Mosiah 11

(Below is a list of questions and quotes that help me think about each verse as I read it. The numbers represent the verses in the chapter.)

Wickedness leads to misery and spiritual destruction. God sends prophets to help us repent and avoid misery.

1-19. What would you do if a parent or church leader suggested that some of your friends were having a bad influence on you? What would you do if a parent or church leader asked you to dress more appropriately for Sunday worship services? what would you do if the prophet said that you needed to change your entertainment standards? What did King Noah seek after? What influence did Noah's actions have on the people of the kingdom? How did the people and Noah share the responsibility for their sinfulness? What can you learn from these verses about how those you associate with influence your actions? What can you do to ensure that your peers and associates do not influence you away from the light of the gospel?

1. What hopes do you think Zeniff had in his son Noah?

2. What were some of the sins and iniquities that Noah indulged in? How many of these attitudes and actions do you see in those in the world around you? How many of them do you see in your friends and peers? How can recognizing these wicked traits in others help you choose company that will support and uplift your beliefs?

3. How did the people have to pay for the iniquities of their king? What iniquities exist in today's world that affect your quality of life? How can you overcome these things?

4. Compare the kingdom of King Noah to that of King Benjamin. Which king would you prefer to have rule over your land? Why? What qualities can you develop to emulate a good king? Who is the King of the earth? How can following the example of your Savior and king, bring joy and happiness into your life EVEN during times when evil reigns rampantly over the earth?

5. How did Noah change the church? Why did Noah need to choose new priests? What was wrong with the old ones that his father had? How would the old priests have counselled King Noah? How would they have responded to Noah's choice of lifestyle? How can you be like the old priests? When has standing up for what is right blessed your life?

6. Why did the people labor to support iniquity? Did they have a choice? What do people in today's world sometimes do that could be likened to laboring exceedingly to support iniquity? What can you do to be a good influence and example to those around you? How can you be sure that EVERYONE who knows you knows that you are a full supporter of righteousness?

7. How did Noah get the people to support him? What is flattery? Why are people so easily influenced and deceived by it? What flattering words do you hear world leaders deliver to the people? What flattering words are spoken by those you associate with? How can you discern the intent of those words? Have you ever felt the love of the prophet for you as he spoke in general conference? How can this feeling help you know that he wants what is best for you and that he is not preaching to increase his stature in your eyes?

8. How was King Noah's love for worldly things made apparent through his actions? How could he have used that wealth to better serve his people? How do you use your resources? Could you put them to better use?

9. How have the homes of today changed since the 1950's? How is the building of these homes much like the fine palace that King Noah built himself? How important to you is it to have a large showy home to live in? What elements of a home are most important to you?

10-11. How did the furnishings in the temple encourage laziness and idleness? How would you feel if you attended a meeting in which those who spoke were lying down during the entire presentation? In what way do you spend your idle time? How could you make it more productive?

12. Why do you suppose this high tower was important to King Noah? 

13. How were the taxes of the people spent? How do you expect the taxes you pay to be spent? Why is it so important that leaders who extract taxes from the people use that money for the good of the people rather than for their own worldly pursuits?

14. How did Noah and his priests spend their time? Where was King Noah's heart? How did the desires of King Noah's heart influence the desires that resided in the hearts of his people? How does the sin of immorality influence the presence of the Holy Spirit? how did this behavior hurt the whole kingdom? How does immorality in our day hurt and weaken society?

15. What fruit or crop did Noah have a special interest in? How did wine influenced the kingdom of King Noah? How does the consumption of alcohol influence individuals, families and communities today? In what way does it contribute to selfish desires? In what way does it encourage immoral behaviour?

16. How did the distraction of wickedness in King Noah's kingdom prevent them from identifying the more real threat from their enemies? Why does Satan seek to distract you from following the gospel plan? In what way does he seek to sneak in and destroy you as the Lamanites sought to do in King Noah's land?

17. How did King Noah respond when the Lamanites began to harass his people? What began to happen to the wealth of the people?

18-29. Are you more likely to repent when life is going well or when life is difficult? Why? Where King Noah's people doing well or not very well at this time? how did the Lord think they were doing? Who told the Nephites they needed to repent? how do you think they felt about the need to repent?

