Abinadi ends his sermon with pure testimony. Stretching out his arm, he tells the king and priests that the day will come when everyone will see God’s salvation. Those who have set aside their carnal nature will have endless life and happiness, while those who have not will be resurrected to “endless damnation.” Abinadi urges them to repent and to teach the people that redemption comes through Christ.
Chapter Outline
- All will see God’s salvation, and the wicked will be cast off (v. 1-5)
- Christ made redemption possible (v. 6-12)
- Final admonition: repent and teach about Christ (v. 13-15)
My Takeaways
- We can have confidence in God’s ultimate resolution of all injustices.
- Because Jesus “swallowed up death in victory,” we need not be afraid.
- Jesus plays a personal role in our salvation, giving us each light and life.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ All will see God’s salvation – Mosiah 16:1-5
“His Judgments Are Just” – Mosiah 16:1
I wrote yesterday about Abinadi’s commitment to the truth and his willingness to sacrifice convenience, status, and even his life for it. He maintained this integrity in spite of severe personal hardship because he was able to take the long view. As he told King Noah and his priests, “I finish my message; and then…
For They Are Carnal and Devilish – Mosiah 16:5
3 For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil. 4 Thus all…
❖ Redemption comes through Christ – Mosiah 16:6-12
How Is Jesus Christ “the Light and the Life of the World?”
Jesus sets an example for us to follow and reveals truths which we cannot learn alone (light). He has also enabled us to overcome physical and spiritual death (life).
What Is the “Resurrection of Damnation?”
Early in His mortal ministry, Jesus taught a group of people about the authority the Father had given to Him, including the responsibility to judge us after we die: For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to…
The Arms of Mercy – Mosiah 16:12
12 Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they…
❖ Repent and teach Christ – Mosiah 16:13-15
The Promise and the Law
Abraham received promises long before God gave the Law of Moses to his descendants. Here’s the lesson for us: God makes promises to us when we believe in Him. Then, He teaches us how to receive those blessings.
Old Testament Foundations
The Lord Is My Light
Based on: Psalm 27 Core message: Some hymns represent a personal testimony, even though we sing them as a group. “The Lord is my light,” not “The Lord is the light.” Related Book of Mormon passage: 2 Nephi 22:2
The Arms of Mercy
All 26 verses of Psalm 136 end with the same phrase: “For his mercy endureth forever.” Here is one of the verses from that psalm, which celebrates the Lord’s power to deliver the children of Israel from captivity in Egypt: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for…
“Swallowed Up in Christ” – Mosiah 16:8
I’ve been thinking today about Abinadi’s testimony that “the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ” (Mosiah 16:8). Abinadi was likely familiar with Isaiah’s prophecy that the Lord would one day “swallow up death in victory” (Isaiah 25:8). He knew that this passage referred to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of His resurrection,…
New Testament Parallels
Divine Nature
Peter testified that God is willing to share His nature with us, helping us overcome the corrupting inflluences of the world. In truth, we all have a divine nature, in the sense that we are children of God with a potential to become like Him.
Lost
Why is it so hard for us to admit when we are lost? For some reason, we find comfort and stability in knowing where we are. There is something unnerving about not knowing our location. And we certainly don’t like other people suggesting that we are in that situation. To be lost is to be…
Church History Connections
Every Nation, Kindred, Tongue, and People
In the Book of Revelation, the apostle John repeatedly uses four words to convey the expansiveness of God’s saving work: He sees heavenly beings worshipping Jesus Christ and acknowledging that He has redeemed them “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9). He later sees a huge crowd, “of all nations,…
All Posts Referencing Mosiah 16
- Carnal, Sensual, and Devilish (1/23/2026)
- Abinadi, Authority, and the Image of God (1/15/2026)
- Infusing the Light of Christ into My Life (8/28/2025)
- The Empty Tomb (4/20/2025)
- Book of Mormon Elements in Doctrine and Covenants 20 (3/14/2025)
- Promised Light (9/28/2024)
- How the Savior Succors Us (6/16/2024)
- Types and Shadows (5/18/2024)
- Jesus Quoting Abinadi (5/15/2024)
- Mercy (3/26/2024)
- Divine Nature (11/24/2023)
- The Promise and the Law (9/27/2023)
- “I Will Not Hear” (9/7/2022)
- The Lord Is My Light (8/9/2022)
- The Living Christ and the Book of Mormon (12/26/2021)
- Mother Eve (12/4/2021)
- The Ancient of Days (10/13/2021)
- Every Nation, Kindred, Tongue, and People (4/20/2021)
- Lost (6/13/2020)
- “His Judgments Are Just” – Mosiah 16:1 (5/10/2020)
- “Swallowed Up in Christ” – Mosiah 16:8 (5/5/2020)
- The Arms of Mercy (4/5/2020)
- What Is the “Resurrection of Damnation?” (10/23/2019)
- How Much Power Does the Devil Have? (10/22/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Add to Our Understanding of the Resurrection? (10/4/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be Saved “In and Through” the Grace of God? (8/27/2019)
- Why Did the Nephites Keep the Law of Moses? (8/11/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Resurrection? (4/21/2019)
- How Is Jesus Christ “the Light and the Life of the World?” (3/17/2019)
- For They Are Carnal and Devilish – Mosiah 16:5 (7/7/2018)
- The Arms of Mercy – Mosiah 16:12 (10/30/2017)
- The Light and the Life of the World – Mosiah 16:9 (12/27/2016)
- He That Persists in His Own Carnal Nature – Mosiah 16:5 (5/8/2015)
- He Is the Light and the Life of the World – Mosiah 16:9 (5/8/2015)
- Mosiah 16:5 He That Persists in His Carnal State (10/18/2014)