The Testimony of Martyrs

It’s interesting to note the reason why Abinadi was killed by King Noah and his priests.  When the priests first reported Abinadi’s preaching to the King they said, “Behold, we have brought a man before thee who has prophesied evil concerning thy people, and saith that God will destroy them. And he also prophesieth evil concerning thy life, and saith that thy life shall be as a garment in a furnace of fire” (Mosiah 12:9-10).  Abinadi did prophesy about the destruction of the people and King Noah in particular, and that appears to be the reason that they first bound him and sought to punish him.  But it was not the main reason they ultimately put him to death.  

King Noah told him: “Abinadi, we have found an accusation against thee, and thou art worthy of death.  For thou hast said that God himself should come down among the children of men; and now, for this cause thou shalt be put to death” (Mosiah 17:7-8).  When King Limhi spoke to his people at the time they were seeking to escape from their bondage he confirmed that this was the reason for Abinadi’s death: “And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man… and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—And now, because he said this, they did put him to death” (Mosiah 7:27-28).  So it was really the testimony that Abinadi bore of the divinity of Jesus Christ and his mortal mission that caused him to become a martyr.  In some ways it is very odd that Noah and his priests should be concerned at all that he would preach about the coming of Jesus Christ—this group of irreligious leaders didn’t really care about any of the things of God anyway.  But I think that the adversary has a way of stirring up anger against the most important truths of the gospel, and Christ’s divinity and successful earthly mission is certainly one thing he doesn’t want preached or believed.  It appears the Stephen was martyred for the same reason.  After his lengthy discourse on the history of Israel, he told them, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”  That was the last thing that he said and what seems to be the last thing they could bear to hear from him: “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him” (Acts 7:56-58).  Ultimately it is our testimony and faith in Jesus Christ that is most important in our lives, and the gospel requires us to live for that and be ready to die for it.  We read that John’s description of the early Christians in the fifth seal that he saw “under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held” (Revelation 6:9).  I believe this means that they were slain for the words of God we have in the testimony of the prophets as well as The Word of God whom John told us in his gospel was Christ.  Like those before us, we must live to defend of the words of God and ultimately be prepared to die for the Word of God.