Alma 12:16-24

16  And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness.

17  Then is the time when their torments shall be as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever; and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an everlasting destruction, according to the power and captivity of Satan, he having subjected them according to his will.

18  Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God's justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption.

Alma 12:16-18 (Emphasis mine)

Alma(2) now tells them about a second death.  The first death is a physical death.  The second death is a spiritual death.  Those who die in their sins suffer this death.  They die to things pertaining to righteousness. 

They will suffer great torment and eternal destruction.  They will become captives of the devil.  For them, it will be as though there was no redemption.  They will be lost forever.

4  And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Luke 12:4-5 (Emphasis mine)

51  Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

John 8:51 (Emphasis mine)

20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.  These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 19:20 (Emphasis mine)

19  Now it came to pass that when Alma had made an end of speaking these words, the people began to be more astonished;

20  But there was one Antionah, who was a chief ruler among them, came forth and said unto him: What is this that thou hast said, that man should rise from the dead and be changed from this mortal to an immortal state that the soul can never die?

21  What does the scripture mean, which saith that God placed cherubim and a flaming sword on the east of the garden of Eden, lest our first parents should enter and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever?  And thus we see that there was no possible chance that they should live forever.

Alma 12:19-21 (Emphasis mine)

The people were astonished by Alma(2)’s words; however, a chief ruler challenged Alma(2).  Adam and Eve were prevented from partaking of the tree life.  How can they live forever?  There is no way possible they could, and the same applies to us.

Hugh Nibley observes:

“[Antionah’s] indignant. He's had all he can take here, and he says, what is this stuff you are talking about here, ‘that the soul can never die?’ Then he tells [Alma] about the cherubim and the flaming sword that guarded the tree of life. Adam was not supposed to touch the tree of life, lest he partake of it and live forever in his sins. So, [Antionah] said we can die—we are not supposed to eat of the tree of life; we are forbidden to touch it at all, so that settles that. ". . . lest our first parents should enter and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever? [no] And thus we see that there was no possible chance that we should live forever." The tree was set up there, but we couldn't eat from it. If we had eaten from it, then we would live forever. But he said, no, there's to be no tree. He thought that was a good argument. Alma said, ah, that's all right for now. ‘All mankind became a lost and fallen people. They did; that's true. They couldn't go on living that way; that's the whole point…” [1] (Emphasis mine)

22  Now Alma said unto him: This is the thing which I was about to explain.  Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people.

23  And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die.

24  And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.

Alma 12:22-24 (Emphasis mine)

Alma(2) responds.  If you wouldn’t have interrupted me, you would have answered the question.  Adam fell because he partook of the forbidden fruit, and we all became a fallen people.  If Adam would have been able to partake of the fruit of the tree  of life, he would have made God a liar.  Remember, God told Adam and Eve that in the day eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, they would surely die. 

All men die; this is the temporal death of which Amulek spoke.  But, our lives became a probationary period, a time to prepare to meet God.  This would occur after the resurrection of the dead.

 Thomas Valletta further explains:

“Alma's inspired response implied that he recognized Antionah's mixed motives in posing his questions. Alma asserted that the real contradiction would have arisen if Adam and Eve had been able to partake of the fruit of the tree of life immediately after their fall. Then ‘there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die’ (Alma 12:23). Alma then explained that temporal ‘death comes upon mankind,’ but that ‘a space [is] granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore,’ declared Alma,’this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead’ (Alma 12:24).” [2] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Lecture 48: Alma 10-12, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 28, 2011.

[2] Conflicting Orders: Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah, Thomas R. Valletta, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 28, 2011.

Alma 11:38-44

38  Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father?

39  And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;

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 all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.

Alma 11:38-41 (Emphasis mine)

Having been shot down so effectively by Amulek did not stop Zeezrom.  He continued his questioning.

Is the Son of God the Eternal Father, he asks.  Amulek responded in the affirmative and went on to emphasize the atonement of Christ.  He also said that, for the wicked, it will be as though there was no redemption. 

What did Amulek mean when he said Christ is the Eternal Father.  Robert Millet explains.

