Mosiah 15
People in this chapter
Abinadi is a prisoner. The king has called for his death, and the priests have tried to trap him with a question about Isaiah (Mosiah 12:20-24). Protected for the moment by the power of God, he has told them they do not understand the law they claim to teach. Salvation, he said, doth not come by the law alone. It comes through the atonement which God himself shall make (Mosiah 13:28). Then he read them Isaiah 53, the song of the suffering servant (Mosiah 14).
Tap any highlighted phrase to jump to the commentary that unpacks it.
Mosiah 15:1-9God Himself Shall Come Down
1And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.
2And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son— 3The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son— 4And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.
Abinadi calls Jesus Christ both the Father and the Son. He is the Son because He has a body of flesh, and He is called the Father because of His divine power and roles, such as Creator. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are still three separate beings.
5And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people. 6And after all this, after working many mighty miracles among the children of men, he shall be led, yea, even as Isaiah said, as a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. 7Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.
Christ will be tempted but not give in. He will be mocked, scourged, and rejected, and He will not defend Himself, just as Isaiah said.
Christ chose to let His will be swallowed up in His Father's will, all the way to the cross. We can offer God our will too.
8And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men— 9Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice.
Mosiah 15:10-18Who Shall Be His Seed?
10And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed? 11Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, 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 kingdom of God. 12For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed? 13Yea, and are not the prophets, 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.
Isaiah said the Savior shall see his seed. Abinadi explains that His seed, His children, are all who believe the prophets and look to Him for forgiveness, and the prophets themselves.
14And these are they who have published peace, who have brought good tidings of good, who have published salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth! 15And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet! 16And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace! 17And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever! 18And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people;
The priests had asked what Isaiah meant by beautiful feet upon the mountains. Abinadi answers: they are the prophets past, present, and future who carry the message of peace.
Mosiah 15:19-27A First Resurrection
19For 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. 20But behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead; therefore, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead.
Without Christ's redemption, Abinadi says, all mankind must have perished. It was planned from the foundation of the world.
21And there cometh a resurrection, even a first resurrection; yea, even a resurrection of those that have been, and who are, and who shall be, even until the resurrection of Christ—for so shall he be called. 22And now, the resurrection of all the prophets, and all those that have believed in their words, or all those that have kept the commandments of God, shall come forth in the first resurrection; therefore, they are the first resurrection. 23They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the bands of death.
Because Christ breaks the bands of death, all will be resurrected. The prophets and the faithful who lived before Christ will rise first, at His resurrection, to dwell with God.
24And these are those who have part in the first resurrection; and these are they that have died before Christ came, in their ignorance, not having salvation declared unto them. And thus the Lord bringeth about the restoration of these; and they have a part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being redeemed by the Lord. 25And little children also have eternal life.
Those who died without ever hearing the gospel, and little children, are not forgotten. The Lord redeems them too.
26But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against him and die in their sins; yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known the commandments of God, and would not keep them; these are they that have no part in the first resurrection. 27Therefore ought ye not to tremble? For salvation cometh to none such; for the Lord hath redeemed none such; yea, neither can the Lord redeem such; for he cannot deny himself; for he cannot deny justice when it has its claim.
Those who know God's commandments and willfully rebel without repenting have no part in the first resurrection. God's mercy cannot rob justice.
Mosiah 15:28-31The Salvation of the Lord to Every Nation
28And now I say unto you that the time shall come that the salvation of the Lord shall be declared to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 29Yea, Lord, thy watchmen shall lift up their voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. 30Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 31The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Abinadi finishes answering the priests' question. Isaiah's watchmen will sing together, and someday every nation will hear of the Lord's salvation.
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.
- The Father and the Son: A Doctrinal ExpositionThe Church's authoritative explanation of why scripture sometimes calls Jesus Christ "the Father": as Creator, as the Father of those who are born again through His gospel, and by divine investiture of authority.
- GodheadGod the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings, one in purpose.
- ResurrectionScriptures on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of all people, including the first resurrection of verses 21-24.
- AbinadiA short summary of Abinadi's ministry with references to Mosiah 11-17.
Where this echoes in Scripture
God Himself Shall Come Down
- Mosiah 3:5-8The Lord Omnipotent... shall come down from heaven among the children of men... the Father of heaven and earth.King Benjamin's angel taught the same truths.
- Ether 3:14Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son.The premortal Christ uses the same titles of Himself.
- D&C 130:22The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also.The Father and the Son are separate beings.
- Luke 22:42Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.Verse 7 fulfilled in Gethsemane.
- Hebrews 7:25He ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Who Shall Be His Seed?
- Isaiah 53:10When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed.The verse Abinadi is explaining.
- Mosiah 5:7This day he hath spiritually begotten you... ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.
- Isaiah 52:7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.
- Romans 10:15How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace.Paul applies Isaiah's words to every preacher of the gospel.
- John 14:27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.
A First Resurrection
- Matthew 27:52-53Many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection.The first resurrection Abinadi foresaw, as it happened in Jerusalem.
- 3 Nephi 23:9-10Many saints who should arise from the dead... and they were all fulfilled.The same resurrection among the Nephites.
- Alma 40:16There is a first resurrection, a resurrection of all those who have been, or who are, or who shall be, down to the resurrection of Christ.
- D&C 137:7All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God.
- Moroni 8:12Little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world.
The Salvation of the Lord to Every Nation
- Isaiah 52:8-10Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice... all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
- Mosiah 12:20-24What meaneth the words which are written...?The priests' original question.
- 3 Nephi 16:18-20Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing.The Savior quotes the same verses to the Nephites.
- Revelation 14:6Having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.