Mosiah 12:1 Abinadi came among them in disguise
After two years of keeping a
low profile, Abinadi returns to the work of the prophet—calling people to
repentance. Interestingly, he disguises himself and yet quickly blows his
disguise by telling them who he is, Thus has the
Lord commanded me, saying—Abinadi. Why would Abinadi disclose his name
while in disguise? There is no explanation for this apparent incongruity.
The Book of Mormon is the
most correct book on the earth. Yet, we still find small, insignificant
incongruities and grammatical problems. This underscores what Joseph Smith
meant by the phrase “most correct book.” Doctrinally speaking, the book has no
errors. Spiritually speaking, no false concepts are taught. Everything in the
book is designed to bring the reader closer to the Lord—closer to his way of
thinking, closer to his purity, closer to his powerful atonement. The Book of
Mormon has its own warning to its critics. Speaking of those who take advantage
of the Book of Mormon’s small incongruities, the Lord told Moroni, Fools mock, but they shall mourn (Ether 12:26).
Mosiah 12:6 the east wind
As in Mosiah 7:31, the
Hebrew idiom, the east wind, is used. This
phrase means a destruction or a famine. The expression is used many times in the
Old Testament. From Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “In Palestine this wind blows
from a burning desert, and hence is destitute of moisture necessary for
vegetation.”
“The
east wind is a destructive wind which originates in the east, the symbolic
direction of Deity's presence. Also called ‘the wind
of the Lord’ (Hosea 13:15), it is ‘prepared’
by God (Jonah 4:8) for the purpose of destroying the ungodly and unrighteous.
The Lord has stated, ‘If my people shall sow
filthiness they shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction’
(Mosiah 7:31). Hence they are ‘smitten with the east
wind’ (Mosiah 12:6; see also Job 27:21).” (Donald W. Parry, Joseph
Fielding McConkie, A Guide to Scriptural Symbolism, p. 45)
Mosiah 12:8 yet they shall leave a record behind them
Here the Lord makes an
interesting argument. He warns them that if they don’t repent that they will be
made an example to subsequent generations. In effect, the Lord will make them
famous for their iniquity. The Lord has taught us of the real effects of utter
iniquity. He has preserved the record of Sodom and Gomorrah, of the Jaredites,
of the Nephites, and of all those who have suffered or been destroyed because
of their iniquity, even this will I do that I may
discover the abominations of this people to other nations.
Mosiah 12:10-12 he also prophesieth evil concerning thy life
In sublime language typical
of Old Testament prophecy, Abinadi prophesies of the last days of Noah’s life.
His life is as a garment in a furnace…a dry stalk of
the field, which is run over by the beasts…and a thistle…driven forth upon the
face of the land. Mosiah 19 contains the fulfillment of this prophecy.
First of all, Noah is almost killed by Gideon. Just as Gideon is ready to kill
Noah, the king notices an invading Lamanite army (Mosiah 19:6-7). Feigning
concern for his people, he is spared, only to be chased by the Lamanites. While
being pursued, he instructs the men to leave their women and children behind
and run for their lives (Mosiah 19:11). A group of men follow Noah, leaving
their wives and children to the mercy of the Lamanites. They later regret their
cowardly deed and tell Noah of their plans to return to the defense of their
wives and children (Mosiah 19:19). He commands them not to return. This is his
final political blunder. His most strident followers now turn on him. They put
him to death by fire, just as he had killed Abinadi. Not only was his life as a garment in a furnace, his entire body became
fuel for this furnace of fire.
Mosiah 12:14 behold, we are guiltless, and thou, O king, hast not
sinned
Flattery, in the Book of
Mormon sense, is to tell the carnal mind what it wants to hear. Noah’s people
give a great example of such flattery. They justify the wickedness of the king
and accuse Abinadi of false prophecy. Obviously, this is just what Noah wants
to hear. Such is the job of “yes-men.” They agree with and flatter the boss
without regard to truth or righteousness.
Mosiah 12:19 they began to question him, that they might cross him
In the conflict between the
wisdom of man and the Spirit of God, the latter always prevails. Sherem had
hopes of shaking Jacob from the faith (Jacob 7:5), Nehor contended with Gideon
but Gideon withstood him (Alma 1:7), and
Zeezrom had hopes of deceiving Amulek but by the time he was finished speaking,
Zeezrom began to tremble (Alma 11:46). In
this same pattern, Abinadi did withstand them in all
their questions, and did confound them in all their words.