“Jesus Christ is also known by the title of Father. The meaning of scriptures using this nomenclature is not always immediately clear, primarily owing to the fact that Christ and his Father are virtually inseparable in purpose, testimony, glory, and power. In most cases, however, the scriptural usage can be explained in several ways:

“Christ is sometimes called Father because of his role as Creator from the beginning. Before his mortal birth, and acting under the direction of the Father, Jesus was Jehovah, the Lord Omnipotent, through whom God created worlds without number (Moses 1:33; 7:30; John 1:1—3; Heb. 1:2). …, Christ-Jehovah is called ‘the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning’ in the Book of Mormon…

“Jesus Christ is also known as Father through the spiritual rebirth of mankind (see Born of God) … he became the ‘author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him’ (Heb. 5:9). He is the Savior. No person will come unto the Father except through him and by his name (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Mosiah 3:17). Those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and receive its saving covenantal ordinances, living worthy of its sanctifying and enlightening powers, are "born again" unto Christ and become known as the children of Christ, "his sons and his daughters," his "seed" (Mosiah 5:5—8; 15:10—13; 27:25—26; Alma 5:14)…

“Furthermore, Jesus is called Father because of the authority God gave him to act for the Father. He explained in Jerusalem: ‘I can of mine own self do nothing . . . I am come in my Father's name"\’ (John 5:30, 43)…

“In addition, Christ is Father in that he literally inherited attributes and powers from his Father (Elohim). From Mary, his mother, Jesus inherited mortality, the capacity to die. From God, his Father, Jesus inherited immortality, the capacity to live forever: ‘As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself’ (John 5:26; cf. Hel. 5:11). Christ is "the Father, because he was conceived by the power of God.’ (Mosiah 15:3)…

“Christ is also Father in that he spiritually received all that the Father has. ‘I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one—  (D&C 93:3—4).” [1] (Emphasis mine)

42  Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.

43  The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.

44  Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

Alma 11:42-44 (Emphasis mine)

Amulek talks about the first death – the temporal death.  Christ will overcome death by loosing its bonds.  All will be raised from the temporal death, restored to its perfect form.  No a hair on their heads shall be lost.  And, all will be arraigned before the bar of Christ to be judged.

Hugh Nibley discussed this very event.

“… whether you have been good or bad, ‘all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works . . . and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.’ That makes him truly the Father as well as the Son. The temporal death is the death here, so there will be a physical resurrection.

“Verse 43: ‘The spirit and the body shall be reunited again,’ as they were here during this life. Of course, this is the ultimate question—this is the big one. These two verses here are the best answer, the best definition you will get anywhere, of what resurrection is: ‘The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time.’…

              

“Verse 44: ‘Now, this restoration shall come to all.’ To everybody … ‘. . . and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost.’ ,,, But you recognize how these expressions are—that everything will be as it should be in its proper and perfect form, which means we'll be very different …” [2] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Jesus Christ, Fatherhood and Sonship of, Robert L. Millet, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 25, 2011.

[2] Lecture 48: Alma 10-12, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 25, 2011.

What Do We Learn from Mosiah 9-22?

For the last 10 weeks or so, we've been looking at the Record of Zeniff. Why did Mormon include this account?  Let's look at the contents of Mosiah.

• Chapter 1 - Introduction to King Benjamin. (around 124 B.C.)
• Chapters 2-5 - King Benjamin's sermon. (around 124 B.C.)
• Chapters 6 - Death of King Benjamin; the beginning of the reign of King Mosiah(2). (around 124 B.C. to 121 B.C.)
• Chapters 7-8 - Ammon's discovery and teaching of the people of Limhi. (around 121 B.C.)
• Chapters 9-22 - The record of Zeniff. (around 200 B.C. to 120 B.C.)
• Chapters 23-24 - Account of Alma(1) and his people (around 145 B.C. to 121 B.C.)
• Chapter 25 - The people of Limhi and Alma(1) become a part of Zarahmela; Alma(1) organizes the Church. (around 120 B.C.)
• Chapter 26 - Wickedness enters society (around 120 B.C. - 100 B.C.)
• Chapter 27 - Alma(2) and the sons of Mosiah attempt to destroy the church; their miraculous conversion. (around 100 B.C. to 92 B.C.)
• Chapter 28 - Sons of Mosiah go on mission to the Lamanites. (around 92 B.C.)
• Chapter 29 - Mosiah(2) establishes judges; Alma(2) becomes head of church.

We learn nothing about Nephite society from 200 B.C. until 124 B.C., a period of 76 years.  From all appearances, this must have been a relative time of peace and prosperity.

A common theme throughout Mormon's abridgement is the constant rise and fall of Nephite civilization.  When they are righteous, they prosper.  When they are wicked, they fall.  The period of peace and prosperity in Nephite society was of little interest to Mormon, especially when he had the record of Zeniff.  

