READ Mosiah 12:1
Why did the Lord send Abinadi
back to Noah’s people after two years?
In the Lord’s eyes, two years was sufficient time to repent.
The Lord wanted Abinadi to seal His curse upon the people – so
that they knew why they were being destroyed (for not repenting) and by whom
(God), not as a result of Lamanite strength.
Abinadi’s ministry was not over – the Lord sent him to seal his
testimony with his blood (the disguise was just to get him into the city to
preach, as he was a wanted man – this is obvious because he reveals himself
immediately upon opening his mouth to preach).
Is two years really enough time
for a people to truly repent?
Yes.
Repentance is individual – a people can’t collectively repent as a
“people” but they can each repent individually.
Once a person will soften their heart toward God and allow Him to
condemn them in their sins or as soon as they see their standing before Him
when they are measured against His perfection (which is the standard of eternal
law), Godly sorrow should occur and a broken heart and contrite spirit will
result, leading the individual to offer their whole soul as a sacrifice on the
Lord’s altar in a plea for mercy and grace (see Alma 36:11-24; 3 Nephi 9:19-20).
At that point, God “immediately” forgives them (see Alma 34:31).
There is no “waiting period” or probationary penance period with
the Lord – as soon as the individual has confessed and forsaken their sins
before the Lord with real intent, He will forgive them (see D&C 58:42-43;
Moroni 6:8; Mosiah 26:29-31; Mosiah 29:20).
READ Mosiah 12:2-8
What is the significance of
Abinadi directly quoting the Lord?
It is God’s message and judgment, not Abinadi’s opinion and
judgment of the people.
God is cursing the people to destruction – He has the right to do
this as they are all unprofitable servants and He is done with supporting them
in their wickedness (as is His right to be done).
The Lord has visited Abinadi in the flesh and has given him a message
to deliver – Abinadi is a witness of God.
Abinadi is Accused of Prophesying Lies
READ Mosiah 12:9, 12-14
Why do the people embellish
Abinadi’s prophecies and change the indictment from primarily about the people
to primarily about King Noah?
They are playing the “blame game” – “the King made us do it!” –
e.g. “we are guiltless and thou, O king, hast not sinned…”.
They hate what Abinadi is saying about them and they know the best
way to get the king to act against him is to make it more personal for the king
– make it a personal attack.
READ Mosiah 12:15
Why are the people and priests so
confident in their righteousness?
Because of the signs of success inherent in King Noah’s reign:
beautiful pubic buildings, a well-appointed Temple, military victory against a
seemingly greater opponent.
They are confusing outward signs of success with God’s approval.
What scriptural basis do the
people have which leads them to believe that the presence of material blessings
proves God’s approval?
“Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall
prosper in the land” (see 1 Nephi 4:14; 1 Nephi 2:20); it was a revelation
given to Nephi while in the wilderness and then reiterated during the Laban and
the Brass Plates episode.
What is the nature of the
relationship between obedience and prosperity – is prosperity a blessing
predicated in heaven upon obedience (see D&C 130:20-21)?
In this world, material prosperity is not the blessing for
obedience to spiritual law (see Ecclesiastes 8:12).
In this world, many people suffer materially because they are
obedient to God’s commandments – in fact, they are asked to sacrifice all
earthly things if they want to have faith sufficient to gain eternal life! (see
LoF 6; Luke 16:20-21).
In this world, many people gain materially by flagrantly
disobeying God’s commandments – stealing, violence, lying, selfishness, exercising
power over others, etc. (see Psalms 73:12).
However, if a people were to keep God’s commandments in this
world, that society would prosper due to the fact that there would be no
robberies, no broken marriages, no violence, no addiction, no war, but all
would live peacefully with each other and there would be no poor among them.
It is a true cause and effect principle in the eternities - as
intelligence gives an advantage (blessing or “prosperity”) in the next life,
and intelligence or light is gained by obedience to commandments.
How have Noah’s people
misinterpreted Nephi’s revelation about obedience and prosperity?
Instead of using obedience to the commandments as the gauge, they
are using prosperity as the measure.
They have reversed what Nephi said.
The Lord has never said that if you are successful, that means you
are righteous and obedient! He said that
if you are obedient, you should prosper (but we get on dangerous ground if we
are not open to the possible meaning and timing of what the Lord calls
“prospering”).
Why might a prosperous people
interpret the scriptures this way?
They have gone astray from the truth and are sinning.
They want proof that they are righteous and the misapplied logic
of this scripture seems to placate their guilt or prove that they really aren’t
guilty at all, otherwise they would not be so prosperous (see 2 Nephi 28:21-25).
If they have lost the Spirit, they will both misunderstand the
scriptures and use the scriptures to justify their actions; and if they are also
religious, they will turn to gospel scholars and their research, not to God and
revelation because they don’t seem to have a good connection (which is about to
happen in this story…).
Is past prosperity a guarantee of
future prosperity?
No.
Especially if it is based on this faulty premise of “prosperity =
God’s favor”; because the Lord will not always allow men to enjoy their
wickedness forever.
When the Lord promises a blessing, it is tied to obedience and
faithfulness.
But even then, we are here to be tried and proved, so any temporal
blessing or “land of Bountiful” experience is not guaranteed to be permanent or
even long lasting.
We must be very careful to not equate prosperity as a sign of
God’s favor – or suffering and poverty as a sign of His disfavor. Christ died a “cursed” death on a cross, and
in the eyes of most failed to redeem Israel – He did not “prosper in the land”
but instead it “pleased the Lord to bruise Him” (see Isaiah 53:10) as a
suffering servant but in His willing sacrifice, Christ triumphed. Sometimes it is hard to see who is really
“prospering” and who isn’t.
Abinadi’s Trial Before King Noah and His Priests
READ Mosiah 12:17-19
Did Noah’s priests hold legitimate
priesthood?
