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CHAPTER 30Korihor, the antichrist, ridicules Christ, the atonement, and the spirit of prophecy—He teaches that there is no God, no fall of man, no penalty for sin, and no Christ—Alma testifies that Christ shall come and that all things denote there is a God—Korihor demands a sign and is struck dumb—The devil had appeared to Korihor as an angel and taught him what to say—He is trodden down and dies. [About 74 B.C.] |
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1 BEHOLD, now it came to pass that after
the apeople of Ammon were established in the land of
Jershon, yea, and also after the Lamanites were bdriven out
of the land, and their dead were buried by the people of the land—
2 Now their dead were not numbered because of the greatness of their numbers; neither were the dead of the Nephites numbered—but it came to pass after they had buried their dead, and also after the days of afasting, and mourning, and prayer, (and it was in the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) there began to be continual peace throughout all the land. 3 Yea, and the people did observe to keep the commandments of the Lord; and they were strict in observing the aordinances of God, according to the law of Moses; for they were taught to bkeep the law of Moses until it should be fulfilled.
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1a
Alma 27:26 b Alma 28:3 (2-3) 2a Alma 28:6 b TG Mourning 3a TG Ordinance b Alma 25:24 (2-3); Jarom 1:5; Mosiah 2:3; Alma 34:14 (12-14)
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4 And thus the people did have no disturbance in all the
sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of
Nephi.
5 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the seventeenth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace. 6 But it came to pass in the *latter end of the seventeenth year, there came a man into the land of Zarahemla, and he was aAnti-Christ, for he began to preach unto the people bagainst the prophecies which had been spoken by the prophets, concerning the coming of Christ.
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6*
[74 B.C.] a TG Antichrist; TG False Prophets b TG False Doctrine; TG Prophets, Rejection of
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7 Now there was no law against a aman's
bbelief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of
God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds.
8 For thus saith the scripture: aChoose ye this day, whom ye will serve. 9 Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege; or rather, if he believed in God it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him there was no law to punish him.
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7a
Alma 1:17 b Alma 18:13 8a Josh. 24:15; TG Agency
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10 But if he amurdered he was punished unto
bdeath; and if he crobbed he was also
punished; and if he stole he was also punished; and if he committed
dadultery he was also punished; yea, for all this
wickedness they were punished.
11 For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man's belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on aequal grounds.
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10a
TG
Murder b TG Capitial Punishment c Alma 1:18 d TG Adultery 11a Mosiah 27:3; Mosiah 29:32
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12 And this aAnti-Christ, whose name was Korihor,
(and the law could have no hold upon him) began to preach unto the people
that there should be bno Christ. And after this manner did
he preach, saying:
13 O ye that are bound down under a afoolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can bknow of anything which is to come. 14 Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.
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12a
TG
Antichrist b Jacob 7:2, 9; Alma 31:16, 29; Alma 34:5 13a 1 Cor. 1:25 (18-25) b Jacob 7:7
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15 How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things
which ye do not asee; therefore ye cannot know that there
shall be a Christ.
16 Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a afrenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so. 17 And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man afared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and bwhatsoever a man did was cno crime.
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15a
Hel. 16:20;
Ether 12:5-6, 19; TG Spiritual Blindness 16a Alma 26:24-25 17a Prov. 16:25; 2 Ne. 28:7 (5-9) b Alma 18:5; c Alma 1:4; Alma 8:31
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18 And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many,
causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away
many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms—telling them that when a
man was dead, that was the end thereof.
19 Now this man went over to the land of aJershon also, to preach these things among the people of Ammon, who were once the people of the Lamanites. 20 But behold they were more wise than many of the Nephites; for they took him, and bound him, and carried him before Ammon, who was a ahigh priest over that peoplea.
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20a Ammon, who was a high priest over that people Now we see that the structure of the 'Church' was not the same as that structure which the Messiah would institute among men after his time which would consist of 12 apostles and a presidency of the church. But the church in the time of Alma and Ammon was such that due to the divisions of the land and the remoteness thereof, each 'church' would have its own 'High Priest', which was not the same as the church in the land of Israel, for the High Priest in the days of Alma and Ammon was after the Order of the Son of God, or the high priesthood of Melchizedek. Yet neither was it the full structure which Christ would establish in his day with twelve aposltes as the judges of Israel an as his own special witnesses of His resurrection. |
19a
Alma 28:1, 8;
Alma 31:3 20a Alma 46:38
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21 And it came to pass that he caused that he should be carried
out of the land. And he came over into the land of Gideon, and
began to preach unto them also; and here he did not have much
success, for he was taken and bound and carried before the high
priest, and also the chief judge over the land.
22 And it came to pass that the high priest said unto him: Why do ye go about perverting the ways of the Lord? Why do ye teach this people that there shall be no Christ, to interrupt their rejoicings? Why do ye speak against all the prophecies of the holy prophets?
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23 Now the high priest's name was
Giddonaha. And Korihor said
unto him: Because I do not teach the foolish traditions of your
fathers, and because I do not teach this people to bind
themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances
which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and
authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, that they may not
lift up their heads, but be brought down according to thy words.
