“Yet Desire to Know of Me What These Things Mean?”

Brant Gardner

Rhetorical: Rather than immediately rise to the bait of the trap laid for him, Abinadi turns the trap back on the priests. They have asked him a question, presumably so that his answer might condemn him. However, in asking the question, they have allowed themselves to appear to be asking for information they lack. Abinadi turns this appearance against them. This tactic allows Abinadi to turn the trap into an attack on these priests of an apostate religion.

Multidimensional Commentary on the Book of Mormon

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