Some of the most impressive
stories of the wicked devices of mortal wisdom are found in the life of the
Savior. Those who challenged Jesus of Nazareth were invariably humiliated by
his wisdom. Some asked, Is it lawful to heal on the
Sabbath days? that they might accuse him (Matt 12:10). Others tried to
trip him up with the question, Is it lawful to give
tribute unto Caesar, or not? (Matt 22:17) The chief priests were sure of
their own authority. Therefore, the inquired, By
what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?
(Matt 21:23) The Pharisees inquired, Is it lawful
for a man to put away his wife for every cause? (Matt 19:3). In each of
these instances the tempter was embarrassed by the wisdom of the Lord’s
answers. After several such episodes, they realized they were outmatched. From
then on, they durst not ask him any question at
all (Lu 20:40).
Mosiah 12:20 what meaneth the words which are written
Whether this priest is
trying to ask Abinadi a question he wouldn’t know, or whether he is sincerely
wondering about the meaning of the scripture, we don’t know. At any rate,
Abinadi doesn’t give the answer right away. He takes this opportunity to call
them to repentance (v. 25) and teach them about the Law of Moses. Without this
background, the answer will not make sense to them, so he does not finish
giving his answer to this question until Mosiah 16. Therefore, Abinadi
demonstrates that not every answer should be given immediately. Often, there is
wisdom in a delayed answer. The Lord gives us delayed answers to our prayers
for the same reason, we are not always ready when we ask.
Mosiah 12:21 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that
bringeth good tidings
Abinadi explains that those
who bring good tidings and publish peace are the prophets, I mean all the holy prophets ever since the world began
(Mosiah 15:13). He acknowledges that the greatest prophet to which this refers
is the Lord himself, the founder of peace, yea, even
the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto
his people (Mosiah 15:18).
This scripture is not
limited to the prophets and the Lord. All who teach of the salvation wrought
through Christ’s infinite atonement are doing the same thing—bringing good
tidings and publishing salvation. Every missionary, teacher, and leader who has
taught these saving principles has beautiful feet. The Lord spoke to the early
Elders of the Church as follows, ye are blessed, for
the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look
upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you (DC
62:3).
Wilford Woodruff
“What
position can any man occupy on the face of the earth, that is more noble,
God-like, high and glorious than to be a messenger of salvation unto the human
family?” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 13, p. 319)
Carlos E. Asay
“I
like what Paul had to say about preachers or missionaries. He instructed the
Romans: ‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not
believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and
how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they
be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!’ (Romans
10:13–15.)
The
feet, the voices, the faces, and the whole being of those preachers who share
saving truths will always be precious and beautiful to new converts, especially
to those who have suffered in their sins. In the eyes of those who have learned
of Christ and of his power to save, there are few if any blemishes in the
missionaries who walked long distances to bring the gospel message.” (The
Seven M’s of Missionary Service, p. 136)
Franklin D. Richards
“’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.’
It is that excellence of the knowledge of God that makes men and women
beautiful, and makes their acts delightful when they are performed in
righteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I rejoice when I look
around and contemplate this precious privilege…Here let me say, that every
officer in the Church…and every sister that is the wife of such an husband
should feel…that it is her privilege and duty to administer blessings, comfort
and happiness to her husband, to her children, to her family and household.
Every one in all the Church should be filled with a spirit of blessing. The
authority of the Priesthood should cause a gushing forth from the fountain of
the heart, a bubbling forth of streams of blessing, of consolation, of comfort
and of rejoicing, each should try to help and benefit the other in every possible
way.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 26, p. 100)
Mosiah 12:21 What are the
good tidings?
The good tidings are the
message of the gospel. Abinadi explains the important components in chapter 15.
He instructs us that the Lord had to redeem his people or else all mankind must have perished; he explains that
the Savior has broken the bands of death so that all can be resurrected (Mosiah
15:19-20). In essence, he describes how the atonement saves us from spiritual
death and physical death. This is the good news of the gospel.
Mosiah 12:22 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice
Abinadi’s interpretation of
this phrase touches on the importance of missionaries acting as watchmen on the
tower. Referring to this phrase, he prophesies that
the time shall come that the salvation of the Lord shall be declared to every
nation, kindred, tongue, and people (Mosiah 15:28).
Mosiah 12:22 they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again
Zion
We will borrow from some
other scriptures to demonstrate the meaning of this phrase. First of all,
around the time of the Second Coming, the New Jerusalem will come down out of
heaven to its rightful place in the Americas. The Book of Mormon testifies that
the land of the Jaredites was the place of the New
Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the
Lord (Ether 13:3). When the Lord shall cause Zion to come down out of
heaven, his servants and saints will see eye to eye with Him. John phrases the
concept as follows, Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (1 Jn
3:2, see also Moroni 7:48).