Yes, because they were ordained, set apart and accepted by the
common consent of the people and likely had a line of authority reaching back
to when they lived with the main body of the Nephites during the time of King
Benjamin, who clearly held priesthood.
Yes, because if they weren’t, where did Alma I get his authority
from? (Actually this doesn’t matter
because God gave him his authority – see Mosiah 18:12-14, 17-18; but that
creates a whole new set of questions for the “line of authority from an authorized
priesthood holder” argument).
No because Noah consecrated his own new priests himself and he was
not a priest… although it is possible from the language that “he consecrated”
could also mean “he had the priest who he had convinced to support him by
making him the new High Priest consecrate…” (see Mosiah 11:5); because it says
that his father Zeniff had “consecrated” priests and who gave him
authority? But those priests and Zeniff
seemed to be righteous but does that matter if they had “authority” via keys?
Then there is the issue of Alma, when he arrived in Zarahemla,
King Mosiah had him establish churches across the land and baptized people (see
Mosiah 25:19-24), even though many people had clearly already been baptized and
even received the birth of the Spirit at the time of King Benjamin’s speech
(Mosiah 5:2); if Mosiah held keys then why have Alma (re)establish the church?
The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter because regardless of
where they got their “authority” from, they had lost their priesthood (power
and authority) by attempting to handle or control without using the principles
of righteousness, but instead were wicked and used compulsion (see D&C
121:34-41); this is a key principle that seems to get glossed over way too
often.
If Noah’s priests held priesthood
and led the Church, then what do you make of the Lord calling Abinadi, who had
no authority, to prophesy repentance and destruction to the people?
The Lord seems to have pit a single, unknown, apparently unauthorized
man who has received direct revelation from God against the authentic,
recognized, credentialed, respected holders of official Church priesthood
leadership.
Men, rank, and Church office are no substitute for the voice of
revelation from God Himself.
If men, including Church leaders, have apostatized from the truth,
God will send other messengers from outside the hierarchy to call them and
their followers to repentance in the hopes of saving them, but at a minimum to
warn them of coming destruction.
This should really get us to consider what “holding priesthood”
and “keys” actually means from the Lord’s perspective.
God speaks to whoever He wants, whenever He wants – He does not
have to go through “channels” – He is God and is no respecter of persons;
God is not bound by the sustained Church hierarchy and does not
have to honor the deeds of Church leaders if they err or sin;
The edicts of Church councils and the popular opinion of focus
groups are not a substitute for direct revelation from God – just because one
or more is gathered in “Christ’s name” doesn’t mean they are guaranteed of
having the Spirit or mind of God revealed to them and if they make their own
decisions instead of seeking to obtain the Spirit in power, that is not the de
facto will of God;
He will not remove leaders if they err, as He honors their agency
and stewardship to shepherd His flock, so there is no guarantee that God will
not allow them to lead the people astray – although they will be held
responsible by God for so doing.
What is the difference between a
Priest and a Prophet?
A Priest is:
Part of an organization or
institution.
They preside over a congregation.
They have a “line of authority”
or degree which proves their credentials.
They conduct rites, ceremonies
and ordinances.
They interpret and teach
scripture through scholarship; they continually quote others in authority or
who had legitimate spiritual experiences as proof that their interpretation is
correct.
They are concerned about
advancing in the hierarchy, followership (popularity and public relations), and
continuing the institution or church (revenue, budgets, order, policy, control).
A Prophet is:
Either a true prophet with direct
connection to God or they aren’t (they are a charlatan); this can change over
the life of a prophet, too depending upon their choices as God honors their
agency as much as anyone elses.
Presides over no congregation
because their goal is to enable all to enter the presence of God and know Him
personally as they have done – and in the meantime they guide and teach from
their personal experience instead of control.
They have no authority except
their message obtained directly from God.
They don’t just conduct
ceremonies but live the experiences that the ceremonies are trying to symbolize
– they are actually born of the Spirit and enter into God’s presence in the
flesh.
They teach with authority and not
as the scribes because they have parted the veil and know for themselves – they
have no need for scholarship as they have firsthand knowledge and have been
taught by angels and gods; they can inquire of the Lord and get answers - there
is no need to consult with other men and women.
They aren’t concerned with an
organization so they do not care for hierarchy, followership or safeguarding an
institution but for truth – and as a result they are unruly and unpredictable
because they are led only by the Spirit of God.
As this is a trial, why do the
Priests accuse Abinadi, instead of seeking to uncover the truth of the matter –
especially as Abinadi has been very clear that his message comes straight from
God?
The Priests were consecrated by King Noah who pays for their
awesome lifestyle through his government’s taxes.
If the Priests want to stay employed, they must please King Noah.
If the Priests want to exercise control, they must do it through
Noah.
To enable this, they must flatter the king.
In this case, they are not out to discover the truth but to score
points with their boss by figuring out a way to legally condemn a nay-sayer of
the king.
In addition, their behavior places doubt on the fact that they
even believe in God; regardless, they clearly do not know or even know much
about the true and living God.
READ Mosiah 12:20-24
Why do you think the priests
asked Abinadi about this particular scripture?
They are implying that a true prophet publishes “peace” and “good
tidings” and sees “eye to eye” – that their words are inspiring and uplifting –
not the rabble-rousing, contention-causing “threats” of death and destruction
that Abinadi has been “publishing”.
They are implying that they do not live in “waste places” but that
the Lord has already redeemed them – that their prosperity is a sign of His
favor and “comfort” and their “redemption”.
They are implying that their defeat of the larger army of Lamanites
was done through the Lord making “bare His holy arm in the eyes of all nations”
– again proving their chosen status and blessings.
