A history of D'oh

Had to be there

Editor's note: We're veering away from the Bible this week to bring our Mormon friends an excerpt from the Book of Mormon.

Abinadi, everyone loves him. Stalwart to the end, he gave his life bearing testimony of Christ. I imagine him to be the rough and rugged type, not really the gray-bearded and aging prophet the paintings and cartoons make him out to be.

He was awesome. He could go toe to toe in religious debate with the wicked King Noah and his priests all day and night.

But the usually steel-trap-minded Abinadi only made, from what I can tell, one mistake.

In Mosiah, where we hear Abinadi's story, he's preaching to the king and priests and proclaiming the need for them to repent.


Surprise, surprise, they don't like this very much and try to kill him, but Abinadi escapes and hides for two years. And then he comes back in disguise and began to prophesy among them, saying,

Mosiah 12:1
"...Thus has the Lord commanded me, saying—Abinadi, go and prophesy unto this my people..."

Now, if you're going to go to the trouble of rounding up a disguise, which weren't exactly common back then, how soon are you going to give your cover away?

Abinadi did it in his first sentence. And I'm sure that as soon as he did, a slight "D'oh!" escaped his lips.

Fortunately, a lot of good came from Abinadi's mission as a prophet, which is the likely reason this part of his story gets skipped in Sunday School.

And now, for your enjoyment, "D'oh!" which has now been made famous by blundering buffoon and cartoon TV dad Homer Simpson.