Book of Mormon Commentary - Mosiah 12

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
             CHAPTER 12

Abinadi is imprisoned for prophesying the destruction of the people and the death of King Noah—The false priests quote the scriptures and pretend to keep the law of Moses—Abinadi begins to teach them the Ten Commnandments. [About 148 B.C.]

1 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 aprophesy among them, saying: Thus has the Lord commanded me, sayinga—Abinadi, go and prophesy unto this my people, for they have hardened their hearts against my words; they have repented not of their evil doings; therefore, I will bvisit them in my anger, yea, in my fierce anger will I visit them in their iniquities and abominations.
2 Yea, wo be unto this generation! And the Lord said unto me: Stretch forth thy hand and prophesy saying: Thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that this generation, because of their iniquities, shall be brought into abondage, and shall be smitten on the bcheek; yea, and shall be driven by mena, and shall be slain; and the vultures of the air, and the dogs, yea, and the wild beasts, shall devour their cflesh.

 1a Thus has the Lord commanded me, saying Often when a prophet is authorized to speak and act in the name of the Lord, He has experienced direct revelation contact with God. While Abinadi does not give a 'firsthand' account of the actual experience of his various callings by God, he does in effect give the essense of what the Lord declared unto him. Thus when we hear such revealed guidance from a prophet of God, we should consider also the actual communication revelation, whether it be by vision and/or voice command, that the prophet has direct direction from God. He has had those very personal relations and contact with the Almighty which makes the words of the Lord's servants that same as though the Lord commands and directs in person.
 2a shall be brought into bondage, and shall be smitten on the cheek; yea, and shall be driven by men
(See Commentary ~ Mosiah 21:3-4). 		 1* [About 148 B. C.]
   a TG Missionary Work
   b Isa. 65:6-7, 11; Jer. 9:9
 2a 1 Kings 8:46; Mosiah 11:21; Mosiah 20:21
   b Lam. 3:30; Mosiah 21:3-4, 13
   c Deut. 28:26
3 And it shall come to passa that the alife of king Noah shall be valued even as a garment in a hot bfurnace; for he shall know that I am the Lordb.
4 And it shall come to pass that I will smite this my people with sore afflictions, yea, with famine and with apestilence; and I will cause that they shall bhowl all the day long.
5 Yea, and I will cause that they shall have aburdens lashed upon their backs; and they shall be driven before like a dumb ass.

 3a And it shall come to pass This is an often used expression to indicate the passage of time in a chronological sequence in the Book of Mormon's highly condensed abridged record. And without actually specifying the exact amount of time, it can often range to an extended periof of time. The numerous usages of it in these verses suggest that there will be a 'long' stretch of time interspersed with these events which will come upon all of these people, even the 'repentant souls' of Alma's group will experience their share of them in fulfillment of Abinadi's prophecies given from the Lord.
 3b he shall know that I am the Lord King Noah, like many wicked kings, is one who is more influenced by his immediate supporting group in his wickedness than by the fear of God. King Noah does recognize upon hearing the prophecies of Abinadi that he is a true prophet of God and is about to release him, but like king Zedekiah before him, he is more influenced and coverened by his 'high priests' or the 'ruling body' of his wicked domain than he is by the actual fear of God. 		 3a Amos 7:11 (10-11); Mosiah 12:10-12
   b Mosiah 19:20
 4a Luke 21:11 (10-13); 2 Ne. 6:15;
     D&C 97:26 (22-26)
   b Mosiah 21:9 (1-15)
 5a Mosiah 21:3
6 And it shall come to pass that I will send forth ahail among them, and it shall smite them; and they shall also be smitten with the beast wind; and cinsects shall pester their land also, and devour their grain.
7 And they shall be smitten with a great pestilence—and all this will I do because of their ainiquities and abominations.
8 And it shall come to pass that except they repent I will utterly adestroy them from off the face of the earth; yet they shall leave a brecord behind them, and I will preserve them for other nations which shall possess the land; yea, even this will I do that I may discover the abominations of this people to other nations. And many things did Abinadi prophesy against this people.