It is ironic that they are asking a true prophet to interpret the
words of another true prophet, whose words they have misapplied to
themselves! You wonder if these verses
had been featured heavily in their last General Conference addresses, on the
back of their victory over the Lamanites…
Why do the Priests prefer the
words of a dead prophet (Isaiah, in this case) to the words of the living
prophet standing before them (Abinadi)?
The words of a dead prophet can be interpreted and repackaged so
as not to be relevant to us today; but we can still seem religious by esteeming
their subtly reinterpreted words (see Matthew 23:29-32).
The living prophet can clarify meaning and can tell us personally
to repent or be destroyed – “thus sayeth the Lord” – which we don’t like.
READ Mosiah 12:25
Abinadi has claimed to have a
message from God or in other words, to be a prophet and they have asked him to
explain the words of a more difficult prophet – why does he condemn them for
asking?
He knows they have misinterpreted the scripture to vindicate their
own behavior.
He knows they are trying to lay a trap for him.
He knows what the scripture is really saying as it is referring to
true prophets like himself (it is really about those who have been cleansed
from the blood of their wicked generation who have ascended up on high to the
heavenly temple and have a true message of hope, joy and redemption from God to
share with any who will listen) but that they don’t really want to know what
the scripture is truly about, anyway.
The irony of their picking this scripture and then misinterpreting it to
defend themselves makes Abinadi angry.
READ Mosiah 12:26-27
What does it mean to pervert the
ways of the Lord?
To teach as truth from a position of authority something that is
not true, such that others will believe you based primarily on your credentials
(either ecclesiastical or scholarly) and insistence (“testimony”) that what you
say is true (because you have more “knowledge” than others have) and by so
doing spread unbelief (the belief in things that are false).
It doesn’t matter that the perversion comes because someone
understood the gospel correctly but maliciously didn’t teach it, changing the
doctrine to suit their purposes OR didn’t understand the gospel correctly but
taught falsehoods in careless ignorance because they wouldn’t apply their
hearts to understanding. Both receive a
“wo” for perverting the ways of the Lord.
What does it mean to apply your
“hearts” to understanding, rather than your mind?
The “live and learn” principle comes into play because you must
possess adequate light to comprehend God’s truths, and that light is gained
through obedience to commandments and aligning yourself better with God’s
frequency (being “quickened”).
Thus seeking to understand with your mind alone is not sufficient
– you must experience a change of heart (birth of the Spirit) and become a new
person spiritually – having a fuller measure of the Spirit to be with you –
this requires offering the sacrifice of a broken heart (and contrite spirit –
one’s whole soul).
Then one can truly receive the Holy Spirit which is the mind of
God and understand His ways with much more clarity.
In addition, the heart is sometimes equated with the conscience or
light of Christ or Holy Spirit which is in and around all things – which if we
listen to and align our hearts with it, we will do the will of God and then
understand more as we receive more light and knowledge from abiding by a higher
level of eternal law.
Teaching the Law of Moses
READ Mosiah 12:28-37
How can Noah’s priests justify
that their behavior qualifies as keeping the Law of Moses such that they don’t
tremble before God when confronted with Abinadi’s accusations?
Saul, David and Solomon during the Golden Age of Israel’s power
all had many wives and concubines, lived the Law of Moses and were (seemingly)
blessed by the Lord.
There was very little contention among the people until Abinadi
arrived and began stirring people up to anger against each other – doesn’t this
show how the people were living in peace and with the Spirit.
The Priests are using their great wealth, acquired from the people
through the questionable but not illegal means of heavy taxation to build large
and beautiful church buildings, including a temple, in addition to other useful
public buildings – so if one donates so much to building projects “for the
people” to worship God, how can that be described as having one’s heart set
upon riches (see D&C 119:1-7 and JST Genesis 14:39).
Since there is so much surplus money and prosperity among the
society, who would begrudge the Church leadership from receiving a “modest
stipend” to enable them to live comfortably.
Why does Abinadi differentiate
between the Law of Moses and the Commandments of God delivered to Moses upon
Sinai?
The Ten Commandments were given to Israel to prepare them to come
up into Mount Sinai and enter into the presence of God (see Exodus 20:1-22);
but as they were fearful and spurned the Lord’s invitation, He gave them the
Law of Moses instead (see JST Exodus 34:1-2).
When Abinadi says “if ye keep the commandments of God (delivered
unto Moses) ye shall be saved”, he is referring to the hope that by keeping the
Ten Commandments, repenting and being baptized by water (these were all
retained as part of “the Law”), it would lead to people receiving the baptism
of Fire (which comes from Christ and not man’s priesthood – see 3 Nephi 12:1)
and enter into the Gospel Covenant by the “Gate” and be saved as they abide in
the higher covenant (see D&C 84:24-27; 2 Nephi 31:17-21).
But the Law of Moses (religious performances) can’t save anyone –
it is designed to be a “school master” to guide the individual in their
behavior – to help them conform to behavior through rigorous temporal
commandment keeping, in the hopes that they will receive enough of the Spirit
to desire a mighty change of heart and seek after a spiritual conversion.
Of all the Ten Commandments, why
does Abinadi highlight putting other God’s – including “idols” – before God?
This is at the heart of their problem, just as it was ancient
Israel.
They are “worshipping God” by worshipping men (and their
“inspired” interpretation of the Law of Moses) and the work of their hands
(their beautiful places of worship and the favor from God they think those
buildings prove) – which is not acceptable but an abomination.
READ Mosiah 13:1-5
How does King Noah choose to show
his anger and what does he not choose to do?
He shows his anger by dismissing Abinadi as mad or insane – his
(Abinadi’s) opinion and indictment is not worthy of consideration because of his
mental state.
Although it is interesting that instead of pitying the “mad man”,
he sentences him to death…
He does not try to debate Abinadi’s claims, however.
