirety, including this chapter, Isaiah 53. Each chapter is an important scriptural treasure, though some are more easily understood by the modern reader than others. How can you rank order the significance of these chapters or verses? It’s probably not possible or even a good idea to try, but, if there is one chapter that, at least for me, is the most meaningful chapter in Isaiah, it is chapter 53, the chapter quoted here in Mosiah 14. Perhaps it is no accident that the Isaiah chapter which tells us the most about the Suffering Servant, the Messiah/Savior who would come, was reserved for the prophet of the Book of Mormon, Abinadi, the prophet most like the Savior Himself. There are no accidents in the Book of Mormon! Abinadi “earned” the right to be associated in this scriptural record with Isaiah 53 by the power of his testimony of the Messiah and by, like the Savior, giving his life to seal his testimony. This chapter is truly a treasure!

            The question from one of Noah’s priests from Isaiah 52 is the perfect lead into the heart of Abinadi’s message about the Savior so beautifully capsulated in the poetic majesty of the words of Isaiah 53. This chapter is to be read slowly, thoughtfully and with great reverence. In this chapter, we see Christ, the Suffering Servant, the willing Lamb of God, paying the price for our sins and transgressions.

            Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; (14:4)

            He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (14:5)

            He bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (14:12)

            My feelings about the Savior, as described by Isaiah in chapter 53, are best captured in this hymn:

            I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine

To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,

That he should extend his great love unto such as I,

Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!

Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?

No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me

Enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

                                                                        Hymns 193

Mosiah Chapters 15 – 16

Abinadi teaches of the mission and atonement of Jesus Christ

            Please take time on your own to thoughtfully read these two chapters as Abinadi teaches of Christ and His atonement. They are powerful! I’m not going to try to discuss them verse by verse. There is so much we could say. Where could we start or end? I’ll make just a few comments.

How Christ is the Father and the Son

            After quoting Isaiah 53 to Noah and his priests (were there other people listening as well?), Abinadi goes on to teach about the Father and the Son.

            I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.

And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—

The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—

And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth. (15:1-4)

For every true doctrine, Satan, who is “the father of all lies” (2 Nephi 2:18) has a counterfeit doctrine, a subtle, pernicious lie designed to confuse those who will listen to him and to obscure the true doctrine. The true doctrine of the Godhead is that

The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. (D&C 130:22)

The Father (Elohim, the great God of our universe and the Father of our spirits) is an exalted Man with a resurrected body. His Son, Jesus Christ (Jehovah of the Old Testament) is also a resurrected, exalted Man, separate and distinct from His Father. They are two exalted Men, but one in purpose and completely unified in “work and glory” (Moses 1:39) and in that sense “one God.” The Holy Ghost is a spirit Man who does not have a resurrected body (at this time) but is a personage of Spirit. He is also a God, part of the council of three gods who make up the Godhead. Because He is perfectly in harmony with the Father and the Son and bears witness of them, He is one with them and the three of them, though separate individuals are “one God.”

These great truths were lost after the death of the apostles by Christ’s New Testament church. When revelation ceased, Satan was able to sow lies and heresies into the church. In a series of councils held a few centuries after the death of the apostles, “creeds” were developed by uninspired men which redefined God as one entity “without body, parts or passions.” It was explained to me once that God is like a room. It has a ceiling, walls and a floor, but one room. When God is in Heaven, He is the Father. When He is on earth, He is the Son. When He is in our heart, He is the Holy Ghost. But there is only one God. Does that make sense? Not to me. If that were the God I was taught to believe in, I would be like much of the world is today – agnostic.

This is the “creedal” or trinitarian concept of God. For the majority of modern Christian churches, this is the concept of God to which one must adhere to be considered a Christian. Because members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reject the creedal concept of God, we are not considered to be Christians. I had always wondered how other churches could say that we aren’t Christians when the very name of Christ is in the name of our church. Now I understand. Only those who subscribe to the creedal (trinitarian) definition of God are defined by them as “Christians.” Maybe we could better be called “cradle” Christians because we believe in the doctrine of God as was taught by Christ during His life on earth, during the birth and early days of the New Testament Church, and by His apostles after His death.

