Mosiah 17:14-20

14  And now when the flames began to scorch him, he cried unto them, saying:
15  Behold, even as ye have done unto me, so shall it come to pass that thy seed shall cause that many shall suffer the pains that I do suffer, even the pains of death by fire; and this because they believe in the salvation of the Lord their God.
16  And it will come to pass that ye shall be afflicted with all manner of diseases because of your iniquities.
17  Yea, and ye shall be smitten on every hand, 

           and shall be driven and scattered to and fro, 

           even as a wild flock is driven by wild and ferocious beasts.
18  And in that day ye shall be hunted, 

           and ye shall be taken by the hand of your enemies, 

      and then ye shall suffer, as I suffer, 

           the pains of death by fire.
19  Thus God executeth vengeance upon those that destroy his people.  O God, receive my soul.
20  And now, *when Abinadi had said these words, he fell, having suffered death by fire; yea, having been put to death because he would not deny the commandments of God, having sealed the truth of his words by his death.

Mosiah 17:14-20 (Emphasis mine)

*About 148 B.C.

Poetic form in verses 17-18 from The Book of Mormon - A Reader's Edition, Grant Hardy, pgs. 217-218.

As Abinadi is dying, he reminds them one last time the consequences of what is happening.  He says that:

• Their seed shall cause death by fire for other believers.
• They will suffer all manner of disease.
• They will be taken by their enemies.
• They will suffer the pains of death by fire (King Noah specifically).

And with these last reminders, Abinadi dies the death of a martyr.

Robert Matthews wrote about Abinadi's death.

"We usually envision Abinadi being burned at the stake. That may be true. But the scripture does not say he was burned at the stake; what it says is that he 'suffered death by fire.' Mosiah 17:13 says that his executioners 'took him and bound him, and scourged his skin with faggots, yea, even unto death.'

"Several words in the foregoing sentence should be noted. The first is that they bound him. That seems self-explanatory. The second is that they scourged him. To scourge means to whip or flail or beat. The third term is faggots. A faggot is a bundle of sticks or twigs, tied together and used for fuel.

"We can imagine Abinadi being bound. As the 'flames began to scorch him' (Mosiah 17:14), his fiendish executioners, probably the priests, gathered about him, possibly shouting, exulting, and gloating over what they are doing. And during it all, Abinadi is pronouncing prophecies of God’s vengeance upon them. Then, says the record, he falls, 'having suffered death by fire,' having 'sealed the truth of his words by his death.' (Mosiah 17:20.)" (Emphasis mine) 

Abinadi: Prophet and Marty, Robert J. Matthews, Ensign, April 1992. 

Hebrews emphasizes the importance of Abinadi's sacrifice.

16  For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17  For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

Hebrews 9:16-17 (Emphasis mine)

What legacy was left by Abinadi? 

"Abinadi was remembered by the Nephites in at least three roles:

1. To Alma, his main convert, Abinadi was a prophet of Christ. Alma taught Abinadi's words concerning the death and resurrection of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the redemption of God's people (Mosiah 18:1—2), and the mighty change of heart through their conversion (Alma 5:12). Through Alma's descendants, Abinadi influenced the Nephites for centuries.
2. To Ammon, who beheld the martyrdom of 1,005 of his own converts (Alma 24:22), Abinadi was recalled as the prime martyr 'because of his belief in God' (Alma 25:11; cf. Mosiah 17:20; see also Mosiah 7:26—28). This was recognized as the real reason for Abinadi's death, since the priests' charge of reviling proved to be a false pretext.
3. To Mormon, who witnessed the decadence and destruction of the Nephites 500 years later, Abinadi was remembered for prophesying that because of wickedness evil would come upon the land and that the wicked would be utterly destroyed (Morm. 1:19; cf. Mosiah 12:7—8."  (Emphasis Mine)

Abinadi, Lew W. Cramer, Maxwell Institute, Accessed July 18, 2011.

What do we really know about Abinadi?  Most members picture Abinadi from the famous Arnold Friberg painting of Abinadi before King Noah.

We know little about Abinadi.  Robert J. Matthews wrote:

"We know nothing of Abinadi’s early life. Arnold Friberg has given us an outstanding painting that depicts the Abinadi we read about as an old man, thin and weather-beaten. It may have been so. But we find nothing in the record to indicate whether he was old or young, large or small. What we do find in his teachings and in his manner when confronting the priests of Noah—baiting them, challenging their knowledge, questioning their behavior—is a man of courage with an agile mind, a profound knowledge of the gospel, and a strong personality." (Emphasis mine) 

Abinadi: Prophet and Marty, Robert J. Matthews, Ensign, April 1992.

Abinadi's concern.  His concern was his message from the Lord.  Nothing would stop him from presenting it.  Even when given the choice of living (recanting his words) or dying (standing by his words), he did not hesitate.  He even went so far as to say it didn't matter.  What mattered was the Lord's will.  What courage and faith!

Robert Matthews lists the major teachings of Abinadi.  I close this post with that list, with my eternal gratitude to Abinadi for having the courage and conviction to complete his mission.  He will stand as an example through the eternities. 

"The law of Moses. Abinadi characterizes the law of Moses as '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.' (Mosiah 13:30.) He further said that the things of the law were 'types of things to come' and that the day would come when it would no longer be necessary to obey the law of Moses. He also said that the ancient people 'did not all understand the law' and did not comprehend that the law would be unable to save anyone without the 'atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people.' (Mosiah 13:28, 31, 32.)

"It is not only ancient Israel that has misunderstood the law. There is a great deal of misunderstanding today about what the law was and why it was given. This misunderstanding is found among both Christian and Jewish denominations. It is found even among teachers in the Church. Abinadi’s concise, summarylike statements about the purpose and place of the law are very enlightening in clearing up this confusion.

"The Atonement. A second major point of Abinadi’s teachings is that 'God himself' would make the atonement that will redeem mankind. Abinadi leaves no doubt in his teaching that the God of Israel himself will be the Redeemer who will come to earth as the Son of God. He is not the first in the Book of Mormon to teach this doctrine (see 2 Ne. 9:5; 2 Ne. 10:3; Mosiah 3:5–10), but he gives the topic such intensive and extensive coverage that a reader who had not picked up the concept earlier could scarcely miss it in the teachings of Abinadi.

 

"The Resurrection. A third major contribution Abinadi makes is his clarification about the doctrine of resurrection. Earlier prophets probably knew the details of the resurrection, but in our present Book of Mormon record, Abinadi is the first to speak specifically of the first resurrection and to discuss the general resurrection in detail. His discourse begins in Mosiah 15:20 and extends through Mosiah 16:11.

"Abinadi was an energetic witness for the Lord Jesus Christ and a fierce terror to evildoers. There is a significant lesson to be learned here. If he had not been so blunt, the people might not have thought he meant what he said; nor would they have thought that what he said was important. His testimony, given with fervor and energy, no doubt helped Alma have the strength to repent.

"Abinadi was exactly what the Lord needed. He was the right man for the right situation. As a result, his ministry not only influenced the second half of the Nephite history but has influenced millions in this dispensation who have read the Book of Mormon. It will yet influence billions more." (Emphasis mine) 

Abinadi: Prophet and Marty, Robert J. Matthews, Ensign, April 1992.