Who Shall Be His Seed? Abinadi Testifies of Jesus Christ as Both the Father and the Son

Book of Mormon Notes - Monday, July 17, 2023, Mosiah 15

I’m wondering why it was so offensive to King Noah and his wicked priests for Abinadi to testify of the very thing of which prophets has testified from time immemorial, namely, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that God Himself shall ^bcome down among the children of men, and shall ^credeem his people. When, after three days of deliberation, King Noah and his cohorts accused and condemned Abinadi to death, their accusation didn’t make any sense at all. In essence, they accused Abinadi and condemned him to death for telling the truth and for saying that ^aGod himself should come down among the children of men.

King Noah and his wicked priests attempted to make Abinadi recall his words. I’m a bit puzzled by this because one might think that after three days of deliberation, King Noah and his wicked priests could have come up with some better accusation. But no, they couldn’t. All they could come up with is an accusation against Abinadi for saying the very thing that he said. Of course Abinadi’s trial was like so many of the unjust trials that have lead to the death or martyrdom of an innocent person (Socrates, Jesus, Joseph Smith, etc.) But it would be difficult to find a more foolish accusation than the accusation leveled against Abinadi.

Why do you think that King Noah and his wicked priests, after three days of deliberation, decided to condemn and accuse Abinadi based on Abinadi’s testimony that God Himself shall ^bcome down among the children of men, and shall ^credeem his people?

After all, they could have focused on some other part of Abinadi’s message, such as the way in which Abinadi exposed their iniquity and their abominations. But instead they accused Abinadi for testifying that God Himself shall ^bcome down among the children of men, and shall ^credeem his people.

My personal opinion is that this accusation was very similar to the accusation that the Jews leveled against the Lord Himself, namely, the accusation of blasphemy. In essence, the adversary fights against Christ and the testimony of Christ. Abinadi had testified boldly of Jesus Christ and His condescension, and King Noah and his wicked priests attempted to force Abinadi to deny his testimony and to recall his words. Abinadi did not deny his testimony and he did not recall his words because he knew that they were true.

Consider the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith in connection with this episode in the Book of Mormon:

However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a ^avision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was ^bmad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the ^cpersecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.

25 So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two ^aPersonages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was ^bhated and ^cpersecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me ^dfalsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not ^edeny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.

I know that this is true. I know that Abinadi’s testimony is true. I know that Paul saw what he saw. And I know that Joseph Smith in fact beheld a vision. I also know that the Book of Mormon is true, because the Spirit of God testifies that it is true.

These testimonies of Christ also remind me of the great testimony of Vincenzo di Francesca. Like Abinadi, Vincenzo refused to recall his words, and he refused to obey orders to burn the Book of Mormon:

I will not burn the book because of the fear of God. I have asked him if it were true, and my prayer was answered affirmatively and absolutely, which I feel again in my soul as I defend his cause now.

I love that. (see also here for more thoughts on Vincenzo’s testimony)

Abinadi’s thesis statement in his testimony was that God Himself shall ^bcome down among the children of men, and shall ^credeem his people. The rest of Abinadi’s testimony helps to explain exactly what this means. In fact, Abinadi’s testimony builds upon Nephi’s testimony of his vision of the tree of life in which the angel instructed Nephi regarding the condescension of God. Not only that, but Abinadi’s testimony builds upon Isaiah’s testimony of Jesus Christ as the suffering servant. Nephi, Isaiah, and Abinadi each testified - as did all of the holy prophets before them - that God Himself shall ^bcome down among the children of men, and shall ^credeem his people. They each testified of the condescension of Jesus Christ. Abinadi’s testimony helps us to better understand Nephi’s testimony and Isaiah’s testimony.

That is why Abinadi taught King Noah and his wicked priests, beginning with the words “I would that ye should understand.” King Noah and his people had forgotten the testimony of their ancestor Nephi, and they had also lost sight of the true meaning of Isaiah’s testimony. Thus the Lord called Abinadi to restore the plain and simple truth and to testify of Christ and to teach the meaning of the condescension of God. The Lord knew that there was at least one person in the audience who would hear and understand and repent and be converted. The Lord also knew that this testimony, from Abinadi to Alma, would be preserved by Mormon for our benefit in the latter days.

