King Benjamin's Angel and Abinadi

In a study of Abinadi’s words in the Book of Mormon, professor John Hilton III showed the connection between the teachings of King Benjamin and Abinadi. In particular, he highlighted the similarities between the words of the angel to Benjamin recorded in Mosiah 3 and the teachings that Abinadi gave to the priests of King Noah. He then commented, “The cluster of parallels surrounding the voice of the angel prompts the question, did the same angel appear to Abinadi as appeared to King Benjamin? While we cannot know for certain, some have speculatively suggested another possibility—that Abinadi may have been the angel that appeared to King Benjamin. While such an assertion must be extremely tentative, it is interesting to note that King Benjamin frequently refers to the angelic messenger (see Mosiah 3:2–3; 4:1, 11). In addition, those in King Benjamin’s audience specifically reference the words of the angel, further emphasizing the importance of the angel in King Benjamin’s discourse (see Mosiah 5:5). In contrast, there is no mention of angels anywhere in the pericope surrounding Abinadi and those who heard his message, suggesting that an angelic messenger may not have played an important role in Abinadi’s ministry. If Abinadi was the angel who appeared to Benjamin, his words have an additional influence in the Book of Mormon through King Benjamin’s important speech.” That is certainly a very interesting idea and fits with this teaching of President Joseph F. Smith: “When messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow-servants. The ancient prophets who died were those who came to visit their fellow creatures upon the earth.” What better person to send to King Benjamin as an angel than a prophet who had recently died and cared deeply for the well-being of the Nephites?

To the casual reader it might seem that the chronology doesn’t work, for the words of King Benjamin come before those of Abinadi, but it is fairly certain that Abinadi was dead by the time that King Benjamin spoke. It was about three years after Mosiah was made king (i.e. after King Benjamin’s speech) that Nephites were sent up to the land of Nephi to look for the people of Zeniff. They found the people of Limhi there, and eventually brought them back. Limhi had become king after Abinadi was killed and King Noah’s people were attacked by the Lamanites.  They had had peace for two years at first (Mosiah 19:28), and then they had had several battles over time with the Lamanites. They had sent a search party to try to find Zarahemla (finding the land of the Jaredites instead), and then eventually Ammon had come down from the Nephites with his men and helped them escape. So, while we don’t know specifically how long it had been since Abinadi died at that point, but it was well over two years and no doubt many years beyond the three year minimum needed for Abinadi to have been dead at the time of King Benjamin’s discourse. The chapter headings suggest that Abinadi died around 148 BC and that King Benjamin gave his speech about 124 BC. While it is true that King Benjamin did not say whether the angel had spoken to him recently when he quoted his words in Mosiah 3, the text does not suggest that it had been any great length of time. So, it is certainly very likely that whenever the angel spoke to the king, Abinadi was already in the Spirit World.

The similarities between the words of the angel and Abinadi are focused on Christ and His mission. The angel said to King Benjamin, “For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.” (Mosiah 3:5). Abinadi similarly taught, “Have they not said that God himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth?... I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people. And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God” (Mosiah 13:34, 15:1-2). Both testified that the Savior would come down in mighty power among the children of men. Both also testified of the resurrection and the judgment. The angel said, “And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men” (Mosiah 3:10). Abinadi similarly taught, “And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection…. 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” (Mosiah 16:7, 10). Both taught that the atonement of Christ covered those who were innocent, including children. Abinadi declared, “And these are those who have part in the first resurrection; and these are they that have died before Christ came, in their ignorance, not having salvation declared unto them. And thus the Lord bringeth about the restoration of these; and they have a part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being redeemed by the Lord. And little children also have eternal life. But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against him and die in their sins” (Mosiah 15:24-26). The angel similarly declared, “For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God!... And even if it were possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins” (Mosiah 3:11-12, 16). Both of these warned against those who knowingly sin and testified of the need for Christ’s atonement for us to be saved.  

Whether they were the same person or not, it is clear that the teachings of the angel to King Benjamin and those of Abinadi were consistent with each other and focused on redemption through Jesus Christ. What matters most is that we heed their words and come to know as well for ourselves that “that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent,” and that “all mankind were lost; and behold, they would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state” (Mosiah 3:17, 16:4).