1 BEHOLD, now it came to pass that after the people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, yea, and also after the Lamanites were driven out of the land, and their dead were buried by the people of the land—

2 Now their dead were not numbered because of the greatness of their numbers; neither were the dead of the Nephites numbered—but it came to pass after they had buried their dead, and also after the days of fasting, and mourning, and prayer, (and it was in the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) there began to be continual peace throughout all the land.

3 Yea, and the people did observe to keep the commandments of the Lord; and they were strict in observing the ordinances of God, according to the law of Moses; for they were taught to keep the law of Moses until it should be fulfilled. [ The Nephites understood from the beginning that the law of Moses was only a temporary necessity that would be done away with when Christ came: Jarom also describes the forward-looking manner in which the people were taught in his day: “Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently . . . teaching the law of Moses, . . . persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was” (Jarom 1:11). From the beginning the Nephites looked to the end of the law and the day when it would be fulfilled. While still keeping the outward performances of the law of Moses, they saw the law in its proper perspective. They knew that eternal life was only possible because of the Atonement of Christ and not through the menial stipulations of the law. Nephi illustrates this attitude beautifully, saying: For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments. And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given (2 Nephi 25:25–27). ]

4 And thus the people did have no disturbance in all the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. [ It was the 16th year of the reign of the judges and up until this time the Nephite's kept all the laws of the law of Moses, which would have included the Jubilee celebration. Mosiah 29 verse 46 says that 509 years had transpired since Lehi had left Jerusalem. Then they changed from Kings to Judges. 607 minus 509 is 98 BC. 98 minus 16 is 82 BC. 582 minus 500 is 82 BC. 10 Jubilees had passed from the first 582 BC Jubilee date given by Ezekiel. ]

5 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the seventeenth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace.

6 But it came to pass in the *latter end [ It happened then and it is happening now. ] of the seventeenth year, there came a man into the land of Zarahemla, [ So he was apparently not a local. But he was extremely well aware of what was going on in Nephite culture and politics, so he was not very far removed the issues of the day there. ] and he was Anti-Christ, for he began to preach unto the people against the prophecies which had been spoken by the prophets, [ So we know which side of the fence he is on. He is against the prophets. ] concerning the coming of Christ.

7  Now there was no law against a man’s belief; [ "belief" (see Acts 18:13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. And what was the Law - the law of Moses. And what was the first law of the law of Moses? To have no other Gods before me. )This is the basis for Korihor's later arguments, and there is nothing wrong with this. So as long as someone did not transgress the law they could say or believe whatever they wanted. This law was brought into effect back in Alma 1:17. Nevertheless, "liars were punished" but there in lies the problem. Remember that the basis for their laws at the time was the laws of Moses - and the first law of Moses was that there were to be no other Gods before me. Korihor trys to get around this law by saying "well I don't think that there is a God." How can you tell if the person believes what he is preaching or not? Could one not pretend to believe what he taught and get around the law? How was the law to be applied between belief and lie? In addition in Mosiah 4:30 we find evidence that the conduct of man was divided into one of 3 categories: thoughts, words and then actions. Alma taught that God would impose punishments on people with respect to all three of these categories (Alma 12:14). The right of humans to inflict punishment on others, however, was limited. While people could be punished under the law for their actions (30:10), it was unlawful for the government to punish people for their sincere beliefs (1:17; 30:7, 11). Should one's speech be considered merely to be an assertion of their beliefs and therefore protected under the civil law, or should some speech acts be viewed as a type of overt action punishable by civil or religious authorities? Since speech is a hybrid between thoughts and actions, and the law of Mosiah did not provide a ready answer. Korihor was clever and he calculated this in an effort to test the law. In addition, he acted unlike Nehor, he avoided actions which were forbidden. All he did was preach. To make matters worse, in Zarahemla the division of the law became an issue. Remember that back in Mosiah 26:8 Alma the Elder was given authority over the church, while Mosiah had power over the affairs of the state. Like wise Alma the younger gave authority over the state to Nephihah (Alma 4:17) and retained the right to call and ordain priests and elders Alma 6:1. Now we clearly have a division of church and state. So when one blasphemes is that a law for the church to consider or for the law (Chief Judges)? The people under the law of Moses were required to deliver an accuser to defend the claim. This was not a small feat either as the accuser would need to make an oath as to what the accused had done. Then the burden of proof was on the accuser. If the accuser did not prove his case then whatever the punishment would have been for the accused would be rendered on the accuser. (See Deut 19:15-19). ] for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds. [ What is he trying to say here? So in other words it is a group of people who get to decide what is right and what is wrong, they then tell you what you can and cannot do based on what their decisions is "usually quoting something like pubilc safety or something", but they change laws so that everyon is not equal under that law - which is according to Gods law that all are equal. ]

