Antichrists in the Book of Mormon ~ Nehor

The first of these Book of Mormon Antichrists was a man by the name of Nehor.  He rose to power during the first year of the reign of the judges in Zarahemla.   The law was set up by King Mosiah prior to his death that there should be equality amongst his people.  There was a criminal code with prescribed consequences for those who broke it.  However, men were to be free to worship (or not worship) according to the dictates of their own conscience.  No one could be persecuted or prosecuted because of his religious beliefs. 

Nehor was an unbeliever and he began to preach his views among the people.  He was very persuasive and had many converts to his way of thinking.  He preached, among other things, that people could do pretty much whatever they felt like doing.  God would redeem everyone in the end no matter what they did, so they could sin with impunity so long as they didn't break the law of the land.  He taught that there would be no Messiah and that to believe in such was a false tradition perpetuated by priests and prophets and designed to limit the people's happiness.

He also taught that there should be a paid clergy (hopefully you will remember that there was to be no paid clergy in God's Church.)  As his following grew, he was soon a wealthy man for people did pay him for his preaching. Nehor wore costly clothing and organized a church built upon him and his teachings.

As he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart and confident in his message, he began to be more aggressive and contentious in his preaching against the Church of God.  One day, he began to preach to one of the teachers of the Church, an elderly man named Gideon.  This was the same Gideon who had helped in freeing the people of Limhi from the Lamanite bondage and by now he was a very old man indeed.  Nehor became angry because Gideon was able to withstand his false doctrine and to turn it back upon himself.  Others were listening and began to listen more to Gideon than to Nehor.  This infuriated Nehor for he was not used to being challenged in his evil design.  In a fit of anger, he drew his sword and killed Gideon.

He was brought before Alma, who was the chief judge.  In his arrogance, he tried to contend with Alma, saying that he could not be prosecuted on grounds of his religious freedom.  When he had finished, Alma said: 

Behold, this is the first time that priestcraft has been introduced among this people. And behold, thou art not only guilty of priestcraft, but hast endeavored to enforce it by the sword; and were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction.  And thou hast shed the blood of a righteous man, yea, a man who has done much good among this people; and were we to spare thee his blood would come upon us for vengeance. Therefore thou art condemned to die, according to the law which has been given us by Mosiah, our last king; and it has been acknowledged by this people. (Alma 1: 12-14)

Nehor was taken to the top of the hill Manti to be executed.  In a last ditch effort to save his life, he renounced his false teaching and testified that what he had been teaching was  a lie.  But Nehor was not condemned to death for priestcraft, although that grieved Alma considerably; he was condemned to death for the murder of Gideon, an innocent man.

Chapter one of the Book of Alma ends by saying that this was the beginning, but not the end, of priestcraft amongst the Nephites.  The cult of Nehor continued long after his execution and was a sad blight on the peace and prosperity of the people of Nephi.  Nehor and his teachings were truly Antichrist.

 

Text copyright September 2013, Gebara Education

 

Pictures

Nehor from www.bookofmormonbattles.com  

All others from www.lds.org