 6a Ex. 9:18 (13-35); Ezek. 13:13
   b Jer. 18:17; Ezek. 27:26; Mosiah 7:31
   c Ex. 10:4 (1-12)
 7a D&C 3:18
 8a Gen. 6:13; Isa. 42:14-15; 2 Ne. 26:10-11;
     Alma 45:11 (9-14)
   b Morm. 8:14-16
9 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.
10 And he also prophesieth evil concerning thy alife, and saith that thy life shall be as a garment in a furnace of fire.

 10a Amos 7:11 (10-11); Mosiah 12:3
11 And again, he saith that thou shalt be as a stalka, even as a dry stalk of the field, which is run over by the beasts and trodden under foot.
12 And again, he saith thou shalt be as the blossoms of a thistle, which, when it is fully ripe, if the wind bloweth, it is driven forth upon the face of the land. And he pretendeth the Lord hath spoken it. And he saith all this shall come upon thee except thou repent, and this because of thine iniquities.

 11a And again, he saith that thou shalt be as a stalk It should be noted by the 'careful reader' that the Book of Mormon is a highly condensed book. Here what seems to be first Abinadi's full account of what the Lord told him is now seen to have been only a Book of Mormon's abridged account as these verses reveal that there was additional items which Abinadi did prophesy in the name of the Lord beyond that recorded in the first set of verses prior.

13 And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great sins have thy people committed, that we should be acondemned of God or judged of this man?
14 And now, O king, behold, we are aguiltless, and thou, O king, hast not sinned; therefore, this man has blied concerning you, and he has prophesied in vain.
15 And behold, we are strong, we shall not come into bondage, or be taken captive by our enemies; yea, and thou hast prospered in the land, and thou shalt also prosper.
16 Behold, here is the man, we deliver him into thy hands; thou mayest do with him as seemeth thee good.

 13a Mosiah 11:27
 14a Jer. 2:35; Alma 21:6
     b Hel. 13:26 (24-28)
17 And it came to pass that king Noah caused that Abinadi should be cast into prison; and he commanded that the apriests should gather themselves together that he might hold a council with them what he should do with him.
18 And it came to pass that they said unto the king: Bring him hither that we may question him; and the king commanded that he should be brought before them.
19 And they began to question him, that they might cross him, that thereby they might have wherewith to aaccuse him; but he answered them boldly, and withstood all their questions, yea, to their astonishment; for he did bwithstand them in all their questions, and did confound them in all their words.

 17a Mosiah 11:11
 19a John 8:6
     b D&C 100:5-6
  20 And it came to pass that one of them said unto him: aWhat meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying:a
  21 aHow beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him bthat bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth;
  22 aThy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion;
  23 Break forth into joy; sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem;
24 The Lord hath made bare his holy aarm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God?

New Song 
 The Lord hath brought again Zion;
The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel,
According to the election of grace,
Which was brought to pass by the faith
And covenant of their fathers.

The Lord hath redeemed his people;
And Satan is bound and time is no longer.
The Lord hath gathered all things in one.
The Lord hath brought down Zion from above.
The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.

The earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength;
And truth is established in her bowels;
And the heavens have smiled upon her;
And she is clothed with the glory of her God;
For he stands in the midst of his people.

"Glory, and honor, and power, and might, Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy, Justice, grace and truth, and peace, Forever and ever, Amen."
~ D&C 98:99-102

 20a What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying:
ISAIAH 52  
 7 ¶ How abeautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bbringeth cgood dtidings, that epublisheth fpeace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto gZion, Thy God reigneth!
  8 Thy awatchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall bsee eye to eye, when the LORD cshall bring again dZion.
  9 ¶ Break forth into joy, sing together, ye awaste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
  10 The LORD hath made abare his holy barm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall csee the dsalvation of our God. 		 20a Mosiah 13:3
 21a Isa. 52:7-10; Nahum 1:15
     b Mosiah 15:14; Mosiah 27:37 (36-37)
 22a Mosiah 15:29
 24a Isa. 33:2; Omni 1:13
Isaiah 52
   7a TG Beauty
     b TG Dispensations
     c TG Gospel
     d Isa. 10:9; Mosiah 15:14 (13-18); D&C 128:19
     e TG Missionary Work
     f TG Peace; TG Peacemakers
     g TG Zion
   8a TG Watchmen
     b D&C 84:98, 99-102
     c HEB returns to Zion, or restores Zion;
       TG Millennium, Preparing a People for
     d D&C 12:6; D&C 39:13
   9a OR ruins
 10a 1 Ne. 22:10-11; D&C 133:3
     b TG God, Power of
     c TG Jesus Christ, Second Coming
     d TG Salvation

