For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him.
This verse gives only a vague picture of Christ and his nature on earth. It does not describe his physical appearance, but rather teaches that people would misjudge him because they were expecting their Messiah to come in a more glorious or supernatural way. However, Abinadi teaches quite specifically about Christ and his nature. In Mosiah 15:2–4 Abinadi comments on the nature of Christ as both the Father and the Son: “And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—”(Mosiah 15:2). Jesus Christ attained Godhood in the pre-mortal life as stated by the Apostle John: “In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God. The same was in the beginning with God” (JST, John 1:1–2).
Christ was “the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (1 Nephi 19:10), and the leader of the children of Israel out of Egypt (see 1 Corinthians 10:1–4). Jesus’ coming among humankind begins with his birth and childhood. Isaiah had previously foretold the Redeemer’s birth (see Isaiah 7:14; 9:6), and in Isaiah 53 he describes his childhood. When studied in its context, Abinadi’s commentary provides a beautiful explanation of the life, the nature, and the roles of our Lord and Savior as he came “down among the children of men” (Mosiah 15:1).
Returning to Mosiah 15:2, Abinadi’s specific commentary is difficult to understand on a first or even a second reading. “And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son” (Mosiah 15:2). This verse refers to Jesus’ mortal ministry, when he would come to earth as a mortal and be called the Son of God; however, he would subject himself while in his mortal tabernacle to do the will of his Father in Heaven. The will of the Father was that Christ “be lifted up upon the cross; and after that [he] had been lifted up upon the cross, that [he] might draw all men unto [him], that as [he had] been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before [him], to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil” (3 Nephi 27:14). In other words, the Father’s will was for Christ to come and atone for all humankind. Thus while he would live upon the earth as the Son of God, he would carry out the will of the Father, and through divine investiture of authority would represent the Father. Therefore, he would be the Father and the Son while living upon the earth.
The above explanation by Abinadi in verse 2 qualifies as a commentary on the first phrase of Mosiah 14:2 (Isaiah 53:2): “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground.” By substituting nouns for pronouns, we get a clearer picture: “For he [Christ] shall grow up before him [ Elohim] as a tender plant.” A tender plant is one that must be given special care by the gardener. It may need to be covered at night to protect it from frost, uncovered during the day to enable it to absorb the light and sunshine, and watered at frequent or regular hours. In like manner, the Father cared for his Son throughout his early childhood.
Luke recalls that “the child [Jesus] grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). At age 12, he went with his parents on their annual passover trek to the temple. Upon their return, Jesus tarried behind—unknown to his parents. They supposed he was with others of the traveling group. Missing him at the end of the first day’s journey, they spent three days searching for him and found him conversing with the learned doctors of Judaism (see Luke 2:41–48). In response to his mother’s mild chastisement, he responded, “How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them” (Luke 2:49– 50). Even his mother seems not to have known the extent to which Heavenly Father had cared for him as a tender plant.
The phrase, “root out of dry ground,” may be interpreted as Christ growing up in apostate Judaism. In Revelation 22:16, Christ identifies himself as “the root and the offspring of David.” Both Mary his mother and Joseph his stepfather were descendants of David and of the lineage of Judah (see Matthew 1:1–17; Luke 3:23:38). Judah, as a nation, was spiritually barren and could not give him the nurturing he needed to prepare him for his ministry. Instead, his Heavenly Father nurtured him. His nurturing was perfect and prepared Christ for his ministry in due time. Joseph Smith taught that Jesus was prepared for his ministry long before he was thirty years of age, but waited to begin his ministry until the Father directed him.
When still a boy He had all the intelligence necessary to enable Him to rule and govern the kingdom of the Jews, and could reason with the wisest and most profound doctors of law and divinity, and make their theories and practice to appear like folly compared with the wisdom He possessed; but He was a boy only, and lacked physical strength even to defend His own person; and was subject to cold, to hunger and to death. [ TPJS, 392]
Being thus prepared, he carried out the will of the Father when the time came for him to fulfill his ministry.
Having referred to the ministry of Jesus, Abinadi comments on the nature of the Son of God during mortality that would enable him to finalize his ministry by bringing about the Resurrection. Christ was: “The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son” (Mosiah 15:3). Because he was conceived by an immortal being, his divine Father in Heaven, Jesus had immortality as a part of his own nature. Because he was born of a mortal woman, he was also part mortal. Being mortal he was subject to death and had power to lay down his life; being immortal he had power to break the bands of death, or take up his life. This is clearly taught to the Jews during his earthly ministry: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:17–18).
Possessing the power of the Father enabled him to overcome the grave and bring about the Resurrection. Through his dual nature he was the Father and Son, being immortal as well as mortal.
Abinadi’s explanation of Christ’s nature seems to be a commentary on the latter part of Isaiah 53:2; which says “He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him” (Mosiah 14:2). That Jesus had “no form nor comeliness” is the prophet Isaiah’s way of saying that he looked like a normal Jewish boy, and was not distinctive in his looks although he was the Son of God. People in Nazareth did not look upon him as different from his brothers and sisters or other children in the community. They referred to him as “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:54– 56) or “the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know” (John 6:42). His having “no beauty that we should desire him” is not an indication of ugliness or plainness, but is an example of poetic parallelism, a repetition of the same thought. It was another expression of the fact that he looked like any other child growing up in Nazareth. Abinadi’s commentary explains how this was possible: Christ was both mortal and the divine Son of God.
After describing the dual nature of the mortal Messiah, Abinadi adds one more dimension to his description of the Savior: “And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth” (Mosiah 15:4). This verse is a summation of the two previous verses spoken by Abinadi. The one God referred to is Jesus Christ. The plural “they” refers to the dual roles in his ministry and to his dual nature as the Father and the Son. He is the Son of God, but by divine investiture of authority he represents the Father in his ministry. Having immortality and mortality in his nature he has power over life and death. Thus he has all power in heaven and in earth. He is the divine Son of God with all the attributes of his Father to make the Atonement and bring about the Resurrection. His is in the role of the Father and the Son, and he is thus one God.
Abinadi’s statement that Christ is “the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth” (Mosiah 15:4) undoubtedly refers to the creative power of Christ as the Father of this earth and of other earths in the heavens. That Christ created this and other worlds is repeatedly taught in the New Testament (see John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). It is also confirmed in modern scripture (see D&C 14:9; 76:24; 93:10; Moses 1:31–33). A diagram (table 5 next page) of Abinadi’s teaching in Mosiah 15:2–4 would be thus: