Abinadi dives into his accusation of the priests. They are teaching perverted ways. While they might say that they are based in scripture, they do not understand them (and he uses their asking of a question as evidence for this!). While the priests have attempted to find evidence to accuse Abinadi, Abinadi uses this opportunity to condemn them. His message from God becomes focused on these priests who have perverted the ways of the Lord, whose teachings were close enough to the inherited gospel of the people that they would listen and accept the changes, but sufficiently diminished by interpretation and acceptance of outside influences that they had become perverted.