Alma 30:35-42

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 causes such joy in their hearts?

36  And Korihor answered him, Yea.

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.

40  And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, 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 testimony 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 believest, but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off 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.

Alma 30:35-42 (Emphasis mine)

Alma(2) continues to question Korihor.  He first asks if he still believes that “we” deceive the people.  You know, he tells him, we aren’t paid for this, yet you continue to lie about this.  Is this what you believe?

Korihor continues to dig himself into a deeper hole by stating that yes, that’s what he believes.

15  ¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16  Ye shall know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew 7:15-20 (Emphasis mine)

He is then challenged to provide evidence there is no God or Christ.  We only have your word, Alma(2) points out.  I have a testimony and know these things are true. 

Alma(2) then shows Korihor that he’s on to him.  He says that he knows he believes, but that he had a lying spirit and allowed the devil have power over him.  Will he deny these things.  “He showed that Korihor was deliberately misinterpreting everything, being ‘possessed with a lying spirit’ (Alma 30:42). He answered him patiently, point by point, but it was his exemplary restraint that gave Korihor the lie.” [1] (Emphasis mine)

1  THE fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.  They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Psalms 14:1 (Emphasis mine)

Hugh Nibley adds:

“And in verse 40 Alma said, ‘And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not?’ See, you can never prove a negative. You can't prove to me absolutely now as we are standing and sitting here that there is not a kangaroo behind that desk. There could very well be. I don't know, but there could be. You can't prove that there isn't, as you go down there. You can't prove a negative, in other words, but you can prove a positive. On the other hand we ‘have all things as a testimony 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? . . . Behold, I know that thou believest, but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you.’ “ [2] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Freemen and King-men in the Book of Mormon, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 18, 2011.

[2] Lecture 54: Alma 30-31, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 18, 2011.

Alma 30:29-34

29  Now when the high priest and the chief judge saw the hardness of his heart, yea, when they saw that he would revile 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 blaspheme.

31  And he did rise up in great swelling words before Alma, and did revile against the priests 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.

Alma 30:29-31 (Emphasis mine)

The high priest and chief judge realized that it wasn’t worth their time to continue dealing with Korihor.  They ignored him and decided to send him to Alma(2). 

When he arrived and stood before Alma(2), he continued to insult the priests and teachers for believing in the silly traditions of the past.  He also accused the priests and teachers of living off the labors of the people. 

I can’t help but believe he was enjoying all this attention.  All these important people were giving him attention and listening to him.  It didn’t matter they rejected his teachings.  I am convinced he felt he had finally arrived when he stood before Alma(2).  He was really going to show them.

Then Alma(2) responded to his accusations.

32  Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people; for behold I have labored even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine own 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 senine 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 joy of our brethren?

Alma 30:32-34 (Emphasis mine)

Alma(2) begins with the word “Thou knowest.”  He is making sure Korihor knows he knows he is lying.  Even though he knows his charges are false, that doesn’t stop him from making them. 

He reminds him that he supports himself by working for his money.  He reminds him that he has never received even a senine for his work.  (This would be like us saying that we have never received a penny for our service to the Church.)  Not only has he not received anything, no one has received a penny for their service.

He does qualify his statement with the time they had served in the judgment-seat, but that what they received was in accordance with the law. 

Then he hits Korihor with a very powerful argument.  You claim we teach the traditions of our fathers for profit.  I’ve proved that we don’t profit from our service paid, so that claim is not valid.  With that in mind, we labor in the church to declare the truth.  There is no other reason. 

32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

33  I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.

34  Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

35  I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Acts 20:32-35 (Emphasis mine)

Lindon Robison reminds us that the only compensation many of these men received were spiritual.

“The sons of Mosiah were motivated to do missionary work among the Lamanites because they could not bear that any human soul should perish and endure endless torment (Mosiah 28:3). Alma declared that his joy was in being an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance. He added that his joy was more full because of the success of his brethren (Alma 29:9, 14). Later, Alma declared that his reward for his service to the Church was the happiness he felt because of the joy of his brethren (Alma 30:34).” [1]  (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Economic Insights from the Book of Mormon, Lindon J. Robison, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 17, 2011.

Alma 30:19-28

19  Now this man went over to the land of Jershon 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 high priest over that people.

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.

Alma 30:19-21 (Emphasis mine)

After his success among the Nephites, he went to preach to the Ammonites.  They saw through him and his teachings and took him before Ammon, the high priest.  He decided to kick him out of the land of Jershon.