Why did Abinadi’s face shine with
light and what is implied?
He is filled with the Spirit of the Lord to such a degree that it
is visible to the natural eyes of the fallen and unredeemed priests.
Clearly Abinadi is in or has been in close proximity to God – as
His glory is still upon him (see Exodus 34:29-35; Moses 1:2; Helaman 5:36;
D&C 110:3).
READ Mosiah 13:6-10
What does it mean that Abinadi’s
message cuts them to their hearts?
They are indicted by his words and they know it.
They may hate it but they cannot deny it without lying – they are
filled with wonder and amazement in a bad way.
READ Mosiah 13:11
Why does Abinadi read the
scriptures to them?
The scriptures contain the Lord’s words and true principles –
either spoken directly by Him, spoken by an angel or spoken by a man who is
either directly quoting or expounding what they have been taught by true
messengers (the Lord or His angels) and confirmed by the Holy Spirit.
True messengers open the scriptures to the minds of those they
teach – they expound their meaning so that they can be truly understood (see
JSH 1:74; Luke 24:25-32; JSH 1:33-41).
The priests have studied the scriptures but the scriptures are not
“written in their hearts”; they likely use them to proof-text (take a verse out
of context and meaning to prove a point) their own ideas or precepts (which is
iniquity) that they are advancing, seeking to show that they come from
scripture and are thus legitimate, but they do not understand the true meaning
and are not filled with the same Spirit that those who wrote them were – at
best theirs is a scholarly exercise and at worst it’s a way to prop up their
own ideas as being from God.
READ Mosiah 13:12-14
What could the full extent of
“making”, “worshipping” and “serving” a “graven image” mean?
Graven means created – but man can create many things that can be
worshipped and served.
Among the things that man can make, worship and serve include: an
iconic man (who is “made” through marketing and PR), a mindset of materialism
(where your heart is…), a culture of self-reliance (i.e. pride), military
might, an economy, an object – but it doesn’t have to mean a golden calf.
What does it mean that God is
“jealous”?
Jealous = uneasy that another has or may withdraw from one the
affections of a person he loves; suspicious that one does not enjoy the
affection or respect of others or that another is more loved and respected than
they are; to defend the honor of; anxiously careful and vigilant about.
If we are to be saved we must be precisely like God is (see LoF
7:9); God’s commandments are designed to align our behavior precisely with His;
those who keep God’s commandments are those that love Him and serve Him (see
John 14:15-24 & Mosiah 5:13); if we love another more than God, we will not
keep God’s commandments; God loves us and we are His work and glory (see John
15:13 & Moses 1:39); thus, He is “jealous” because He loves us and knows
that if we do not love Him back we will not keep His commandments and thus
cannot be saved.
Why would a loving God who values
justice and agency visit with a curse the iniquities of a father on a whole
family through the great grandchildren?
It takes 4 generations for the effect of unbelief to run its
course such that the fifth generation is so far removed from the first
individual and their thinking and influence that they are free to come unto
Christ without constraint imposed by the traditions of their fathers.
It is not a punishment as much as describing a sad reality – and
the responsibility is on the head of the father who sinned and effected his
descendants through his teaching and example (see 2 Nephi 4:3-7) – he is the one
who “cursed” his family through his beliefs and actions.
READ Mosiah 13:15
How are the Priests taking the
Lord’s name in vain?
They are pretending to be His spokesmen.
Although they don’t say “thus sayeth the Lord” (in what we have
recorded here, at least) but they imply it with their priestly authority.
READ Mosiah 13:16-26
What is the priest’s
responsibility?
To teach the Lord’s commandments (accurately and completely) –
“teach” also implies modeling the behaviors as an example, since they hold
priestly office and represent the Lord in a symbolic way to the people (see
Alma 39:11).
It does not say that they are responsible for the people’s
righteousness (or whether or not they believe the teachings) – that is up to the
people individually.
But as the word has a greater influence on enticing someone to
righteousness than anything else, it is a fair bet to assume the people weren’t
being taught – accurately, completely or perhaps at all.
READ Mosiah 13:27-28
Why doesn’t salvation come by the
Law alone?
Even if someone were to be able to keep all of the many
commandments required in the Law of Moses, it has no ability to save anyone
without the atonement of a God since we are all sinful and fallen beings (see
Romans 3:23) and Eternal Law requires that we be precisely like Christ or we
cannot be saved (see LoF 7:9), we are all condemned to hell without divine
intercession.
Keeping all aspects of the Law of Moses would still not make you
precisely like Christ anyway.
Why was it expedient that Israel
keep the Law of Moses even though they wouldn’t be saved by the law?
Because they had forfeited what they had originally been offered
and had to live the new, remedial Law of Moses until a time that the curse
would be lifted (see D&C 84:19-27; 3 Nephi 9:19-20).
Christ would “fulfill the law” through His atonement (see 2 Nephi
25:24; 3 Nephi 15:2-10).
READ Mosiah 13:29-32
What is the relationship between
the type of behavior a people demonstrate and the kind of law they require?
The more stiff-necked (prideful, following their own wills, hard
hearted, unwilling to learn or consider they might be wrong) the stricter (more
exact, confining, limiting, tight, accurate, rigorous) the law because they
lack the light or spirit that enables them to judge what to do in a more
ambiguous or complex situation.
The paradox is that as a celestial being, we must be precisely as
Christ is and nothing else, so there is no room for any error or discretion –
we must be exactly like Him or not saved, which seems like one would be living
a pretty “strict” law, as defined above (see LoF 7:15-16) but it’s “strict” in
a whole different way.
Why do those living a telestial
existence require a stricter law?
We need much more help remembering our Lord – how much He has done
for us and continues to do and how we are completely undeserving and
unprofitable even when we attempt to serve Him (see Mosiah 2:20-25).
We are continually seeking our own wills – our desires and hearts
are not turned to Him, much less one with His, so our minds and actions are
continually pursuing their own way, out of alignment with His will and
frequency.
A strict law is one that we must bump up against on an almost
continual basis, and in so doing it brings our minds back to at least consider
that there is a God and what His will might be in any given situation.
A strict law leaves much less room for judgement (which is gained
as we experience life and learn to listen to and align with the Holy Spirit);
those living a telestial law don’t have the same capability yet to make those
spiritual judgements because their ability to hear (and their desire to follow)
the Spirit is less and as a result they are filled with much less light and
truth.
What did Israel not understand
about the Law and what was the result?
They did not understand that it was not an end in and of itself –
that it could not save them, or rather that they could not save themselves by
living it.
As a result, they did not look for a redeemer or at least not a
spiritual savior (but a political one).
It made them prideful and judgmental, in that it gave them an
obvious, objective set of measurements (outward performances or behaviors)
against which they could judge righteousness as they thought it represented
(although the Law of Moses misses most of what is truly important – the
spiritual rebirth of the inward man).
READ Mosiah 13:33-35
Why does Abinadi say that “God
Himself” will “come down” and “take upon Him the form of man” when we know He
is talking about Jesus Christ?
Christ had progressed from grace to grace before the foundation of
this world to the point that He was already exalted (see D&C 93:2-17; TPJS
390-393).
He came down to “prove us” not to be proven
Himself, (see Abraham 3:22-26), as He had already proven Himself (see Alma 13:3-9).
Christ is the spiritual “Father” of all those who
will come unto Him in covenant – He will beget them as His Sons and Daughters,
as the Father begot Him (see Psalms 2:7).
Christ is the Son because He took upon Himself a
“tabernacle of clay” (LoF 5:2; Mosiah 3:5) so that He could come to earth, live
the Eternal Law without sin, take upon Himself our sins before the Father, and
die unjustly so that He could win the victory over death and overturn it –
attaining to the resurrection of the dead for Himself and all who were
dependent upon Him.
Christ Is the Father and the Son
Note: Questions for Mosiah 15 will
be addressed in the blogpost for Isaiah 53
READ Mosiah 14:10-11
Who are Christ’s
seed?
Generally, it is all mankind (to whom He gives
immortality).
More specifically or I should say “literally”,
those who come unto Him and receive exaltation and eternal life – they are
“spiritually begotten” by Him through covenant (adopted as His “sons and
daughters”) via the work of the Atonement, which acts as the “travail” that the
mother suffers to bring forth offspring.
READ Mosiah 15:1-5
What makes a man
your “father”?
He gives you life.
He gives you a name, family and identity – a
place of belonging.
He teaches you what you must know to be
successful – to become like he is.
He loves you so much that he sacrifices what is
his to provide for your needs.
Who will be the
“Father” of your exaltation and eternal life, if you come unto Him?
Jesus Christ (see D&C 35:2).
What makes Him your
Father, in heaven?
Jesus Christ will give you eternal life – your
continuation after the grave will come through His sacrifice and He will
literally provide you with the resurrected body you will inherit.
Christ will adopt you to become a Son or Daughter
of God (Him) now that He has attained to the resurrection of the dead Himself (see
TPJS 392:1).
Christ is your example in all things and His
teachings and commandments, if followed, will give you the light, glory,
intelligence, spirit you need to become like He is (see 1 Corinthians 4:15);
you will be spiritually born again and given a new heart (see 1 Peter 1:23).
Christ has suffered all that a God can suffer –
an infinite and eternal punishment - to save you from the awful, damning fate
awaiting you by your choices on earth and the punishment that you would
otherwise have to pay yourself (see D&C 19:10-20).
Why did “God
Himself” have to come down from Heaven to redeem His people?
Only by having a mortal experience could we
progress – but the sin and death that would result we could not overcome and we
would not progress but be damned to spiritual and physical death forever unless
an intervention on our behalf occurred.
Only a God could offer the sacrifice required to
overcome sin and death and rescue us because the required sacrifice is infinite
and eternal – the sacrifice of a God, suffering all that a God could suffer
(see Alma 34:9-14).
Why did Jehovah,
a “Son of God” exalted to be God before the foundation of this world, come down
to redeem mankind instead of “God” (the Father “Ahman”) doing it?
Father (Ahman) is a personage of spirit, glory
and power (see LoF 5:2) – which is also matter (see D&C 131:7-8), but it is
pure, refined and glorified matter.
The Father (Ahman) had previously attained to the
resurrection Himself and has life in Himself (see TPJS 206:1), having offered
Himself as a sacrifice on a prior world as Christ did on ours (see TPJS
390-393; TPJS 349:4), as a result of which His body and spirit are inseparably
connected, never again to be divided (see D&C 93:33; Alma 11:45) such that
He appears now only in a state of glory – it seems He could not condescend to
again take upon Himself a tabernacle of clay and live the mortal life required
of a God who has come to redeem His children.
So, a God or one who had gone from a small capacity
to a great one, from grace to grace, from eternity to eternity, (see TPJS
391:1-2; LoF 7:9, 15-16) who had not the fullness at first but had gained it
through acquiring light through obedience to God’s commandments (see D&C
93:12-14; D&C 130:18-19) to the point of becoming a God (a “Son of God”),
but who had not yet attained to the resurrection themselves, had to be the one
who could condescend to lay aside their glory (spirit, matter, etc. see D&C
131:7-8) to be “tabernacled in clay” in order to save us – but also to attain
to the resurrection themselves and “take their Father’s place” becoming perfect
even as God the Father (Ahman) is perfect (see TPJS 392:1; Matthew 5:48; 3
Nephi 12:48).
The only way back to the Father (Ahman) is
through the redemption offered you by your new Father, Jehovah or Jesus Christ.
