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Sunday, February 24, 2019

What does "a great evil" mean here? Mosiah 12:29

What does "a great evil" mean here? Mosiah 12:29

Remember that guy, Zeniff, who went to the land of Lehi-Nephi? He was fairly righteous-ish, but his son Noah was totally wicked. Noah and his wicked priests caused the people to commit some severe sin, including some perverse sexual sin.

The prophet Abinadi was sent to preach to King Noah. The first time, he was kicked out. The second time he came back in a disguise and was brought before King Noah and his priests. It brings to mind this famous Arnold Friberg painting.


This is exactly how I imagine it in my mind.

Probably because this painting was clearly the inspiration behind this childhood video that I grew up watching (here is just a small clip of it).


Abinadi was sent by God to tell King Noah and his wicked priests to repent, or else a "great evil" would befall them. The specific prophesy is from Mosiah 12:2 and onward.
Thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that this generation, because of their iniquities, shall be brought into bondage, and shall be smitten on the cheek; yea, and shall be driven by men, and shall be slain; and the vultures of the air, and the dogs, yea, and the wild beasts, shall devour their flesh.
And it shall come to pass that the life of king Noah shall be valued even as a garment in a hot furnace; for he shall know that I am the Lord.
And it shall come to pass that I will smite this my people with sore afflictions, yea, with famine and with pestilence; and I will cause that they shall howl all the day long.
Yea, and I will cause that they shall have burdens lashed upon their backs; and they shall be driven before like a dumb ass.
And it shall come to pass that I will send forth hail among them, and it shall smite them; and they shall also be smitten with the east wind; and insects shall pester their land also, and devour their grain.
And they shall be smitten with a great pestilence—and all this will I do because of their iniquities and abominations.
And it shall come to pass that except they repent I will utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth; yet they shall leave a record behind them, and I will preserve them for other nations which shall possess the land; yea, even this will I do that I may discover the abominations of this people to other nations.

Guess what. His prophesy totally came true and is a big part of the story of the book of Alma.

All the real prophesies in the Old Testament - even the really weird head-scratching ones involving red heifers - will come true someday. The Messiah, which is Jesus Christ, will someday come to earth again. Repeatedly in the scriptures the prophesies from the Old Testament are fulfilled in the New Testament, many hundreds of years later. For example, in Zechariah it is explicitly stated that the Messiah would be sold for 30 pieces of silver. That was the exact price that Matthew tells us Judas Iscariot was paid for his betrayal.

The scriptures are true.

Don't take my word for it; find out for yourself by studying them and asking God directly. He promised he would answer over and over and over and over and over and over, and he doesn't lie. The promise is that he will answer you in a way that you will understand and recognize if you ask sincerely. Why wouldn't it be worth a try?

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