Mosiah 12
1 And it came to pass that after the space of two years that Abinadi came
among them in disguise, that they knew him not, and began to prophesy
among them, saying: Thus has the Lord commanded me, saying — Abinadi,
go and prophesy unto this my people, for they have hardened their hearts
against my words; they have repented not of their evil doings; therefore, I
will visit them in my anger, yea, in my fierce anger will I visit them in their
iniquities and abominations.
2 Yea, wo be unto this generation! And the Lord said unto me: Stretch
forth thy hand and prophesy saying: Thus saith the Lord, it shall come to
pass that this generation, because of their iniquities, shall be brought into
bondage, and shall be smitten on the cheek; yea, and shall be driven by men,
and shall be slain; and the vultures of the air, and the dogs, yea, and the wild
beasts, shall devour their flesh.
3 And it shall come to pass that the life of king Noah shall be valued even as
a garment in a hot furnace; for he shall know that I am the Lord.
4 And it shall come to pass that I will smite this my people with sore
afflictions, yea, with famine and with pestilence; and I will cause that they
shall howl all the day long.
5 Yea, and I will cause that they shall have burdens lashed upon their backs;
and they shall be driven before like a dumb ass.
6 And it shall come to pass that I will send forth hail among them, and it
shall smite them; and they shall also be smitten with the east wind; and
insects shall pester their land also, and devour their grain.
7 And they shall be smitten with a great pestilence — and all this will I do
because of their iniquities and abominations.
8 And it shall come to pass that except they repent I will utterly destroy
them from off the face of the earth; yet they shall leave a record behind them,
and I will preserve them for other nations which shall possess the land; yea,
even this will I do that I may discover the abominations of this people to
other nations. And many things did Abinadi prophesy against this people.
9 And it came to pass that they were angry with him; and they took him and
carried him bound before the king, and said unto the king: Behold, we have
brought a man before thee who has prophesied evil concerning thy people,
and saith that God will destroy them.
10 And he also prophesieth evil concerning thy life, and saith that thy life
shall be as a garment in a furnace of fire.
11 And again, he saith that thou shalt be as a stalk, even as a dry stalk of the
field, which is run over by the beasts and trodden under foot.
12 And again, he saith thou shalt be as the blossoms of a thistle, which,
when it is fully ripe, if the wind bloweth, it is driven forth upon the face of
the land. And he pretendeth the Lord hath spoken it. And he saith all this
shall come upon thee except thou repent, and this because of thine iniquities.
13 And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great sins have
thy people committed, that we should be condemned of God or judged of
this man?
14 And now, O king, behold, we are guiltless, and thou, O king, hast not
sinned; therefore, this man has lied concerning you, and he has prophesied in
vain.
15 And behold, we are strong, we shall not come into bondage, or be taken
captive by our enemies; yea, and thou hast prospered in the land, and thou
shalt also prosper.
16 Behold, here is the man, we deliver him into thy hands; thou mayest do
with him as seemeth thee good.
17 And it came to pass that king Noah caused that Abinadi should be cast
into prison; and he commanded that the priests should gather themselves
together that he might hold a council with them what he should do with him.
18 And it came to pass that they said unto the king: Bring him hither that we
may question him; and the king commanded that he should be brought before
them.
19 And they began to question him, that they might cross him, that thereby
they might have wherewith to accuse him; but he answered them boldly, and
withstood all their questions, yea, to their astonishment; for he did withstand
them in all their questions, and did confound them in all their words.
20 And it came to pass that one of them said unto him: What meaneth the
words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying:
21 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good
tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that
publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth;
22 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they
sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion;
23 Break forth into joy; sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the
Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem;
24 The 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?
25 And now Abinadi said unto them: 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?
26 I say unto you, wo be unto you for perverting the ways of the Lord! For
if ye understand these things ye have not taught them; therefore, ye have
perverted the ways of the Lord.
27 Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not
been wise. Therefore, what teach ye this people?
28 And they said: We teach the law of Moses.
29 And again he said unto them: 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, yea, and cause this people
to commit sin, that the Lord has cause to send me to prophesy against this
people, yea, even a great evil against this people?
30 Know ye not that I speak the truth? Yea, ye know that I speak the truth;
and you ought to tremble before God.
31 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?
32 And they answered and said that salvation did come by the law of Moses.
33 But now Abinadi said unto them: I know 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:
34 I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.
35 Thou shalt have no other God before me.
36 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any
thing in heaven above, or things which are in the earth beneath.
37 Now Abinadi said unto them, Have ye done all this? I say unto you, Nay,
ye have not. And have ye taught this people that they should do all these
things? I say unto you, Nay, ye have not.