Mosiah 12:23 the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed
Jerusalem
“Redeem
means, (1) To buy again something that has been sold, by paying back the price
that bought it. (Lev. 25:25;27:20)(2) To deliver and bring out of bondage those
who were kept prisoners by their enemies. (Deut. 7:5;32:6) Cruden's Concordance
of the Bible. Jerusalem had been sold, figuratively speaking, by the apostate
Jews. They had perverted the ways of the Lord, and, too, they had abandoned the
covenant their fathers had made with the Lord at Mount Sinai. The land of
Jerusalem was the land of their inheritance. The Mosaic Law provided that land
which had been sold, among other things, could be redeemed. However, a price
was demanded for its redemption.…There was only One who could meet the prescribed
terms. That One was their King! Isaiah said, ‘He
hath redeemed Jerusalem’; not with money or with the might of a great
army, but He hath Redeemed it with the blood that was shed on Mount Calvary;
the Redemption brought about by Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (Reynolds and
Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 2, p. 130)
In addition to its spiritual
redemption, The Old Jerusalem is not fully redeemed until the Savior comes
amidst a vicious battle between the Jews and a group of nations from the north.
After a 3.5 year siege of Jerusalem, the Savior will come to redeem them from
their military enemies (Rev 11:2, Zech 14:2-3). As mentioned above, He will
also come to declare spiritual redemption to those who should have known that he
is the Messiah.
Elder George Q. Morris
“’Break forth into joy, sing together ye waste places of
Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the
ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.’ (Isa. 52:9-10.)
“And
this looks to the time when the Lord Jesus Christ is to stand on the Mount of
Olives, and the people will gather about that mount, and they will say, ‘What are these wounds in your hands and in your feet?’
And he will say unto them, ‘These are the wounds
received in the house of my friends.’ Then they will recognize
him--Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.” (Conference Reports, Apr.
1960, p. 101)
Mosiah 12:24 all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our
God
Based on DC 133:3-11, one
can deduce that this phrase is referring to the Second Coming. However, Abinadi
explains that all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God again at the final judgment (Mosiah 16:1). This
occurs after the Millennium and the little season where Satan is loosed. It is
the time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, when the sheep are
separated from the goats, and when those who cannot
be sanctified…must remain filthy still (DC 88:35). At that time, even
the vilest of sinners must confess before God that
his judgments are just (Mosiah 16:1).
Mosiah 12:25 Are you priests, and pretend to teach this people
Carlos E. Asay
“Noah’s
apostate priests had read the words of Isaiah but had not inquired of the Lord
or searched for the proper meaning of the words handed down by their fathers.
Like others who had failed to give ‘heed and
diligence’ to the word of God, the ‘mysteries
of God’ had been withheld from them (see Alma 12:9–10). Therefore,
Abinadi had reason to answer them in a condemning manner: ‘Are you priests, and pretend to teach this people…’”
(The Seven M’s of Missionary Service, p. 135)
Mosiah 12:27 Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding
The language of the Book of
Mormon is often unusual yet sublime. Here Abinadi accuses the priests of not
applying their hearts to understanding. They had apparently read Isaiah yet
still remained condemned because they had done nothing to try to understand his
prophecies. Many of us have fallen under the same condemnation. Some of us read
Isaiah with little hope of ever understanding its meaning. Some read the book
of Revelation with little effort applied to comprehending its message. Even the
writings of the plain and precious prophets of the Book of Mormon can be read
on a superficial level. To do this is to miss the deeper meanings, to miss the
quiet whisper of the Spirit, and to risk falling into hypocrisy like Noah’s
priests. The scriptures weren’t given to us to be read. They were given to us
to be searched. The difference is that the searcher has learned to apply his
heart to understanding.
Mosiah 12:31 Doth salvation come by the law of Moses?
Now Abinadi turns the tables
on his accusers. They have explained that they teach the Law of Moses. Abinadi
asks them a fair question about the law they presume to understand. The answer
is not an easy one, especially for someone who doesn’t understand the
importance of Christ’s Messianic mission. That is why Abinadi doesn’t really
criticize them for their answer, which was that salvation does come by
the Law of Moses. He later explains that salvation
doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement…that they
must unavoidably perish (Mosiah 13:28).
