In my last post, I said I would talk about Abinadi's testimony as it relates to the verses from Isaiah and the result of Abinadi's bold testimony. As you recall, after silencing King Noah and his priests, Abinadi teaches them about the coming of Christ and bears testimony of the things he taught them.
Abinadi's testimony of Christ was magnificent, one of the most eloquent I have ever heard. There is no room for question about his beliefs; He states: "...I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people." (Mosiah 15:1). Abinadi tells his captors that he foresaw that the Redeemer of men: "suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people...And 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...Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death...And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death" (Mosiah 15:5-8).
Abinadi's testimony, as powerful and pure as it was, did not end there. Abinadi proceeded to instruct these wicked men about the purpose of the Lord's mission on earth. Abinadi explains: "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; But 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" (Mosiah 15: 18-20)
I wish that my testimony could be so eloquent. I wish that, like Abinadi's words, my testimony of the Savior were this sure and strong. We probably all wish to have this kind of testimony, but it isn't wishing that makes it possible... We have control over whether our testimony is strong or weak. We alone can make the effort that such a testimony requires. May we each find the strength and desire come to believe and to testify convincingly of the truthfulness of the good news that Jesus is the Savior and Redeemer of mankind.
I wanted to address one of the things in these chapters that I have puzzled over for some time. We have all been taught that the Godhead is comprised of three separate and distinct beings: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Mosiah 15:2-4 tells us: "And 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— The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son— And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth."
I realized as I thought about these verses that they relate to something that Isaiah said in chapter 14: "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 transgressions of my people was he stricken." (Mosiah 14:8 / Isaiah 53:8). Who shall declare his generation? Another way of saying this might be "and who shall be his children?". Abinadi explains this to the king's courtiers: "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. Behold 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. For 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?" (Mosiah 15:10-12)
Am I a child of Christ? Are you a child of Christ? If we have learned of Him, believed in Him, and patterned our lives after Him, having hope and faith in His redemptive sacrifice, then we are his generation. He truly is the father of our redemption, making him the Father and the Son, and we are His children. I believe that coming to appreciate and accept this idea as truth opens the door for one to have a higher testimony of the Savior and His mission.
Does this make sense? To me it does, now that I've pondered it and then read and reread the scriptures. To me, this is the essence of scripture study - to have a question, to ponder what is said, to read and re-read, to pray and to be given an understanding. My hope is that all of us will partake in this spiritual opportunity.
Abinadi proceeded to warn the king and his priests about the sad fate awaiting those who will not hearken to the Lord's call. This serves to anger the priests, and they egg on the king to have Abinadi killed, even when the King becomes reluctant to do so after being told by Abinadi that "...if ye slay me ye will shed innocent blood, and this shall also stand as a testimony against you at the last day." (Mosiah 17:10). One of the king's priests, Alma, believes Abinadi's words and calls for his release, but he is ejected from the king's chambers and then chased to be slain. More about Alma in future posts. Abinadi then seals his testimony with his own life: "I say unto you, I will not recall the words which I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true; and that ye may know of their surety I have suffered myself that I have fallen into your hands. Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you." (Mosiah 17: 9-10). Abinadi was put to death by king Noah and his priests by fire.
I hope and pray that none of us will ever be faced with such a heavy burden as Abinadi was. But if we were so challenged, would we stand up to the task? You can't run a marathon without first being able to run a mile. We can't sacrifice for what we believe in until we believe in it. Let me repeat: We alone can make the effort that such a testimony requires.
May we make the opportunities we need to cultivate a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. May we stand true when asked to sacrifice for the Lord. May we stand in His presence one day.
Don
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