Abinadi was on trial for his life, and his defense had turned out to be very persuasive. His response caused the king and the priests to call a three-day recess to consider his words (17:6). Why might the priests have needed a three-day recess? One possibility is that Abinadi’s trial, as discussed above, may have occurred during the Feast of Pentecost, and traditionally the Feast of Pentecost was a three-day festival. They could not have trials on Sabbath days, and the three days of Pentecost are all considered holy days. This recess, therefore, may indicate that these priests—they claimed to live the Law of Moses—may be going through some of the motions required by the law. About a dozen Pentecost elements can be identified in the trial of Abinadi (see Table 1).
| Israelite Pentecost | Abinadi |
|---|---|
| Celebrating the first grain harvest | Cursed their grain (Mosiah 12:6) |
| Rejoicing in bounty | Sent hail, winds, insects (12:6) |
| Remembering deliverance from bondage in Egypt | Prophesied that the people would be brought back into bondage (11:21) |
| "Taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens" (Exodus 1:11) | "I will cause that they shall have burdens lashed upon their backs" (12:5) |
| Celebrating the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses (Exodus 20) | Sternly recited the Ten Commandments given to Moses (12:34–36; 13:15–24) |
| Moses’s face shone (Exodus 34:29) | Abinadi’s face shone (13:5) |
| Mount Sinai became like a furnace (Exodus 19:18) | Prophesied that Noah’s life would be like a garment in a furnace (12:3) |
| Stern condemnation of abominations | Stern condemnation of iniquity (12:2, 37) |
| A three-day festival (Exodus 19:11) | Cast into prison three days (17:6) |
| "The Lord will come down in the sight of all the people" (Exodus 19:11) | The Lord will come among the children of men (15:1) |
| Liturgical use of Psalms 50 and 82 | Use of elements from Psalms 50 and 82 |
| "Our God shall come" (Psalm 50:3) | "God … shall come down" (15:1) |
| "What hast thou to do to declare my statues?" (Psalms 50:16) | "What teach ye this people?" (12:27) |
| "[Thou] hast been partaker with adulterers" (Psalms 50:18) | "Why do ye commit whoredoms?" (12:29) |
| "I will testify against thee" (Psalm 50:7) | Abinadi testified against them (17:10) |
| Thanksgiving and devotion are better than sacrifice (Psalm 50:8–14) | Having the commandments "written in your hearts" is better than sacrifices (13:11, 30) |
| Sacrifices are not for nourishment (Psalm 50:12) | Sacrifices are to signify "types of things to come" (13:31) |
| In day of trouble, if righteous call upon him, he will deliver them (Psalm 50:15) | God will not hear the prayers of the wicked (11:25) |
| Qualifications required to "declare my statutes" (Psalm 50:16) | "If ye teach the law of Moses why do ye not keep it?" (12:29) |
| Condemn those who wrongfully become rich and commit whoredoms (Psalm 50:18) | Condemn those who wrongfully become rich and commit whoredoms (12:29) |
| "Tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver" (Psalm 50:22) | "Shall devour their flesh" and "none shall deliver them" (Mosiah 12:2; 11:23) |
| "Shew the salvation of God" (Psalm 50:23) | Showing "salvation" of God (12:21, 24, 31, 32; 13:27, 8; 15:14, 18, 24–31; 16:1) |
| "Children of the most High" (Psalm 82:6) | "His seed" (15:10) |
| Death (Psalm 82:7) | Death (15:19–20) |
| Judged by God (Psalm 82:8) | Judgment by God (15:21–16:12) |
John W. Welch, Gordon C. Thomasson, and Robert F. Smith, "Abinadi and Pentecost," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992), 135–38.
John W. Welch and Greg Welch, "Did Abinadi Prophesy against King Noah on Pentecost?," in Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1999), chart 124.
John W. Welch, "The Trial of Abinadi," in The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: BYU Press, 2008), 188–193.