Is Jesus Christ
the Father and the Son?
Yes.
He is “the Father” of our spiritual rebirth and
for His seed or children, will be their Father in Heaven.
He is precisely like “the Father” or He would not
be able to be saved (see LoF 7:9, 15-16) – conceived by the power of God and
endowed with a full measure of the Holy Spirit (see John 3:34), and as such
“is” the Father or a perfect representation of Him, even sharing His own mind
(see LoF 5:2) through that full measure of the Spirit to the extent that He can
say “if ye have seen me, ye have seen the Father” (see John 14:7-9).
He is “the Son” because He is a Son of God
(Ahman) and submitted to Ahman in all things, to enable His work and His glory
(our immortality and eternal life) to be realized as He shared that work and
glory – sharing the same mind (Holy Spirit) and being filled with a fullness of
love, light and life.
He is a “Son of God” because through the
eternities He had been “adopted as an heir” and “spiritually begotten” by
Ahman, having progressed from grace to grace.
He is a “Son of God” because He was physically
begotten by God (Ahman) in this mortal world in a tabernacle of clay (body of
flesh).
They (the two aspects of Christ – Son and Father)
are one God or personage.
They (the two personages Ahman the Father and
Jehovah the Son) are one God because they share the same mind, the Holy Spirit.
Is Jehovah or
Jesus Christ the same “personage” as Heavenly Father Ahman (see D&C 78:20)?
No – they are two separate personages (see LoF
5:2).
Jesus Christ Attains to the Resurrection
READ Mosiah 15:6-9
How did Christ
break the bands of death, giving Him power to intercede on our behalf?
Eternal Law establishes required conduct that,
when violated, requires a punishment to be imposed (see also Alma 42:22).
We came to earth to experience a mortal probation
where we are subject to Eternal Law, which when violated requires punishment
(see Alma 42:18).
Death is the “wage” of sin – it is the just
reward (or punishment) of those who sin (see Romans 6:23).
Christ never sinned (see 1 Peter 2:21-23; Hebrews
4:15).
Christ submitted to death because of our sins in
a sacrificial offering to appease the ends of the law (see 2 Nephi 2:6-7).
As a result, His death was unmerited; in fact, it
was unjust (see Alma 22:13-14; 1 Peter 3:18).
Through Christ, the law was made unjust because
death could make no claim upon Him (being sinless) but He willingly died to
suffer the punishment He did not merit; as death had now claimed the life of
one who did not deserve to die – it could no longer make any claim on Him or
those He choose to redeem (even though we were all deserving of death).
READ Mosiah 15:10-18
What makes you a
“seed” or Son/Daughter of Christ?
You hear His word and identify it for what it is
(His), then you follow His teachings with faith, repenting of your sins,
covenanting with Him to become “His person” – one that He came to redeem; then
you abide in that covenant and are sealed up to eternal life as an heir or
child (seed) of Christ.
You receive the life, adoption and family name,
teachings and the blessings that He freely offers you (see 3 Nephi 10:6;
D&C 76:51-70).
You love Him in return and show that love by
keeping all His commandments and doing His will and work (see John 14:15-24;
Luke 2:49; Moses 1:39).
Why are the feet of those who
bring good tidings beautiful?
In ancient ceremonies involving animal sacrifice, blood was shed
on the ground and the feet of those doing the rites would get bloody (i.e. not
beautiful).
The blood on the feet was a symbol of the sins of the people – of
the “generation”.
Christ’s Washing of the Feet was symbolic of the cleaning of the
feet of those covered in blood (see John 13:5-10).
He does the cleaning Himself – he “employs no servant there” (see
2 Nephi 9:41).
They are beautiful because they are clean from the blood of their
wicked generation (see D&C 88:74-75).
What is the desire of those whose
“feet” have been cleansed and sanctified by Christ?
Like Lehi, their first desire is to share this discovery (of
Christ) with others – the “fruit” is “delicious” to them.
They want to “cry peace” – they don’t administer the peace but
they have experienced it and know where it is found.
They testify to the truth of what they have experienced – they
have found their Lord and He has redeemed them – they are a living witness of
His reality and power to save and they must share that testimony (see D&C
76:51, 71).
They want to continually follow Him on whatever path He might lead
them down (or up).
READ Mosiah 15:19-23
In what sense
would all have to perish if it weren’t for the redemption Christ brings?
Because of the Fall, all things die and cannot
change their state.
But because of the Atonement, all things shall be
redeemed from death and live again (see 1 Corinthians 15:22).
It’s not that we would cease to exist altogether,
but we would be disembodied spirits without the possibility of inheriting a
fullness of joy (see 2 Nephi 9:8-10; D&C 138:17; D&C 93:33-34).
If you are not
raised to a state of celestial glory, will you not dwell with God, even as a
ministering servant?
No, those who are filthy (i.e. not precisely as
God is or “perfect in Christ” – borrowing His perfection until their own can be
obtained and they “learn to be Gods themselves”) cannot dwell with God (see 1
Nephi 15:33-36; D&C 76:50-70; Psalm 24:3-4; Psalm 15:1-5), nor would they
want to (see Mormon 9:3-5).
READ Mosiah 15:26-27
What does it
mean to die “in” your sins?
To die while continuing in sin – in action and in
your heart (intention).
It means to have not repented or to have violated
one’s repentance by embracing sin again.
It means to have broken the covenant with Christ.
It does not mean to be sinless in one’s
performance but to truly, deeply desire with one’s whole soul to be; however,
it does mean that you are as close to keeping all of the commandments that you
know of as you can possibly be – you are not sinning intentionally.
It means to love Christ with your whole soul and
live His commandments as best you can in any given moment; the way you show
Christ you love Him is to keep all of His commandments.
