Zeniff ’s Son Noah is Corrupt, and Abinadi Cries Repentance

Now I, Mormon, will write about Zeniff’s people while referring to the records of King Benjamin and his son Mosiah (chapters 11–22).

King Noah did not follow the ways of his father, Zeniff. Rather than keep God’s commandments, Noah followed the desires of his own heart. He had many wives and mistresses. He also allowed his people to commit adultery and other sins that were offensive to the Lord. He imposed a twenty percent tax on everything the people owned and acquired. This meant that his people had to give him one fifth of all their gold, silver, copper, brass, iron, cattle, sheep, and grain. Noah did this to support himself, his priests, and all their wives and mistresses. He completely changed the way the kingdom was run, replacing all the humble priests his father had consecrated with new, proud ones. Noah and his priests were supported in their laziness, materialism, and immorality by Noah’s high taxes, which the people worked hard to pay.

Soon the people had also become materialistic, being deceived by the vain and flattering words of their king and his priests. King Noah built many elegant and spacious buildings, finely decorated with wood and precious metals. Noah had a spacious palace built with a throne in the middle of it. This palace was lavishly decorated with precious metals and woodwork.

Noah also hired fine craftsman to decorate the inside of the temple with wood, copper, and brass. The seats for the high priests, trimmed with pure gold, were placed above the other seats. A pulpit was built for them to lean on and to rest their arms while they spoke vain and lying words to the people.

King Noah had a very high tower built next to the temple, upon which he could overlook all the surrounding lands, including his land of Shilom and the Lamanite land of Shemlon. With the tax money, Noah ordered many buildings to be built in Shilom and a great tower to be built on a hill north of Shilom. That hill had once been a hiding place for the Nephites’ forefathers when fleeing from their lands.

Noah loved his riches, and he spent his time in riotous living with his wives and mistresses. His priests also spent their time with prostitutes. Noah told his people to plant vineyards and to build wine-presses in order to make lots of wine. He and his people soon became drunkards.

Then small groups of Lamanites began to attack his people, killing them in their fields. King Noah responded by posting guards around the land, but he did not post enough guards, so the Lamanites killed them and stole the people’s flocks. This is how the Lamanites, in their hatred, began to destroy the Nephites under King Noah’s reign. After these attacks, King Noah sent out his armies, who drove the Lamanites back and then returned, boasting of their victory. They were very proud, boasting in their own strength, saying that fifty of them could fight thousands of Lamanites. They delighted in war because of their wicked king and his priests.

Then a man named Abinadi went among the people and began to prophesy, “The Lord has commanded me to tell you that you are cursed, for He has seen your great sins, wickedness, and immorality. Unless you repent, He will visit you in His anger. Unless you repent, and turn to the Lord your God, He will deliver you into the hands of your enemies, who will afflict you and bring you into bondage. Then you will know that the Lord is your God, that He demands loyalty, and that He punishes the sins of His people. Unless you repent and turn to the Lord, you will be brought into bondage, and no one but the Lord the Almighty God will be able to deliver you. Then when you cry to the Lord, He will be slow to hear you, and He will allow your enemies to keep afflicting you. And then unless you repent in the depths of humility, crying mightily to the Lord your God, He will not hear your prayers, nor will He deliver you.”

After Abinadi said this to the people, they became angry with him and tried to kill him, but the Lord delivered him out of their hands. When King Noah heard what Abinadi had said, he was very angry and said, “Who does Abinadi think he is, judging my people? And who is the Lord, saying that He will afflict my people? Guards, bring Abinadi to me. He is trying to stir up my people to fight among themselves. For doing this, he will die!”

Because the people had been blinded to the truth, they would not listen to Abinadi. They were determined to find him and see that he was killed, but he was nowhere to be found. King Noah also hardened his heart against the Lord’s word and did not repent of his evil deeds.