Having failed among the Ammonites, he went to the land of Gideon.  This where Alma(2) had successfully established a church there about ten years earlier.  They were still faithful and committed to the gospel taught them by Alma(2).  They rejected Korihor and took him before the high priest and the chief judge.

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?

23  Now the high priest's name was Giddonah.  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 true.

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.

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 sins 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 never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be.

Alma 30:22-28 (Emphasis mine)

The high priest challenges Korihor.  Why are your perverting the ways of the Lord?   Why do you teach there is no Christ?  Why do you speak against the prophets and their prophecies?

Korihor comes up with a laundry list of complaints.

The problem is I don’t teach the foolish traditions of your fathers.

I don’t teach the people to bind themselves under foolish ordinances.

The people are in bondage.

You don’t know the prophecies are true.

You don’t know that there shall be a Christ.

You keep the people down to glut yourselves with their labor.

The people are afraid of offending the priests.

This is quite a list.  And it would mean something if it were true.

Richard Rust puts Korihor’s efforts in proper perspective.

“With ‘great swelling words’ (Alma 30:31), Korihor depends on the power of rhetoric and word choice (diction) to cow the church leaders and win over the people. When Giddonah, the high priest of Gideon, asks him why he speaks ‘against all the prophecies of the holy prophets(Alma 30:22), Korihor says first it is because of what he does not do: ‘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’ (Alma 30:23).

“Then he sets up the argument that it is the priest's word against his word. Sarcastically, he uses loaded language that puts down the position of the priests and makes them seem to be the oppressors of the people.” [1] (Emphasis mine)

Hugh Nibley adds:

“Korihor was out to free the human mind from ‘foolish traditions of your fathers’ and from the ‘foolish ordinances and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance’ (Alma 30:23). His method was to subject all the claims of prophetic religion to a rigorous examination based on his own experience of things: ‘I say that ye do not know that there shall be a Christ’ (Alma 30:26). The motive for this rule of ignorance, he says, is to keep people down, so that their leaders ‘may glut yourselves with the labors of [the people's] hands . . . and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges. Yea, they durst not make use of that which is their own,’ being kept in line by the priests with ‘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 . . . a being who never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be" (Alma 30:27—28).’ [2] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] "To Show unto the Remnant of the House of Israel" - Narrators and Narratives, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 16, 2011.

[2] The Way of the "Intellectuals", Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 16, 2011.

Alma 30:12-18

12  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, saying:

13  O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things?  Why do ye look for a Christ?  For no man can know 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.

15  How do ye know of their surety?  Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; 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 frenzied 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 fared 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 whatsoever a man did was no crime.

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.

Alma 30:12-18 (Emphasis mine)

The Anti-Christ, Korihor, began preaching to the people.  There would be no Christ.  How can any man know about what the future will bring.  Your so-called prophecies are nothing more than foolish traditions.  There shall be no Christ. 

He called this a derangement of their minds because of the foolish traditions of their fathers.  He continued and claimed there would be no atonement.  Everything was up to each person.  They succeeded because of their genius.  Whatever a man does isn’t a crime.

After all they had been through, you would expect the people would reject this, but no.  Many bought into Korihor’s preaching, left the church, and began living a wicked life.  And, they probably justified to themselves, why not?  When we die, that’s it.  It’s all over.  Wickedness became a part of some people’s lives. 

I have a friend who left the Church.  He never would tell my why he left.  One time we were talking, and he told me “It’s amazing how much fun you can have when you don’t have to live the way your supposed to.”  (He did say he didn’t like being told how he should live.)  I responded, “I don’t know.  I live they way I live because I decided long ago that this was the best way for me to live my life.  And, it’s never stopped me from having fun.”

I can only assume that those who turned their back on the principles they once believed were never truly converted to the gospel and understood the joy and happiness one gets by living the gospel.

22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:22-25 (Emphasis mine)

25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

 Proverbs 16:25 (Emphasis mine)

John Clark observes:

“The Book of Mormon preserves statements from three apostates—Sherem, an Amalekite follower of Nehor, and Korihor—who denied the revelations foretelling the coming of Christ because they did not believe that people could know of future events (see Jacob 7:7; Alma 21:8; 30:15). Through much of his dialogue with Alma, Korihor played the role of an agnostic, or one who does not deny the existence of God but believes it is not possible to come to an ultimate certainty about him. He argued that since the future is outside the realm of human experience, it is unknowable, and to believe in something that cannot be tested empirically is to embrace a vain and foolish hope (see Alma 30:13).” [1] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Painting Out the Messiah: The Theologies of Dissidents, John L. Clark, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 15, 2011.