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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