To demonstrate the importance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Abinadi quotes Isaiah 53. In this chapter, Isaiah describes an ordinary-looking man, despised and rejected, who suffers to heal us from the effects of our sins.
Chapter Outline
- The Messiah was despised, rejected, and afflicted – v. 1-4
- He suffered for our sins, even though He was sinless – v. 5-9
- God will be pleased with His Son’s sacrifice – v. 10-12
My Takeaways
- Don’t judge people by worldly standards.
- Jesus can heal you because he has borne your griefs and carried your sorrows.
- We follow the Savior when we do for others what they can’t do for themselves.
Featured Blog Posts
What Is the Role of Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” in the Book of Mormon?
Four passages in the Book of Isaiah are known as the “servant songs.” They are written in a poetic style, and they collectively describe a servant of God who would save God’s children by suffering for them (“The Servant Songs in Isaiah,” American Bible Society Resources website, “Isaiah’s ‘Other’ Servant Songs,” Religious Studies Center, Brigham…
❖ Despised and rejected – Mosiah 15:1-4
“He Was Despised” – Mosiah 14:3
Today, I was pondering a prophecy of the Savior written by Isaiah and later quoted by Abinadi (Isaiah 53:3-6, Mosiah 14:3-6). I was thinking about the contrast between worldly power and spiritual power as illustrated by the Savior’s experience. Isaiah dramatizes it by juxtaposing the Savior’s experience with our natural response to it: What He…
Despised
To despise someone is to “look down on” them. So despisers may have an inaccurate view of their own status and position. Abinadi and Jesus were both despised, so when you are despised, you are in good company.
“Surely He Has Borne Our Griefs” – Mosiah 14:3-4
As Abinadi taught the wicked priests of King Noah, he quoted Isaiah 53 to emphasize that salvation is available to us only because of Jesus Christ. In this chapter, Isaiah called the Savior “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” Then, he identified the source of those afflictions: “Surely he has borne our griefs,…
All We, Like Sheep, Have Gone Astray – Mosiah 14:3-6
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and…
❖ He suffered for our sins – Mosiah 15:5-9
He Opened Not His Mouth – Mosiah 14:7
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth. (Mosiah 14:7, Isaiah 53:7) When the priests of King Noah asked Abinadi to explain a scripture passage—Isaiah…
Old Testament Foundations
The Passover
The tenth and final plague which afflicted the Egyptians and which resulted in the liberation of the Israelites was the death of the oldest child in each family. Israelite families were spared, but only if they followed Moses’ instruction to kill a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood. The lamb had to be…
New Testament Parallels
“He Opened Not His Mouth”
Isaiah prophesied that, like a lamb, the Savior would stand silently as He was afflicted. On the night of His crucifixion, Jesus was questioned several times. In some cases, He answered with extraordinary poise. In others, He said nothing at all.
Numbered with the Transgressors
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be “numbered among the transgressors.” He did this in at least 4 ways: 1. He became mortal. 2. He spent time with sinners. 3. He was condemned and punished like a sinner. 4. He absorbed the consequences of our sins.
Not Without Honour
Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.” Why do we routinely underappreciate the people closest to us? We can approach our relationships with more humility, honoring the ones we know best.
All Posts Referencing Mosiah 14
- An Offering for Sin (4/30/2026)
- With the Rich in His Death (4/2/2026)
- Four Foundational Strategies (1/4/2026)
- Despised (5/16/2024)
- Every Knee, Every Tongue (10/13/2023)
- Numbered with the Transgressors (6/3/2023)
- “He Opened Not His Mouth” (4/7/2023)
- Not Without Honour (3/21/2023)
- “I Shall Be Turned” (10/18/2022)
- The Passover (4/1/2022)
- Finding Favor (3/10/2022)
- The Living Christ and the Book of Mormon (12/26/2021)
- “No, Not One” – Moroni 10:25 (12/20/2020)
- “Surely He Has Borne Our Griefs” – Mosiah 14:3-4 (5/8/2020)
- “He Was Despised” – Mosiah 14:3 (4/1/2020)
- What Do We Know About God’s Love for Us? (12/2/2019)
- Why Are We Blessed When We Are Reviled? (9/9/2019)
- Why Is Jesus Called the Great Mediator? (7/27/2019)
- What Is the Role of Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” in the Book of Mormon? (6/14/2019)
- How Does Isaiah Point Us Toward Christ? (6/1/2019)
- Which of Isaiah’s Writings Are Quoted in the Book of Mormon? (5/31/2019)
- Why Is Isaiah Quoted So Much in the Book of Mormon? (5/27/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Sadness? (5/7/2019)
- He Opened Not His Mouth – Mosiah 14:7 (7/5/2018)
- All We, Like Sheep, Have Gone Astray – Mosiah 14:3-6 (9/26/2017)
- A Man of Sorrows – Mosiah 14:3 (5/5/2015)
- Mosiah 14:3-6 He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions (10/17/2014)