His Face Shone Even As Moses

As Abinadi taught Noah and his priests, he questioned them about what they taught the people. After they replied that they taught the law of Moses, Abinadi began to recite to them the ten commandments (which of course they were not following): “But now Abinadi said unto them: I know if ye keep the commandments of God ye shall be saved; yea, if ye keep the commandments which the Lord delivered unto Moses in the mount of Sinai, saying: I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other God before me” (Mosiah 12:33-35). He only got through the first two commandments, though, when the king stopped him and said, “Away with this fellow, and slay him; for what have we to do with him, for he is mad.” Perhaps if he had let Abinadi get to the sixth commandment (“Thou shalt not kill”), Noah wouldn’t have so quickly requested to kill Abinadi! But Abinadi hadn’t delivered the message he needed to deliver, and he declared to them boldly as they went to take him by force, “Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver; neither have I told you that which ye requested that I should tell; therefore, God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time. But I must fulfil the commandments wherewith God has commanded me; and because I have told you the truth ye are angry with me. And again, because I have spoken the word of God ye have judged me that I am mad.” Mormon described what happened next, “Now it came to pass after Abinadi had spoken these words that the people of king Noah durst not lay their hands on him, for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses’ did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord” (Mosiah 13:1-5). The face of Abinadi miraculously was glowing like that of Moses when he came down from the mount Sinai: “And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. When Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him” (Exodus 34:28-30). When Moses came down from Sinai with the ten commandments, his face shown so much that the people were afraid to come near him. And so it is fitting that as Abinadi sought to teach those same ten commandments to Noah and his priests, his face likewise was filled with light so that the people were also afraid to come near to him.

               In this instance Mormon pointed out how Abinadi was like Moses, and I think there are some other similarities between these two great prophets. Moses fled for his life from his people to go to Midian, but he came back when the Lord called him to go and speak to Pharoah. Similarly, Abinadi fled for his life and left the people of King Noah for two years, but came back when the Lord commanded him to return to the king and his people. Both Moses and Abinadi faced powerful rulers who sought their lives when they declared the word of the Lord unto them. Moses was saved by miracles numerous times, in particular when he parted the Red Sea and was saved from the Egyptians. Abinadi was saved miraculously in the above story when his face shown, though of course later the Lord let him be slain as a martyr. Most importantly, both Abinadi and Moses preached of Jesus Christ. Nephi taught that Moses spoke “concerning the coming of the Messiah” and did “bear record that the Son of God should come” (Helaman 8:13-14). Abinadi also reminded the priests of Noah of what Moses taught, saying, “For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people?” (Mosiah 13:33) And then Abinadi in similitude of Moses declared to the people of Noah: “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 15:1-2). Abinadi was indeed a prophet like unto Moses who bore witness of the Son of God, and ultimately both had their lives ended somewhat unfulfilled: Abinadi was killed and did not get to see the people of Alma believe his words and ultimately return back to the Nephites. Similarly, Moses did not get to enter the promised land or see his people inherit it, though he had worked so hard for it. But the Lord surely received both these prophets up unto Himself and blessed them in the eternities.