The Significance of Korihor

I had an extremely interesting conversation the other day with someone who does not believe in the church. The reason it was so interesting is because this person was once a believer, but has since fallen away into the confusing ways of the world. 

The conversation all started because I asked them a question about what they believed. They answered it graciously, but then turned it back on me, telling me that people cling to religion because we are scared of the unknown, trying other things, and it’s all we really know. This person basically told me that I (and others like me) are ignorant of what is really out there, that I don’t know any better because I am always in a bubble, that I am judgmental of anything different than my own beliefs because it’s “wrong”, that it is impossible to “know” anything, and that everything I think I know and feel is a trick of the mind and that I am delusioned into thinking it’s something it’s not.

I will not dwell on everything that was said or the outcome, but I wanted to point out a connection I made. 

This person was so convinced that they were right and that I am delusional. They told me I am fooling myself into following the ways of my forebears... or rather, the “foolish traditions of [my] fathers.”

I went to Alma 30 and read the account of Alma and Korihor. I swear, their conversation was almost an exact replica of my conversation I had with this non-believer. I mean, seriously, Korihor’s statements and this non-believer’s statements were almost word-for-word.

Korihor (emphasis added):

“O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.” (verse 13)

“I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, that they may not lift up their heads, but be brought down according to thy words.” (verse 23)

“Ye say that this people is a free people. Behold, I say they are in bondage... that they durst not look up with boldness, and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges.” (verses 24-27)

“God—a being who never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be.” (verse 28)

“If thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God” (verse 43)

“I do not deny the existence of a God, but I do not believe that there is a God; and I say also, that ye do not know that there is a God; and except ye show me a sign, I will not believe” (verse 48)

And I also had a few of Alma’s exact responses (I didn’t strike this person dumb though). I did not even realize until we had finished the conversation. 

For example:

“Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people” (verse 32)

“I have all things as a testimony that these things are true” (verse 41)

“Thou hast had signs enough” (verse 44)

This person was telling me that there is no proof that the church is true, that God does not exist, and all that stuff, but ironically they were walking proof that it IS true. Simply by this comparison to the scriptures, it shows that the scriptures are divine revelation to warn us of things to come. Korihor and Alma’s story was written down thousands of years ago with foresight into our day when lots more of these types of people would be popping up more and more. It serves as a warning. The fact that my conversation with this person was in the Book of Mormon almost word for word is too big a coincidence to actually be a coincidence.

I believe it was President Hinckley who said that the world is as bad as it’s ever been and it’s only going to get worse. More and more modern-day Korihors are going to continue to pop up and attack us, telling us that there’s no way that we can KNOW all these things, that we’re just clinging to these old traditions because it’s all we know and/or because we’re scared, that we’re ignorant, that we’re living in a judgmental and closed-minded bubble, and so on. I just want to testify here that I personally know that the gospel is true and that God lives. I learned that for myself through personal study over a number of years. I don’t know that because someone else told me-- the church, my parents, or anybody. I came to learn for myself. It is an unmistakeable feeling from a divine power. It is most definitely not my mind playing tricks on me. My mind might be powerful, but it’s not that powerful. I have seen so many miracles in my life, too many and too grand to be called coincidences. The commandments might seem restrictive from a narrow perspective, but every single one of them are actually for our benefit. People can keep rationalizing these things away, but I firmly believe without a doubt that all these things are true. I KNOW that they are. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Check out my other post about "Modern-day Anti-Christs"