Mission Musings: THE HILL CUMORAH PAGEANT V: The Production

This post continues the story of the Hill Cumorah Pageant:

The picture below protrays the Nephites after a battle with the Lamanites. Even though the Nephites were fewer in number, they "put their trust in the Lord" and were victorious. After the battle they knelt and gave the Glory to God for their success. (This is a great life lesson for all of us - trust in God and give Him the Glory!)

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Shortly after this, King Noah became the king of the Nephites. But, "he did not keep the commandments of God and he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord."

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Because of their wickedness, the Lord commanded a prophet, Abinadi, to call the people to repentance. Abinadi said, "Behold, thus saith the Lord, 'Go forth, and say unto this people, Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their abominations, and their wickedness, and their whoredoms; and except they repent I will visit them in mine anger.'"

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Naturally, King Noah did not like Abinadi's preaching. He said, "Who is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged of him, or who is the Lord, that shall bring upon my people such great affliction? I command you to bring Abinadi hither, that I may slay him." (Sometimes we, like King Noah, lack the humility needed to correct our lives as well.)

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There was a young man, Alma, one of the priests of Noah, that believed the words which Abinadi had spoken and began to plead with the king that he would not be angry with Abinadi, but let him depart in peace. This made the king even more angry and he sent his servants after Alma to slay him. Alma hid himself and they were unable to find him.

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Then the priests of King Noah bound Abinadi and caused that he should suffer death by fire.

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After Alma fled and hid he wrote down all the words of Abinadi. Then he began to preach these words privately. Two hundred and four people believed him and wanted to be baptized and he did baptize them at a place called the waters of Mormon.

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Interestingly, King Noah also suffered death by fire when the Lamanites invaded the land.

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Many years passed and then, a few years before Jesus Christ was to be born, Samuel, a righteous Lamanite, prophesied of the birth and death of the Savior and the signs that would appear in the Americas. Samuel told the Nephites that when Christ would be crucified there would be a great destruction in the Americas, followed by three days of darkness.