8 For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve. [ Under Gods law we are free to choose for ourselves. When a nation dictates to us who, when, where and how we can worship then that is not a nation found on the principles of God. This we can know as we are no longer free to serve whom we may. ]

9 Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege; or rather, if he believed in God it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him there was no law to punish him. [ There was no law for punishing him if he did not believe in God, but there were rules, laws that pertained to how a man could act without punishment, disobedience to those laws brought punishment.(verse 10) These are good laws the way that God would intend things to be. ]

10 But if he murdered he was punished unto death; [ Capital punishment was the law here just as it was in ancient Israel. This is also what King Benjamin taught in Mosiah 2:13 where he lists the exact same crimes and in the exact same order from King Benjamin. ] and if he robbed he was also punished; and if he stole he was also punished; and if he committed adultery he was also punished; yea, for all this wickedness they were punished.

11 For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man’s belief; [ So you are free to believe whatever you like. However that does not give you the right to do whatever you want. The law said that men must be judged for their own crimes. There is a limit to your freedom so to speak. Without law there is no order, without order there is chaos. Where there is chaos there usually is not found God as God is a God of Order. ] therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on equal grounds. [ Alma gives us a good definition here of equality. It is equality to the laws and punishment - every man id treated the same way - no one is above or beneath the law. ]

12 And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, [ He is important enough that he is named. We might take note that what Korihor thinks he is doing is based on his original ideas, he is so smart that he has come up with this logic all on his own - but the wise individual understands that these words he uses are nothing more than repackaged logic from before the creation. ] (and the law could have no hold upon him) [ Or what he was saying and preaching was within the bounds of the law - it was his privilege to speak as he wanted. ] began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ. And after this manner did he preach, saying:

13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come. [ And how could he prove that? He cannot. ]

14 Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers. [ Principle number one with Korihor, is to destroy the old traditions, have people forget the prophecies of old. Without them they become lost. How many times are we told in the book of Mormon that we need to remember the traditions of our forefathers. Korihor would have us believe that among the foolish traditions of our fathers are the ordinances of God that are preformed by the priests. ]

15 How do ye know of their surety? Behold, [ What are the teaching of Korihor? 1) vs 15 “Ye cannot know of things which ye do not see”; 2) vs 17 "Every man prospered according to his genius"; 3) vs 17 “Every man conquered according to his strength”; 4) vs 17 “Whatsoever a man did was no crime”; 5) vs 18 “When a man was dead, that was the end thereof”. ] ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; [ I Haven Barlow - "What about the air that we breathe? What about Egypt - I have never been there but that does not mean that it does not exist. So he is saying that you must be able to see it to believe it. ] therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.

16 Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; [ One of the powerful tools that Korihor uses is that of seperation. Here he is trying to separate Alma and others from the group by telling them that they are fools to believe. This is the same strategy used by Carl Marxx, Stallin and others. It is the foundation of socialism. The idea that if you believe in God you are the exception, and are stupid as there is no such thing. ] and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so.

