Mosiah 7 - 14

After having received such a marvelous revelations as is recorded in the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, I have to assume that Moses must have spoken plainly to the Israelites regarding the coming of the Messiah. I think it is interesting that we find very little plain teachings of the Savior in the five books of Moses in the Old Testament as we find in the Book of Mormon. As we read the words of Abinadi, he reminds King Noah and his priests of the teachings of Moses as if such prophesies of Moses were had amongst them, and they were plain to understand. For he asked them –

“…did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?” (Book of Mormon Mosiah 13:33)

The prophecies of Moses as described by Abinadi must have been recorded and part of the brass plates of Laban. I appears that as the years progressed, the same teachings of Moses must have been removed from the Old Testament record. This being so, I’m sure that there must have been many plain and precious prophecies such as those of Moses may have challenged the contemporay teachings of religious leaders and must have been intentionally removed. We see no writings of Zenos and Zenock in the Old Testament and we know that Zenock spoke plainly concerning the Savior for Alma mentions -

"...that a second prophet of old has testified of the Son of God, and because the people would not understand his words they stoned him to death." (Book of Mormon Alma 33:17)

And then Abinadi , this time using the prophecies of Isaiah, again questions King Noah and his priests regarding the coming of the Messiah for Isaiah did not seem to write as plain as Zenos, Zenock, and Moses for –

“…behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them…” (Book of Mormon Jacob 4:14)

And because of that, Isaiah -

“…delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it…“ (Book of Mormon Jacob 4:14)

And possibly because Isaiah did not write as plainly as other Old Testament prophets, much of his words seemed remain mostly intact. It is the words of Isaiah found in the 53rd Chapter of the Book of Isaiah that Abinadi decides to use as he challenges King Noah and his wicked priests. I think that it is in this revelation that Isaiah pushes the the borders between "plainness" and "unplainess" as he speaks Messanically. I've wondered that if he had spoken any more plain than he did, if these words would have also have been removed from the Old Testament. For I think this writing is plain enough that a believer has no problem understanding the prophecies of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I think the words were clear enough that the King Noah and his wicked priests understood the prophecies of Isaiah that Abinadi withstood and confounded their inquiries with.

I don't think that many people of today are much different than King Noah and his priests, or the ancient Jews in that they will not hear in that they will not -

“…open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 2:9)