Through Zeniff's record, we see a time of righteousness and wickedness.  A prophet is called to preach to the people.  One small group accepts the prophet's teachings and separate from their society and live in the wilderness.  The rest of the people are eventually taken into bondage; the king dies a fiery death.  They suffer massive defeats before the finally turn to the Lord.  Then, and only then, are they freed from their bondage.

I am convinced that Mormon saw this as a marvelous morality tale of the consequences of our choices.  Mosiah(2)'s society did not offer this.  This is why we have this account, an account that takes up almost half of the book of Mosiah.

We also learn many great and powerful gospel principles; we are indebted to both Abinadi and Alma(1) for their teachings.  Let's look at a few of them.

• Salvation came to the people through the Law of Moses.  The priests claimed that this is what they taught. (Mosiah 12:31-32)
• God protects his prophets until their message is delivered.  (Mosiah 13:3).
• Ultimately, it will be through the atonement that we will be saved.  (Mosiah 13:28)
• The Law of Moses was given to the Israelites because they were a wicked and stiff-necked people. (Mosiah 13:29-30)
• The Law of Moses was a type (the atonement) of things to come. (Mosiah 13:31)
• All prophets prophesied of Christ. (Mosiah 13:33)
• God himself (Christ) would make the atonement. (Mosiah 13:28, 34-35)
• How Christ is both the Father and the Son (Mosiah 14:1-5)
• Aspects of the ministry of Christ. (Mosiah 14:6-7)
• Christ will break the bonds of death. (Mosiah 14:8-9)
• If we accept Christ and his mission, we become his seed. (Mosiah 14:12-13)
• Christ will bring forth the resurrection of the dead. (Mosiah 14:20)
• Christ redeems us  from our fallen state. (Mosiah 15:5-6)
• We will be judged by our works.  (Mosiah 15:10)
• The evil will face the resurrection of endless damnation. (Mosiah 15:11)
• We have one of the best lists of what it takes to be a true Christian: this must be the desire of your heart - willing to bear each others burdens, mourn with those that mourn, comfort those who need comforting, and stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places until death. (Mosiah 18:8-9)

This is a powerful list of gospel principles, all  found within about five chapters in this group of thirteen chapters.

I am so grateful that Mormon was inspired to write about these great principles and make them available to us today.

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.

Mosiah 16:9-15

9  He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.
10  Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil—
11  If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation—
12  Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and yet they would not repent.

Mosiah 16:9-12 (Emphasis mine)

Abinadi ends his praise of Christ in verse 9.  He praises Christ, calling him the endless light, which can never be darkened, and there will be no more death.

1  THE LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalms 27:1 (Emphasis mine)

4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:4-5 (Emphasis mine)

12  ¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 8:12 (Emphasis mine)

14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Ephesians 5:14 (Emphasis mine)

Then he reminds them that the day will come when they will stand before God and be judged according to their works.  The righteous will receive eternal life and happiness; the wicked to endless damnation, being subject to the devil..

Abinadi tells them that those who receive damnation  receive it because of the choices they made (a very common thread throughout the Book of Mormon).  In spite of the fact that the Lord reached out to them, warned them of their sins, and commanded them to repent, they ignored all the efforts of the Lord on their behalf.  They chose to continue in their wicked ways, and thereby earned the judgment of damnation they will receive.

Remember, the wicked, in Abinadi's words, "...never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them..." (v12)  What more can we ask of the Lord than He extend his arms of mercy to us?  He is showing us His deep and abiding love for us.  He reaches out to us.  He is doing everything He can to bring us back to Him.  And, the response of the wicked is to "...never [call] upon the Lord..." (v12)  What would it be like to stand before Him someday, and know that He did everything He could to redeem you and forgive you of your sins, but ignored it.  You blew it!  And you're going to have to live through the eternities with this knowledge.  This has to be the true meaning of Hell.

David R. Seely pointed out that the phrase "...the arms of mercy..." (v12) is unique to the Book of Mormon.  He writes:

"In the Book of Mormon, the phrase 'his arm of mercy is extended' also signals the Lord's power on behalf of the penitent and the believer (Jacob 6:5; Mosiah 29:20; Alma 19:36)..

"The arm of mercy. The first is the image of the arm of mercy extended. The phrase 'arm of mercy' is not in the Old Testament. The closest phrase that suggests such an image is in Psalm 94:18: 'When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.' Mercy can also be extended (see, for example, Psalm 109:12), but it seems to be used in the same sense as show mercy.

