When Alma met with his son Corianton after their mission to the Zoramites, he addressed some doubts and questions that were on Corianton’s mind. Here are four of Corianton’s concerns which Alma addressed:
- How can we know that Jesus Christ will come in the future? Alma’s answer: God loves all of His children and reveals truths to those who live before, during, and after the mortal ministry of His Son. (See Alma 39:17-19.)
- What happens after we die? This question may be related to the last one, because Corianton likely understood that Jesus would be the first to be resurrected, so those who lived before Him would have to wait. Alma explained that when we die, the righteous and the wicked are separated, but that this preliminary separation is not our final judgment, which happens later, after we are resurrected. (See Alma 40.)
- If God can “restore” us to our proper order, why does it matter if I sin? Alma explains that God restores us to our natural state, meaning the state that we have chosen for ourselves. If we choose wickedness, we have chosen misery. God will honor that choice. But if we truly want to become righteous, He will magnify our efforts. (See Alma 41.)
- Isn’t it unfair for God to punish sinners? Alma reminds Corianton of the tree of life in the garden of Eden. God prevented Adam and Eve from partaking of that fruit so that they would have time to repent and prepare for their Final Judgment. His plan is called the “plan of salvation,” “plan of redemption,” the “plan of mercy,” and the “plan of happiness,” because His goal is to save us, to redeem us, to be merciful to us, and ultimately to help us achieve eternal happiness. (See Alma 42, Elder Patrick Kearon, “God’s Intent Is to Bring You Home,” General Conference, April 2024.)
This conversation happened at the beginning of the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges, about 74 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. (See Alma 35:12, 16.) Only a few months earlier, at the end of the seventeenth year, a charismatic preacher named Korihor had gained a large following by attacking the church and denying Christ. (See Alma 30:6.) Notice how some of Korihor’s teachings relate to Corianton’s concerns:
| Korihor’s teachings | Corianton’s concerns (in Alma’s words) |
|---|---|
| 1. “Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come” (Alma 30:13). | 1. “Behold, you marvel why these things should be known so long beforehand” (Alma 39:17). |
| 2. “[He led] away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms—telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof” (Alma 30:18). | 2. “I perceive that thy mind is worried concerning the resurrection of the dead” (Alma 40:1). |
| 3. “Every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime” (Alma 30:17). | 3. “Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness” (Alma 41:10). |
| 4. “They durst not make use of that which is their own lest they should…offend some unknown being, who they say is God—a being who never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be” (Alma 30:28). | 4. “I perceive there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand—which is concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner; for ye do try to suppose that it is injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery” (Alma 42:1). |
I’m not suggesting that Corianton believed everything Korihor taught, but some of the falsehoods which Korihor so convincingly taught do appear to have—either directly or indirectly—influenced him in some way. Is it possible to know what will happen in the future? What happens when we die? Is it possible to commit sin, and will God hold us accountable for our actions? The doubts Korihor raised led many people to make wrong choices, and some version of those doubts may have undergirded Corianton’s own unfaithfulness during his mission.
Elder Boyd K. Packer said:
True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.
The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.
“Little Children,” General Conference, October 1986
Today, I will take seriously my children’s doubts and concerns, just as Alma took seriously the concerns of Corianton. I will recognize that cultural norms and messaging can affect all of us, and that intentionally grounding ourselves in true principles can help us make wiser decisions.
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