Korihor Begins to Preach

After Ammon’s people were established in Jershon, and the Lamanites were driven out, the Nephites buried the dead. The year was 76 BC. So many Lamanites and Nephites had died that they were not counted. And after they were buried, and after the days of fasting, mourning, and prayer, there was continual peace throughout all the land. The people kept the Lord’s commandments, strictly observing God’s ordinances according to the law of Moses, for they were taught to keep it until it was fulfilled. There were no disturbances during all of 76 BC. During most of 75 BC, the seventeenth year of the judges’ reign, there was peace also. But toward the end of that year, a man came into the land of Zarahemla, who was Anti-Christ, for he preached against the prophecies of the coming of Christ.

There was no law against one’s beliefs, for passing a law that regulated one’s beliefs was strictly forbidden by God’s commands. For the scriptures say, “Choose for yourself whom you will serve.” If a man wanted to serve God, it was his privilege to serve Him. But if he did not believe in Him, there was no law to punish him for not believing.

Murder was punishable by death. And those who committed robbery and adultery were also punished for their wickedness, for the law judged and punished only according to the crimes committed. But there was no law against a person’s beliefs, for the equality of the people’s right to believe was to be upheld. This Anti-Christ, named Korihor, who could not be restricted by the law, began to preach that there would be no Christ. He said, “Oh you who are bound down under a foolish, vain hope. Why do you burden yourselves with such foolish things? Why do you look forward to a Christ when no one knows the future? What you call prophecies—things that you say have been handed down by holy prophets—are simply your forefathers’ foolish traditions. How do you know they are really true? You cannot know about things you do not see, so you cannot know there will be a Christ.

“You look ahead, saying that you see a remission of your sins. But this is the effect of a frenzied mind. Your derangement comes from your forefathers’ traditions, which lead you away to believe in things that are not true.”

Korihor said many other things, telling the people that an Atonement could not be made for the sins of men because every man prospered according to his own genius, conquering according to his strength, and that whatever he did was no crime. This is how he preached and led many hearts away, and inspired them to be proud in their wickedness. Korihor led away many women and men to commit sexual sins—telling them that it did not matter because death was the end of life.

He went over to Jershon to preach to Ammon’s people—the converted Lamanites—but they were more wise than many of the Nephites. They tied him and took him before Ammon, their high priest. Ammon had Korihor taken out of Jershon. Then Korihor preached in Gideon with no success, for he was bound again and taken before both the high priest and the chief judge over the land. The high priest, Giddonah, asked Korihor, “Why do you distort the Lord’s ways? Why do you interrupt this people’s rejoicing by teaching them that there will be no Christ? Why do you speak against all the prophecies of the holy prophets?”

Korihor replied, “I do this because I do not teach your forefathers’ foolish traditions. I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under foolish ordinances and performances given by ancient priests to get power and authority over the people, and to keep them in submission and ignorance. You say these people are free, but I say they are in bondage. You say those ancient prophecies are true, but I say you do not know they are true. You say these people are guilty, a fallen people, because of some long ago transgression of a parent. But I say that a child is not guilty of anything his parents do. You also say that Christ will come and be killed for the sins of the world, but I say you do not know this. This is how you lead these people away with your forefathers’ foolish traditions, according to your own desires. You keep them down like slaves, to glut yourselves on their labors, so that they do not dare boldly claim and enjoy their rights and privileges. They do not dare use what is theirs for fear of offending their priests, who burden them as they desire. Their priests bring them into submission by convincing them to believe in their own traditions, dreams, whims, visions, and made-up mysteries. The priests tell the people that if they do not obey them, that they will offend some unknown being, whom they say is God—a being who never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be.”

When Giddonah and the chief judge realized how hard Korihor’s heart was—that he would revile even against God—they made no reply. They had him bound and delivered to the officers, who took him to Zarahemla to be brought before Alma and the chief judge, the governor over all the land.