Why would Christ
“deny Himself” if He gave salvation to those who willfully rebelled against His
commandments – can’t He declare who receives salvation, and who hasn’t
willfully rebelled at some point, anyway?
He set the terms of the covenant – which terms
satisfied the needs of justice while extending mercy to those who sacrificed
their whole souls to Him; so to violate the terms of the covenant would be
unjust and He would cease to be God.
“Willfully rebel” implies a level of knowledge of
Christ that most people have not yet achieved – it requires KNOWING that He is
God by having received the Second Comforter.
Having said that, “willfully rebel” could also be
relative – any time we hear the Holy Spirit whispering to us as our conscience
and we betray ourselves by ignoring or rationalizing what we know we should do
and do something contrary, we are in willful rebellion to the light He has
given us – and He does not give us guidance or promptings that we cannot abide
by completely.
So, to sacrifice your whole soul to Him implies a
level of love for Him and submission to His will that we are doing all we can
do, at whatever level of light we currently possess, to do His will (i.e. keep
the commandments He’s given us).
READ Mosiah 15:28-31
What is Abinadi
prophesying about?
The coming, eventual latter-day Zion when all
will “see eye to eye” because they will all know the Lord, from the least to
the greatest (see Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:11).
All whose “feet are beautiful” having been
cleansed from the blood of their generation by He who trod the winepress alone
– Christ – and “made His arm bare by so doing”.
READ Mosiah 16:1-5
Why does Abinadi
teach that ALL people shall “see eye to eye,” like those in Zion, and what does
that mean?
At some point when this probation is over,
everyone will see “eye to eye” or understand and accept the truth that Jesus
Christ is the Redeemer of Israel and Son of God.
But sadly, it will not be a joyous realization
for those who are wicked (i.e. have not come unto Christ in this life and been
redeemed from the Fall and are thus “wicked” or unredeemed still; see Ether
3:13).
The realization of what they have done with what
they were offered now that the mortal veil of the flesh has been removed - that full remembrance of the opportunity
afforded them in this life will cause them to “howl and weep and wail” with
regret (see TPJS 401:1) and with fear in being subject to the devil.
Who is an enemy
to God at the day of judgment and who are “His People”?
Enemy = ALL who have not been redeemed, so they remain
in their fallen state – in other words all those who have not rent the veil and
been declared clean and saved by Christ (see Ether 3:13).
His People = ONLY those who have been redeemed
and are now His spiritual Sons and Daughters (see D&C 76:50-70); the LDS
cultural term of “safely dead” only applies to those who were first redeemed in
mortal life by rending their veil and then remained faithful to that covenant;
the reason for this is that those who did not receive a “hope” or promise of
their salvation in this life directly from the one person who can actually give
that assurance, will not have the faith sufficient to lay hold of salvation when
they are dead (see LoF 6:2-5).
READ Mosiah 16:6-8
Why is the
message of the resurrection such an important part of Abinadi’s message?
Without bringing together again the spirit and
body, mankind cannot have a fullness of joy (see D&C 138:17); in fact, Lucifer’s
punishment for rebellion is that he has no body (see TPJS 206:3).
Instead they would be subject to the devil
forever, being a disembodied spirit and incapable of overturning death, which
has claimed them justly for their sins (see 2 Nephi 9:8-10; Romans 6:23).
There is no salvation or exaltation without a
resurrection wrought by a God – because no one else would be able to live a
sinless life but still sacrifice themselves by taking upon themselves the sins
and afflictions of all others.
READ Mosiah 16:9
What does it
mean that Christ is the light and the life of the world?
It is through His light (the light of Christ –
His light, glory, intelligence, spirit) that we have literal light, are
quickened in our minds that we might comprehend things, and are actually
supported from moment to moment in every breath we take – giving us this life –
this probationary experience; He holds it all together and sustains it through
His light or mind (Holy Spirit).
It is only because of Christ’s atonement and
resurrection that we will have any “life” afterward – that we and the entire
creation will have bodies to clothe our spirits and qualify for a fullness of
joy.
What does it
mean that His light and life are endless?
As the Father has life in Himself, even so has He
given the Son to have life in Himself, too (see John 5:26; TPJS 206:1); God the
Father took life unto Himself precisely as Jesus did – through attaining to the
resurrection of the dead. This does
imply that the Father didn’t always have “life in Himself”.
The Father and Son both obtained a “body of their
own” by laying down their lives and taking them up again (see TPJS 349:4);
which only happens when a sinless God condescends to come to earth to suffer
and die for the sins of others but then having died unjustly (being sinless),
they win the victory over death and “attain to the resurrection” (see TPJS
391:1-2) for themselves, now earning a “body of their own” and are able to live
in “everlasting burnings”.
And we must “learn how to be Gods ourselves…the
same as all Gods have done before” us (see TPJS 391:2).
READ Mosiah 16:10-15
What seems to be
implied about coming again into the presence of God?
You must be properly “clothed” in the “wedding
garment” provided to you by the Lord (see Matthew 22:11-14; Revelation 19:7-9;
1 Corinthians 1 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19).
That “garment” is the resurrected body that He
has suffered and died to provide for you, for all the elements are His.
Note: this is His body which He is providing you
as a gift, not a “body of your own” because you have not “life in yourself”
albeit the fact that you are an eternal spirit and cannot be “created or made”
but have always existed in some form or another.
If seems to imply that we cannot again enter
God’s presence unless we are a “soul” or have a body to clothe our spirit – and
if you are not clothed, you must be cast into “outer darkness” (see Matthew
22:13).
Who gets a body
of immortality and incorruption?
Everyone who chose to be “clothed” or come to
this mortal probation.
Not just the righteous but everyone.
What do “endless
life” and “endless damnation” mean?
Endless = God’s name.
Endless life = God’s life.
