Mosiah 19–20

“The Words of Abinadi Fulfilled”

Heavenly Father wants you to be happy and safe. One way you can experience joy and spiritual protection is by following the teachings and warnings of His prophets. By rejecting Abinadi, King Noah and his people forfeited blessings of safety and experienced great suffering. This lesson can help you feel a greater desire to hearken to the warnings and teachings of the Lord’s prophets.

Helping learners understand the context of the scriptures. Context is the circumstances that surround or give background to scripture passages, events, and accounts. This context helps us understand the world of those in the scriptures. Understanding the context of scripture accounts can help students identify principles and doctrines and liken the scriptures to themselves.

Student preparation: Invite students to think of an example from the scriptures or their own lives that supports the following statement. Encourage them to come to class prepared to share their example.

“History has shown that there is safety, peace, prosperity, and happiness in responding to prophetic counsel” (M. Russell Ballard, “His Word Ye Shall Receive,” Ensign, May 2001, 65).

Possible Learning Activities

Safety from danger

Consider either displaying the following images or bringing various objects to class that are used to provide safety. You could also ask students to share examples of items or rules they use every day to stay safe.

• What dangers do these objects protect us from?

• Why do you think some people choose to ignore safety equipment or guidelines?

You might display an image of the current prophet alongside the previous images.

In addition to physical risks, spiritual dangers are also part of our mortal experience. Because He loves us, the Lord calls prophets to give us guidelines and tools that can help us experience physical, spiritual, and emotional safety throughout our lives.

Take a moment to reflect on the safety the Lord offers you through His prophets and apostles. The following questions may help:

It might be beneficial for students to record their responses in their study journals.

• How often do you look to the Lord’s prophets and apostles as a way to receive His spiritual protection?

• What are some examples of how following the Lord’s prophets can bless you?

As you study, look for teachings that can help you feel a greater desire to seek the safety and happiness that come from following the Lord’s prophet.

The people of King Noah experience consequences for their sins

Recall that Abinadi was sent to warn King Noah’s people of their wickedness so they might avoid the coming judgments of the Lord. (It may be helpful to review some of Abinadi’s warnings in Mosiah 11:20–25; 12:1–8.)

Review the response of Noah and his people to Abinadi’s warnings by reading Mosiah 12:13–15; 17:11–20.

• Why do you think Noah and his priests chose to ignore Abinadi’s warnings?

• What are some examples of how people might ignore or reject the teachings of prophets in our day? Why do you think they do this?

Just as Abinadi had prophesied (see Mosiah 17:15–19), Noah’s people experienced difficult trials after rejecting the Lord’s words and invitation to repent. You might remember from your study of Mosiah 7 that not long after the death of Abinadi, these people were discovered by a search party from Zarahemla led by a man named Ammon (see the diagram below). At the time of their discovery, the Nephites in the land of Nephi were captives of the Lamanites.

Their leader was Limhi, the son of King Noah. Read the words of Limhi in Mosiah 7:24–29, looking for reasons he identified for the captivity they experienced.

• What did you see in these verses that could help someone who does not feel it is important to follow the Lord’s prophets?

Consider writing the following incomplete sentence on the board. After giving students time to think about it, invite multiple students to share how they would complete it.

Ignoring or rejecting the Lord’s words through His prophets leads to …

Students could be divided into groups and invited to study one of the following sets of verses: (1) Mosiah 19:3–8; (2) Mosiah 19:9–15; (3) Mosiah 19:16–21; 20:3, 21. Invite them to look for details that illustrate the truth that ignoring or rejecting the Lord’s words through His prophets leads to suffering and sorrow.

• What evidence did you see of suffering or sorrow experienced by the individuals in these verses?

• After seeing the suffering these people endured and knowing the Lord sent a prophet to warn them, what do you learn about the Lord?

President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared some of the blessings we can receive when we hearken to the Lord’s counsel through His prophets:

History has shown that there is safety, peace, prosperity, and happiness in responding to prophetic counsel. (M. Russell Ballard, “His Word Ye Shall Receive,” Ensign, May 2001, 65)

• What are some examples from your life or the scriptures that support President Ballard’s statement?

The Lord’s counsel for you

Similar to prophets in ancient times, prophets today provide us with the Lord’s counsel, warnings, and promised blessings. One place we can find some of this counsel is in For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices (booklet, 2022).

Consider dividing the students into small groups and assigning each group one or more sections to study from For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices (booklet, 2022). You may want to bring some copies to class for students to use. Invite students to look for the following:

1. Standards the Lord invites you to live by

2. Potential spiritual dangers of ignoring the Lord’s counsel

3. Promised blessings for heeding the Lord’s instructions and warnings

After students have finished, invite them to share what they found related to the previous three items.

• How might following these teachings help you better follow Jesus Christ?

Think about what you have learned today about the importance of following the Lord’s prophet. Take a moment to reflect on how you can better follow the prophet and why it would be important for you to do so. Record your thoughts and spiritual impressions in your study journal.

Commentary and Background Information

What do prophetic warnings teach me about God?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

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)

Why don’t some people immediately feel the negative effects of ignoring the prophet?

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught:

God has sent mortal servants who can, by the Holy Ghost, help us recognize what He would have us do and what He forbids. God makes it attractive to choose the right by letting us feel the effects of our choices. If we choose the right, we will find happiness—in time. If we choose evil, there comes sorrow and regret—in time. Those effects are sure. Yet they are often delayed for a purpose. If the blessings were immediate, choosing the right would not build faith. And since sorrow is also sometimes greatly delayed, it takes faith to feel the need to seek forgiveness for sin early rather than after we feel its sorrowful and painful effects. (Henry B. Eyring, “A Priceless Heritage of Hope,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 24–25)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Follow the prophet

Consider singing a hymn or Primary song about prophets to begin class. Invite the class to identify principles related to following prophets from the words of the song. Encourage students to look for evidence of these principles as they study the consequences King Noah and his people faced after rejecting Abinadi’s prophetic counsel.

Building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ’s teachings

Gospel principles do not change. In addition to using principles from ancient scripture and applying them to our modern day, we can use modern prophetic teachings and apply them to the stories of the scriptures. Invite students to look for how paragraphs 6–8 of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) could be applied to the family situations found in Mosiah 19:6–24; 20:3.

You might also consider showing the video “Forgiveness after Betrayal Is a Process” (5:21). Invite students to look for ways this video could apply to the families whose fathers returned after leaving with King Noah.

Following unrighteous individuals can lead us to make decisions we will regret

Invite students to read Mosiah 19:18–21, looking for what occurred between King Noah and those who had followed him. Invite students to report what they find.

Consider what you might do to help students evaluate whether there are influences in their lives that might be leading them to make choices they will later regret.

Related video

To help students recognize the safety that comes from following the Lord’s teachings through His prophets, consider showing “A Secure Anchor“ (3:36).