The reason I have taken time to define the true nature of the Godhead is because some critics of the Book of Mormon and detractors from our faith use these words of Abinadi to either support a creedal (trinitarian) view of God or to say that Joseph Smith changed his story after publishing the Book of Mormon and invented the story of his First Vision to support his notion of a separate Father and Son. When you understand the true doctrine of the Godhead, the words of Abinadi are perfectly consistent with revealed truth and do not teach a false trinitarian doctrine.

Some people also stumble over Abinadi’s words that Christ is the Father and the Son. We talked about this when we considered the words of the angel in Mosiah 3 and the response of the people in Mosiah 5. There are three ways in which Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, is a Father to us.

1.     He is the creator under the direction of His Father of the heavens and the earth. As creator, He is the Father of the earth and all things on it. But He is not the father of the spirits of men and women on the earth. In that regard, He is a brother in the spirit of men and women on the earth as a spirit son of the same heavenly parents as are each of us.

2.     He represents the Father, Elohim, our Father in Heaven. By the principle of Divine Investiture of Authority, He speaks for His Father. In virtually all dealings with men and women since the Fall, Christ has represented the Father to God’s children on earth. Since the Fall, the primary interaction of the Father with His children directly on the earth is to introduce His Son, Jesus Christ. However, we pray to the Father in the name of the Son. There is no one between us and our Father in Heaven in this regard. So, we maintain an intimate, personal relationship with our Heaven Father even in this fallen world.

3.     Christ, as we discussed in Mosiah 5, is the father of our new birth, of our spiritual journey back to the presence of God. We become part of His family, the family of Christ. We take upon us His name. When we enter into a covenant relationship with Him through the waters of baptism, He becomes our spiritual father, the father of our spiritual progress to become more as He is. In this journey, He will eventually lead us back into the presence of God, our Heavenly Father.

These three roles of the Savior, Jesus Christ, as Father are well articulated in an important document published by the First Presidency and the Twelve in 1916. See “The Father and the Son,” a doctrinal exposition of the First Presidency and the Twelve, 30 June 1916, in James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, pp. 465–73.

Abinadi understood all of this. He was trying to help Noah and his priests to understand. Careful reading reveals many indications that Abinadi had a correct understanding of the Godhead. For instance, he says, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. (15:7)

Two “theologically drenched” chapters

            In his last General Conference talk in April 2004, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, our generation’s Apostolic master with words, coined the phrase “theologically drenched” in referring (a little “tongue in cheek”) to a Primary song we sang as children. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2004/04/remember-how-merciful-the-lord-hath-been)

            That phrase has stuck in my mind. Chapters 15 and 16 of Mosiah are theologically drenched! Abinadi had two years to prepare for his last sermon. He knew it would be his last because he has already “thrown down the gauntlet” by calling Noah to repentance. In response, Noah has already decreed that Abinadi must die. So Abinadi is giving it his last, best shot, knowing it is his final testimony. Read these chapters carefully. There is so much in them. I wish we had more time to discuss. Here is just a summary (using headings from Millet and McConkie’s Commentary on these chapters) of important “theologically drenched” doctrinal points addressed by Abinadi.

·      The Ministry of Christ as the Father and the Son

·      Subjecting the Flesh to the Spirit

·      The Righteous Are the Seed of Christ

·      Christ and His Prophets Publish Peace

·      Discourse on the First Resurrection

·      No Redemption for the Wicked

·      All the Earth Shall See the Salvation of God

·      The Wicked Remain As If No Redemption Had Been Made

·      Salvation Is Only in Christ

·      The Law of Moses Prophesies of Christ

Theologically drenched? Indeed!

The answer to Alma’s question

            In concluding his masterful discourse, Abinadi returns to the question originally asked in Chapter 12 by Alma (or one of the other priests of Noah). What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth; (12:20-21)

            It is the prophets – from Abinadi to Moroni, from Joseph Smith to Russell Nelson and all those who faithfully serve with them – Apostles and Seventies, all those who serve in temples and missions, all the faithful priesthood and sister leaders and teachers in wards and branches, stakes, districts, missions and areas, whose feet are beautiful upon the mountains!

