8 And 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—
9 Having 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.
10 And 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?
11 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.
12 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?
13 Yea, 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.
14 And 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!
Mosiah 15:8-14
Having given the priests an overview of Christ’s mortal
mission, he continues explaining what will occur after his crucifixion.
After His death on the cross, Christ will defeat death,
breaking its bands.
55
O death, where is thy sting? O grave [GR
Hades, hell], where is thy victory?
56
The sting of death is sin; and the strength [GR power] of sin is the law.
57
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
Christ will have the power to intercede on the behalf of all
mankind. “Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession
for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved” (2
Nephi 2:9).
Isaiah had asked “who
shall declare his generation” (Isaiah 53:8). “Abinadi, when asked to explain it (see
Mosiah 12:20-21), tied it to Isaiah 53:8-10 (or Mosiah 14:810),
explaining that the ‘seed’ of Christ are his followers and that they are the
ones who publish peace and bring good tidings (see Mosiah 15:10-18). Thus,
Abinadi confirmed Christ's statement that those who establish peace are the
children of God.”[1]
John Tvedtnes further explains:
Abinadi, when asked to explain it
(see Mosiah 12:20-21), tied it to Isaiah 53:8-10 (or Mosiah 14:810),
explaining that the "seed" of Christ are his followers and that they
are the ones who publish peace and bring good tidings (see Mosiah 15:10-18).
Thus, Abinadi confirmed Christ's statement that those who establish peace are
the children of God.[2]
Christ will make an offering for sin and “he shall see his seed.” But, who are His seed?
Whoever heard the prophets knew because they have prophesied
about Christ. “Those who hearkened to
the words of the prophets and ‘believed that the Lord would redeem his people’
are his seed (Mosiah 15:11). Abinadi implies that adoption and redemption are
not arbitrary, but are the result of making and keeping covenants.”[3]
36
For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;
37
And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;
38
And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all
that my Father hath shall be given unto him.
(D&C 84:36-38)
Those who hear and believe their words, looking for
forgiveness for sin will become Christ’s seed and heirs in the kingdom of God.
He proclaimed that those "who
shall declare his generation" (cf. Mosiah 15:10) and "[publish]
peace" (Mosiah 15:14) are God's prophets and that they and all who hearken
unto their words are his "seed" (Mosiah 15:11, 13). They are the ones
who truly bring "good tidings" of salvation, redemption, comfort
through Christ, and the reign of God at the Judgment Day.[4]
Christ died for those who repented of their sins. He will redeem them from their sins. “Now
the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according
to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might
blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and
now behold, this is the testimony which is in me” (Alma 7:13).
When Amulek confronted Zeezrom, he told him,
40
And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon
him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they
that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else.
41
Therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except
it be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that ball
shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their
works.
Alma 11:40-41
All prophets are also his seed as they have prophesied about
him. Christ taught, “For all the prophets and the law prophesied [IE The law and prophets
foretold such violence] until John” (Matthew 11:13).[5]
The dialogue between Philip and the
eunuch ended … Philip identified the suffering servant as Jesus, but what else
he said concerning this precious chapter is not told us. In Mosiah 14, Abinadi,
in defense of his preaching concerning the condescension of God, quoted the
entire fifty-third chapter of Isaiah to the wicked priests. The next chapter
Abinadi devoted to the interpretation of his quote. In his commentary he
revealed who constitutes the seed of Jesus Christ, and who it is that will declare
his generation (Mosiah 15:10—13). In
short, as Philip in this story was to the eunuch, the Book of Mormon prophets
are to us. We have a host of men to guide us in the interpretation of the
sacred scripture.[6]
Donald Parry looks at title for Christ in the Book of
Mormon.
The Book of Mormon contains not
only a great variety of names and titles for Jesus, but also many thousands of
personal pronouns that refer to him. Book of Mormon pronouns that have
reference to Christ include I, me, you, he, him; the
possessive (adjective) pronouns my, your, and his; and
the relative pronoun who. Note the three appearances of the
third-person pronoun in Mosiah 15:12, all of which refer to Jesus. I have
italicized the pronouns for emphasis: "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?"[7]
The prophets have been those who have proclaimed peace. Mormon, describing Alma2 and the
sons of Mosiah, wrote, “And how blessed
are they! For they did publish peace;
they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people
that the Lord reigneth” (Mosiah 27:37); however, “ultimate preacher of
peace will be Christ himself.”[8]
They also proclaim salvation, crying, “They God reigneth!” “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!” (Isaiah 52:7).
[1] The
Sons of Mosiah: Emissaries of Peace, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute,
accessed October 4, 2014.
[2] The
Sons of Mosiah: Emissaries of Peace, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute,
accessed October 4, 2014.
[3] The
Lord Will Redeem His People: Adoptive Covenant and Redemption in the Old
Testament and Book of Mormon, Jennifer Clark Lane, Maxwell Institute,
accessed October 4, 2014.
[5] “But
the days will come, when the violent shall have no power; for all the
prophets and the law prophesied that it
should be thus until John” (JST | Matthew 11:13).
[6] The
Book of Mormon, an Interpretive Guide to the New Testament, Dennis Largey,
Maxwell Institute, accessed October 4, 2014.
[7] The
Book of Mormon – Integrity and Internal Consistency, Donald W. Parry,
Maxwell Institute, accessed October 4, 2014.
[8] Abinadi:
The Message and the Martyr (Part 2), Todd Parker, Maxwell Institute, October
4, 2014.
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