Abinadi Applied Today

Mosiah 13:28- "Salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses."

We always say that the Book of Mormon was written for our day, but how could something that was written during the time the law of Moses was practiced really be written for us?  Well, the whole argument that people give us today saying that we believe we are saved by works and not grace is very similar to the priests who thought that they were saved by the law of Moses and ignored the atonement (so in this case they are actually arguing the other extreme, but either way Abinadi's answer is a true one).  Bruce R. McConkie gave an excellent application of Abinadi's teachings to thiis very point.

"Suppose we have the scriptures, the gospel, the priesthood, the Church, the ordinacnes, the organization, even the keys of the kingdom-everything that now is down to the last jot and tittle-and yet there is no atonement of Christ.  What then? Can we be saved?  Will all our good works save us?  Will we be rewarded for all our righteousness?
"Most assuredly we will not.  We are not saved by works alone, no matter how good; we are saved because God sent his Son to shed his blood in Gethsemane and on Calvary that all through him might ransomed be.  We are saved by the blood of Christ.
"To paraphrase Abinadi: 'Salvation doth not come by the Church alone: and were it not for the atonement, given by the grace of God as a free gift, all men must unavoidably perish, and this notwithstanding the Church and all that appertains to it.'"