King Noah created a bubble for himself. He surrounded himself with people who told him what he wanted to hear. He built a garish palace to make him feel important. He exaggerated successes to make himself and his people feel invincible.
God sent Abinadi to burst the bubble. Military defeat and bondage are coming, he said, unless you repent. Noah, unfortunately, was not receptive to this tough message. He asked, “Who is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged of him, or who is the Lord, that shall bring upon my people such great affliction?” (Mosiah 11:27).
Chapter Outline
- Noah’s wickedness (v. 1-15)
- Noah’s armies beat the Lamanites and boast (v. 16-19)
- Abinadi calls the people to repentance (v. 20-25)
- Noah threatens to kill Abinadi (v. 26-29)
My Takeaways
- Leaders establish norms of behavior by their example.
- It’s tempting to overestimate our abilities based on prior sucesses.
- Heavenly Father loves us, but He will allow us to suffer some of the consequences of our poor choices.
- People love unselfish leaders who don’t abuse their authority.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Noah’s wickedness – Mosiah 11:1-15
And He Did Cause His People to Commit Sin – Mosiah 11:1-2
1 And now it came to pass that Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons; therefore Noah began to reign in his stead; and he did not walk in the ways of his father. 2 For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires…
What Is the Relationship Between “Idolatry” and “Idleness?”
The Book of Mormon explicitly connects idolatry (the worship of man-made objects) with idleness (slothfulness). For example: Mormon tells us that the wicked king Noah and his priests “were supported in their laziness, and in their idolatry, and in their whoredoms, by the taxes which king Noah had put upon his people” (Mosiah 11:6). In…
Noah, Babylon, and the Slipperiness of Political Power
King Noah trusted too much in his political power and failed to recognize the real dangers he and his people faced. When his power failed, it was sudden and dramatic. The king of Babylon suffered a similar fate. Worldly power and influence is temporary.
❖ Noah’s armies win and boast – Mosiah 11:16-19
They Did Boast in Their Own Strength – Mosiah 11:19
19 And now, because of this great victory they were lifted up in the pride of their hearts; they did boast in their own strength, saying that their fifty could stand against thousands of the Lamanites; and thus they did boast, and did delight in blood, and the shedding of the blood of their brethren,…
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Taxes?
The Book of Mormon speaks about the tax policies of five leaders. Two of them worked to minimize taxes on their people, while the other three imposed exorbitant taxes on their people, with predictably catastrophic results. King Benjamin reported to his people at the end of his life that he had labored with his own…
❖ Abinadi calls the people to repentance – Mosiah 11:20-25
Sackcloth and Ashes
The people of Ninevah dressed in sackcloth and sat in ashes to symbolize their penitence. As a result, God turned away the consequences Jonah had prophesied. Abinadi likewise urged his people to “repent in sackcloth and ashes,” but they did not.
I Will Be Slow to Hear Their Cries – Mosiah 11:24-25
24 Yea, and it shall come to pass that when they shall cry unto me I will be slow to hear their cries; yea, and I will suffer them that they be smitten by their enemies. 25 And except they repent in sackcloth and ashes, and cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will…
Old Testament Foundations
“I Will Not Hear”
The book of Isaiah opens dramatically. The Lord tells the children of Israel that they have forsaken Him, that they are damaging themselves by their actions, and that He doesn’t want to be a part of it any more. In words that must have been shocking to Isaiah’s listeners, the Lord tells them to stop…
“I Shall Be Turned”
Last week I wrote about Jeremiah’s striking appeal: “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed” (Jeremiah 17:14). I noted that God is willing to heal us, but that we must be willing to receive the gift. I also wrote that we must open our eyes to recognize the many ways God is healing…
They Hearkened Not
Before Noah boarded the ark, he warned his neighbors: Believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made manifest; and if ye do not this, the floods will come in upon…
Sackcloth and Ashes
The people of Ninevah dressed in sackcloth and sat in ashes to symbolize their penitence. As a result, God turned away the consequences Jonah had prophesied. Abinadi likewise urged his people to “repent in sackcloth and ashes,” but they did not.
All Posts Referencing Mosiah 11
- The More They Afflicted Them… (3/24/2026)
- Abinadi, Authority, and the Image of God (1/15/2026)
- My Education Plan (8/14/2025)
- Avoiding Deception (2/21/2025)
- Noah, Babylon, and the Slipperiness of Political Power (1/25/2025)
- Gideon (5/25/2024)
- Hearing Hard Truths (5/17/2024)
- Despised (5/16/2024)
- Sackcloth and Ashes (5/14/2024)
- “In the Strength of the Lord” (5/12/2024)
- Repentance and Resolutions (1/1/2023)
- “I Shall Be Turned” (10/18/2022)
- “I Will Not Hear” (9/7/2022)
- They Hearkened Not (2/6/2022)
- A Tower to Get to Heaven (2/5/2022)
- “I Have Not Spoken in Secret” (9/24/2021)
- “I Have Told You the Truth” – Mosiah 13:4, 7 (5/9/2020)
- “Thus Saith the Lord” – Mosiah 11:20, 25, Mosiah 12:2 (5/7/2020)
- What Is a Priest? (11/4/2019)
- How Can I Be a Both a Defender of Truth and a Peacemaker? (10/19/2019)
- What Should I Do When Prophetic Teachings Are Difficult to Understand or Accept? (10/6/2019)
- How Does God Communicate with Us? (4/16/2019)
- What Is the Relationship Between “Idolatry” and “Idleness?” (4/8/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Taxes? (4/6/2019)
- And He Did Cause His People to Commit Sin – Mosiah 11:1-2 (5/11/2018)
- They Hardened Their Hearts – Mosiah 11:29 (1/9/2017)
- They Did Boast in Their Own Strength – Mosiah 11:19 (1/8/2017)
- They Were Supported in Their Laziness – Mosiah 11:5-7 (1/7/2017)
- I Will Be Slow to Hear Their Cries – Mosiah 11:24-25 (4/30/2015)