Korihor, the Anti-Christ

Purpose

To help the children understand that by following Jesus Christ they can avoid being deceived by Satan.

Preparation

Prayerfully study Alma 30 and Moroni 7:15–17. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scripture account. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” p. vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.)
Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
Materials needed:
1. A Book of Mormon for each child.
2. Slips of paper with positive words written on them and tape.
3. Pictures 4-9, Jesus the Christ (Gospel Art Picture Kit 240; 62572); 4-34, Alma Testifying to Korihor That There Is a God; and 4-35, Korihor Writing That He Knows There Is a God.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Before class, write positive words (for example, the first word of each pair below) on slips of paper, and tape one word under each child’s chair (or you could hand them out to the children as they enter the classroom). Invite the children to find the words under their chairs. Ask each child to think of a word that means the opposite of the word on his or her paper. Let each child say the opposite word he or she has thought of while the rest of the class tries to guess the positive word on the child’s paper.

Word Examples:	light/dark	right/wrong
clean/dirty	life/death	true/false
happy/sad	good/bad	peace/war
healthy/sick	love/hate	truth/lie
kind/mean	success/failure	pure/impure
joy/sorrow

When everyone has had a turn, explain that just as every word in this activity has an opposite, Satan has a counterfeit or opposite teaching for every teaching of Jesus Christ. Following Heavenly Father brings us happiness; following Satan brings us unhappiness. Ask the children the difference between how people feel when they tell lies and how they feel when they tell the truth.

Teach the children that the more we learn about something, the more we can tell the difference between that thing and its opposite. The more we learn about and follow Jesus Christ, the more we will be able to resist the temptations and deception of Satan.

Explain that the children will learn about an opposite to Jesus Christ—an anti-Christ. Anyone or anything that actively opposes Jesus Christ (either openly or secretly) is an anti-Christ.

Scripture Account

Teach the account of Korihor from Alma 30. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) You might have a child take the part of Alma and another the part of Korihor as they read the questions and answers in Alma 30:37–45. Use the pictures at appropriate times.

Discussion and Application Questions

Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading the references with the children in class will help them gain insights into the scriptures.

Why did Korihor say the people were foolish? (Alma 30:12–16.) How can we know for ourselves that Jesus Christ lives? (By gaining a testimony of Jesus Christ.) How can we gain a testimony? (By studying the scriptures, praying, listening to the prophets, and so on.)
What did Korihor say about the need for the atonement of Jesus Christ? (Alma 30:17.) Why can’t we overcome sin on our own? How has Jesus Christ made it possible for us to overcome our sins?
What impresses you about Alma’s testimony of Christ? (Alma 30:39–41.) If you had been Alma, what might you have told Korihor about Jesus Christ?
When Korihor asked Alma for a sign to convince him that there was a God, what examples did Alma give him? (Alma 30:44.) What do you see around you every day that helps you know that Heavenly Father exists? What experiences have you had that help you know Heavenly Father lives?
What sign did Korihor receive? (Alma 30:48–50.) What did Korihor write about God and Satan after he was struck dumb? (Alma 30:52–53.)
How does Satan support those who serve him? (Alma 30:60.) How does Heavenly Father reward those who serve him? (Mosiah 2:41.) Invite class members to share experiences when they have been blessed for keeping the commandments.
Are you aware of any influences that oppose the teachings of Jesus Christ? What things do you avoid because you know they are not Christlike? What things encourage or persuade you to believe in Christ? (Moroni 7:15–17.)
How can you be protected from being deceived by Satan? (Through keeping the commandments, listening to the Holy Ghost, studying the scriptures, and following the living prophet.)

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.

Give the children copies of the handout “Does this persuade me to believe in Jesus Christ?” at the end of the lesson. Explain that persuade means to convince a person to believe or do something. Tell them this is a guide given to us by the prophet Moroni for judging between good and evil (see Moroni 7:15–17). Make sure the children understand that if something persuades them to do good and believe in Christ, it is good; if it does not, it is evil. The children may want to take their paper home as a reminder.
Help the children memorize the thirteenth article of faith and discuss how this is also a guide for choosing the right.
Display pictures of things in nature that witness that Heavenly Father lives. You may find pictures such as the following in the meetinghouse library: Creation—Living Creatures (62483), The World (62196), Children Looking at Spring Flowers (62270), Family with a Baby (62307), and so forth. Invite the children to express how they feel when they look at these pictures and how the pictures bear witness of God.
Read and discuss the following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson, the thirteenth President of the Church. Emphasize how the Book of Mormon is a powerful instrument in avoiding deception:

“There is a power in the [Book of Mormon] which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path” (A Witness and a Warning, pp. 21–22).
Sing or read the words to “The Still Small Voice” (Children’s Songbook, p. 106) or “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook, p. 228).

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear testimony that we will not be deceived if we will keep the commandments, follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, study the scriptures, and follow the living prophet.

Suggested Family Sharing

Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”