24 Ye say that this people is a free people. Behold, I say they are in bondage. Ye say that those ancient prophecies are true. Behold, I say that ye do not know that they are truea. 25 Ye say that this people is a guilty and a fallen people, because of the transgression of a parent. Behold, I say that a child is not guilty because of its parents.
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23a Now the high priest's name was
Giddonah Here again we see the structure of the Church, as it was
divided into sub-churches or 'regional-stake centers', that each had there
own 'High Priest' after the order of Melchizedek. And Giddonah was the High
Priest over the church in the land region of Gideon. Yet all were, as is the
seen order which Giddonah recognizes in delivering Korihor unto Alma, that
all are in turn under the head of the Church, the chief High Priest over all
of the land, who was Alma. 24a Ye say that those ancient prophecies are true. Behold, I say that ye do not know that they are true This is the case of the 'Prophetic Perfect Tense' of the scriptures. The prophets so spoke such prophecies in that tense which showed that they knew of certain the truth of such future events even as the truth of known past events. This Lehi did (see commentary 2 Nephi 3:16). |
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26 And ye also say that Christ shall come. But behold, I say that ye
do not know that there shall be a Christ. And ye say also that he shall be
slain for the asins of the world—
27 And thus ye lead away this people after the foolish traditions of your fathers, and according to your own desires; and ye keep them down, even as it were in bondage, that ye may glut yourselves with the labors of their hands, that they durst not look up with boldness, and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges. 28 Yea, they durst not make use of that which is their own lest they should offend their priests, who do yoke them according to their desires, and have brought them to believe, by their traditions and their dreams and their whims and their visions and their pretended mysteries, that they should, if they did not do according to their words, offend some unknown being, who they say is God—a being who anever has been seen or known, who bnever was nor ever will be.
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26a
Isa. 53:6 (4-12) 28a 2 Ne. 28:5 b Alma 30:53
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29 Now when the high priest and the achief judge
saw the hardness of his heart, yea, when they saw that he would
brevile even against God, they would not make any reply to
his words; but they caused that he should be bound; and they delivered him up
into the hands of the officers, and sent him to the land of Zarahemla, that
he might be brought before Alma, and the chief judge who was governor over
all the land.
30 And it came to pass that when he was brought before Alma and the chief judge, he did go on in the same manner as he did in the land of Gideon; yea, he went on to ablaspheme. 31 And he did rise up in great aswelling words before Alma, and did revile against the bpriests and teachers, accusing them of leading away the people after the silly traditions of their fathers, for the sake of glutting on the labors of the people.
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29a
Alma 4:17 b TG Reviling 30a TG Blasphemy 31a Hel. 13:22; TG Boasting b Alma 23:4
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32 Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves
upon the labors of this people; for behold I have alabored
even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine
bown hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels
round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people.
33 And notwithstanding the many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even one asenine for my labor; neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the judgment-seat; and then we have received only according to law for our time. 34 And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the ajoy of our brethren?
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32a
TG
Labor;
TG
Self-sacrifice b Acts 20:34 (33-35); 1 Thes. 2:9; Mosiah 18:24 33a Alma 11:3 34a TG Joy
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35 Then why sayest thou that we preach unto this people to get gain,
when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain? And now, believest
thou that we deceive this people, that acauses such joy in
their hearts?
36 And Korihor answered him, Yea.
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35a
Matt. 7:16
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37 And then Alma said unto him: Believest thou that there is a
God?
38 And he answered, Nay. 39 Now Alma said unto him: Will ye deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come.
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40 And now what evidence have ye that there is no
aGod, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye
have none, save it be your word only.
41 But, behold, I have all things as a atestimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true? 42 Behold, I know that thou abelievest, but thou art possessed with a blying spirita, and ye have put coff the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you; but the devil has power over you, and he doth carry you about, working devices that he may destroy the children of God.
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42a thou art possessed with a lying spirit This may seem to be a gross thing to be so 'possessed' by a lying spirit, but oh how easy it is to tell a little lie of convience rather than to speak the truth in one's every day conversations. And is not this the beginnings of so being so easily beset and even possessed by a lying spirit that it is easier and more convienent to tell the little lie than to at all times speak the truth. |
40a
Ps. 14:1 41a TG Testimony 42a Acts 26:27; Jacob 7:14; Mosiah 12:30; Alma 30:52 b Jer. 27:10; Rom. 3:3-4; Mosiah 2:32 c 1 Sam. 16:14
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43 And now Korihor said unto Alma: If thou wilt show me a
asign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea,
show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of
thy words.
44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of aall these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the bearth, and call things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its dmotion, yea, and also all the eplanets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator. 45 And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these awitnesses? And he said: Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.
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43a
John 6:30;
Jacob 7:13-21; D&C 46:9 (8-9); TG Sign Seekers 44a Mosiah 13:33-34 b Job 12:8 (7-10); TG Nature, Earth c D&C 88:47 d Hel. 12:15 (11-15) e Moses 6:63; TG Astronomy 45a TG Witnesses
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46 And now it came to pass that Alma said unto him: Behold, I am
grieved because of the hardness of your heart, yea, that ye will
still resist the spirit of the
trutha, that thy soul may be
destroyed.