The Gospel Ministry 
 The Ministration of the Gospel is a general answer, which would include various events of administration throughout time from spreading the word to the actual priesthood administration of the saving ordinances. And in this day and time is includes the administration of the promised covenant of Abraham of taking the gospel to the nations that all many be blessed through the seed of Abraham primarily under the guiding adminisration of the tribe of Ephraim. This would include the work of the Millennium and making the Saving Gospel of Jesus Christ available to all mankind who ever has, does or will live upon the earth. (See D&C 98:99-102)

The Question Asked

The gauntlet is cast down by this interpretative question of what the Old Testament reference by Isaiah (Isaiah 52:7-10) actually means, which is a ploy whereby the priests seek to entrap Abinadi by what he answers. But in good Israelite fashion Abinadi, while he will give the full and correct answer in chapter 15, will first answer a question with a set of questions, which will reveal these wicked priests in their own misconcept of the truth of the matters of the gospel.
25 And now Abinadi said unto them: Are you apriests, and pretend to teach this people, and to understand the spirit of prophesyinga, and yet desire to know of me what these things mean?
26 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.
27 Ye have not applied your ahearts to bunderstanding; therefore, ye have not been wise. Therefore, what teach ye this people?

 25a Are you priests, and pretend to teach this people, and to understand the spirit of prophesying In Old Testament times such religeous leaders where to able to speak in the name of God and to have the spirit of prophesying. Not like the priests of traditional Christianity today, which priest deny the gifts of the spirit that they are no more; the priests of olden times knew that they must needs speak for and in behalf of God.  25a John 3:10 (7-10); Mosiah 11:5
 27a Prov. 8:5; Mosiah 2:9
     b TG Understanding
28 And they said: We teach the law of Moses.
29 And again he said unto them: If ye teach the alaw of Moses why do ye not keep it? Why do ye set your hearts upon briches? Why do ye commit whoredoms and cspend 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?
30 Know ye not that I speak the atruth? Yea, ye know that I speak the truth; and you ought to tremble before God.

 29a TG Law of Moses
     b Jer. 48:7
     c TG Sexual Immorality
 30a Jacob 7:14; Alma 30:42 (41-42)

A Question Returned

In response to the question asked of Abinadi, Abinadi asks just as perplexing a question back at the wicked priest of Noah. It was a question which had been, which was then, would be even in the days of Christ, and is now still a perplexing question to those of traditional Christianity. It was a guestion which the Apostle Paul spent much of his time writing concerning. That is the question of the relationship between grace and works in the plan of salvation. 'Doth salvation come by the law of Moses?'
31 And it shall come to pass that ye shall be smitten for your iniquities, for ye have said that ye teach the law of Moses. And what know ye concerning the law of Moses?a aDoth salvation come by the law of Moses? What say ye?b
32 And they answered and said that salvation did come by the law of Moses.