17 And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no [ And now who is acting as a prophet - telling things about the future! ] atonement [ No atonement - because there is not God! Russell M. Nelson said: “In the English language, the components are at-one-meant, suggesting that a person is at one with another. Other languages employ words that connote either expiation or reconciliation. Expiation means ‘to atone for.’ Reconciliation comes from Latin roots re, meaning ‘again’; con, meaning ‘with’; and sella, meaning ‘seat.’ Reconciliation, therefore, literally means ‘to sit again with.’…In Hebrew, the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means ‘to cover’ or ‘to forgive.’ Closely related is the Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning ‘a close embrace’—no doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace….While the words atone or atonement, in any of their forms, appear only once in the King James translation of the New Testament, they appear 35 times in the Book of Mormon. As another testament of Jesus Christ, it sheds precious light on His Atonement.” (Ensign, Nov. 1996, pp.34-5 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 85)) ] made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; [ Or the natural man. ] therefore every man prospered according to his genius, [ The self-made man, God has no input into who or what you are, so there is no need to give any credit or thanks, and since there is not even a God there is no God to ask for help. This logic would imply that you are really at the end of the day in this on your own, you will need to do it without God. Are or do we ever act like that in a way, maybe not to this extreme but the general nature? ] and that every man conquered according to his strength; [ We know this today as survival of the fittest. ] and whatsoever a man did was no crime. [ Back again to the teaching of Nehor (Satan) that there is no accountability for what you do, and since there is no accountability you can do whatever you want. This is the net result if there is not God, no life after this, no accountability - we are left to fend for ourselves and there is no God to help us. So therefore man must do whatever he needs to do to defend, protect himself, to survive as long as possible - and how do we do that? with more power, more money, more of everything. If there is no crime; or no sin then there is no need for a Savior. So there is no need for God or to have to worship God. We need to also consider a philosophy that is common today. That there are those who say, "Because there is an atonement and because Jesus loves me and because grace is free, it doesn't matter what I do." Atonement of Jesus Christ and the gospel commandments and covenants and ordinances by having grace be our strength that then becomes a weakness if we're not careful. God loves me, that I know for sure, but I also know for sure that I cannot continually offend him without there being some consequence. And that's what Korihor is saying to him and he's leading them along to basically say, "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," when in fact it does. Elder Holland talked about that idea of, "Well, why can't I just do what I want to do if the Savior offers me his grace?" And he says, "Please never say, 'Who does it hurt? Why not a little freedom? I can repent later.' Please don't be so foolish and so cruel. You cannot, with impunity or without thinking, crucify Christ afresh or crucify him again." He said, "The suffering of the savior of the world was incalculable both in body and spirit. We owe him something for that. Indeed, we owe him everything for that." So the idea that this grace is so easy to come by when it caused the savior of the world incalculable suffering. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1998/10/personal-purity?lang=eng)]

18 And thus he did preach [ He taught in an effort to persuade them. What does he teach? He is teaching his truth, not THE TRUTH. Then if you take his my truth to the end he is essentially saying "that if my truth transgresses upon you then oh well because it is my truth". ] unto them, leading away [ And he was successful, as they changed their direction - they were lead away. ] the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, [ Feel pride in your wickedness, what ever you achieve it is because of your craftiness - the more crafty the better. When we are ashamed or repentant, we bow our heads, we are humble and low - not lifted up. Here we have a contrast in imagery of the people lifting up their heads, after all they were doing nothing wrong because they could do nothing wrong in their minds. ] yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms—telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof. [ How do we live our lives differently knowing that there will be a judgement, that we will be held accountable for our choices? ]

19 Now this man went over to the land of Jershon also, to preach these things [ Without the standard of scripture, moral law becomes a virtual list of choices where false opinion supplants true doctrine and Satan abounds. ] among the people of Ammon, who were once the people of the Lamanites.

20 But behold they were more wise than many of the Nephites; [ They had wisdom as they had experienced this kind of teaching before and they knew exactly were they lead too. ] for they took him, and bound him, and carried him before Ammon, who was a high priest over that people.

21 And it came to pass that he caused that he should be carried out of the land. And he came over into the land of Gideon, and began to preach unto them also; and here he did not have much success, for he was taken and bound and carried before the high priest, and also the chief judge over the land. [ So it appears as if they are uncertain who should try Korihor, so they bring him before both the Chief judge as well as the high priest names Giddonah. ]

22 And it came to pass that the high priest said unto 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? [ Or why do you think you are so important to man and things that you have to try to take away peoples hope and belief? Does that make you feel special? Why do you do it? ] Why do ye speak against all the prophecies of the holy prophets?

23 Now the high priest’s name was Giddonah. And Korihor said unto him: Because I do not teach the foolish traditions of your fathers, [ Is he suggesting that it was not the tradition of his fathers? ] and because I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances [ Why do some see the ordinances as a yoke, a binding while others see them as opportunities to freedom? It is that one understands the plan of salvation and the other does not. ] and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, [ Do the ordinances really make us ignorant or do they enlighten us? Why? How can they? I suppose if one simply says that I have received the ordinances, I am better than others, I don't need to do anymore then they might. However my experience is that as one really starts to learn about the ordinances one is strengthened, their knowledge grows, they began to be taught by the spirit, and the net result they know more than they would otherwise have known. ] that they may not lift up their heads, but be brought down according to thy words.

