“Ye Shall Suffer, as I Suffer, the Pains of Death by Fire”

Brant Gardner

This curse might appear to be the same as that in verse 18 below, which is fulfilled in Mosiah 19:20–21 when Noah’s subjects burn him alive. This event clearly parallels Abinadi’s death. However, Abinadi’s curse does not actually seem to refer to this particular prophecy and therefore is not its fulfillment.

In Abinadi’s prophecy, it is the faithful who will suffer death by fire, not the unfaithful (as was Noah). The language is possibly ambiguous, but the prophecy seems to state that the seed of these wicked people (whether actual seed, spiritual seed, or both, is not clear) will cause the faithful to suffer the pangs of death by fire. This event is probably that witnessed by Alma and Amulek and is recorded in Alma 14:8.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 3

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