18. How did King Noah's army fare when they went against the Lamanites? In whose strength was their victory won? Why was it a temporary victory? How is seeking the power and influence of God in your life a blessing when the time comes for you to face your enemies (trials)? Who does the Lord support? How is it beneficial and desirable to have the Lord on your side when overcoming a challenge?

19. How did King Noah's people feel at this time about the shedding of blood? How do today's choices of entertainment encourage you to also delight in the shedding of blood? What can you do to ensure that feelings of that nature NEVER enter your heart?

20-25. According to these verses, what path were Noah and his people on? What did Abinadi teach them they could do to change their destination? How can you tell what path you are on? How do people switch paths today? Why do you think it is important to consider the path you are on?

20. Although King Noah and his people were choosing wickedness, how can you tell that the Lord still loved them and wanted to help them? Why does the Lord always raise a voice of warning before he allows destructions and challenges to come upon his people who have become lifted up in their own eyes? Who raises that voice today? How can listening to the prophet help protect and sustain you in the challenges that are to come?

21-25. What did Abinadi say would happen if the people chose not to repent? What did the people choose? What do you think the future will be like for those people? Has the prophet today given us any warnings about our future? What would you predict for our future if we do no heed the words of the prophets? How will your life be better if you follow the prophet? When has following the counsel of the living prophet kept your or someone you know out of trouble?

21. What did Abinadi tell the people they needed to do to overcome their enemies? What would the Lord tell you that you need to do to overcome your enemies (Satan)? If a people choose not to repent in what ways are they brought into bondage? What forms of bondage have you witnessed in the present?

22. Why is God described as a jealous god in this verse? Is this a negative or positive connotation? In what way does the word jealous help us to understand that we should NOT put any thing or any person above God? What are your spiritual priorities? Are they higher and more important to you than your material priorities? What do you need to do in your life to ensure that your priorities ALWAYS put God first?

23. What in our day holds people in bondage? In what ways can the indulgence in sin be considered a form of bondage? How easy is it to break free from bondage? What is the only thing that you can do to be delivered from the bondage of sin? Who is the only person that can deliver you from these shackles?

24. Why is the Lord sometimes slow to hear the cries of His people? How is this a blessing rather than a curse? How can you be sure that the Lord will answer your prayers?

"A repentant heart and good works are the very conditions required to have grace restored to us. When someone pleads fervently in prayer for an answer, the answer may be more conditioned on repentance of personal sins than on any other factor." - Gene R Cook, GC, April 1993

25. How sincere should your repentance be? Why does sincere and heartfelt repentance take considerable effort and time? Why is this necessary? Is the invested time and effort for your benefit or for the benefit of God? How does honest and sincere repentance bless your life and strengthen you against indulging in further wickedness?

26. Why do you think the people reacted angrily to Abinadi, who was only trying to help them? Why were the people angry with Abinadi and not with Noah, who had taxed them and caused them to support him in his iniquity? Why do you think they defended King Noah, who was leading them toward misery? Why do some people today reject servants of the Lord, like Abinadi, in favor of people like Noah? Why is it important to recognize and follow prophets of God?

27. How can you tell that King Noah really had no fear or respect for the power and love of the Lord? Knowing that King Noah was the son of a God fearing man, Zeniff, how is it possible that King Noah could be so completely unbelieving? What can you do to ensure that the righteous traditions that are passed down to you from your parents and grandparents are not forgotten or rejected? How does living the gospel bless your life?  How has it blessed the lives of your ancestors?

28. In what way did King Noah interpret the intentions and words of Abinadi? How is this an example of good begin called bad and bad being called good? Why do the wicked always misinterpret the pure intentions of the righteous? What examples of this phenomenon have you witnessed in your life? How does the Spirit help you discern what truly is good even though it is often labelled as bad?

29. What does it mean that the eyes of the people were blinded? What are some examples of behaviors and influences you believe Satan is working diligently to have good people become 'blinded' in today's world? What can you do to demonstrate humility when family members, Church leaders, and prophets encourage you to follow the word of God?