“Korihor—Anti-Christ”

Ed J. Pinegar, Richard J. Allen

There is in human history the perpetual conflict between the ephemeral word of the anti-Christ and the eternal word of God. Along life’s pathways we will not infrequently encounter travelers who actively campaign against the truths of the gospel. But the prideful cunning of the professed atheist wilts before the consuming fire of truth dispensed by the Holy Spirit. In the tradition of naysayers such as Sherem, Nehor, and Amlici, Korihor intrudes upon the otherwise temporarily peaceful landscape of Zarahemla around 74 BC to promote his anti-Christian teachings, causing many to fall away. He repudiates the prophecies concerning the coming of Christ, characterizing such a credo as a false and misguided tradition sustained by greedy priests as a means of yoking the people with the burden of ignorant servitude. Korihor is the consummate anti-Christ whose primary motivation is to elevate himself by undermining the joy of those in whose hearts the hope of eternal salvation and redemption burns. In a masterful display of inspired leadership, Alma dispels the momentary flicker of Korihor’s worldly prowess through the overwhelming power of truth and spiritual light.

Commentaries and Insights on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2

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