Mosiah 11–17

“Repent and Turn unto the Lord”

We usually try to warn people we love about decisions that could bring pain and suffering. The Lord sent Abinadi with the message for King Noah and his people to repent and avoid the suffering that could come because of their sinful behaviors. This lesson can help increase your desire to accept the Lord’s prophets and act on the invitations they give from the Lord.

The Lord warns of danger

Suppose you have just received information about something in which your friends and loved ones are in danger.

• What are some different ways you could communicate a warning message to them?

The Lord has many ways of warning us. Consider the following ways:

• Counsel from parents

• Directions from prophets and other Church leaders

• Teachings in the scriptures, at church, or seminary

• Thoughts or feelings from the Holy Ghost

• Other:

Think of how well you are doing at avoiding sin and danger because of how you choose to respond to the Lord’s warnings.

• Which ways feel most challenging to accept? Why?

• What does it say about the Lord that He reaches out to us in different ways?

Today, your study will focus on the following truth: The Lord speaks to us through His prophets to invite us to repent and turn to Him.

The Lord called Noah and his people to repentance

Recall that Zeniff led a group of people from Zarahemla to the land of Nephi. Before Zeniff died, he conferred the kingdom on his son Noah (see Mosiah 9–10). Noah and the priests he chose lived wicked lives. They convinced the people with lies and flattering words to sin (see Mosiah 11:7, 11).

Read Mosiah 11:2, 14–15, 19 looking for the sins Noah and his people committed. (Verse 19 describes their reaction after protecting themselves from an attack of the Lamanites.) You could also watch the video “Alma Recounts the Wickedness of King Noah | Mosiah 11–12, 17” (2:26), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

• In what ways do the choices Noah and his people make compare with people’s choices today?

• What are some possible consequences of living like they did?

The Lord called a prophet named Abinadi to deliver a message to Noah and his people to help them see the consequences of their actions.

Read Abinadi’s message in Mosiah 11:20–25, looking for the consequences the Lord warned of. The word “wo” in verse 20 conveys sadness or pain.

• What are some consequences you found that the Lord warned the people about?

Notice the repeated phrases “except they repent” and “except this people repent.” You may want to mark these words and think about what you can learn about the Lord from these phrases.

Read Mosiah 11:26–29, looking for how king Noah and the others reacted to Abinadi.

Seeing repentance as a gift of love from the Lord

Think of different invitations the Lord has given in our day for us to repent and change. You could review a recent talk from the Lord’s prophet and look for warnings he has given.

• What are some similarities or differences between the reaction of the people in Abinadi’s day and the reaction of people in our day to prophets? Why might they react this way?

Ponder your personal commitment to listen to God, specifically when He warns you through His prophets of sin and its consequences.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained how we might view the invitation to repent from prophets.

I have long been impressed by, and have also felt, the yearning love of the prophets of God in their warnings against sin. They are not motivated by a desire to condemn. Their true desire mirrors the love of God; in fact, it is the love of God. They love those to whom they are sent, whoever they may be and whatever they may be like. Just as the Lord, His servants do not want anyone to suffer the pains of sin and poor choices. (D. Todd Christofferson, “The Love of God,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 17)

• How might understanding this about prophets influence your desire to act on their invitations?

Mercifully, the Lord gave the people time to turn to Him and repent of their sins. However, when Abinadi returned two years later, they again were angry and looked to accuse him (see Mosiah 12:1, 9, 19).

Abinadi boldly testified that the priests were not teaching the people to obey God’s commandments (see Mosiah 12:33–37; 13:12–25). He also testified that Jesus Christ would come to redeem all people and that salvation was only possible through the Redeemer (see Mosiah 15:1, 19). When Abinadi finished testifying of Jesus Christ, his life was once again in danger. But this time, so was the life of one of the priests, Alma.

Read Mosiah 17:1–4 to find Noah’s and Alma’s responses to Abinadi’s testimony of Christ.

1. Answer the following question:

   • What might these extremely different responses help us understand?

After spending three days in prison, Abinadi was again brought before King Noah. Noah said he would put Abinadi to death unless he was willing to deny the truths he had taught (see Mosiah 17:5–8).

Read Mosiah 17:9–10, 13, looking for Abinadi’s response to the king’s request to deny his testimony. Or you could watch the video “Abinadi Suffers Death for His Faith | Mosiah 16–17” (4:28), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

2. Answer the following questions:

   • What is something you learn from Abinadi’s example?

   • How might that influence the way you respond to the Lord and His prophets?

Optional: Want to Learn More?

Mosiah 11:20, 25. What can we learn about the Lord from the feelings mentioned in Abinadi’s message?

Wo, or sadness: The Lord warns of sadness or pain that results from a sinful life. God wants us to be happy (see 2 Nephi 2:25). When we sin, He wants us to humbly repent and regret our actions (see 3 Nephi 9:20).

In ancient times, repenting in “sackcloth and ashes” was a way to show the great sadness and humility someone felt for their sins. For more details, you could watch the short video “Sackcloth” (0:32), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Anger: We know that God “is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:5; Moroni 7:45), and is “slow to anger, and of great mercy” (Psalm 145:8). People who willfully rebel against God and choose wickedness, abominations, and whoredoms do anger the Lord. God’s anger does not cause Him to lose control. He instead warns of the consequences of their actions and continues to invite everyone to repent.

Jealousy: The word jealous can be translated as having “sensitive and deep feelings” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Jealous, Jealousy”). In other words, God cares deeply about us and invites us to also be fully committed to Him.

What is the role of a prophet?

A prophet is “a person who has been called by and speaks for God” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Prophet”). See what else it says in Guide to the Scriptures about prophets. You might also watch the following video of a panel of children speaking with President Russell M. Nelson and Sister Joy D. Jones at the Smith family log home in Palmyra, New York.