Using the same logic, one
could ask, “Does salvation come by the higher law that was taught by the
Savior?” The answer is the same, salvation doth not
come by the law alone. Salvation is only possible through the atonement,
regardless of which law you are under. Salvation cannot come by the law because
no one is capable of meeting all the requirements of the law, For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a
better hope did (Heb 7:19). Therefore by
the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the
law is the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20).
Mosiah 12:35 Thou shalt have no other God before me
By the law of witnesses, the
gospel principles of greatest importance are repeated in at least three
different locations in the scriptures. The Ten Commandments, therefore, are
found in Ex 20, Deut 5, Mosiah 12-13, and DC 42 (commandments 6-9), to mention
a few. It is only appropriate that the Ten Commandments appear somewhere in the
pages of the Book of Mormon.
The commandment to have no
other gods before Jehovah is more expressively rendered in the New Testament
rendition, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy
mind (Lu 10:27). This first commandment is the single, key beginning to
a relationship with our Maker. The Creator of the Universe doesn’t like taking
second or third place to our worldly interests. Therefore, he has declared in
unmistakable language, for the Lord, whose name is
Jealous, is a jealous God (Ex 34:14).
The latter-day prophets have
continually warned that the saints need to beware of idolatry, not the
old-fashioned, idol worship version, but the version in which the desires and
thoughts of the heart are not centered on the Lord. In this respect, our
pursuit of wealth, our hobbies, our careers, and our recreational pursuits can
become our gods. This form of idolatry is more insidious but no less
pernicious.
Spencer W. Kimball
“Many
worship the hunt, the fishing trip, the vacation, the weekend picnics and
outings. Others have as their idols the games of sport, baseball, football, the
bullfight, or golf. These pursuits more often than not interfere with the
worship of the Lord and with giving service to the building up of the kingdom
of God. To the participants this emphasis may not seem serious, yet it
indicates where their allegiance and loyalty are.
“Still
another image men worship is that of power and prestige. Many will trample
underfoot the spiritual and often the ethical values in their climb to success.
These gods of power, wealth, and influence are most demanding and are quite as
real as the golden calves of the children of Israel in the wilderness.” (The
Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 41-42)
Mark E. Petersen
“God
will not favor us if we put him in second place in our lives and if we follow
after worldly things regardless of what they may be. The command of the Savior
was: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness.’ (Matthew 6:33). In revelations to the Prophet Joseph
Smith the Lord taught that we must have an eye single to the glory of God.”
(Old Testament Institute Manual, p. 127)
Brigham Young
“…the
Latter-day Saints are drifting as fast as they can into idolatry…drifting into the
spirit of the world and into pride and vanity." "We wish the wealth
of things of the world; we think about them morning, noon and night; they are
first in our minds when we awake in the morning, and the last thing before we
go to sleep at night." (Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion, p. 334)
Hugh Nibley
‘So
money is the name of the game by which the devil cleverly decoys the minds of
the Saints from God's work to his. ‘What does the Lord want of us up here in
the tops of these mountains?’ Brigham Young asked twenty years after the
first settling of the Valley. ‘He wishes us to build up Zion. What are the
people doing? They are merchandizing, trafficking and trading.’ ‘Elders are
agreed on the way and manner necessary to obtain celestial glory, but they quarrel
about a dollar. When principles of eternal life are brought before them--God
and the things pertaining to God and godliness--they apparently care not half
so much about them as they do about five cents.’…. ‘Are their eyes single to
the building up of the Kingdom of God? No; they are single to the building up
of themselves.’ ‘Does this congregation understand what idolatry is? The New
Testament says that covetousness is idolatry; therefore, a covetous people is
an idolatrous people.’ ‘Man is made in the image of God, but what do we know of
him or of ourselves, when we suffer ourselves to love and worship the god of
this world--riches?’ Had the Latter-day Saints gone so far? They had, from the
beginning; when the Church was only a year old, the Prophet Joseph observed
that ‘God has often sealed up the heavens because of covetousness in the
Church.’ Three years later, God revoked that ‘united order’ by which alone Zion
could exist on earth (D&C 104:52-53)--in their desire for wealth, the
Saints had tried to embrace both Babylon and Zion by smooth double-talk. The
Mormons would have to wait for their blessings until they learned their lesson:
‘If the people neglect their duty, turn away from the holy commandments which
God has given us, seek for their own individual wealth, and neglect the
interests of the kingdom of God, we may expect to be here quite a time--perhaps
a period that will be far longer than we anticipate.’” (Approaching Zion,
p. 37)