Abinadi faces the priests of Noah, and through the inspiration of the Lord, he confounds “them in all their words” (v. 19). He is an example of what Jesus told his disciples would happen as they were confronted with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say” (Luke 12:11–12). The Holy Ghost was certainly with Abinadi.
Having failed to cross up Abinadi, one of the priests asks the meaning of Isaiah 52:7–10 (Mosiah 12:21–24). This question, on the good tidings that bring peace, opened the door for Abinadi to leave the priests without excuse for their teachings to their people. At the same time Abinadi was magnifying his priesthood (see Jacob 1:19). Abinadi does not answer the question of the meaning of the Isaiah passage at this time, but he does so later.