A couple of nights ago, my wife, daughter and I were reading our evening scriptures. One verse stuck out like a sore thumb. Actually, a welcome…..thumbs up!
Abinadi is a Book of Mormon prophet of serious renown. Around 148 B.C., somewhere in the Americas, he called a king and the church leaders to repent of their evil doings. Rather than reform, this supreme secular and religious coterie responded with fire. Real fire. Abinadi was sentenced to a dreadful death. This heaven sent messenger was burned at the stake.
Here are the final words of this powerful Book of Mormon story:
“He fell, having suffered death by fire; yea, having been put to death because he would not deny the commandments of God.” –Mosiah 17:20
He Would Not Deny the Commandments of God
That sentence stopped me in my tracks. Here’s a man who was willing to suffer one of the most torturous deaths imaginable. I can’t conceive of the appalling pain.
He forfeited his life because of his unwillingness to “deny the commandments of God.” What commandments was he not willing to deny? The king and priests simply wanted Abinadi to take back the words that he had spoken. He refused. God had sent him to speak a message. Abinadi obeyed. He would not turn back. For doing what was right, he was consumed in the firelight.
Common Consent
Liken the scriptures unto ourselves. Another very special and practical Book of Mormon teaching. Of course, we, the rank-n-file members, are not prophets like Abinadi. But, perhaps there is an example here that we should attempt to follow.
Jesus has asked us, every one of His fellowcitizens, to regularly offer up our honest opinions to His religious leaders. It’s called the Law of Common Consent and occurs at least four times every year. Jesus, himself, designated Common Consent as a vital function for governing His church.
Listen to the succinct words of Christ’s plain and simple commandment:
“For ALL things MUST be done in order, and by Common Consent in the church.” –D&C 28:13
Following Abinadi’s lead, let us not deny the commandments of God. Certainly, not this one. There is too much at stake. In memory of our God, our religion and our freedom, may we stand up and embrace vs. deny this command of Jesus.
Christ’s Law of Common Consent requires that all “policies, major decisions, acceptance of new scripture, and other things that affect the lives of the Saints” be ratified by common consent. This is not happening. There is a desperate need for the Law of God to be fully restored in His restored church.
Abinadi had to die for not denying. If the church stops denying it can once again live up to it’s “Living” name.
A Time to be Silent and a Time to Speak
Two short weeks from now, on October 1, during the afternoon session of general conference, our next Abinadi moment will be presented. I encourage us all to give careful consideration to voting our honest opinions. Jesus, the founder of our church, highly values our views. May we value our own vote as much.
Tocubit Is Invisible's Cubit 
The modern LDS church has found a much more effective way of silencing would-be Abinidais: they completely disregard common consent. Burning someone makes them a martyr – ignoring and silencing someone makes them irrelevant.
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If enough voted the vote would truly be noted.
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Just a note to say I totally disagree with the concept that the Church believes me or anyone else as irrelevant. The monumental task of running an organization this size is unbelievable. The Lord has chosen men who are infallible to the task to run both the spiritual as well as the temporal well being of millions of people. They know things that we can’t possibly know regarding the Church worldwide. We have no idea why the leadership makes the decisions they do. Some call this blind faith and that is pretty much what it is. Unless Jesus has spoken to you personally, all you can do is accept , by faith, what the leadership believes to be the desire of Heavenly Father. The purpose of the Church , as I see it, is to help us accomplish what we agreed to in the pre-existence. We agreed to the Plan of Salvation and Jesus’ plan to accomplish this journey using AGENGY. I admire Sam’s decision to use his AGENCY to follow God’s plan for him. I know him to be a man of honor and integrity. We differ in our belief of what the law of common consent means to us in the here and now, but that doesn’t mean either of us are right or wrong.
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“The Lord has chosen men who are infallible” – except when they’re speaking as men, apparently.
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Hi Janice,
Jesus never, ever referred to prophets as “Infallible.” Not even the prophets have had the gumption to describe themselves that way. In fact, the leaders regularly remind us that they are not perfect. Today, they openly admit that past prophets have made huge mistakes. They have disavowed and condemned our past racism. Prophet after prophet promulgated and supported institutionalize racism. Now, we condemn it. “Condemn” is a pretty strong word. That’s why ‘For me and my house,’ I’ve decided to follow Jesus. His commandments and gospel have never been condemned. It’s the commandments and gospel of men that have been condemned. If prophets were so way off base for 125 years, where are we off base today? It is so obvious why Jesus gave us the law of common consent. It keeps in check the fallibility of the prophets. Good men, yet entirely susceptible to error.
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It always scares me when people ^^^^^^ refer to church leaders as “infalliable” (when they are not and never have been) and use it to justify blind faith. It is a complete abdication of free agency.
It is said that catholics claim the Pope is infalliable, yet they don’t believe it. And that Mormons say their prophets are fallible, but they don’t believe it.
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For me and my house, we have made a decision (for the balance of our lives) to speak up and respectfully express our opinions. We will never again be spiritual and intellectual lemmings. Those days are OVER.
God bless you Sam for the work you’re doing. I’m behind you 100%.
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I really enjoyed reading this insightful post. I would take issue, though, with the statement that rank-and-file members are not prophets. Was Abinadi any kind of official leader in the church? The text suggests that he was not. In fact, there are many examples in the scriptures of prophets and prophetesses who were not formal church leaders. I would assert that the gift of prophecy can be given to and exercised by anybody, even non-members of the church–even non-Christians or non-believers. Conversely, that the 15 apostles each carry the title of prophet does not automatically make them prophets in actual fact. The situation with Hiram Page in 1830 led to the receiving of D&C section 28, in which the exclusive right to receive revelations for the church was given to Joseph Smith, Jr., because he “receiveth them even as Moses.” Did Brigham Young or any of the subsequent presidents of the church regularly receive revelations from God as Moses or Joseph Smith did? It is clear that they did not and do not. I would submit that today, any worthy person out there has just as much opportunity to receive and exercise the gift of prophecy as anyone else. The tradition we have of looking to the 15 apostles as the only ones authorized to receive revelation for the church is a false tradition of our fathers and is at at odds with the scriptures. Actually, it is a form of idolatry. It leads to their exercising unrighteous dominion over us, telling us how to live our lives and promising us happiness only if we do it, when this is really beyond the scope of their ministry as apostles.
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Thanks for your comment. Spot on! I was surprised you didn’t mention Moses. When someone complained that there were those in the camp of Israel acting as prophets, Moses responded by saying that he wished all would be prophets. The law of common consent is Jesus’ divine method to address the issues you raise.
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I always have to laugh whenever I read about Abinadi sneaking into the city in disguise, and the first thing he says is “The Lord said unto me, ‘Abinadi –‘ and then I picture him inwardly going, “D’oh! So much for the disguise…”
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