Alma 1:1–18

The Evils of Priestcraft

We live in a world where people promote themselves and their ideas for personal praise and gain. Believing in these false practices causes many people to sin and reject their Savior, Jesus Christ. This was also true for the Nephites. A man named Nehor taught false doctrine that caused people in his day, and others in years to come, to reject their Savior. This lesson can help you recognize and reject false teachings that could turn you away from Jesus Christ.

False teachings

• On a scale between 1 and 5 (where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree), how much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Why?

  Most of the information presented to me each day is true. (For example, on social media, in advertisements, from leaders and influencers in society.)

  The information I receive influences my faith in Jesus Christ.

  God has provided help for me to recognize truth from error.

We live in a world with many false messages that can weaken our faith in Jesus Christ. As you study Alma 1, seek the guidance of the Spirit to help you recognize false teachings in the world around you that could turn you away from Jesus Christ.

Before his death, King Mosiah established a new form of government. Instead of having kings, the people elected judges to enforce the laws. Alma the Younger was elected as the first chief judge, or governor (see Alma 2:16). He was also the high priest and leader of the Church (see Mosiah 29). The people began to keep track of time from when their government changed.

In the first year of the reign of the judges, a wicked man named Nehor began to influence the Nephites. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about why Nehor’s story is included in the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon contains the account of a man named Nehor. It is easy to understand why Mormon, in abridging a thousand years of Nephite records, thought it important to include something about this man and the enduring influence of his doctrine. Mormon was seeking to warn us, knowing that this philosophy would surface again in our day. (D. Todd Christofferson, “The Divine Gift of Repentance,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 38)

Read Alma 1:2–6, looking for what Nehor taught the people. Make a list of Nehor’s teachings. Label them “True,” “False,” or “Mixed.”

You may have noticed that Nehor mixed his false teachings with true statements. This illustrates a tactic that Satan also uses. As we compare Nehor to Satan, we learn that Satan uses lies mixed with truth to deceive people and turn them away from Jesus Christ.

• What evidence do you see of this today?

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles illustrated how Nehor’s false ideas impact some people today:

[A false teaching that keeps us from repenting] is to think that our sins do not matter because God loves us no matter what we do. It is tempting to believe what the deceitful Nehor taught the people of Zarahemla: “That all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, … and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.” [Alma 1:4] But this seductive idea is false. God does love us. However, what we do matters to Him and to us. He has given clear directives about how we should behave. We call these commandments. His approbation and our eternal life depend on our behavior, including our willingness to humbly seek real repentance. (Dale G. Renlund, “Repentance: A Joyful Choice,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 123)

Recognizing false teachings

Recognizing false teachings, like those of Nehor’s, can sometimes be difficult. Fortunately, you can recognize them. Mormon taught that if a message or teaching persuades us “to do evil and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God,” we can know that it is false and comes from the devil (Moroni 7:17).

1. Answer the following questions:

   • Which of Nehor’s teachings could make someone feel they don’t need the Savior?

   • What are other false teachings today that turn people away from Jesus Christ?

Think about the messages you hear or read regularly. How do they influence you? Are any of them negatively influencing your faith in Jesus Christ?

If you are consuming false media messages that negatively influence your faith in Jesus Christ, turn off or remove the source of those messages from your life. Replace them with messages that will build your faith in Jesus Christ. For example, For the Strength of Youth and Liahona magazines, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, have faith-building content.

Priestcraft

One day Nehor encountered an elderly Church leader named Gideon. When Nehor tried to lead away the people of the Church, Gideon “withstood [Nehor], admonishing him with the words of God” (Alma 1:7). Nehor became angry with Gideon and killed him. Nehor was then taken before Alma and was put to death according to the law (see Alma 1:9–15).

Read Alma 1:12, looking for how Alma described Nehor’s teachings.

Read Alma 1:16 and 2 Nephi 26:29, looking for a description of priestcraft.

2. Answer the following questions:

   • How do you see Nehor’s preaching as an example of priestcraft?

   • Why do you think some false ideas are popular?

   • Why do you think priestcraft is so dangerous?

Rejecting false teachings

Like Gideon, we can use the words of God to help us reject false teachings (see Alma 1:7, 9). Select one or more of Nehor’s false teachings or some you have heard from our day. Then find a scripture that corrects the falsehood. For example, you could counter Nehor’s teachings in Alma 1:3 with the Savior’s teaching in Matthew 23:11.

3. Do one of the following in your study journal:

   1. Share the false teaching(s) you selected and the scripture(s) that you feel corrects it.

   2. Share what you have learned from Alma 1 about how to recognize and reject false teachings.

Optional: Want to Learn More?

What can help me recognize false teachings?

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught:

The companionship of the Holy Ghost makes what is good more attractive and temptation less compelling. That alone should be enough to make us determined to qualify for the Spirit to be with us always.

Just as the Holy Ghost strengthens us against evil, He also gives us the power to discern truth from falsehood. The truth that matters most is verified only by revelation from God. Our human reason and the use of our physical senses will not be enough. We live in a time when even the wisest will be hard-pressed to distinguish truth from clever deception. (Henry B. Eyring, “The Holy Ghost as Your Companion,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 104)

Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

We cannot allow ourselves to be confused by popular messages that are easily accepted by the world and that contradict the doctrine and true principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of these worldly messages represent nothing more than an attempt of our society to justify sin. We need to remember that, at the end, all will stand before Christ to be judged of our works, whether they are good or whether they are evil (3 Nephi 27:14). As we encounter these worldly messages, great courage and a solid knowledge of the plan of our Heavenly Father will be required to choose the right. (Ulisses Soares, “Yes, We Can and Will Win!,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 75)

What is the Church’s stance on capital punishment?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regards the question of whether and in what circumstances the state should impose capital punishment as a matter to be decided solely by the prescribed processes of civil law. We neither promote nor oppose capital punishment. (See https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/capital-punishment-in-utah.)