In the preceding chapter, the priests of Noah indicated that
they taught the people the law of Moses, for that is the way salvation comes
(this despite the teaching of Nephi 100 years earlier to their ancestors that
salvation is only in Christ – see 2 Nephi 25:24 – 27). In this chapter, after Abinadi reads the Ten
Commandments to his audience, he begins to testify of Christ. In verse 28 he teaches that salvation does
not come by the law alone. And “were it
not for the atonement,” he testified, the people “must unavoidably perish,
notwithstanding the law of Moses.” In
verse 32 he explains “there could not any man be saved except it were through
the redemption of God.” Abinadi then
points out that not only did Moses prophesy of the coming of the Lord, but all
the prophets have “spoken more or less concerning these things” (v. 33). He then describes Christ’s mission 148 years
before Jesus was born: “God himself
should come down… and take upon him the form of man, and go forth in mighty
power upon the face of the earth…he should bring to pass the resurrection of
the dead, and…he himself should be oppressed and afflicted” (v. 34 – 35). As the Savior is the main focus of Abinadi’s
teachings, so He should be the main focus of our study and teaching.
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