"The phrase occurs eight times in the Book of Mormon. It appears first when Jacob explains Zenos' allegory of the olive tree: 'While his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts' (Jacob 6:5). If read in context, this phrase is a continuation of the hand imagery that Jacob had introduced three verses earlier: 'The day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard' (6:2).

"The image of the arm of mercy also occurs in Mosiah 16:12; Alma 5:33; 19:36; 29:10; and 3 Nephi 9:14. Each time, the Lord is offering 'to all people who will repent and believe on his name' (Alma 19:36) the chance to take full advantage of the Atonement. For example, 'Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you" (Alma 5:33).' "

The Image of the Hand of God in the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament, David R. Seely, Maxwell Institute, (Emphasis mine)

42  So also is incorruption:

1 Corinthians 15:42 (Emphasis mine)

2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Daniel 12:2 (Emphasis mine)

13  And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?
14  Therefore, if ye teach the law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come—
15  Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father.  Amen.

Mosiah 16:13-15 (Emphasis mine)

Abinadi is finishing his teachings.  He reminds them that only through Christ can they be saved.  After all he has said, he tells them they should "...tremble and repent of [their] sins..." (v13). 

He reminds them that, by teaching the Law of Moses, they are teaching that ultimately redemption and salvation will come through Christ.  The Law of Moses is simply a shadow of things to come.

"In their conception of history, Book of Mormon prophets consider types as significant, instructive, and persuasive in focusing on Christ's earthly advent, his visit to the Nephites, and his second coming and heavenly kingdom ... Abinadi before King Noah's court insists, 'If ye teach the law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come' (Mosiah 16:14)"

"That Jesus Is the Christ" - Typology, Richard Dilworth Rust, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 12, 2011.  (Emphasis mine)

"God the Father is the author of the gospel; it is a key part of God’s plan of salvation, or plan of redemption. It is called the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the Atonement of Jesus Christ that makes redemption and salvation possible. Through the Atonement all men, women, and children are unconditionally redeemed from physical death, and all will be redeemed from their own sins on the condition of accepting and obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ..." (Emphasis mine)

Have We Not Reason to Rejoice? President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2007 General Conference

"The gospel is the good news of Christ. It is the revelation that the Son of God came to earth, lived a perfect life, atoned for our sins, and conquered death. It is the path of salvation, the way of hope and joy, and the assurance that God has a plan of redemption and happiness for His children."

The Way of the Disciple, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2009 General Conference (Emphasis mine)  

15  But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me.  Selah.

Psalms 49:15 (Emphasis mine)

8  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
9  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:

Isaiah 35:8-9 (Emphasis mine)

14  I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Hosea 13:14 (Emphasis mine)

29  ¶ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:29 (Emphasis mine)

Once Abinadi finishes his words, he stands before king and priests, awaiting his fate.

Mosiah 15:19-23

19  For 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.
20  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 15:19-20 (Emphasis mine)

We see Abinadi in transition again.  He reminds us that all would perish without the atonement.  This was so important, it was "prepared from the foundation of the world." (v19) The Son will bring the resurrection of the dead.  Death would finally be defeated.  It no longer would have its eternal hold on mankind.  Through the resurrection, we would live forever.

Todd Parker writes (concerning v20):

"Now, you have to ask yourself ... [h]ow does Abinadi do this? This is a masterful discourse. He didn't know what scripture they were going to bring up. They brought up this thing from Isaiah, and he carefully weaves Isaiah, the law, the fulfillment, the prophesy—all of his message—together, under the threat of death. He really has access to all the prophets, so who is he going to go to? Isaiah, the prophet of prophets. Isaiah is the prototype. Abinadi could have used Zenock, Zenos, or any of these prophets, but he goes to Isaiah, because Isaiah's the main prophet. Abinadi is obviously in a transfigured state to be able to do this ... This is the first time the word resurrection comes up. It gets more complex as the book goes on. It is barely mentioned in 1 Nephi (where it just says, 'Jesus arises from the dead'); in 2 Nephi, it teaches that we will all rise from the dead; but here in Mosiah 15 is the first time the word resurrection is mentioned." (Emphasis mine)

Abinadi: The Message and the Martyr, Todd B. Parker, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 6, 2011. 

21  And 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.
22  And 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.
23  They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the bands of death.

Mosiah 15:21-23 (Emphasis mine)

Who will be a part of the first resurrection?  It will be those who lived before the actual resurrection.  Abinadi tells us that "... all the prophets, and all those that have believed in their words, or all those that have kept the commandments of God..." (v22) These are those who will participate in the first resurrection.  They will have eternal life because Christ broke the bands of death.

