In every dispensation of the Gospel, wherever the people of the Lord abide, the antagonism that exists between the forces of good and those of evil find expression in the lives of those who deride the good and deny the truth. These forces continually oppose each other. They are at war. The word war, to some, may sound extreme; but it is not! The War in Heaven is a point in view. There, even before the earth was created, Lucifer, the son of the morning, led the rebellious and those who sought to usurp the power and the authority of God, to utter defeat. He was the leader of one-third of the heavenly hosts, and leads those who today clamor against the righteous and revile the good and the pure. Lucifer and his followers were cast out from heaven and he became Satan; they continue, even now, their rebellion and attempted usurpation. Men, inspired by Satan’s unholy desires, persecute the meek, and seek to bring to naught the purposes of the Lord.
It appears that in the heritage of the faithful, there is persecution. We need not be surprised at this, for we know there are many blessings that await those who are faithful and endure to the end. And, that is not all—true believers in Christ become stronger in their faith when they pass through affliction. When the great billows of adversity would almost overwhelm them, they rise to unprecedented heights of courage and fortitude. They remember the pains of their Redeemer, and resolve, their trials notwithstanding, to be “steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord.” (See V. 25)
The truth of these statements is upheld in the account of the Nephites in Alma’s second year as Chief Judge. The people were divided into two groups; those who believed and who took upon themselves the name of Christ, and those of them who did not.
Those who did not believe began to persecute those who did believe. False teachers began to increase among the Nephites; most of them were followers of Nehor. Class and class distinction, and social division developed rapidly in their midst. Those who loved the vain things of the world became the ready adherents to deceit and treachery. They became proud and overbearing, and bitter in their feelings towards the members of the true Church of Christ. Because of the humility and meekness of its believers, the unbelievers scornfully afflicted “them with all manner of words.” But the faithful, unmindful of the wrath and the belligerency of their opponents, labored unceasingly to minister to the wants of their fellows. The Sacred Record says, “They did impart the word of God, one with another, without money and without price.”