Thursday, July 9, 2020

Jacob 7:1-4


Chapter 7

Sherem denies Christ, contends with Jacob, demands a sign, and is smitten of God—All of the prophets have spoken of Christ and his atonement—The Nephites lived out their days as wanderers, born in tribulation, and hated by the Lamanites. About 544–421 B.C.

1 AND now it came to pass after some years had passed away, there came a man among the people of Nephi, whose name was Sherem.
2 And it came to pass that he began to preach among the people, and to declare unto them that there should be no Christ.  And he preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ.
3 And he labored diligently that he might lead away the hearts of the people, insomuch that he did lead away many hearts; and he knowing that I, Jacob, had faith in Christ who should come, he sought much opportunity that he might come unto me.
4 And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.
Jacob 7:1-4

At the end of Chapter 6, Jacob bids us farewell.  This could well be an indication that he intended to end his book there, but something happened. 

He begins Chapter 7 with the words “after some years had passed away…”  The even that occurs in Chapter 7 is one of importance, so it makes sense Jacob would add this event.

A man named Sherem came among the Nephites.  We know nothing about Sherem.  We have no idea who he was nor where he came from.  Sidney Sperry speculates that Sherem was an apostate who taught false doctrine.[1]  John Tvedtnes raises and interesting question.  “[T]he antichrist Sherem (Jacob 7) may have been an outsider. Jacob wrote of him, ‘there came a man among the people of Nephi’ (Jacob 7:1). Does this mean that he was not a Nephite?”[2]

Sherem began to preach to the Nephites.  He declared, “there should be No Christ.”  He flattered the people through his preaching.  He desired to “overthrow the doctrine of Christ.”

We will see antichrists in the future of the Book of Mormon.  Alma2 had to deal with Korihor.  “And this Anti–Christ, whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him) began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ.  And after this manner did he preach…” (Alma 30:12).

Aaron, preaching to the Amalekites, was told, “And the man said unto him: We do not believe that thou knowest any such thing.  We do not believe in these foolish traditions.  We do not believe that thou knowest of things to come, neither do we believe that thy fathers and also that our fathers did know concerning the things which they spake, of that which is to come” (Alma 21:8).

What is an antichrist?  How should we deal with one?

Both Sherem and Korihor could be called antichrists in their opposition to Christ and his servants (Jacob 7:2, Alma 30:6). With anti- meaning “against” (as a person’s reflection in a mirror is against the real person), an antichrist might also be a counterfeit. That is, the antichrist might act and speak in clever imitation of Christ, as in showing feigned compassion for the multitude. The difference, as in William Blake’s etchings of Jesus and Satan, is in the eyes. From this perspective, the men of Christ—Jacob and Alma—are counterfeited by Sherem and Korihor, who make claims to supplant them in the religious leadership of the people. The accounts of these conflicts show the remnant of Israel both the spiritual strength of two of their “fathers,” Jacob and Alma, and the personality of the deceiver and how to detect him.[3]

He worked constantly to Lead away the hearts of the people.”  Here we see the beginning of a pattern in Nephite society.  “[Sherem] did lead away many hearts.” We will see that, whenever there are attempts to lead the Nephites away from Christ, many will fall into the devil’s trap.

Sherem wasn’t satisfied with just preaching to the Nephites.  He wanted to confront Jacob.

Jacob gives us an interesting description of Sherem.  “[H]e was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people.”  If Sherem were a Nephite, it would be obvious that he could speak the language of the Nephites.  Yet, Jacob felt this point was important to make.  This implies that there were others living here in the Americas.  It is probable that Sherem was not a Nephite; he was an outsider coming among the Nephites.

“The aged Jacob’s dramatic dialogue with the antichrist Sherem is the culmination of his ministry and a fitting close to the book of Jacob.  To this prophet, who has such power of convicting speech and such a comprehensive view of God’s dealings with Israel, comes Sherem, described as ‘learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil’ (Jacob 7:4). Testing his skills on the high priest, Sherem is patronizing and sarcastic as he tries to shake Jacob from the faith and accuses Jacob of the crimes of leading the people into false forms of worship, blasphemy, and false prophecy…”[4]


[1] What the Book of Mormon Is, Sidney Sperry, Maxwell Institute.
[2] New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute.
[3] “To Show unto the Remnant of the House of Israel” – Narrators and Narratives, Maxwell Institute.
[4]Ibid.

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