Mosiah 15 – 16
Heavenly Father performed the ordinance of resurrection for His perfect Son after which all men are raised by their patriarchal head (Christ must have started with Adam). The doctrine that those who were ignorant of law would receive an automatic salvation was possibly not taught during the days of Adam because all men at that time would have been taught. Adam was taught and he taught his children so there were none who were ignorant. On the other hand they may have taught the doctrine in reference to infants who died (if there were any) or in reference to the children of those who rebelled if there were any that they were unable to teach themselves. I hope this doctrine is what filled Abinadi in his final moments – “He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.” (Mosiah 16:9) The reason I hope this is that the doctrine in the words that Abinadi declared it here is so comforting to me since before I had any personal knowledge of death. Interestingly, Abinadi did not call for the priests to stop teaching, only for them to also teach of Christ. He was not trying to usurp their position.