Mosiah 9 - 17

Our thanks to Zena, as always faithful and diligent who came to steer our class in the right direction, notwithstanding laryngitis!

In 1992, Elder Wirthlin spoke about Abinadi and commented as follows: "The testimony he [Abinadi] bore as he called an apostate king, Noah, and his priests to repentance is one of the most significant doctrinal discourses in the Book of Mormon". Our first scriptural hint about Abinadi is found in a comment made in Mosiah 7:

"And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming of Christ. And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—And now, because he said this, they did put him to death;" (Mosiah 7:26-28).

art: Jeremy Winborg 

In defining the role and responsibilities of prophets, True to the Faith explains: “Like the prophets of old, prophets today testify of Jesus Christ and teach His gospel. They make known God’s will and true character. They speak boldly and clearly, denouncing sin and warning of its consequences. At times, they may be inspired to prophesy of future events for our benefit” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 129). Seen in this way, we can understand Abinadi 's prophetic calling and ministry, even though we have no other details of his life.

As discussed in our lesson, the record of King Zenniff's people provides interesting food for thought.  For example, how do we live righteously when our neighbours are hostile to us, and have opposing values and beliefs? 
Commenting on this kind of situation, Elder Richard G. Scott said: " “I testify that you will remove barriers to happiness and find greater peace as you make your first allegiance your membership in the Church of Jesus Christ, and His teachings the foundation of your life.
Where family or national traditions or customs conflict with the teachings of God, set them aside. Where traditions and customs are in harmony with His teachings, they should be cherished and followed to preserve your culture and heritage. There is one heritage that you
need never change. It is that heritage that comes from your being a daughter or son of Father in Heaven. For happiness, control your life by that heritage” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1998, 112, 114; or Ensign, May 1998, 86–87).

The record of King Noah's people prompts different questions, such as: how can we prevent our own individual spiritual backsliding when our society and culture reject belief in God and Christ and actively promote opposing practises? 

art : Minerva Teichert

"Read Mosiah 11:1–2, 5–7, 14–19, and mark words and phrases that describe Noah’s actions and what he sought for after becoming king. Then read Mosiah 11:2, 6–7, 15, 19, and mark in a different colour (if you can) the influence Noah’s actions had on the people of the kingdom.

These verses illustrate how the people we associate with may influence our actions. Consider how your peers influence the choices you make. Ponder for a moment what people in today’s world sometimes do that could be likened unto labouring “exceedingly to support iniquity” (Mosiah 11:6)."

We will contemplate the records of Limhi and Alma in the next lesson as this topic spans two lessons.

Resources


Robert J Matthews : Abinadi, Prophet and Martyr
http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/book-mormon-mosiah-salvation-only-through-christ/7-abinadi-prophet-and-martyr

Robert J Matthews : Abinadi, Prophet and Martyr (shortened version published in the Ensign)
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/04/abinadi-prophet-and-martyr?lang=eng

Renata W Sukys : Abinadi's Teaching Style

 https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/04/abinadis-teaching-style?lang=eng

art : from the BYU Musical, Abinadi