The Spirit Giveth Life 
Now the law of Moses was given for righteous intents and purposes to bring good honest men unto Christ, being a 'schoolmaster' unto training one to live in righteousness the laws of God. But just as locks on doors and windows do but keep good men honest, so it is that the law schools those who have in their heart the righteous intent to keep the law unto righteousness. As already illustrated, wicked men couls manipulate the law for their own intents and purposes to wrought wickedness while still being 'within the letter of the law'. And the Law of Moses and the commandments there of were but the lowest denominator of the law, given to bring men to that higher end and purposes of the law. And this was the fulfillment of the law which Christ did bring in relation to the commandments of the law as taught by Christ in such teaching as the sermon on the mount where he named several of the commandments and illustrated what the difference was between merely living the 'letter of the law' and what the spiritual intent of the laws was to be according to those who are guided by the Spirit in living the laws of God. That is murder was enhanced to the degree that any intent to harm or even anger towards one's brother in any manner was wrong according to the spirit of the law. Adultrous acts were enhanced to include even the thoughts of lusting after a women or man is wrong even if only in the mental passages of the mind which weighs upon the 'righteous desires of one's heart', that they must be included in accordance with the proper spirit of the law. Thus those who live by the 'Spirit of the Law', live higher than the bear minimum standard of the written letter of the law. Further, no finite written letter of law could possibly consider all means and manners of committing sin. Thus those who live only by the letter of law are not able to righteously determine matter according to that written law any such items would are not covered by the written law. Thus much wickedness could and did prevail outside of the law in those matters not covered by the law. But according to the Spirit and its guiding continual revelation of living righteously, all matters and circumstances can be lived righteously and according to what the spirit does render on the spot as to what is and what is not righteous behavior in every circumstance possible. Thus where life by the letter of the law will always leave men short of righteousness either according to one's wicked intent and mind, especially in those instances where there is not law; living according to the Spirit of the Law, will and does always let one live in the light of righteousness by the guidance and influence of the spirit in all situations and in all circumstances and especially where there is no written law given. That is, by the Spirit,living by the Spirit of the Law is written in the fleshy tablets of the heart and not merely upon paper, stone or any written medium. And thus it is wisdom in God the so judge men, not only according to the living of the letter of the law, but to judge them according to the righteousness of their hearts. For though a man live by every letter of the law given, if he does not have the Spirit of the Law written in the fleshy tablets and intents of his heart, then he is not righteous unto God. That is you cannot fool God, for he knows the intentions of the heart beyond any such degree of outward righteous behavior according the the letter of the law. And thus it is, that God's greatest judgment is the judgement of one's heart, that spirit within and the righteousness thereof. For there it is that the Spirit of the Law will prevail unto righteousness. And therein is life, even life eternal and how it is that the Spirit of the Law Giveth Life. 		 31a what know ye concerning the law of Moses? This was setup question, a pretenteous question to ask of the priests of the Temple and of the Church. The priest of King Noah fained that they taught the law of Moses. But what did they really know concerning it? The fact was that they were not even living according to the basic 10 Commandments of it. And they certainly did not know the mystery of its place and position in the Lord's Plan of Salvation. They were false professor's of the things of God. They neither lived according to the law of Moses, nor did they in truth know much about it other than what they had taken from it and corrupted according to their own designs in respect to a simblance of it.
 31b Doth salvation come by the law of Moses? What say ye? This question seems to be a stumbling block for those who have fallen into wickedness. The Jews of Christ's day so believed that a man was justified in keeping the law and they had numerous rules and commandments which they did live by according to the 'letter of the law' but not according to the spirit or intent of the law. And it would be by the manipulations of the letter of he law that they would convict even those who were righteous while they being wicked did pursecute the righteous by and according to their bending the law against them. But in truth Moses did not teach that salvation came by way of the law, for Moses taught that salvation did come by way of the Messiah to come. The Apostle Paul was in a constant battle with the traditional Jewish concept of justification by the law of Moses which even the converted Jews unto Christ did cling to, baing their salvation to be earned of their keeping the law. But salvation did not come by keeping the law in and of itself, though it was right to live the commandments and to keep the law. For all men have and do sin. It is a course of the natural man in his carnal nature to be given to inperfection. And since all have sinned, salvation could only come to men because of the atonement of Christ. And even then, natural man could not raise himself from the grave. And thus also the resurrection unto life and immortality was a free gift unto man, which many consider to be a type of salvation given to man free of any merit of works at all. But the Book of Mormon marries the concepts of the mercy of grace and the place of righteous living and good works in the statement which says that 'men are saved by the grace of God after all that they can do'. Or said from another perspective, 'after all that men can do, they are still reliant upon the mercy of grace for their salvation. Christ suffered for the sins of all men that men might be forgiven of their sins. And then according to their life's of righteousness, good works and righteous desires, are men judged and reward by the levels of the degrees of the kingdom of heaven. And then after being raised in the resurrection to a state of immortality, men are judged according to their works and intents of their hearts. And if their works and intents of their hearts were and thus are evil yet before the bar of God, they are rewarded accordingly. And if their workds and intents of their hearts were and thus righteous still, they are also rewarded according to their righteousness. And that the righteous will receive that reward in heaven to be and live forever in the kingdom of God and in his presence is contingent upon keeping the commandments of God is righteousness according to the spirit and intent thereof is the truth of the importance and relivence of righteousness. But that all men are to live again and be raised up to immortality is the salvation which comes to all men. And only by the grace and power of God is man raise up to live again in eternity. And only the the grace and power of God are the sins of man suffered for and forgiven. And only by the grace and power of God are men of this temporal estate raised up unto states of eternal glory according to their good works and righteous intents of their hearts. Not thay any such man in and of himself has come to that exhalted state of perfection by anything that mortal man can do in and of himself, but that in, through and by Christ and that redemption made, may men be sanctified unto that perfection and oneness of righteousness and truth to live in the kingdom and presence of God. 		 31a Mosiah 3:15; Mosiah 13:28 (27-32);
       Alma 25:16