8  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 25:8 (Emphasis mine)

17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This commandment have I received of my Father.

John 10:17-18 (Emphasis mine)

14  But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
15  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Acts 24:14-15 (Emphasis mine)

14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1 Thessalonians 4:14-16 (Emphasis mine)

Verses 20-23 show a unique form of Hebrew writing called chiasmus.  Some information about chiasmus:

 

"Chiasmus consists of patterns of words, thoughts, or concepts that lead to a central point of emphasis and then repeat in reverse order ... BYU professor John Welch, who first discovered chiasmus in the Book of Mormon while serving a mission in Germany and who later became the first to publish on that topic, writes, 'Basically chiasmus is inverted parallelism.' He further explains, "The word "chiasmus" itself stems from the Greek word chiazein, meaning to mark with or in the shape of a cross.' David Noel Freedman concurs,  'The basic figure of chiasm simply involves the reverse of the order of words in balancing clauses or phrases.' " (Emphasis mine)

Forms of Parallelism, Hugh W. Pinnock, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 6, 2011

Let's look at verses 20-23, laid out as chiasmus.

Another chiasm in the book of Mosiah teaches about the resurrection:

A But behold, the bands of death
	B shall be broken,
		C and the Son reigneth,
			D and hath power over the dead;
				E therefore, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead.
					F And there cometh a resurrection,
						G even a first resurrection;
							H yea, even a resurrection of those that have been, and who are, and who shall be,
								X even until the resurrection of Christ—for so shall he be called.
							H And 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,
						G shall come forth in the first resurrection;
					F therefore, they are the first resurrection.
				E They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them;
			D thus they have eternal life
		C through Christ,
	B who has broken
A the bands of death.
(Mosiah 15:20—23) (Emphasis in original)

Forms of Parallelism, Hugh W. Pinnock, Maxwell Institute, accessed July 6, 2011

As you read verses 20-23, you see A-H, then X.  Then we continue with the chiasmus in the H-A order.  The is where the reverse parallelism comes in.  Pinnock wrote:

"Because chiasms, like the letter x, contain a well-defined crossing structure, the reversal of words, concepts, or phrases found in the second half of a chiasm renders the form quickly identifiable"

 

Verses 20-23 follow the traditional style and order of chiasmus.  Again, quoting Pinnock: 

 

"Perhaps the most exciting and interesting of all Hebrew writing forms is chiasmus. ... Named after the letter x (chi), the twenty-second letter in the Greek alphabet, chiasmus is found extensively in certain ancient writings."  (Emphasis mine)

What does chiasmus mean to the Book of Mormon?  Jeff Lindsey discussed this topic.

"John Welch offers the following analysis in his classic 1969 BYU Studies paper (PDF file), p.75: 

 

'[T]here exists no chance that Joseph Smith could have learned of this style [chiasmus] through academic channels. No one in America, let alone in western New York, fully understood chiasmus in 1829. Joseph Smith had been dead ten full years before John Forbes' book was published in Scotland.'

 

"Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon is evidence of an ancient origin, not conclusive proof. It is just one of several complex forms of literary parallelism that are common to other ancient Semitic writings. If these examples are real and nonrandom, then it becomes increasingly probable that the Book of Mormon is not a nineteenth century writing, but is a translation of an ancient text representing, at least in part, a highly developed literary tradition. Chiasmus is part of the intellectual evidence for accepting or believing in an ancient origin to the text. For some critics, it is so convincing that they must resort to arguing that Satan inspired the chiasmus in the text in order to deceive people...

 

"[Critic Loftes] Tryk argues that the only reasonable explanation is supernatural origin - but he ascribes that supernatural power to Satan. I find that a pretty wild argument, especially when much of the chiasmus - like the Book of Mormon itself - is designed to focus our attention on Christ as the Redeemer and Savior. Look at Alma 36, for example. What honest Christian can help but rejoice to see the forgiving power of Christ so beautifully taught and so majestically crafted into poetry? The Book of Mormon is a Christ-centered book, teaching us to look toward Christ - the Christ that we read of in the Bible, not "some other Christ" as critics often try argue - for salvation, for grace, for forgiveness, to be baptized in His name and follow Him. I don't think anyone can honestly read the Book of Mormon without realizing that it confirms the Bible and teaches of Christ."

Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, Mormon Answers, accessed July 6, 2011.

As Jeff Lindsay says, chiasmus is not proof of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.  This is just one of many evidences that point to the genuineness of the Book of Mormon. 

I'll continue looking at Abinadi's teachings about the resurrection in my next post.