Mosiah 13: Abinadi, the Ten Commandments, and the Law of Moses

I have a spirit level in the shop that I have been using for fifteen years. It is a six-foot aluminum beam with three vials, and it is still true. I check it against a known flat surface every few months, and it has never drifted. A good level does not change. It just sits there, telling you the truth about whether something is straight or crooked.

The level does not fix the crooked board. It does not sand the high spot or shim the low one. It just shows you where the problem is. Then you have to do something about it.

This is what I kept thinking about while reading Mosiah 13.

How Was Abinadi Protected by God in Mosiah 13

The chapter opens with King Noah ordering Abinadi to be killed. The priests move to take him. But Abinadi stood his ground. The text says the Spirit of the Lord was upon him so powerfully that his face "shone with exceeding luster," like Moses coming down from Sinai.

The priests could not touch him. They "durst not lay their hands on him." This is not the kind of protection you can manufacture. It is not a strategy or a technique. It is the kind of thing that happens when a man is so full of the Spirit that his physical presence becomes a problem for people who want to do him harm.

Abinadi told them something worth noting about what was happening to him. He said that what was happening to him would be a "type and shadow of things which are to come." He was an innocent man standing before a corrupt king, about to be condemned for telling the truth, and that pattern would repeat itself in a much bigger way.

Why Did Abinadi Recite the Ten Commandments in Mosiah 13

Abinadi spent a good portion of the chapter reciting the Ten Commandments. This might seem strange. He was in the middle of a confrontation with a wicked king, and he stopped to read the law.

He was making a point, and it was a simple one. The priests of Noah had been teaching the people, but they had not been teaching them the truth. They had "studied and taught iniquity." They knew the words of the law, but the law was "not written in their hearts."

Thou shalt have no other God before me. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. (Mosiah 13:12-24, abridged)

Abinadi was holding up the level for everyone to see, showing them what straight looked like so they could see how crooked they had become. The law shows you where you fall short, and that is the first step toward being saved.

Does Salvation Come by the Law of Moses in the Book of Mormon

This is the central question of the chapter. Noah's priests believed that salvation came by the law of Moses alone. They thought that if they followed the rituals and the performances, they would be saved.

Abinadi corrected them directly. "Salvation doth not come by the law alone." The law was given because the people were stiffnecked. It was made strict to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty toward him. But the law was never the destination. It was the road.

Without the Atonement, Abinadi said, the people would "unavoidably perish" regardless of how well they kept the law. The law is a mirror. It shows you the dirt on your face, but it does not wash it off.

Meaning of Type and Shadow in Mosiah 13

Abinadi used the phrase "type and shadow" to describe his own situation. This is a concept that runs through the scriptures. A type is a pattern or a symbol that points forward to something greater. The shadow is the outline that lets you recognize the real thing when it arrives.

In the shop, I sometimes make a template out of thin plywood before I cut into the good stock. The template is not the final piece. It is a guide. It shows me where to cut and what shape to aim for. If I get the template right, the final piece comes out right.

The law of Moses was a template. The sacrifices, the rituals, and the commandments all pointed toward something real. The real thing was the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The law was the shadow. Christ was the substance.

Relationship Between the Law and the Atonement in Mosiah 13

Abinadi taught that the law was a schoolmaster. It was designed to lead the people to Christ. The strictness of the law was not cruelty. It was a response to the people's stubbornness. They were quick to do iniquity, so the law had to be strong enough to get their attention.

This same pattern shows up in other places in the scriptures. The oath and covenant of the priesthood teaches that God calls men to serve, but the power comes from him, not from the office. And the story of Alma believing Abinadi shows that even when most people reject the truth, one person can hear it and act on it.

The law does the heavy lifting of stripping away pride. It shows you that you cannot do it on your own. Then, when you are ready, the Atonement does the finishing work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Abinadi recite the Ten Commandments if he believed they could not save the people

Abinadi recited the commandments to show the people that they were not even keeping the basic laws they claimed to follow. By pointing out their failures, he helped them see their need for a Savior. The law was the diagnosis, not the cure.

What does Abinadi mean by "type and shadow of things which are to come"

This is a prophetic statement. Abinadi's experience as an innocent man condemned by a corrupt king was a pattern that pointed forward to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. The shadow lets you recognize the real thing when it arrives.

According to Mosiah 13, what was the purpose of the strict law given to Israel

The law was made strict because the people were stiffnecked and quick to commit iniquity. The strictness kept them in constant remembrance of God and their duty toward him. It was designed to lead them to the Messiah.

How did the Spirit of the Lord protect Abinadi in this chapter

The Spirit gave Abinadi a power that intimidated the priests. His face shone with luster, and he spoke with an authority that made them afraid to touch him. This protection lasted until he had finished delivering the message God sent him to give.

Closing

I keep that spirit level on a hook by the workbench. I reach for it when something feels off, setting it on the piece and looking at the bubble. If the bubble is centered, I keep going. If it is not, I know what I have to do.

The law is like that. It does not build the piece or apply the finish. It just tells you the truth. And the truth is that none of us are perfectly straight. That is why we need someone who is.

-- D.