Three notes about today’s reading, Mosiah 17:
1.
Royal Skousen suggests a “conjectural emendation” — in other words, an adjustment to a text based on other considerations but lacking direct manuscript support — for Mosiah 17:13:
He suspects that, when it’s said of Abinadi that his royal executioners “scourged his skin with faggots, yea, even unto death,” it should actually read that they “scorched his skin with faggots.” (See Professor Skousen’s brief discussion here, published back in 2002, during the glory days of FARMS or the Maxwell Institute, in the now-defunct Insights newsletter. Scroll down to the second page of the linked document.)
2.
In toxic and corrupt organizations such as Noah’s court (or Stalin’s politburo, or any number of other places in politics, business, and academia), befriending somebody who has fallen into disfavor, or on whom the wrath of the Lider Máximo rests, or who has dared to dissent from some new “Party line” can be extraordinarily dangerous.
Alma learned this very powerfully when he counseled Noah to show mercy to Abinadi (verses 2-3).
And there will often also be those surrounding the Maximum Leader, whether ambitious and sycophantic toadies or zealous ideologues, who, should he ever hesitate or have any doubts about his new direction, or be tempted by moderation, will urge him on, stiffen his resolve, talk him down from the ledge of decent behavior. (See, for example, verses 11-12.)
3.
I love verse 7 for the frankness of its cynicism: “Abinadi,” says King Noah, “we have found an accusation against thee, and thou art worthy of death.”
The verdict had already been determined. There remained only the legalistic requirement of identifying a plausible-sounding justification for it. Going through such hoops can quiet the conscience of people doing bad things.
I’m really astonished at how applicable these ideas are. I could easily provide real-world illustrations from my own personal experience. But I won’t.
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