24 Ye say that this people is a free people. Behold, I say they are in bondage. [ Why do those who do not want to adhere to the laws of God see the commandments as bondage? Why do those who desire to serve God see the commandments as freedom? ] Ye say that those ancient prophecies are true. Behold, I say that ye do not know that they are true. [ I suppose the opposite could be said to Korihor - and how do you know that they are not true. ]

25 Ye say that this people is a guilty and a fallen people, because of the transgression of a parent. [ When Korihor accused the Nephites of teaching that people are “guilty and fallen, because of the transgression of a parent [namely Adam]” (30:25), he was possibly aware of what Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom had debated in this regard in Ammonihah. A similar issue had also been raised by Nehor and also by Zeezrom in Alma 1:4; 11:35–37 (that people need not fear, for they had been redeemed and will all receive eternal life). Korihor’s argument here would have appealed to any remaining pockets of followers of Nehor in the land of Zarahemla. And he apparently knew the law in Deuteronomy 24:16, which he seems to paraphrase here (that children are not to “be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin”). so, Korihor was not a clueless newcomer to populations in the cities Zarahemla, Jershon, and Gideon. ] Behold, I say that a child is not guilty because of its parents.

26 And ye also say that Christ shall come. But behold, I say that ye do not know that there shall be a Christ. [ Is that not a form of prophecy in and of itself? Did he not say himself that no man can know anything of what is to become? How can he know that or how could he know what might happen in the future ( he says that no man can know of things that are to come, is that not a prediction? Just because man might not have ever known the future does not mean that he cannot or will not tomorrow - right?) without prophecy - all of which is firmly says in verse 13. He is arguing with himself. ] And ye say also that he shall be slain for the sins of the world—

27  And thus ye lead away this people after the foolish traditions of your fathers, [ Notice how Alma will challenge Korihor's trickery by challenging him in the very same way - Alma will present evidence to Korihor that he does not have evidence of what he is talking about either. (Alma 30:40-44) ] and according to your own desires; and ye keep them down, even as it were in bondage, that ye may glut yourselves with the labors of their hands, that they durst not look up with boldness, and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges. [ One of Satan’s tactics is to paint those who are willing to obey the commandments of God as gullible victims or mindless sheep who are not “enjoying their rights” or are being deprived of their rights by leaders with bad motives. Korihor falsely accuses the leaders as being nothing more than controlling zealots who won’t let the people live their lives as they want. It’s an old strategy that still works today. SUMMARY OF THE FLATTERY FROM KORIHOR 1) I do not teach the foolish traditions of your fathers. 2) I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances done by ancient priests. 3) They do this to usurp power and authority ever these people. 4) You keep them in ignorance, that they may not lift up their heads, but he brought down according to thy words. 5) Ye say that this people is a free people. I say they are in bondage. 6) Ye lead away this people after the foolish traditions of your fathers and according to your own desires; and ye keep them down. FLATTERY THAT WE SEE TODAY JUST RELATING TO WEARING THE GARMENT 1) I won't stand by as these old men who are out-of-touch tell me what underwear I can or cannot wear. 2) Garments are oppressive, it's an uncomfortable extra layer of fabric that makes me so overheated. Wearing them is stupid. 3) What's done in the temple is based on concepts found in a cult, and it leads people away from Jesus. 4) Telling someone what they can or cannot wear is forceful and if we believe in agency then why are they telling us what underwear we have to wear, they're trying to exhort some sort of power over us. 5) These old men say wearing the garment gives greater access to the Savior's mercy but I feel Jesus more now after I stopped wearing my garments. I
 finally feel free. 6) God loves you no matter what you wear so you don't need to wear restrictive magical underwear made up by some con artist named Joe 
Smith, they're just trying to brainwash us. ]

28 Yea, they durst not make use of that which is their own lest they should offend their priests, who do yoke them according to their desires, and have brought them to believe, by their traditions and their dreams and their whims and their visions and their pretended mysteries, that they should, if they did not do according to their words, 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.