It is the missionaries – from Alma to Ammon and his brethren, to Samuel Smith, the first missionary of this dispensation, to Wilford Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards and their companions who brought the gospel to the British Isles in 1837, to every young sister and every young elder and every mission president and his companion and every senior couple and every senior sister who has or is now serving as a missionary in this great church. It is the faithful young missionaries who are, as I write, quarantined in apartments and flats all over the world but who are still faithful to their prophetic call, reaching out to share the good news of the gospel with anyone who will listen. It is our precious granddaughter, Lizzie, and her friend Hannah, and thousands like them, miraculously evacuated from Brazil and Peru who will cheerfully leave their homes and families again to complete their missionary service in Arkansas and North Dakota. It is Emily, a member of the Church for less than two years, called by the Prophet to serve in the Adriatic South Mission, who learned Greek in the MTC in Preston, England, only to be told two days before she was to leave for Greece that she would not be going there, at least, not now. She is serving faithfully in the England Leeds Mission not very far from her home in Wales. And it is thousands like them who continue to respond to the Prophet’s call to serve the Lord in full time missionary service. It is their feet which are beautiful upon the mountains!

And it is the faithful members of His Church who have entered into a covenant relationship with Christ and become His seed who are faithfully living the gospel in unprecedented times, teaching and learning in a new “home-centered, church-supported” environment as directed by prophetic leadership. It is all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God. For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed? (15:11-12). It is these faithful members of His church throughout all the world whose feet are beautiful upon the mountains!

O how beautiful upon the mountains [are] their feet!

And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace!

And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever! (15:15-17)

But even more, O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people; (15:18)

It is the Savior, who is the founder of peace, whose feet are most beautiful upon the mountains for He has redeemed His people!

So, at the conclusion of his message, Abinadi says to Noah and his priestly interrogators,

Now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?

Therefore, if ye teach the law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come—

Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father. Amen. (16:13-15)

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

Mosiah Chapter 17

The worth of a soul

            Abinadi has delivered his message. It only remains for him to seal his message with his life. But wait, someone has heard his message and his heart has changed.

            There was one among them whose name was Alma, he also being a descendant of Nephi. And he was a young man, and he believed the words which Abinadi had spoken, for he knew concerning the iniquity which Abinadi had testified against them; therefore he began to plead with the king that he would not be angry with Abinadi, but suffer that he might depart in peace.

But the king was more wroth, and caused that Alma should be cast out from among them, and sent his servants after him that they might slay him.

But he fled from before them and hid himself that they found him not. And he being concealed for many days did write all the words which Abinadi had spoken. (17:2-4)

I hope that Abinadi was in the court of Noah when Alma came to his defense so that he would know that he had one convert for all his efforts. I hope Abinadi didn’t die thinking that no one had listened and that he was a failure.

A failure? No way! One soul! Was it worth it for just one soul?

Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! (D&C 18:10, 15)

Look at the lineage of prophets that came from Alma, the one soul whose heart was touched by Abinadi. This is the “down line” of one convert, Alma, a wicked priest, who later repented and was the first of many great prophets.

·      Alma the Elder

·      Alma the Younger

·      Helaman I, son of Alma

·      Helaman II, son of Helaman I

·      Nephi II, son of Helaman II, and his brother Lehi II

·      Nephi III, son of Nephi II, the lead disciple of Christ’s Twelve in the New World

·      Nephi IV, son of Nephi III, the writer of the book of 4^th Nephi

·      Amos I, the son of Nephi IV

·      Amos II, the son of Amos II

·      Ammaron, the brother of Amos II, who gave the plates to Mormon

Truly, the worth of a soul is great!

