a) Abinadi taught the commandments, the need to repent, about the Savior and his role as the one who would feel the pains, sins, sorrows, and trials of his people, and about those who become the "seed" of the Savior, those who believe in Him and follow the prophets
b) the priests who are supposed to teach the people break the commandments, and in particular are known for sexual sins (harlots and concubines), laziness and drinking, and willingness to use the money of the people
c) the people believe that they are a great society, perfectly free of sins that God would condemn them for (see Mosiah 12: 12 And again, he saith thou shalt be as the blossoms of a thistle, which, when it is fully ripe, if the wind bloweth, it is driven forth upon the face of the land. And he pretendeth the Lord hath spoken it. And he saith all this shall come upon thee except thou repent, and this because of thine iniquities.
13 And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great sins have thy people committed, that we should be acondemned of God or judged of this man?
14 And now, O king, behold, we are aguiltless, and thou, O king, hast not sinned; therefore, this man has blied concerning you, and he has prophesied in vain.
d) priests believed salvation came from keeping the commandments (Mosiah 12 32 And they answered and said that salvation did come by the law of Moses.)e) many men were likely not committed to their wives and children as they should have been (perhaps because of sexual sin)
Here's what Alma does in Mosiah 18:
a) repents of his sins (verse 1 - repented of his sins and iniquities) compare this to the priests
b) taught words of Abinadi - particularly about Jesus Christ (verse 2 - 2 Yea, concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven.) learned from Abinadi
c) his core teachings included 1st principles of the gospel (verse 7 - And he did teach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord.) learned from Abinadi
d) several points about how to be a covenant keeping Christian (verses 8-9)
8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
Quick point - the priests taught that salvation came from law of Moses. Also, the people thought they were living fine lives. We also know that some of the people left behind their wives which shows they were not thinking of others as much as they thought of themselves. Here's what they actually said when Abinadi told them they needed to repent:
13 And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great sins have thy people committed, that we should be acondemned of God or judged of this man?
14 And now, O king, behold, we are aguiltless, and thou, O king, hast not sinned; therefore, this man has blied concerning you, and he has prophesied in vain.
15 And behold, we are strong, we shall not come into bondage, or be taken captive by our enemies; yea, and thou hast prospered in the land, and thou shalt also prosper.
It's not a coincidence that Alma emphasized the need to help others and continually be witnesses with a group of people that thought they were doing fine and that were actually trusting in God only one generation earlier (e.g., they prayed for help in fighting battles when Zeniff was king).
e) They had to teach what the prophets taught (as opposed to the priests of Noah who did not know the scriptures)
18 And it came to pass that Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests; even one priest to every fifty of their number did he ordain to preach unto them, and to teach them concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
19 And he commanded them that they should teach nothing save it were the things which he had taught, and which had been spoken by the mouth of the holy prophets.
f) Needed to keep the 10 commandments, specifically mentioning the Sabbath day
23 And he commanded them that they should observe the sabbath day, and keep it holy, and also every day they should give thanks to the Lord their God
g) Priests had to work for themselves, not get rich off of the people
24 And he also commanded them that the priests whom he had ordained should labor with their own hands for their support.
26 And the priests were not to depend upon the people for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the grace of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the knowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God.
h) They needed to worship together often so they wouldn't fall away.
25 And there was one day in every week that was set apart that they should gather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in their power, to assemble themselves together.
I am struck by how much the church was influenced by the struggles of the people in the area and also by Abinadi's teachings. Abinadi was teaching the wicked priests how to be righteous priests and in the process a righteous group of people were ready to be taught by a smart, humble servant Alma. Also, Alma appears to be heavily influenced by his experience as a priest since he emphasized priests must not be paid.
Context matters so much.
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