Nehor used flattery and false doctrine to attract followers and attack the church of God. His teachings were popular because they excused sin in the name of religion. He encouraged wickedness, rationalizing that “in the end, all men should have eternal life” regardless of their personal behavior (Alma 1:4).
Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles urged us to have the courage to reject modern-day Nehors and their popular messages: “Nehor’s words appealed to the people, but his doctrine, while popular to many, was incorrect. As we face the many decisions in life, the easy and popular messages of the world will not usually be the right ones to choose, and it will take much courage to choose the right” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 88–89; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 67).
In Alma 1:4 Nehor taught that “all men should have eternal life.” Verse 16 states that priestcraft was “preaching false doctrines … for the sake of riches and honor.” One of the false doctrines often promoted by those guilty of priestcraft is that “all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble” (verse 4). A major problem with priestcraft is that there is no teaching of repentance, “For they were of the profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins” (Alma 15:15).
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles instructed gospel teachers to look to the Savior and to help their students do the same: “A gospel teacher will never obscure [students’] view of the Master by standing in the way or by shadowing the lesson with self-promotion or self-interest. This means that a gospel teacher must never indulge in priestcrafts, which are ‘that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world’ (2 Nephi 26:29). A gospel teacher does not preach ‘to become popular’ (Alma 1:3) or ‘for the sake of riches and honor’ (Alma 1:16). He or she follows the marvelous Book of Mormon example in which ‘the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner’ (Alma 1:26). Both will always look to the Master” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 102; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 79).