29 Now when the high priest and the chief judge saw the hardness of his heart, yea, when they saw that he would revile even against God, [ So there comes a point in the discussion that both the chief judge and the high priest determine that Korihor is in a state that he would argue even with God if God were present. Maybe his language was so profane that they did not want to hear it any more but the two judges just stop arguing with him as they had had enough. This was the extent of the old law - or you did have the freedom of speech so long as you did not blaspheme against God which he is beginning to do here. The high priest and the chief judge could see that he was also attempting to test the law. (see Exodus 22:28; Leviticus 24:11; Deuteronomy 5:11) ] they would not make any reply to his words; but they caused that he should be bound; and they delivered him up into the hands of the officers, [ Suggesting that they were officers of the court and thus this was a legal setting. ] and sent him to the land of Zarahemla, that he might be brought before Alma, and the chief judge who was governor over all the land. [ So they bind him up and send him off to a higher authority for judgement. There was no judgement passed upon the head of Korihor, just that they did not know what to do with him. I suppose they could not decided if he was guilty of breaking any laws or not. But they did come to the conclusion that they did not want to talk to him any more. ]

30 And it came to pass that when he was brought before Alma and the chief judge, he did go on in the same manner as he did in the land of Gideon; yea, he went on to blaspheme. [ This would have gone beyond the law of free speech. The law suggested that while it was ok to yell fire, it was not ok to falsely do so in a crowed building to cause a riot or loss of life. (see Exodus 22:28; Leviticus 24:11; Deuteronomy 5:11) So here we can see that Korihor was testing the law. Because according to the law a man was free to say and believe whatever he wanted. But here Korihor, using only words blasphemes God. So has he broken the law or not since it is only words? It was a question that was not spelled out completely by the law, and it was a difficult question. It was the first time it was put to the test. Before the institution of the reign of judges, Nephite law punished false prophets, false preachers, and false teachers "according to their crimes" (Words of Mormon 1:15). Legal support for taking action against such speakers before the time of Mosiah was probably drawn from provisions in the law of Moses that forbid several forms of impious speech, including false prophecy (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 18:20-22), blasphemy (Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 24:10-16), reviling the gods (Exodus 22:28), and leading people into apostasy or idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:1-18). Hebrew prophets placed a curse on those worthless shepherds who do not take care of the people but will eat of the meat of the best sheep (Zechariah 11:16-17). ]

31 And he did rise up in great swelling words before Alma, and did revile against the priests and teachers, accusing them of leading away the people after the silly traditions of their fathers, for the sake of glutting on the labors of the people. [ So the first step in rebellion is to get those who feel that they have been harmed(that they are victims) in some way to agreed with you. This causes division in the people(one part of the group is alienated from the others, which makes them easy prey - just like in nature). The word glut means to over-eat, and if the priests encouraged the people to bring more sacrifices, it meant that they ate better. so, it is easy to see how Korihor might have wanted to twist this idea in order to capitalize on that situation. ]

32 Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people; [ So at this point Korihor has stepped out of his ability to say that what he is preaching is his belief. He has crossed a line so to speak as he has now entered into the equation as being an accuser. As we discussed in verse 7 the people under the law of Moses were required to deliver an accuser to defend the claim. This was not a small feat either as the accuser would need to make an oath as to what the accused had done. Then the burden of proof was on the accuser. If the accuser did not prove his case then whatever the punishment would have been for the accused would be rendered on the accuser. (See Deut 19:15-19). So at this point and going forward here Korihor begins to make claims to which he cannot defend himself, therefore subjugating himself to that punishment if he does not prove his cause. ] for behold I have labored even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine own hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people.

33 And notwithstanding the many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even one senine for my labor; [ Further more according to what you are teaching, well I should be able to. Korihor is now throwing out a whole new thing. He's contradicting his own philosophy. Well, if it doesn't matter what people do, if they want to prosper according to their own skill and talent and ability, why do you care whether I prosper? ] neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the judgment-seat; and then we have received only according to law for our time.

34 And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren?

35 Then why sayest thou that we preach unto this people to get gain, when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain? And now, believest thou that we deceive this people, that causes such joy in their hearts?

