In addition to altering the social organization, Noah also altered the religious organization of his people. Putting down his father’s priests simply indicates that his father’s priests were removed from their positions so that Noah could replace them with priests more favorable to Noah’s interests.
Mormon indicates that Noah also instituted a social segregation of the priesthood, apparently tying it to the government. This is not an unusual political move, and was seen in Israel with the elevation of the Hasmonean priests. When Mormon indicates that they were supported in their laziness, we must read that statement with a little historical caution. Mormon intends it to sound bad when he says that they are lazy. However, the definition of their laziness is that they do not work with their own hands for their support, but are funded by the taxes. This is also not unusual, and usually follows with more complex societies. Nevertheless, it violates Mormon’s understand of the goal of social equity.
Finally, Mormon accuses the priests, and the people, of being idolatrous. That term typically means worshipping idols, and that is certainly possible based on the cultures that would have surrounded them. However, when we see Abinadi before the priests of Noah, we see the priests espousing the law of Moses, which, of course, prohibited idols. Thus, it is also possible that the term idolatrous is simply intended as an unusual synonym for apostate.
What will be seen from the arguments of the priests with Abinadi, they appear to espouse what will later be a religious idea associated with Nehor. They cannot be connected to Nehor because of differences in time and space, but they do appear to have a similar reinterpretation of Nephite religious ideals.