The Letter Killeth 
Once a law is written down, it may be manipulated according to that written letter of law even unto wickedness. For example, the law of Moses stated that if a robber or theif was taken in his theift and he who was being robbed did lift up his hand against him in protection of his property, and if the robber or theif was thus slayen being killed by he who was robbed, that it was justifiable homocide and there was no penalty for murder to be exercised against he who had slayen the robber. Thus it can be understood the manipulation of the law which Laban did attempt to use against the sons of Lehi. For in the case of Lehi's sons before Laban in requesting the plates, Laban did charge them with being theives and robbers and he sent his servants after them to slay them. If Lehi's sons would have been taken and slayen as robbers and thieves, their murders would have been justified under the letter of the law in that robbers and theives were allowed to be killed by he, his household, who was presumably being robbed. And Laban who was the captian of the fifty of the Sarim, the Princes, the elders of Israel, that Sanhedrin of his day had little fear to so murder the sons of Lehi by so first declaring them of being robbers and theives and then persuing them by his servants with the intent to slay them. His charge would have been that they came to steal the sacred record of the plates of brass held by Laban, which the elders of the church knew well that Laban kept and that he had to kill the sons of Lehi in order to protect the sacred record. A worth case according to the manipulation of the letter of the law by Laban.
33 But now Abinadi said unto them: I know if ye akeep the commandments of God ye shall be saved; yea, if ye keep the commandments which the Lord delivered unto Moses in the mount of bSinai, saying:
34 aI am the Lord thy God, who hath bbrought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
35 Thou shalt have no aother God before me.
36 aThou shalt not make unto thee any graven imagea, or any likeness of any thing in heaven above, or things which are in the earth beneath.

 36a Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image Here is Abinadi's first great accusation against the people of King Noah. As Mosiah 11:6 & 7 both stated, the people of King Noah had come into the practice of idolatry and were an idolatrous people. Just what their false God(s)'s image was may be supposed as it is not given specifically here. Perhaps is was as simple as the image of the wild couger or some other image or images. But they had placed other gods before the Lord and they had been making unto themselves 'graven images'. Thus they had not been keeping the Law of Moses and the Commandments of God.  33a Deut. 27:1; Neh. 9:13; 3 Ne. 25:4
     b Ex. 19:18 (9, 16-20); Mosiah 13:5
 34a Ex. 20:2-4
     b Ex. 12:51; 1 Ne. 17:40; Mosiah 7:19
 35a Hosea 13:4; TG Idolatry
 36a Mosiah 13:12
37 Now Abinadi said unto them, Have ye done all this? I say unto you, Nay, ye have not. And have ye ataught this people that they should do all these things? I say unto you, Nay, ye have not.

 37a Mosiah 13:25-26
* Verse 1 [About 148 B.C.]
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