36 And Korihor answered him, Yea.

37 And then Alma said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God? [ At this point Alma is strategically laying the groundwork to accuse Korihor of two offenses: (1) initiating false accusations against the Nephite priests and teachers (verses 31-35), and (2) lying about the nonexistence of God. (vs 37). Both of which are violations of the law. ]

38 And he answered, Nay. [ Alma asked, Okay. Will you really deny God? And Korihor says, Yep. I will. ]

39 Now Alma said unto him: Will ye deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? [ Alma tests Korihor again and makes him answer again if he denies if there is a Christ. ] For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come. [ Alma never misses an opportunity to testify. Good lesson for us here. ]

40  And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? [ Alma reply's to Korihor in the same manner that Korihor has presented his theories to the people. Alma say's well where is your evidence, how can you know. Oh you have already said yourself that no one can know that there is a God so how can someone know that there is not a God. ] I say unto you that ye have none, [ Or Korihor you have no evidence at all. You've been saying everything has to be by evidence, by rationale and empiricial reason, science. "Well, what empiricial evidence do you have that there is no God?" ] save it be your word only. [ So we are just to take YOU at YOUR word? Nice try bro! ]

41 But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; [ Alma says, "You've got nothing. Look at what I've got." Alma suggests that everything from life, the creation, the writings and testimonies of the forefather's, the list is very long of the items that stand as a testimony that what Alama say's is true(the list is broken down in greater detail in verse 44), Korihor has no such list of evidences. ] and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true?

42 Behold, I know that thou believest, [ So Alma is challenging the intent of Korihor here by suggesting that he knows that Korihor is lying(and bearing false witness is also against the law). As a result he will no longer be able to use that he believes what he is preaching as his defense. So with that when it is proven will allow Korihor to be punished under the law of Mosiah which required people to believe what they taught Alma 1:17). ] but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you; but the devil has power over you, and he doth carry you about, working devices that he may destroy the children of God.

43 And now Korihor said unto Alma: If thou wilt show me a sign, [ Korihor says well then give me a sign. What kind of testimony is he looking for? A prophetic testimony future telling. Jesus taught that “a wicked and [notice this] adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Matthew 16:4; emphasis added). How interesting! Fits perfectly here, doesn’t it? Why is sign seeking equated with adultery? Think about it—a sign seeker wants proof or evidence of something without any effort or searching. An adulterer wants the privileges of marriage without any commitment. Both involve a similar “something-for-nothing” mentality. ] that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of thy words.

44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; [ It is like Alma is saying, "You will not believe anything anyway. You have perverted the ways of the Lord. Heavenly Father, do with him what you see fit and bring a sign upon him, he does not want to listen to anything I have to say." What are the signs that he has received? 1) Prophets, 2) Scriptures 3) Planets ] will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? [ 1) You have the testimony of the prophets before you. ] The scriptures are laid before thee, [ 2) You have the signs given - the prophecies fulfilled from the scriptures. ] yea, and all things denote there is a God; [ From the organization of the heavens, to the ecosystem of the earth to the marriage of the soul with the body. God is the creator and everything that you see is a reference to God and his creations if you will just look. ] yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness [ 3) The planets that they stay in order and are controlled by their faith in God acts as a witness there is a God. ] that there is a Supreme Creator.

45 And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? [ Alma is giving Korihor every opportunity to change, every way to change, reasoning with him from the scriptures, giving him the evidence that he needs, but again he has to have the personal desire to do so. ] And he said: Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.[ What Alma has done is that he has shifted the burden of proof to Korihor. ]

46 And now it came to pass that Alma said unto him: Behold, I am grieved because of the hardness of your heart, yea, that ye will still resist the spirit of the truth, [ Do you suppose that Alma was testifying to Korihor and Alma knew that Korihor was being taught by the spirit and yet he was still attempting to deny that spirit. Are we like Korihor sometimes, when the spirit tells us that we need to do something (or stop doing something) and yet we go on our marry way. If Korihor was to be destroyed because of his actions (not giving head to the spirit) why should we expect any different result for us? ] that thy soul may be destroyed.

