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, saying: Thus has the Lord commanded me, saying -- Abinadi, go and prophesy unto this my people, for they have hardened their hearts against my words. 12:1Abinadi says that the Lord says that "this generation" will be killed and their dead bodies fed to the vultures, dogs, and wild beasts. God will strap loads on their backs like they were a bunch of dumb asses, make them howl all day long, send hail to smite them and insects to pester them, and then he'll kill them all with disease and starvation. When God gets done with them there will be nothing left but the "record they shall leave behind them" (written on golden or brass plates, no doubt).
Thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that this generation ... shall be slain; and the vultures of the air, and the dogs, yea, and the wild beasts, shall devour their flesh. 12:2
And it shall come to pass that I will smite this my people with sore afflictions, yea, with famine and with pestilence; and I will cause that they shall howl all the day long. 12:4
I will cause that they shall have burdens lashed upon their backs; and they shall be driven before like a dumb ass. 12:5
I will send forth hail among them ... and insects shall pester their land also, and devour their grain. 12:6
I will utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth; yet they shall leave a record behind them. ... And many things did Abinadi prophesy against this people. 12:8
They brought Abinabi to King Noah and told him what Abinabi said that the Lord said about him: that he was like a burning garment, a dry stalk that is trampled on by beasts, and (worst of all) like the blossoms of the thistle.
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. 12:9
He also ... saith that thy life shall be as a garment in a furnace of fire. 12:10
He saith that thou shalt be ... a dry stalk of the field, which is run over by the beasts and trodden under foot. 12:11
He saith thou shalt be as the blossoms of a thistle. 12:12When King Noah heard about Abinadi's prophesying, he threw Abinadi in prison and called his priests to a meeting to decide what to do with him.
And it came to pass that king Noah caused that Abinadi should be cast into prison; and he commanded that the priests should gather themselves together that he might hold a council with them what he should do with him. 12:17The priests started interrogating Abinadi, but somehow he managed to start asking the questions.
And now Abinadi said unto them: 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?12:25
Therefore, what teach ye this people? 12:27They try to defend themselves, but Abinadi is too clever for them. He pioneers the argument tactic of calling your opponent a whore, insisting that you are right, and then quoting the bible. People have been using it ever since.
And they said: We teach the law of Moses. 12:28
And again he said unto them: 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? 12:29
Ye know that I speak the truth; and you ought to tremble before God. 12:30
Thou shalt have no other God before me.12:35
Now Abinadi said unto them, 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. 12:37
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Mosiah 13
Noah is getting sick of Abinadi's preaching. He orders his men to grab Abinadi, but they can't. Apparently God will smite them if they do.
And they stood forth and attempted to lay their hands on him; but he withstood them, and said unto them: 13:2
Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me. 13:3So it looks like they are stuck listening to him, and so are we. He finishes going through the 10 commandments, and rambles on about all of the usual stuff: stiffnecked people, salvation, the coming of the Lord.
The most notable part of his speech is when he talks about the law of Moses. He says that we should keep with the law of Moses for now, but there will come a time when we will need to abandon it. Also, salvation doesn't come simply from following the Law of Moses. There's more to it than that.
And now ye have said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses. I say unto you that it is expedient that ye should keep the law of Moses as yet; but I say unto you, that the time shall come when it shall no more be expedient to keep the law of Moses. 13:27
And moreover, 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
The next chapter is straight out of Isaiah, but after that we have more of Abinadi's riveting speech. Until then!
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