#27 "All things denote there is a God"

Alma 30-31
Read Purpose in manual: Basically to see and recognize false doctrine and stay true to testimony.

Who is Korihor? Anti-Christ
Why do you think Mormon put the stories of Korihor, Sherem, Nehor, etc. in the Book of Mormon? So we can recognize the Anti-Christs, or Anti-Christ Doctrine (false doctrine) that come into our lives through tv, books, music, news broadcasts, and media in general, we know how to filter it out of our lives. The thing is we read these stories and say, “yes I can stay clear of someone who is speaking like this,” but, what about our day? You may come across people who are this brash but, as a whole this type of Korihor doctrine (false doctrine) comes in the ways we’ve already mentioned, and yet we don’t filter them out. By looking at the tools and falsehoods Korihor uses, then seeing how the people of Christ and Alma combat them can give us direction in our lives if we heed; which is listen and do, not just listen.

Korihor come to Zarahemla preaching against Christ and convert many, he continues to Jershon, the city where the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s (people of Ammon) live. He tries to preach but has a different result.

Alma 30:13 Korihor 1st tries to downgrade us by saying that we are foolish to live our religion, looking forward to Christ and when he comes again. Then he contradicts himself in the next 2 sentences. “Why do ye look for Christ”, he says there is no Christ then in the next sentence says, “No man can know of anything which is to come.” Well if no man can know of anything to come-then how does he “know” there is no Christ?

Kind of like this modern day contradiction. “Snickers really satisfies,” Does it really? I always want more afterwards, not to mention the guilt I feel for eating the 1st one and wanting another one.

Well How does Alma combat these contradictions?
30:20-21& 29 Be more wise. Like those Anti’s who lived in Jershon. They knew in there hearts, through the spirit that Christ lives and was coming. Their solution: they carried him out of the land bound up. Get rid of those snickers bars before they corrupt you! Ha ha

30:15 Korihor says you can’t know the things you can’t see. He tries to convince us using our senses and proven things.
In our day if we don’t get immediate results then it isn’t a great thing right? One example I thought of is if we were to live the word of wisdom, not just the don’ts, but the do’s we would have the ultimate diet plan, but that is too slow, so our world says try this diet, that exercise program-you’ll get fast results! How do we combat this tool?

30:40&44 Alma turns the question on him. What evidence do you have that there isn’t a god? He then gives Korihor the evidence of the very Earth that there is a god, not to mention the prophets testimonies and scriptural witnesses.

In other words, listen to those diets that fall under the word of wisdom, testimonies of those who have tried it know it works and what didn’t work. Sure we get results with fad exercise programs and diets but do they work long-term as well as short?

30:16 Korihor tries to use psychology, if you believe in religion you are unstable-your mind is not focused.
Because following our world of jumping from one thing to the next versus focusing on one good thing is bad right?

Let’s look at divorce for this one. Jumping from one spouse to another is the way the world tells us to be happy.

Alma combats this teaching with this: 30:35 if this people were deceived there would be no joy there, then they would be unfocused and going from one thing to the next. But there is more joy in focusing on the righteous counsel of the gospel.

Here is some powerful counsel from our currant apostle Dallin H. Oaks concerning divorce, see if you can recognize how to conquer this belief of spouse hopping being good.
“I strongly urge you and those who advise you to (divorce) face up to the reality, that for most marriage problems, the remedy is not divorce but repentance; often the cause is not incompatibility, but selfishness. The 1st step is not separation but reformation. Divorce is not an all-purpose solution, and it often creates long-term heartache. A broad-based international study of the levels of happiness before and after “major-life-events” found that on average, persons are far more successful in recovering their level of happiness after the death of a spouse than after a divorce. Spouses who hope that divorce will resolve conflicts often find that it aggravates them. Since the complexities that follow divorce especially where there are children-generate new conflicts. April 2007 Divorce

Also speaking of this same thing in Oct. 2005 he says, “No wonder our church is known as a family-centered church. No wonder we are distressed at the current legal and cultural deteriorations in the position of marriage and childbearing. At a time when the world seems to be losing it’s understanding of the purpose of marriage and the value of childbearing, it is vital that latter-day saints have no confusion about these matters.

So is there truth in the fact that sticking out gospel principles brings joy? Yes-I believe so.

30:22&34 Alma asks Korihor, “why do you interrupt rejoicings?” The people were happy here till you came around. There was peace and happiness, now there is wickedness and sin. These sins cause guilt, remorse, heartache etc. “Hello, knucklehead, wake up and see where the rejoicings come from”

30:17 Korihor states that everyone fares by their own merits and genius, that the atonement isn’t necessary.

We’ve already discussed 30:41&44 Combat this doctrine with witnesses of the atonement working in their lives, prophecies that have come to pass.

Korihor goes on a little tirade here and notice that he goes along and will insert a truth here and there to convince his audience.
30:23 ordinances usurp power- you are in ignorance
30:24 you can’t “know” prophecies are true.
30:25 puts 1 truth in all this that rings true with people- A child is not guilty because of his parents & finally ends with 30:26 & 30 Blaspheme in bible dictionary- willfully denying Christ, AFTER RECEIVING WITNESS, a perfect knowledge of him from the Holy Ghost is unforgettable sin. Korihor says there is no Christ.

This is relevant in our world now isn’t it “eat drink and be merry” Spend on Credit, buy now-pay later scheme- in the end rack up all the debt you can then leave it behind, it won’t matter as long as you enjoy what life has to offer. Right?

Alma combats this with 30:39 “I know there is a god and also that Christ will come” He testifies! He says it all matters because there is a purpose behind life and living as Christ and for Christ because in the end He will come and it will matter how we lived and what we did with the time allotted us.

30:42 Korihor tries to discredit Alma by saying you have a lying spirit and in
30:43 asks for a sign that Alma is right that there is a God.
30:44 Thou hast had signs enough 30:46 I am grieved because the hardness of your heart.
30:47 he combats by saying better that 1 soul lost than you bring many to destruction, deny God again and He will smite you dumb.
30:48 Korihor backpedals but still denies in the end.
30:50 Korihor struck dumb.
30:57 Alma sends a proclamation of those proceedings to people and they are convinced and reconverted.
There is another record of apostate people in Chapter 31 Zoramites, We know they are apostate because of these things we need to watch out for.
31: 1 bow down to dumb idols-worldly goods. But we don’t do that do we?
31:12 &23 Worship God Only 1 day week. We pray and serve each other, do callings all week right?
31:20 repetitive prayers
31:24-28 prideful people

So how does Alma combat this type of apostate?
31:5 Try the work of God on people
31:6 He took the greatest line-up of missionaries he could find.
31:31 Alma then prays-watch who and what he prays for-sometimes we need to keep the focus on us! We should pray for our enemies but Alma saw that perhaps this time he should pray for himself and his fellow missionaries. Watch what he prays for.
31:31 comfort, strength, patience; didn’t pray that they wouldn’t be bad but that he would have strength to get through afflictions that he could forsee from wicked people
31:32 comfort to fellows
31:33 strength to them to bear afflictions.
31:34Success in bringing them to Christ
31:35 They are precious (prays to keep in his mind that they(Zoramites) are precious and brothers) also prays for wisdom.

Here is the bottom Line.
30:60 “The devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell.
31:38 The Lord provided for them (his children) their afflictions, if any were swallowed up in Joy of Christ (Thanks to the atoning power)

Knowing this, whose side do you want to be on? Only way to show whose side is to live in such a way that you conquer false doctrines that leak into our homes by using the tools Alma and Gods people used and letting God and Christ do the rest. In the name of Jesus Christ AMEN!