Alma Teaches the Words of Abinadi
Book of Mormon Notes - Saturday, July 22, 2023, Mosiah 18
Abinadi is such a pivotal and important figure in the Book of Mormon. His courageous example and testimony completely changed the course of Nephite history because one person, the young Alma, believed in his testimony, repented of his sins, and began to teach the words of Abinadi to his people.
This is a great example of the gifts of the Spirit that God bestows and that work in tandem. Abinadi had received the gift of testimony and magnified that gift:
To some it is given by the aHoly Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world. (D&C 46:13)
The Lord bestowed a gift upon young Alma, which helped him to repent:
To others it is given to abelieve on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful. (D&C 46:14)
Thus the Spirit of the Lord worked through Abinadi to lead young Alma unto repentance, and to breathe new life into the decaying Zenephite civilization that had suffered under the tyranny of the wicked King Noah.
We have plowed through seven chapters in the Book of Mormon that are filled with Abinadi’s powerful teachings. Young Alma repented of his sins and iniquities and went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi. Alma later informs us that it was not an easy process to repent of his sins:
But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests; and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance; (Mosiah 23:9
Nevertheless, the Lord, in His great mercy, delivered young Alma from the snare and made him an instrument to lead many souls unto repentance. Abinadi’s mission was successful, not only because Alma was converted to the Lord, but also because through Alma, the Church of Christ was re-established, renewed, and re-invigorated. The words of Abinadi are powerful because they are the words of Christ.
Do we recall Abinadi’s first words?
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 bvisit them in mine anger.
And 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 abondage; and they shall be afflicted by the hand of their enemies.
And it shall come to pass that they shall aknow that I am the Lord their God, and am a bjealous God, visiting the iniquities of my people.
And it shall come to pass that except this people repent and turn unto the Lord their God, they shall be brought into bondage; and none shall adeliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God.
Yea, and it shall come to pass that when they shall acry unto me I will be bslow to hear their cries; yea, and I will suffer them that they be smitten by their enemies.
And except they repent in asackcloth and ashes, and cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will not bhear their prayers, neither will I deliver them out of their afflictions; and thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me. (Mosiah 11:20-25)
Was Alma present when Abinadi first taught these things? Whatever the case, Mormon recorded these direct teachings from Abinadi. After Abinadi’s first message, he was chased away by the people of King Noah because King Noah had threatened to kill him. But as we recall, Abinadi returned in disguise, and then began to preach and prophesy again more openly, having received his commission from the Lord. When Abinadi returned, he again prefaced his teachings with the phrase “Thus saith the Lord.” The Lord had a message for King Noah and his people, and Abinadi was the messenger.
It would be a worthwhile exercise to review all of Abinadi’s teachings, but in essence, Alma began to teach Abinadi’s words to a small group of people who met in private in order to avoid King Noah’s tyrannical rage. But Mormon specifies that Alma particularly taught Abinadi’s words…
…concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the aredemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and bdeath of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven. (Mosiah 18:2)
Notice that Alma taught those who would hear him specifically about Jesus Christ. Although Abinadi had prophesied about many things and taught the Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses, Alma focused his teachings to his people on the words of Abinadi about the coming of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection, Redemption, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As powerful as Abinadi’s teachings were on a variety of subjects, and as stirring as his various prophesies must have been, young Alma caught hold especially upon Abinadi’s testimony of Jesus Christ.
Even though Alma had been caught in a snare of wickedness, and even though King Noah was the main instigator of such wickedness, they must have had priesthood authority of some kind. Even though Noah had dismissed his father’s priests in order to replace them with his own wicked bunch of priests, they had all been ordained to their priesthood positions. Thus Alma had received priesthood authority, but the power of his teachings was only manifest after his sore repentance, and after he had fled from the wicked King Noah.
Many people believed Alma. His transformation must have been a marvelous thing for the people to behold. As King Noah and his priests were deliberating, and as Abinadi perished in the flames, Alma carried the torch of Abinadi’s testimony to those who would hear it and receive its light and heat.
Now this is fascinating… where did Alma and the people go to hide themselves from the searches of the king? Where did Alma and the people gather in order to teach and learn the words of Christ as transmitted by Abinadi? They gathered in a very special place, a place that was particularly special for the main prophet historian of the Book of Mormon, a place called Mormon.
Later in the Book of Mormon, Alma’s son Alma describes the place of Mormon:
I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you that he began to establish a church in the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon. (Alma 5:3)
And long after that, Mormon himself informs us that he received his own name from this special place:
And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression. (3 Nephi 5:12)
Mormon is a special name and a special place. I believe that Mormon even foresaw that his own name would become a kind of designation for followers of Christ in the last days. But where did the name Mormon come from originally?
And it came to pass that as many as did believe him did go forth to a aplace which was called Mormon, having received its name from the king, being in the bborders of the land having been infested, by times or at seasons, by wild beasts. (Mosiah 18:4)
This is such an interesting thing. The king - we’re not told here which - named this place Mormon, and it had been infested sometimes by wild beasts. But when Alma and his people hid there, it became a special place. In fact, it is symbolic that this place called Mormon that was infested by wild beasts became a holy place, a place of repentance, baptism, and conversion to the Lord. The place of Mormon was transformed just like Alma’s people were transformed.
Part of this transformation has to do with the fountain of pure water that was in this place called Mormon. As Alma taught his people the words of Abinadi and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, these pure waters of Mormon became the baptismal font.
To be continued…