Endless damnation = God’s damnation (a stop in
progression) or God’s punishment (see D&C 19:10-20).
When does this
“endless damnation” begin and what is implied about “kingdoms of glory”?
After the resurrection.
In the Telestial Kingdom (or kingdom where you
now dwell) you are subject to Satan (see also D&C 76:81-90).
And yet the glory of the Telestial surpasses all
mortal understanding…the only ones who can unravel this conundrum are those to
whom God reveals it…
But we do know that “endless” does not mean
“forever and forever” but “God’s” so it is possible that their
damnation, punishment and subjection to the devil may have an end at some point.
Does “calling
upon the Lord” mean praying?
While praying is a part of it – the vehicle, if
you will – “calling upon the Lord” means crying unto the Lord and begging for
forgiveness, despite our worthless and fallen state about which we can do nothing
– it is pleading for mercy.
Implied is humbling oneself to the dust,
sacrificing one’s own will on the altar of the Lord – a broken heart and
contrite spirit or one’s whole soul.
What does it
imply that Christ extends “arms of mercy” toward us?
It is similar to His analogy of a “hen gathering
her chicks under her wings” for protection and safety.
He extends His arms of mercy – He wishes to grant
us what is completely undeserved.
But we must come unto Him – we must enter into
His embrace, as He won’t violate our agency by saving us without our permission
– we must embrace Him.
On the cross, His arms of mercy were extended…to
all who would “look” (see 1 Nephi 17:41); seeing one who loves you more than
you can know suffering in this manner to save you should break your heart (see
3 Nephi 9:19-20) if you will “come and see” and abide with Him (see John 1:39).
What does Christ
ask us to do?
Sacrifice your carnal will and desires – don’t
“go” according to that way.
Depart from your iniquities – repent or turn from
sin to God – it is not how far away you are but which direction your heart is
facing: to God or away from Him – there are only two options.
Call upon the Lord – cry unto Him for mercy.
Come unto Him and embrace Him as He is standing
there with His arms extended to embrace you.
Will the Law of
Moses or ANY set of religious standards of behavior save you?
No.
That includes all of the “outward performances”
of the modern Church.
It also includes “following the prophet”, which
is not a scriptural term – we are to follow Christ only and we can’t follow Him
if we do not know Him; knowing Him is eternal life (see John 17:3).
So what must we,
who are under condemnation and living a lesser law, teach?
Redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is
the very Eternal Father to all those that come unto Him to become His Sons and
Daughters.
And while this title (His Sons and Daughters) applies
to all mankind upon whom He grants immortality and rescue from death, it will
be everlastingly so to all who come unto Him.
Noah Condemns Abinadi to Death
READ Mosiah 17:1
Why did the King
and Priests wait patiently until Abinadi had prophesied of their imminent
destruction and damnation?
They had no choice.
He was filled with the Spirit of God and they
could not touch or stop him until he was finished.
His message was clearly not his own but God’s –
he was on the Lord’s errand.
READ Mosiah 17:2-4
Abinadi was rejected and killed,
and only made one convert; what impact did his ministry have?
Abinadi is a “hinge” character around whom the entire remainder of
the Book of Mormon will center – he is the pivotal character in the Book.
His one convert, Alma I, will go on to become the spiritual leader
of the Nephites and his direct line of descendants (Alma II, Helaman II,
Helaman III, Nephi II, Nephi III, Amos I, Amos II and his brother Ammaron, who
then gives the plates into the keeping of Mormon) will be the focus of the
remaining history of the Book of Mormon up until the time of the Nephites’
destruction.
The lesson for our day is to be careful about discarding a message
from someone like Abinadi – someone whose only “credential” is the truth of the
message he brings but lacks Church office, material success, genealogy,
celebrity and popularity, and worldly standing.
READ Mosiah 17:5-7
Why did Noah deliberate for three
days about Abinadi while he was willing to kill Alma immediately?
He was afraid.
Abinadi had spoken with the Spirit in such a manner that even Noah
could not deny the power with which he spoke, which gave credibility to the message
– and because of this, he was scared to kill him.
Alma was one of his own priests who “betrayed him” by believing
Abinadi and sided against the king – as Noah saw it, this was treason.
READ Mosiah 17:8-10
What is the official charge
against Abinadi and what is the real reason for his death sentence?
The charge is blasphemy – heresy (see John 10:33).
But the real reason is “speaking ill of the Lord’s anointed” (i.e.
Noah and his priests).
Did Abinadi know he was going to
his death?
He seems to have: “I have suffered myself that I have fallen into
your hands”.
He knew he was protected until his mission was completed.
READ Mosiah 17:13, 20
What does it mean to be valiant
in the Testimony of Jesus?
The Testimony of Jesus is to be sealed up to eternal life – hearing
Jesus “bear testimony” to the Father that you are clean (see D&C 88”75).
Abinadi’s “feet are beautiful” having been cleansed by the Lord
through His sacrifice – he had received the Testimony of Jesus prior to these
events – he knew of what he spoke.
Abinadi is “publishing peace” by sharing his testimony of Christ
and the message he was directly commanded to give to King Noah and his priests.
Abinadi was valiant in the Testimony of Jesus because he put his
love for the Lord and faith in his sealing up to eternal life above his mortal life,
which he knows will likely be forfeit by declaring the message the Lord
commanded him to speak – particularly in the boldness and plainness required of
him.
” …Would
you have listened to the crazy man? In
the face of overwhelming voices to the contrary, would you have believed God’s
messenger who told you of God’s coming judgment? Despite the opinions of all
your friends, family, society and church leaders, would you have recognized and
believed God’s messenger? Or would you have stuck with the legitimate and
authorized leaders of the church (Noah and his priests), who taught you flattering things
much easier to bear—in exchange for your idolatrous devotion
to them?”