Which brings us back to one of my most frequent questions in my Book of Mormon notes: Why did Mormon include this particular passage in his abridgment of the large plates of Nephi? As we consider Abinadi’s teachings about the condescension of God we can keep in mind that these teachings were not just meant for King Noah, for his wicked priests, or even just for Alma. They were meant for us, today.

Abinadi’s testimony of the condescension of Jesus Christ is also a testimony of the Fatherhood and the Sonship of Jesus Christ and the relationship between Jesus Christ’s titles as both the Father and the Son. This is profound truth and deep doctrine because it is a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s Atonement, as I understand from Abinadi’s testimony, begins with the fact that Jesus Christ is at one with Himself, meaning, that His character as the Son is swallowed up in His will and character as the Father. Jesus Christ is both the Father and the Son, His Spirit completely and fully mastered His Flesh. As the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ also conquered death, sin, and every obstacle to our salvation. For those of us who have not quite obtained perfect self-mastery, for those of us who are mortal and will eventually die, and for those of us who struggle through the suffering and the hardships of mortal life, this is the good news, the Gospel:

Behold I have given unto you my ^agospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the ^bwill of my Father, because my Father sent me.

And my Father sent me that I might be ^alifted up upon the ^bcross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the ^ccross, that I might ^ddraw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be ^ejudged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—

And for this cause have I been ^alifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their ^bworks.

And it shall come to pass, that whoso ^arepenteth and is baptized in my ^bname shall be filled; and if he ^cendureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. (3 Nephi 27:13-16)

Abinadi’s testimony of Jesus Christ as both the Father and the Son, and his teachings regarding the Atonement of Jesus Christ are even more simple and profound in connection with Abinadi’s response to the wicked priest’s question about the passage from the Book of Isaiah. Remember that one of the questions still on the table was “who shall declare his ^ageneration?”

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Isaiah 53:8)

King Noah and his wicked priests could not declare the Lord’s generation, but Abinadi could declare it, and Abinadi did declare it. Abinadi expands our understanding of this passage from Isaiah and helps us to see how the Atonement of Jesus Christ - both His own unity within Himself and His suffering on our behalf - extend outward to those who desire to repent and to become one with Him:

Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for ^bsin he shall see his ^cseed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed?

Like the Jews who believed that salvation came by the Law of Moses or merely because they were descendants of Abraham, King Noah and his wicked priests seemed to believe something similar, namely that their feet were beautiful upon the mountains because they taught good tidings instead of the supposedly “bad news” that Abinadi had brought them. To their chagrin, Abinadi showed them that the Law of Moses and incorrect interpretations of Isaiah availed them nothing in terms of salvation.

We can ponder what Abinadi’s teachings regarding the seed of Christ means in connection with his testimony that Jesus Christ is both the Father and the Son. Jesus Christ, as both the Father and the Son is also the Father of our spiritual rebirth, or in other words, He is the Father of His seed. And who shall be His seed? (see also here for some of my reflections on “God Seeds - Musings on Creation”)

Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the ^aprophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the ^bkingdom of God.

For these are they whose sins ^ahe has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?

Yea, and are not the ^aprophets, every one that has opened his mouth to prophesy, that has not fallen into transgression, I mean all the holy prophets ever since the world began? I say unto you that they are his seed. (Mosiah 15:11-13, my emphasis added)

Abinadi teaches with clarity that the way to salvation is only by and through Jesus Christ. The Lord’s seed or the heirs of the kingdom of God do not become such through the Law of Moses alone or by any other means. The Lord’s seed are those who hear the words of the prophets, hearken to their words, believe in Christ and His Redemption, and look to Christ for a remission of their sins. The Lord’s seed are also all the holy prophets who have prophesied, that have not fallen into transgression.

Not only that, but the Lord’s seed, the Lord’s prophets, and the Lord Himself (see here and here) are also the answer to the wicked priest’s question about the passage from Isaiah:

And these are ^athey who have published peace, who have brought good ^btidings of good, who have ^cpublished salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!

And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet!

And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace!

And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever!

And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O how beautiful upon the mountains are the ^afeet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of ^bpeace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people; (Mosiah 15:14-18)

Therefore, when Abinadi testified that ^aGod himself should come down among the children of men, he meant business. He would not recall his words because they are true.