Abinadi and Speaking Truth to Power

In Sunday School today we learned about Abinadi (prounounced in my head as the Germans say it, AH-bin-AH-dee), and his return to the city (don't ask me which city, the reading starts in Mosiah 12, and that information came earlier) to face King Noah and the wicked priests. For Mormons, this is pretty standard fare. In a pattern that existed since the early books of the Old Testament, prophets have been standing up and getting shot at, so I imagine Christians of all sorts recognize the pattern. But Noah's priests have some interesting rhetoric.

So Abinadi calls the people to repentance, smite-style. 
2. Thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that this generation, because of their iniquities, shall be brought into bondage, and shall be smitten on the cheek; yea, and shall be driven by men, and shall be slain; and the vultures of the air, and the dogs, yea, and the wild beasts, shall devour their flesh.
So of course they're mad, and tell Noah. They throw him in prison and then hold a sort of trial while the priests have time to prepare a defense. So eventually Noahs' priests come back with:
21. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth[.]
 And Abinadi responds by going over the ten commandments. Go figure. It feels like such a non sequitur, except that Sunday School students don't even notice non sequiturs anymore. But that's not my point. My point is that the wicked priests' response is not at all a non sequitur. I can actually see what they're driving at pretty clearly. What right does Abinadi have to harsh their mellow? We don't speak like that to our neighbors, even when we disagree with their life choices. We shouldn't even speak like that to our siblings, when we disagree with their life choices. So what makes Abinadi different? Why shouldn't we exercise our freedom of speech like that?

I think there are two factors: Abinadi's authority, and the unique nature of his audience. Abinadi was called of God specifically to speak those words, and the people he was speaking to were at once the members of the church and the elders of the church, who were supposed to be led by a prophet - Abinadi - , and the government who were supposed to be just. So both the speaker and the listeners were under an obligation to communicate in this pattern.

I don't really feel like saying these kinds of things. Ever. I sort of followed this inquiry to find out what the special circumstances were for ignoring political correctness, and it turns out, they'll never apply to me. My position in relation to those who believe and act differently than my own personal standards is clear: show love, and hold steadfast in my own beliefs and behaviors. Follow the warnings of my leaders. Somebody else will sort it all out later.

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