47 But behold, it is abetter that thy soul should be blost than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words; therefore if thou shalt deny again, behold God shall smite thee, that thou shalt become dumb, that thou shalt never open thy mouth any more, that thou shalt not deceive this people any more.
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46a that ye will still resist the spirit of the truth To many the telling of a lie becomes the nature of their ways and they would just as soon speak a lie as to be bothered by the truth. In this is the spirit of the truth rebelled against. While it does not seem very troublesome in comparision to the personal convience which the lie might provide the author of it, it is a matter which does desensifies the soul to the truth and the spirit thereof. Thus it becomes us to live in the way of truth and to avoid the lies of convience, which are the little things which leads the souls of men down the path to rebellion against God. |
47a
1 Ne. 4:13 b Mosiah 27:16
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48 Now Korihor said unto him: I do not deny the existence of a
God, but I do not believe that there is a
Goda; and I say also,
that ye do not know that there is a God; and except ye show me a
sign, I will not believe.
49 Now Alma said unto him: This will I give unto thee for a sign, that thou shalt be astruck dumb, according to my words; and I say, that in the name of God, ye shall be struck dumb, that ye shall no more have utterance. 50 Now when Alma had said these words, Korihor was struck dumb, that he could not have utterance, according to the words of Alma.
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48a I do not deny the existence of a God, but I do not believe that there is a God Now Korihor did always believe that there was a God, therefore this was a lie to state that he did not believe that there is a God. And thus the sign of denial, of this lie, was carried forth upon Korihor. |
49a
Luke 1:20;
Acts 13:11 (8-12)
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51 And now when the chief judge saw this, he put forth his hand
and wrote unto Korihor, saying: Art thou convinced of the power
of God? In whom did ye desire that Alma should show forth his
sign? Would ye that he should afflict others, to show unto thee
a sign? Behold, he has showed unto you a sign; and now will ye
dispute more?
52 And Korihor put forth his hand and wrote, saying: I know that I am dumb, for I cannot speak; and I know that nothing save it were the apower of God could bring this upon me; yea, and I always bknew that there was a God. 53 But behold, the devil hath adeceived me; for he bappeared unto me in the cform of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me: There is dno God; yea, and he taught me that which I should saya. And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the ecarnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great fcurse upon me.
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53a and he [Lucifer/Satan/the Devil] taught me that which I should say It is significant that here is scriiptural evdidence that such as these false doctrines, as were taught by Korihor, were 'false corrupt doctrines spoken directly from the mouth of Satan, that is Lucifer the Devil. Thus when one hears such as these doctrines one ought to readily recognize and know that they ARE NOT just someone's mind reflection upon the matter, but they are doctrines which are being pushed and advocated by Satan and those who speak them are working in some degree of league with the Devil. |
52a
2 Chr. 13:20 b Alma 30:42 (41-42) 53a Jacob 7:14, 18 b 2 Ne. 9:9 c 2 Cor. 11:14 d Ps. 10:4 (2-11); Alma 30:28 e TG Carnal Mind f TG Curse
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54 Now when he had said this, he besought that Alma should pray unto
God, that the acurse might be taken from him.
55 But Alma said unto him: If this curse should be taken from thee thou wouldst again lead away the hearts of this people; therefore, it shall be unto thee even as the Lord willa. 56 And it came to pass that the curse was not taken off of Korihor; but he was acast out, and went about from house to house begging for his food.
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55a it shall be unto thee even as the Lord will While Alma would not pray to remove the curse from Korihor, for he had decerned his nature, Alma did not supose to command God. Thus he in fact did leave it between Korihor and the Lord, that it would be according to the will of the Lord. Now if Korihor was of a truly repentant nature, it would have been up to Korihor to make his peace with God. Since Korihor had turned his back upon the spirit of the Lord, this would be an overwhelming task which Korihor did not persue. Thus beyond showing the sign in Korihor according to the demands of Korihor, Alma still left the final judgment of this man to be between that man and the Lord. |
54a
Num. 12:13 (9-15) 56a Dan. 5:21
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57 Now the knowledge of what had happened unto Korihor was
immediately published throughout all the land; yea, the proclamation was sent
forth by the chief judge to all the people in the land, declaring unto those
who had believed in the words of Korihor that they must speedily repent,
alest the same judgments would come unto them.
58 And it came to pass that they were all convinced of the wickedness of Korihor; therefore they were all converted again unto the Lord; and this put an end to the iniquity after the manner of Korihor. And Korihor did go about from house to house, begging food for his support.
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57a
John 5:14
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59 And it came to pass that as he went forth among the people, yea,
among a people who had separated themselves from the Nephites and called
themselves aZoramites, being led by a man whose name was
Zoram—and as he went forth amongst them, behold, he was run upon and
trodden down, even until he was bdead.
60 And thus we see the end of him who aperverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not bsupport his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to chell.
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59a
Alma 31:7-8 b Jer. 28:16 (15-17); Jacob 7:20 (1-20) 60a TG Lying b Alma 3:27 (26-17)18; Alma 5:42 (41-42); D&C 29:45 c TG Hell
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