“Chapter 14: Abinadi and King Noah,” Book of Mormon Stories (1997), 38–42
“Chapter 14,” Book of Mormon Stories, 38–42
Chapter 14
Abinadi and King Noah
Zeniff was a righteous king of a group of Nephites. When he grew old, his son Noah became king.
Noah was not a good king like his father. He was wicked and would not obey God’s commandments.
He forced his people to give him part of their grain, animals, gold, and silver.
King Noah did this because he was lazy. He made the Nephites give him everything he needed to live.
He replaced the good priests his father had called with wicked priests. These wicked priests taught the people to sin.
King Noah had many beautiful buildings made, including a large palace with a throne. The buildings were decorated with gold, silver, and expensive wood.
King Noah loved the riches he took from his people. He and his priests spent their time drinking wine and being wicked.
God sent a prophet named Abinadi to Noah’s people. Abinadi warned them that if they did not repent, they would become the Lamanites’ slaves.
When King Noah heard what Abinadi had said, he was angry. He sent men to bring Abinadi to the palace so he could kill him.
Abinadi was taken to the king. King Noah and his priests asked him many questions. They tried to trick him into saying something wrong.
Abinadi was not afraid to answer their questions. He knew that God would help him. The priests were amazed at Abinadi’s answers.
King Noah was angry and ordered his priests to kill Abinadi. Abinadi said if they touched him, God would kill them.
The Holy Ghost protected Abinadi so he could finish saying what the Lord wanted him to. Abinadi’s face was shining. The priests were afraid to touch him.
Speaking with power from God, Abinadi told the people about their wickedness. He read God’s commandments to them.
He told them Jesus Christ would be born on the earth. Jesus would make it possible for people to repent, be resurrected, and live with God.
Abinadi told the people to repent and believe in Jesus Christ or they would not be saved.
King Noah and all but one of his priests refused to believe Abinadi. Noah told the priests to kill Abinadi. They tied him up and threw him in prison.
The one priest who believed Abinadi was named Alma. He asked King Noah to let Abinadi go.
The king was angry with Alma and had him thrown out. Then he sent his servants to kill him. Alma ran and hid, and the servants never found him.
After spending three days in prison, Abinadi was again brought before King Noah. The king told Abinadi to take back what he had said against him and his people.
King Noah told Abinadi that if he did not deny all he had said, he would be killed.
Abinadi knew he had spoken the truth. He was willing to die rather than take back what God had sent him to say.
King Noah ordered his priests to kill Abinadi. They tied him up, whipped him, and burned him to death. Before he died, Abinadi said King Noah would also die by fire.
Some of the Nephites opposed King Noah and tried to kill him. The Lamanite army also came to fight the king and his followers.
The king and his followers ran from the Lamanites, but the Lamanites caught up and began killing them. The king told his men to leave their families and keep running.
Many of the men would not leave. They were captured by the Lamanites.
Most of the men who had run away with King Noah were sorry. They wanted to go back and help their wives and children and their people.
King Noah did not want the men to return to their families. He ordered them to stay with him.
The men were angry with King Noah. They burned him to death, as Abinadi had prophesied. Then they went back to their families.