Sherem came among the people of Nephi some years into Jacob’s ministry and preached that there would be no Christ, using flattery and his command of the people’s language to lead away many hearts and overthrow the doctrine of Christ (Jacob 7:1-2). Holding that the law of Moses was the right way, he charged Jacob with perverting it into the worship of a being said to come hundreds of years later, and called this teaching blasphemy on the ground that no one can know things to come (Jacob 7:7).
When Sherem sought Jacob out to shake his faith, Jacob, having seen angels and heard the voice of the Lord, could not be moved; he confounded Sherem in all his words by the Spirit (Jacob 7:5, 7:8). Sherem then demanded a sign from the power of the Holy Ghost. Jacob answered that if God struck Sherem it would be the sign, and the power of the Lord came upon Sherem so that he fell to the earth and was nourished for many days (Jacob 7:13-15).
Sherem asked the people to gather, telling them he would die. Before them he denied the things he had taught, confessed Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost, and the ministering of angels, said he had been deceived by the devil, and feared he had committed the unpardonable sin by lying to God in denying Christ (Jacob 7:17-19). He then died, and peace and the love of God were restored among the people, who searched the scriptures and gave no more heed to his words (Jacob 7:23).