“For the Sake of Riches and Honor”

Brant Gardner

Mormon’s conclusion focuses on the most important fact: Nehor’s execution failed to end “the spreading of priestcraft through the land.” Nehor’s specific crime may have been killing Gideon, but Nehor’s true danger was in his ideas and words, which survived his death and continued to thrive. Mormon makes a close connection between priestcraft and “riches and honor,” which are markers of social hierarchy. Nehor preached a return to social stratification, which was signaled by the ostentatious wearing of costly apparel. Nehor’s religion was the antithesis of Benjamin’s covenant.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4

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