The people within Samuel’s voice are adjudged as worse than those of old who slew the prophets. These Nephites on the eve of the birth of the Savior have hearts as hard as stone and adamantly reject the word of God—even when it is conveyed to them in person by a prophet with irrefutable evidence of their iniquity. The lesson is that we are to follow the prophets of God with exactness. We are to seek to understand and appreciate the words of our prophets, rather than find fault with their words or select to keep only the commandments that are at the time convenient.