Rhetoric: Abinadi is refocusing the discussion at the point where he was earlier interrupted (Mosiah 12:34–36). After quoting this particular commandment, he began his commentary about how the priests were failing to teach this commandment. Now he repeats not only this prohibition against graven images but the rest of the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus. Obviously, he is reminding his listeners about the most basic elements of the Mosaic law, making it clear that he, too, is a master of the law. Yet he is not seeking to show points of unity with his accusers but rather showing that they have ignored the point of the law, which is the Messiah’s atonement. The fact that he must preach the Messiah to them constitutes evidence that they have rejected the Messianic part of the Nephite religion, retaining only its Mosaic component.
Abinadi had earlier stopped his recitation after this commandment to have no other God(s) before the Lord because that single command is the crux of his message. The Noahites are believing in the wrong god, even though they claim to accept the law of Moses. Abinadi continues with the rest of what we call the Ten Commandments to demonstrate that the priests’ understanding is mistaken. Of course, the law of Moses consists of more than these few quotations, but they form the moral basis of the law, and, hence, are a proper departure point for the argument Abinadi is building.
Translation: Although Abinadi may be either reading or quoting, comparing his two versions of this passage suggests that Joseph Smith may have rendered them differently in translation. In Mosiah 12:36, “that is” is replaced by “which are,” making it agree with the plural “things” which is singular in both Exodus and Mosiah 12:36. The sense of the verse has not changed, and the slight singular/plural alteration suggests oral translation/dictation rather than a change in the underlying text. Assuming that this hypothesis is true, did Joseph introduce it as he dictated or did Oliver mishear it as he wrote? It is impossible to tell, of course, but Oliver did hear other phrases incorrectly, then corrected them, so this slight change may reflect a scribal variation.