Alma 30:1–29

Korihor’s Teachings Lead Many Away from the Savior

A wicked man named Korihor came among the Nephites. He preached against the prophecies about Jesus Christ and led many people’s hearts away from God. In our day there are many voices that seek to lead us away from Jesus Christ. This lesson can help you recognize and reject teachings that could lead you away from Jesus Christ.

Preparing yourself to be an instrument of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the real teacher and the true source of conversion for you and your students. Invite the Spirit to teach and convert by living in a way that keeps His companionship in your life. As you do, you can receive His guidance and help students invite Him into their learning experience.

Student preparation: Students could talk with a family member or Church leader about ways to recognize false teachings.

Possible Learning Activities

The deception of Satan

Begin the lesson by discussing a maka-feke or another kind of trap designed to deceive and ensnare. You may want to show the video “True to the Faith” from time code 0:00 to 2:30, available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

A maka-feke is an octopus lure. Octopus lures are designed to look so similar to a real meal that a deceived octopus will refuse to give it up once grasped. When this happens, the fisherman can easily toss the octopus onto his boat.

President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) used the example of a maka-feke to teach how Satan works.

Today we are surrounded by the maka-fekes which the evil one dangles before us and with which he attempts to entice us and then to ensnare us. Once grasped, such maka-fekes are ever so difficult—and sometimes nearly impossible—to relinquish. To be safe, we must recognize them for what they are and then be unwavering in our determination to avoid them. (Thomas S. Monson, “True to the Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2006, 18)

• How confident do you feel in your ability to recognize Satan’s false teachings that could “entice” and “ensnare” you?

Avoiding things that draw us away from the Savior

Following a great battle between the Nephites and the Lamanites, peace settled over the land. About two years later, a man named Korihor began to preach among the people in Zarahemla. Satan told Korihor what to say (see Alma 30:53). As you study today, notice how Korihor used his words and false teachings as a maka-feke to entrap the people.

Read Alma 30:6, 12, looking for words and phrases that describe the message and mission of Korihor.

• What do you think it means that he was “Anti-Christ”? (Alma 30:6).

The word anti-Christ refers to “anyone or anything that counterfeits the true gospel plan of salvation and that openly or secretly opposes Christ” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Antichrist,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). One truth we can learn from the account of Korihor is that Satan uses false teachings to draw us away from Jesus Christ.

Korihor’s anti-Christ teachings

Read Alma 30:12–18, looking for Korihor’s false teachings. Consider marking Korihor’s teachings in a way to set them apart (for example, with a unique color or symbol) or writing them in your study journal.

• What were some of Korihor’s false teachings?

Consider inviting students to list Korihor’s teachings on the board. Recognize their work in finding answers. If needed, you could draw attention to the following:

• “no man can know of anything which is to come” (verse 13)

• “prophecies … are foolish traditions of your fathers” (verse 14)

• “ye cannot know of things which ye do not see” (verse 15)

• “ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ” (verse 15)

• “it is the effect of a frenzied mind” (verse 16)

• “there could be no atonement made for the sins of men” (verse 17)

• “every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature” (verse 17)

• “whatsoever a man did was no crime” (verse 17)

• “when a man was dead, that was the end thereof” (verse 18)

Referencing the teachings of Korihor listed on the board, students could answer the following questions in pairs or small groups. Different groups of students could be assigned different false teachings to examine, and then they could share their responses with others.

• How might you restate Korihor’s teachings using language more common in our day?

• Using a scale from 1 to 10 (with 10 being the strongest), how strongly do you see Korihor’s teachings being promoted today?

• What is it about these teachings that would lead people away from Jesus Christ? Why are these dangerous ideas?

Seek the guidance of the Spirit and reflect on the impact of Korihor’s teachings in your own life. Consider ways any of these false teachings may influence you personally.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about Korihor and his teachings. You might want to watch the video “The Divine Gift of Repentance” from time code 2:08 to 2:40, available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

[People such as] Korihor … deny the very existence of Christ and any such thing as sin. Their doctrine is that values, standards, and even truth are all relative. Thus, whatever one feels is right for him or her cannot be judged by others to be wrong or sinful.

On the surface such philosophies seem appealing because they give us license to indulge any appetite or desire without concern for consequences. (D. Todd Christofferson, “The Divine Gift of Repentance,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 38)

• How do you think these teachings could lead people to commit sin? (See verse 18.)

Read Alma 30:19–21, looking for how the people of Jershon and Gideon responded to Korihor’s teachings.