Standing before Alma and the chief judge, Korihor blasphemed as he had in Gideon. Korihor reviled against the priests and teachers, accusing them of leading the people away after their forefathers’ silly traditions in order to glut themselves on the labors of the people. When Korihor was finished, Alma said to him, “You know we do not glut ourselves on the labors of this people. I myself work with my own hands for my support, and have worked even from the beginning of the reign of the judges until now. I work even though I travel around the land to declare God’s word to my people. In spite of the many labors I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as a senine, nor have any of my brethren, except those in the judgment-seat. And even then, we have only been paid for our time, according to the law. Now, if we do not receive anything for our labor in the church, how do we profit other than by rejoicing with our brethren? So why do you say that we preach to get gain, knowing that we receive no pay? Do you really believe that these people have such joy in their hearts because we have deceived them?” “Yes,” answered Korihor. Alma then asked, “Do you believe there is a God?” Korihor answered, “No.” Alma asked him, “Will you deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? For I know there is a God, and I know that Christ will come. What evidence do you have that there is no God, or that Christ will not come? You only have your word, but I have all things as a testimony that these things are true, and so do you. Will you still deny them? Do you believe that what I say is true? I know you do, but you are possessed with a lying spirit, for you have put off the Spirit of God so that He has no place in you. The devil has power over you, and he carries you about, working his devices to destroy God’s children.”

Korihor replied to Alma, “If you will show me a sign to convince me that there is a God, and that He has power, then I will believe.” Alma responded, “You have had enough signs. Will you tempt your God when you have the testimony of all your brethren, and of all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before you, and all things witness that there is a God. Even the earth and all things upon it, its motion, and all the planets that move in their regulated times, all witnesses together that there is a Supreme Creator. With all these witnesses, will you deny them and continue to go about leading people away, testifying that there is no God?” Korihor answered, “Yes, I will deny these things, unless you show me a sign.”

Then Alma said, “I am sorry your heart is so hard. You will resist the spirit of the truth until your soul is destroyed. But it is better for your soul to be lost than for you to bring many souls down to destruction by your lying and flattering words. So if you deny God again, He will strike you so that you will not be able to speak again to deceive this people.”

Korihor then said, “I do not deny that a God may exist. I simply do not believe in Him. I also say that you do not know there is a God. And unless you show me a sign, I will not believe.” Alma said, “I will give this sign to you according to my words. In the name of God, you will never speak again.” After Alma said this, Korihor could not speak.

When the chief judge saw this, he wrote to Korihor, “Are you now convinced of God’s power? To whom did you expect Alma to show his sign? Did you want Alma to afflict others with a sign? Now that he has shown you a sign, will you continue to dispute?”

Korihor then wrote, “I know I cannot speak, and that nothing but God’s power could have brought this upon me. I always knew there was a God, but the devil deceived me. He appeared to me in the form of an angel, saying, ‘Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God, for there is no God.’ The devil taught me what to say. I taught his words because they were pleasing to my carnal mind. I taught them until I had great success, believing myself that they were true. This is why I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great curse upon myself.” Then Korihor begged Alma to ask God to take away his curse. But Alma replied, “If this curse were taken away, you would lead the hearts of this people away again. So it will remain upon you as the Lord wills it.” The curse was not taken off of Korihor, and he was sent out to wander from house to house, begging for food.

What happened to Korihor was immediately published throughout the land. A proclamation was sent forth by the chief judge to all the people in the land, declaring to those who had believed Korihor that they must speedily repent, or the same judgment would come upon them. The people were convinced of Korihor’s wickedness and were reconverted to the Lord, and the sins that Korihor had taught the people to commit came to an end.

As Korihor went begging among the Zoramites (people who had separated themselves from the Nephites), he was run over and trampled to death. From this we see the reward for those who distort the Lord’s ways. We learn that the devil will not support his children in the end, but he quickly drags them down to hell.