In about 148 BC, in
the land of Shilom, the prophet Abinadi rebukes
King Noah and his priests for their wickedness. Alma the Elder believes
and escapes after the king threatens his life. Based on actual events as
recorded in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament
of Jesus Christ. Tremble and repent of
your sins, and remember that only in and through
Christ ye can be saved. If ye teach the
law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow
of things which are to come. Alma. This is Alma. He teaches the words of Abinadi. Please, we desire to
know what happened. The first time
Abinadi came among us, he warned us to repent
and to turn unto the Lord. This time when he came, he
said the Lord would visit us in His fierce anger, that we
would be brought into bondage and slain. As you know, when
Noah became king, he did not walk in the
ways of his father. He did not keep the
commandments of God, but he did walk after the
desires of his own heart. And he had many
wives and concubines. And he did cause his people
to commit sin, and do that which was abominable
in the sight of the Lord. And they did commit whoredoms
and all manner of wickedness. And he laid a tax of one fifth
part of all they possessed to support himself, and his
wives and his concubines; and his priests, and their
wives and concubines. [WHISPERING] For he had changed the
affairs of the kingdom, and put down all
the priests that had been consecrated
by his father, and consecrated new
ones in their stead, such as were lifted up in
the pride of their hearts. Yea, and thus they were
supported in their laziness, and in their idolatry,
and in their immorality. Never in our history have
we had a king such as Noah. Hail, hail, hail, hail. And there was a man among
us whose name was Abinadi; and he began to prophesy. --to prophesy unto
this my people, for they have
hardened their hearts against the Lord's words. No! They have repented not
of their evil doings. And thus saith
the Lord, it shall come to pass that this
generation, because of their iniquities, shall
be brought into bondage. And the life of king
Noah shall be valued even as a garment in a hot furnace. Who are you to judge us? Except they repent, the Lord
will utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth. And yet they shall leave
a record behind them, and the Lord will preserve
them for other nations which shall possess the land. Take him before the king. My king. My king. We have brought a
man before thee, who has prophesied evil
concerning thy people, and said that God
shall destroy them. And also he prophesieth
evil concerning thy life. He pretends that the
Lord hath spoken it. [LAUGHTER] And said all this shall come
upon thee, except thou repent. [LAUGHTER] What great evil hast thou done? What great sins have
thy people committed, that we should be condemned
of God and judged of this man? Cast him into prison. Who is this Abinadi
that I and my people should be judged of him? And who is the Lord that
should bring upon my people such great affliction? Bring him hither that
we may question him. What meaneth the words
which are written, and which have been taught
by our fathers, saying: How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings;
that publisheth peace; ... that publisheth salvation,
that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth, ... and all the ends
of the earth shall see the salvation of our God? 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? Wo be unto you for perverting
the ways of the Lord! For if ye understand these
things ye have not taught them. Ye have not applied your
hearts to understanding. Ye have not been wise. Therefore, what
teach ye this people? We teach the law of Moses. 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, and cause
this people to commit sin, that the Lord has cause
to send me to come forth and prophesy
against this people? Ye know I speak
the truth, and you ought to tremble before God. 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? Doth salvation come
by the law of Moses? What say ye? Salvation does come
by the law of Moses. I know that if ye keep
the commandments of God ye shall be saved; yea, if ye
keep the commandments which the Lord delivered unto Moses
in the mount of Sinai, saying: Thou shalt have no
other God before me. Thou shalt not make unto
thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing
that is in heaven above, or things which are
in the earth beneath. Have ye done all this? Nay, ye have not. Have ye taught this
people that they should do all these things? Nay, ye have not. Away with this
fellow, and slay him; for what have we to do
with him, for he is mad. Touch me not, for
God shall smite you if ye lay your hands
upon me, for I have not delivered the message which
the Lord sent me to deliver; neither have I told you
that which ye requested that I should
tell; therefore God will not suffer that I shall
be destroyed at this time. Ye see that ye have
not power to slay me, therefore I finish my message. And I perceive that it
cuts you to your hearts because I tell you the truth
concerning your iniquities. And my words fill you
with wonder and amazement, and with anger. But I finish my
message; and then it matters not whither I go,
if it so be that I am saved. But this much I
tell you, what you will do with me,
after this, shall be as a type and a shadow
of things which are to come. And now I give unto
you the remainder of the commandments of God, for
I perceive that they are not written in your hearts. Thou shalt not take the name
of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath
day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy
mother, that thy days may be long upon the land. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet. Have ye taught this
people that they should observe to
do all these things for to keep these commandments? Behold, I say unto you,
Nay; for if ye had, the Lord would not have
caused me to come forth and to prophesy evil
concerning this people. You say that salvation
cometh by the law of Moses. Ye should keep the
law of Moses as yet; but the time shall
come when it shall be no more expedient to
keep the law of Moses. 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,
they must unavoidably perish. And did not Moses prophesy
unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah,
and that God Himself should redeem His people? Yea, and even all the prophets
who have prophesied since the world began--have they not
spoken more or less concerning these things? Have they not said that God
Himself should come down among the children of men, and
take upon Him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power
upon the face of the earth? God Himself shall come down
among the children of men? Yea, and shall take upon
Him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power
upon the face of the earth. Have the prophets
not said also that He should bring to pass the
resurrection of the dead, and that He, Himself, should
be oppressed and afflicted? Yea, even doth not Isaiah say:
Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet
we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for
our transgressions, He was bruised for
our iniquities; the chastisement of
our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes
we are healed. All we, like sheep,
have gone astray; we have turned every one to
his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the
iniquities of us all. When thou shalt make His
soul an offering for sin, He shall bear their iniquities. I would that ye
should understand that God Himself shall come
down among the children of men, and shall redeem His people. And because He
dwelleth in flesh He shall be called the Son of God. For were it not for
the redemption which He hath made for His
people, which was prepared from the foundation of
the world, I say unto you, were it not for this, all
mankind must have perished. The time shall
come when all shall see the salvation of the Lord;
when every nation, kindred, tongue, and people
shall see eye to eye and shall confess before God
that His judgments are just. And now if Christ had
not come into the world, there could have
been no redemption. And if Christ had not
risen from the dead, or have broken
the bands of death that the grave should
have no victory, and that death
should have no sting, there could have
been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection,
therefore the grave hath no victory, and
the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. He is the light and the life
of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can
never be darkened, and also a life which
is endless, that there can be no more death. Even this mortal shall
put on immortality, and this corruption shall
put on incorruption, and shall be brought to
stand before the bar of God, to be judged of Him
according to their works whether they be good, or
whether they be evil-- And if they be good, to the
resurrection of endless life and happiness; and
if they be evil, to the resurrection
of endless damnation. And now, ought ye not to tremble
and to repent of your sins, and remember that only in and
through Christ ye can be saved? Therefore, if ye teach
the law of Moses, also teach that it is a
shadow of things which are to come--that redemption
cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father. Amen. Put him to death! My king, please. I believe the words which
Abinadi hath spoken. He testifies of our iniquities. Do not be angry with Abinadi. Suffer that he might
depart in peace. Cast him out! King Noah, please! We should listen to this man! He speaks the truth! Slay Alma the priest. Slay him! Cast him into prison. Abinadi, we have found an
accusation against thee, and thou art worthy of death. For thou hast said that God
Himself should come down among the children
of men; and now, for this cause thou
shalt be put to death unless thou wilt recall
all the words which thou hast spoken evil
concerning me and my people. I will not recall the words
which I have spoken unto you, for they are true; and that
ye may know of their surety I have suffered myself that I
have fallen into your hands. I will suffer even until death,
and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as
a testimony against you. And if ye slay me ye
will shed innocent blood, and this will also stand
as a testimony against you at the last day. Does he speak the truth? Will the judgments
of God come upon me? He has reviled the king! Hear, hear! Deliver him up that
he might be slain. Behold, even as ye
have done this unto me, so shall it come to pass that
thy seed shall cause that many shall suffer the pains
that I do suffer; and this because they believe
in the salvation of the Lord their God. And then ye shall
suffer, even as I suffer. O God, receive my soul. Abinadi was put to death
because he would not deny the commandments
of God, having sealed the truth of
his words by his death. Abinadi said that
whosoever has heard the words of the
prophets, and believes that the Lord would
redeem His people, and have looked
forward to that day for a remission of their
sins, that these are His seed, or they are the heirs
of the kingdom of God. For these are they
whose sins He has borne; these are they for whom He
has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. Here are the waters of Mormon. And now, as ye are desirous
to come into the fold of God, and to be called
His people, and are willing to bear one
another's burdens, that they may be
light; yea, and are willing to mourn with those
that mourn; and comfort those that stand
in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God
at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye
may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of
God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection,
that ye may have eternal life-- Now I say unto you, if this be
the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized,
as a witness that ye have entered into a covenant with
Him, that ye will serve Him and keep His commandments,
that He may pour out His Spirit more abundantly upon you? Alma, this is the
desire of our hearts. Helam, I baptize thee, having
authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony
that ye have entered into a covenant with
Him to serve Him until you are dead as to
the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord
be poured out upon you; and may He grant unto
you eternal life, through the
redemption of Christ, whom He has prepared from
the foundation of the world.
