Mosiah 13
People in this chapter
King Noah has heard enough. Away with this fellow, and slay him... for he is mad (v. 1). But when the priests try to seize Abinadi, they cannot. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses' did while in the mount of Sinai (v. 5). God will not let him be silenced until he has finished.
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Mosiah 13:1-9Touch Me Not
1And now when the king had heard these words, he said unto his priests: Away with this fellow, and slay him; for what have we to do with him, for he is mad. 2And they stood forth and attempted to lay their hands on him; but he withstood them, and said unto them: 3Touch 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. 4But I must fulfil the commandments wherewith God has commanded me; and because I have told you the truth ye are angry with me. And again, because I have spoken the word of God ye have judged me that I am mad.
Noah calls Abinadi mad and orders him killed. Abinadi warns them not to touch him. God will protect him until he has finished delivering the Lord's message.
5Now it came to pass after Abinadi had spoken these words that the people of king Noah durst not lay their hands on him, for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses' did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord. 6And he spake with power and authority from God; and he continued his words, saying:
The people dare not touch Abinadi, because the Spirit of the Lord is on him and his face shines like Moses' face on Sinai. He speaks with power and authority from God.
7Ye see that ye have not power to slay me, therefore I finish my message. Yea, and I perceive that it cuts you to your hearts because I tell you the truth concerning your iniquities. 8Yea, and my words fill you with wonder and amazement, and with anger. 9But I finish my message; and then it matters not whither I go, if it so be that I am saved.
Abinadi's priority is clear: finish the Lord's message. After that, it doesn't matter what happens to him, as long as he is saved.
Mosiah 13:10-14Not Written in Your Hearts
10But this much I tell you, what you do with me, after this, shall be as a type and a shadow of things which are to come. 11And now I read unto you the remainder of the commandments of God, for I perceive that they are not written in your hearts; I perceive that ye have studied and taught iniquity the most part of your lives.
Abinadi warns that what they do to him will be a type and a shadow of what is coming. Later, Mormon explains that many would die by fire just as Abinadi did (Alma 25:10-12).
Abinadi reads them the rest of the commandments because they are not written in your hearts. The priests knew the law as words on a page. It had never become part of who they were.
12And now, ye remember that I said unto you: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of things which are in heaven above, or which are in the earth beneath, or which are in the water under the earth. 13And again: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generations of them that hate me; 14And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
God punishes iniquity unto the third and fourth generations of those who hate Him, but shows mercy unto thousands of those who love Him. His mercy reaches far further than His judgment.
Mosiah 13:15-24The Remainder of the Commandments
15Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Taking the Lord's name in vain includes careless or profane speech, and it also includes taking His name upon us in covenant and then living as if it meant nothing.
16Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 17Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; 18But the seventh day, the sabbath of the Lord thy God, thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; 19For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
The Sabbath is a day to rest from work and to remember the Lord. It reaches everyone, including servants, strangers, and even animals.
20Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
The fifth commandment, to honor parents, carries a promise: that thy days may be long upon the land.
21Thou shalt not kill. 22Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. 23Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 24Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
The last commandments protect life, marriage, property, and truth, and the last one reaches into the heart: thou shalt not covet.
Mosiah 13:25-32Salvation Doth Not Come by the Law Alone
25And it came to pass that after Abinadi had made an end of these sayings that he said unto them: Have ye taught this people that they should observe to do all these things for to keep these commandments? 26I 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. 27And now ye have said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses. I say unto you that it is expedient that ye should keep the law of Moses as yet; but I say unto you, that the time shall come when it shall no more be expedient to keep the law of Moses.
Abinadi tells the priests to keep the law of Moses for now. But a time is coming when it will no longer be needed. Christ would later say, I am he that gave the law, and that it was fulfilled in Him.
28And moreover, I say unto you, that 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, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses.
29And now I say unto you that it was expedient that there should be a law given to the children of Israel, yea, even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God; 30Therefore there was a law given them, yea, a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him. 31But behold, I say unto you, that all these things were types of things to come. 32And now, did they understand the law? I say unto you, Nay, they did not all understand the law; and this because of the hardness of their hearts; for they understood not that there could not any man be saved except it were through the redemption of God.
The law of Moses was strict because Israel was quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord. Its daily rituals were meant to keep them remembering God.
Every part of the law was a type, a picture pointing to Christ. Many in Israel missed this, and did not understand that no one could be saved except it were through the redemption of God.
Mosiah 13:33-35God Himself Should Come Down
33For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?
The priests say they follow Moses. Abinadi points out that Moses himself prophesied of the Messiah, and so has every prophet since the world began.
34Have 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? 35Yea, and have they not said also that he should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, and that he, himself, should be oppressed and afflicted?
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- Law of MosesWhat the law of Moses was, why it was given, and how it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
- Ten CommandmentsThe commandments given on Sinai and repeated by Abinadi in verses 12-24.
- How Was Abinadi a Prophet "Like unto Moses"?Scholars note the parallels between Abinadi and Moses, including the shining face of verse 5.
- Atone, AtonementThe scriptures on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the subject of verse 28.
Where this echoes in Scripture
Touch Me Not
- Exodus 34:29-30The skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.Moses coming down from Sinai.
- Acts 6:15Saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.Stephen before the council.
- Acts 26:24-25Paul, thou art beside thyself... I am not mad, most noble Festus.Another servant of God called mad.
- 2 Timothy 4:7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
- D&C 122:9Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less.The Lord's promise to Joseph Smith about finishing his work.
Not Written in Your Hearts
- Alma 25:10-12Abinadi was the first that suffered death by fire because of his belief in God.Mormon explains the type of verse 10.
- Jeremiah 31:33I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.
- 2 Corinthians 3:3Written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
- Exodus 20:4-6Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
- Ezekiel 18:20The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.
The Remainder of the Commandments
- Exodus 20:7-17Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain... Thou shalt not covet.The commandments as given on Sinai.
- Mosiah 5:8Take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God.
- D&C 59:9-10Go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day.
- Ephesians 6:2-3Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise.
- Matthew 5:27-28Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Salvation Doth Not Come by the Law Alone
- 3 Nephi 15:4-5Behold, I am he that gave the law... therefore, the law in me is fulfilled.The Lawgiver Himself fulfills the law.
- Galatians 3:24The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.
- Alma 34:14This is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice.
- 2 Nephi 25:23-25We keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ.
- D&C 84:24-27The lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key... of the preparatory gospel.Why Israel received the law of Moses.
God Himself Should Come Down
- Deuteronomy 18:15The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet... like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.
- John 5:46For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
- Philippians 2:6-8Took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
- Mosiah 3:5The Lord Omnipotent... shall come down from heaven among the children of men.King Benjamin's testimony of the same truth.
- Mosiah 17:8For thou hast said that God himself should come down among the children of men.The charge for which Abinadi was condemned.