29 Now the eyes of the people were blinded; therefore they hardened their hearts against the words of Abinadi, and they sought from that time forward to take him. And king Noah hardened his heart against the word of the Lord, and he did not repent of his evil doings.
Mormon’s description of the people’s reaction to Abinadi reminds me of Isaiah’s prophecy about the people’s reaction to his own words (Isaiah 6:9-10). Here is part of that prophecy as paraphrased by the Savior:
For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them (Matthew 13:15).
In Mormon’s account, as in Isaiah’s, the people’s perception of reality is impaired by their unwillingness to listen. If you accept the possibility that a prophetic message may be accurate, however uncomfortable it may be and however much it may demand of you, then you will be able to evaluate it rationally. But if you harden your heart and refuse to receive the message with an open mind, then you curtail your ability to perceive the truth, like a child covering his eyes and hoping that his difficulties will simply disappear.
Today, I will remember that, if I avoid learning the truth, I harm myself and the people who rely on me to make wise decisions. I will resist the temptation to harden my heart and will strive to open my eyes, my ears, and my heart, so that I can see ” things as they are” (D&C 93:24).