Why do you think their response was “more wise” (Alma 30:20) than that of the people of Zarahemla? (see Alma 30:18).

Encourage multiple students to respond to the following question. Students could write their answers on the board or on a piece of paper that is passed around the class. The discussion could include how specific righteous actions and eliminating evil influences could help them be “more wise.” For example, students could look at the social media, music, and videos they regularly consume and remove any that could weaken their faith in Jesus Christ and offend the Holy Ghost.

• How can we be “more wise” and reject anti-Christ messages?

• How could your knowledge of and relationship with the Savior affect how much influence these anti-Christ teachings have on you?

You could invite students to share testimony or eternal truth about Jesus Christ. You could also ask them to share scriptures or teachings of the Savior that counter Korihor’s false ideas. Examples include Jacob 7:11–12; Alma 32:21; Mormon 7:3, 5–7.

Reflect on what you have learned and felt from your study. Seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help you focus on Jesus Christ and reject teachings that would lead you away from Him.

Commentary and Background Information

Why is it important to accept counsel from modern prophets and apostles?

President Henry B. Eyring said:

Korihor was arguing, as men and women have falsely argued from the beginning of time, that to take counsel from the servants of God is to surrender God-given rights of independence. But the argument is false because it misrepresents reality. When we reject the counsel which comes from God, we do not choose to be independent of outside influence. We choose another influence. We reject the protection of a perfectly loving, all-powerful, all-knowing Father in Heaven, whose whole purpose, as that of His Beloved Son, is to give us eternal life, to give us all that He has, and to bring us home again in families to the arms of His love. In rejecting His counsel, we choose the influence of another power, whose purpose is to make us miserable and whose motive is hatred. (Henry B. Eyring, “Finding Safety in Counsel,” Ensign, May 1997, 25)

How can false teachings impact our lives?

President Russell M. Nelson said:

As we diligently focus on the Savior and then follow His pattern of focusing on joy, we need to avoid those things that can interrupt our joy. Remember Korihor, the anti-Christ? Spewing falsehoods about the Savior, Korihor went from place to place until he was brought before a high priest who asked him: “Why do ye go about perverting the ways of the Lord? Why do ye teach this people that there shall be no Christ, to interrupt their rejoicings?” [Alma 30:22].

Anything that opposes Christ or His doctrine will interrupt our joy. That includes the philosophies of men, so abundant online and in the blogosphere, which do exactly what Korihor did.

If we look to the world and follow its formulas for happiness, we will never know joy. (Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 83–84)

How can we know truth and follow the Savior?

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

The voices and pressures of the world are engaging and numerous. But too many voices are deceptive, seductive, and can pull us off the covenant path. To avoid the inevitable heartbreak that follows, I plead with you today to counter the lure of the world by making time for the Lord in your life—each and every day. (Russell M. Nelson, “Make Time for the Lord,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 120)

In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. (Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 96)

What are some anti-Christ messages taught in our day?

Sister Julie B. Beck, former Relief Society General President, taught:

Korihor was an anti-Christ. Anti-Christ is antifamily. Any doctrine or principle our youth hear from the world that is antifamily is also anti-Christ. It’s that clear. If our youth cease to believe in the righteous traditions of their fathers … , if our youth don’t understand their part in the plan, they could be led away. (Julie B. Beck, “Teaching the Doctrine of the Family,” Ensign, Mar. 2011, 15)

Supplemental Learning Activities

What is the focus of those who teach false doctrine?

To help students recognize false teachings, invite them to read Alma 30:6 and then 1 Nephi 11:34–36. Help students understand that many who attack true doctrine often openly criticize prophets. Consider asking students questions like “Why do you think some people are so anxious to find fault with modern prophets?” or “How have modern prophets helped you avoid deception?”

How can anti-Christ teachings affect our joy in the gospel?

The following can help students understand how believing anti-Christ messages does not lead to joy. Consider inviting students to read Alma 30:22. Invite them to think about what the phrase “interrupt their rejoicings” means. Students could discuss how anti-Christ teachings can interrupt their joy. They could then share teachings of or about Jesus Christ that help us feel joy. You may also consider sharing President Nelson’s statement in the “Commentary and Background Information” section under the title “How can false teachings impact our lives?”

Helping students make connections to our day

To help students recognize anti-Christ messages today, consider putting them in pairs or small groups and assigning them a topic from For the Strength of Youth (booklet, 2022). Invite them to discuss how Satan may spread anti-Christ messages about their assigned topic.