Before giving us Korihor’s name, Mormon refers to him twice as “Anti-Christ,” a title which he justifies by saying that Korihor “began to preach unto the people against the prophecies which had been spoken by the prophets, concerning the coming of Christ” (Alma 30:6).
The first principle in Korihor’s teaching was “that there should be no Christ” (Alma 30:12). He also taught that “whatsoever a man did was no crime” (Alma 30:17), which reminds me of King Lamoni’s belief that “whatsoever they did was right,” even though he intuitively “[feared] lest he had done wrong” (Alma 18:5).
If you’re going to do away with a Savior, it makes sense to also eliminate the thing that we need to be saved from. The trouble is, that we actually feel guilt when we do something wrong, so the only way to believe that there’s no such thing as sin is to deceive ourselves. (See 1 John 1:8.) And Korihor later admitted that he had done just that:
I always knew that there was a God.
But behold, the devil hath deceived me…. And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true.
Alma 30:53
Elder D. Todd Christofferson pointed out the ultimate futility of trying to convince yourself that sin doesn’t exist:
The best the “anything but Christ” or “anything but repentance” crowd can offer is the unfounded claim that sin does not exist or that if it exists, it ultimately has no consequences. I can’t see that argument getting much traction at the Final Judgment.
“The Love of God,” General Conference, October 2021
And why? Because there will be no self-deception at the Final Judgment. As Amulek taught, we will have “a bright recollection of all our guilt” (Alma 11:43). And as Jacob testified, “we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness” (2 Nephi 9:14). The word “nakedness” is a good description. We will be an open book. There will be no where to hide.
President Henry B. Eyring taught that even in this life, lying “is contrary to the nature of our spirits.” He explained, “You are a spirit child of God, a god of truth” (“Going Home,” Brigham Young University Devotional Address, 18 November 1986).
The key is to be true to ourselves. (See Elder Jack N. Gerard, “Integrity: A Christlike Attribute,” General Conference, April 2024). We should watch for contradictions in our thinking and ask ourselves if we’re being totally honest. Our goal should be to accept the truths we know intuitively and be at peace with our divine identity.
Today, I will strive to be honest with others and honest with myself. I will acknowledge my sins and mistakes quickly and strive to improve with gratitude for my Savior. I will remember that all lies will eventually be debunked and that dishonesty is contrary to my true nature.
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