“Behold We Are Guiltless”

Brant Gardner

Textual: There are two possible sources for this speech. It could be recorded exactly as is in the court records of Noah, and Mormon simply cites the speech. It is also possible that there was a record of the accusations, and Mormon has simply framed them as a speech. Once again either is possible. It is not unusual in ancient literature for an author to create the words that would have been said to give a dramatic context. The details of the accusations against Abinadi suggest that there was a record of the words in the record, but even that data does not really tell us if this is a speech Mormon places in the mouths of the people. Since it is a collective speech, and since it could not have been recited in unison, it is more likely that Mormon is the source of the particular wording and the dramatic situation, based upon his source material.

The accusation against Abinadi focuses on Abinadi's statements about the king and about the people themselves. Because those statements deal with the destruction of the political order, Abinadi may be rightly (in their eyes) seen as a seditionist, and therefore culpable by law. The people bring Abinadi before their government, and accuse him.

Multidimensional Commentary on the Book of Mormon

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