Abinadi sentenced to death

            After Alma escaped, there was a three-day recess in the council, perhaps because it was the three-day Day of Pentecost celebration and trials could not be held on holy days. We presume that Abinadi was kept in isolation during those three days, the same amount of time that Jonah was in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:17) and Christ was in the tomb (Matt 12:40), another way in which Abinadi is a type of Christ and of all of the prophets.

            Brother Welch makes two interesting observations. In the Sanhedrin-like council, tradition has the youngest speak first. That may be when Alma, a young man, spoke in behalf of Abinadi. After he escaped, presumably Noah would have replaced him with another priest to act as juror. So when they come back in three days they will have a full court again.

How many priests were there? Well, how many daughters of the Lamanites did the priests of Noah, who were in exile in the wilderness, abduct? (Mosiah 20:5) They abducted twenty-four. In the Sanhedrin, there were three groupings of councilors. Two groups had 23 and one group had 24, to make a total of 70. It would make sense that there were 24 priests including Alma, who was replaced sometime during the 3 days after his departure before the council met again.

When Noah reconvenes his court and has Abinadi brought before him, the charge is once again changed. Brother Welch points out that Abinadi was first charged with lying (12:14), secondly with false prophecy (12:14), then with blasphemy (17:7-8) and finally with reviling against the king (17:12). Recall that Christ was not executed by the Romans for blasphemy, the verdict of the Jewish leaders and the Sanhedrin, the penalty for which would have been to be stoned to death and a charge which would hold little weight in a Roman court because they were polytheistic. But Christ was crucified, a Roman form of execution, for treason and sedition, because He said He was a king and was therefore, according to the Jewish leaders, a threat to Caesar. It was for reviling against the king that Abinadi was finally executed.

Abinadi has some powerful words for Noah, words that caused him to pause and think. Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you. And if ye slay me ye will shed innocent blood, and this shall also stand as a testimony against you at the last day. (17:10)

Noah, like Pilate, is frightened by Abinadi’s words and just as Pilate tried to release Christ, king Noah was about to release him, for he feared his word; for he feared that the judgments of God would come upon him. But the priests lifted up their voices against him, and began to accuse him, saying: He has reviled the king. Therefore the king was stirred up in anger against him, and he delivered him up that he might be slain. (17:11-12) But like his cowardly partner in murder, Noah, again like Pilate, was persuaded against his better judgement and pronounced the death sentence on Abinadi.

Don’t miss the fact that before being burned to death, they took him and bound him, and scourged his skin with faggots, yea, even unto death. (17:13) In one more brutally ironic way, Abinadi was a type of Christ. He, like the Savior whose servant he was, was brutally scourged nearly to death.

Despite being near death, Abinadi’s voice is strong as he now pronounces his final epitaph on Noah and his priests:

Even as ye have done unto me, so shall it come to pass that thy seed shall cause that many shall suffer the pains that I do suffer, even the pains of death by fire; and this because they believe in the salvation of the Lord their God.

And it will come to pass that ye shall be afflicted with all manner of diseases because of your iniquities.

Yea, and ye shall be smitten on every hand, and shall be driven and scattered to and fro, even as a wild flock is driven by wild and ferocious beasts.

And in that day ye shall be hunted, and ye shall be taken by the hand of your enemies, and then ye shall suffer, as I suffer, the pains of death by fire. (17:15-18)

How can we watch a prophet die? Even as I write, I have to, as it were, turn away in tears. I can’t look on this great prophet as the flames engulf his body and silence his voice. I’m grateful for his testimony which is etched in the annals of time and eternity as one of the truly powerful testimonies of the Savior by one of His “noble and great” servants. Abinadi is my hero!

His last words are, O God, receive my soul. (17:19)

I’m sure his God gratefully received his noble, courageous soul! God be thanked for the courageous prophet Abinadi and for this record of his powerful testimony. And God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son, who inspired this good man!

Thanks for reading!

Richard

PS For next week’s reading (Mosiah 18-24), be sure to watch the Book of Mormon video for Mosiah 11-17, if you haven’t already, or watch it again.

And, if possible, download and listen to Michael Wilcox’s talk “Noah Blindness.” He draws some great lessons from the chapters we’ll discuss next week.