47 But behold, it is better that thy soul should be lost [ It is better that one man should perish than for a whole nation to dwindle in unbelief. 1 Ne. 4:13 ] than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words; [ Tell someone he is better than someone else and he will likely believe it. Almost every villain in the Book of Mormon shared two traits: fluency of language and flattery of the people. To name a few: Sherem was “learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery” (see Jacob 7:4) Korihor demonstrated his power of language in an argument with Alma, who said it is better that Korihor be lost than souls be brought down to destruction “by thy lying and by thy flattering words” (Alma 30:47) Amalickiah, the villain of choice in king-men days, was “a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words” (Alma 46:10) Even Alma the Younger, in his pre-angel-appearance days, “was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people” (Mosiah 27:8) The essence of flattery is telling someone he or she is better than others, which pride-driven disease plagued the Nephites even before the first scrape of their boat on America’s shores. Flattery requires and builds on class distinctions – a shared sense of us versus them, the “them” being anyone the speaker chooses to demonize, especially those who have supposedly failed them in the past. Flatterers in the Book of Mormon enlisted others in their fight against church and/or government by telling their listeners that they deserved better. They gave them a sense of purpose, of being important, of participating in a great event – a sense of Kumbaya togetherness and belonging to something bigger than themselves. ] therefore if thou shalt deny again, [ You asked for a sign, so here it is. If you deny again what you have felt to be true because you are stubborn then God will make you dumb. You have your agency to choose the consequences Is this not a powerful expression of the gospel in a way? If you choose to not follow what you know in you heart what the spirit tell you to do then the spirit will stop talking to you as a consequence of not listening, as a result you will become deaf (dumb). ] behold God shall smite thee, that thou shalt become dumb, [ Mute; silent; not speaking. To strike dumb is to confound; to astonish; to render silent by astonishment; or it may be, to deprive of the power of speech. ] that thou shalt never open thy mouth any more, that thou shalt not deceive this people any more.

48 Now Korihor said unto him: I do not deny the existence of a God, but I do not believe that there is a God; [ so what exactly is Korihor saying here? ] and I say also, that ye do not know that there is a God; and except ye show me a sign, I will not believe.

49 Now Alma said unto him: This will I give unto thee for a sign, that thou shalt be struck dumb, according to my words; and I say, that in the name of God, ye shall be struck dumb, that ye shall no more have utterance.

50 Now when Alma had said these words, Korihor was struck dumb, that he could not have utterance, according to the words of Alma.

51 And now when the chief judge saw this, he put forth his hand and wrote unto Korihor, saying: Art thou convinced of the power of God? In whom did ye desire that Alma should show forth his sign? Would ye that he should afflict others, to show unto thee a sign? Behold, he has showed unto you a sign; and now will ye dispute more?

52 And Korihor put forth his hand and wrote, saying: I know that I am dumb, for I cannot speak; and I know that nothing save it were the power of God could bring this upon me; yea, and I always knew that there was a God. [ What has happened here?. Korihor has allowed pride or stubbornness or whatever to make him fight against God. Here he admits that he knows that there is a God and that he has always known it. So when Alma was testifying to him he felt the spirit, and so as Alma promised, you can choose, but your choice will have consequences. ]

53 But behold, the devil hath deceived me; [ Korihor was deceived when Satan appeared to him in the form of an angel. Korihor could have avoided the deception by recognizing that the message delivered contradicted existing scripture and appealed to the “carnal” mind. Also he could have done as we are taught in D&C 129:4-8. What had happened in the life of Korihor in order to be deceived? How might this apply in our lifes? ] for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me: There is no God; [ Why does satan want us to think that there is no God? Without God there is no real plan for man so man might as well enjoy this life in whatever way he pleases, follow the desires of the flesh as there is no penalty, no one to be accountable too. ] yea, and he taught me that which I should say. And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; [ In other words I taught what made me feel good and you feel good in order to win you over. ] and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; [ Example of the law of justification. We can really justify about anything, and if we do it long enough it become who we are and how we really feel. ] and for this cause I withstood the truth, [ I would not allow myself to listen to the spirit of God, as that happened I lost that which was true. ] even until I have brought this great curse upon me.

54 Now when he had said this, he besought that Alma should pray unto God, that the curse might be taken from him. [ Why does God not lift the curse, surely God will not punish someone who is sorry right? What does Alma teach us here about how Gods works? God recognizes that and in the best interest of Korihor God cannot just lift the curse because in doing so he will go right back to being who he was before. So the curse in a way while it may not feel so to Korihor is really helpping Korihor have the best opportunity to change. ]

55 But Alma said unto him: If this curse should be taken from thee thou wouldst again lead away the hearts of this people; therefore, it shall be unto thee even as the Lord will. [ Alma says I will leave it in the Lord's hands. ]

56 And it came to pass that the curse was not taken off of Korihor; but he was cast out, and went about from house to house begging for his food.

57 Now the knowledge of what had happened unto Korihor was immediately published throughout all the land; yea, the proclamation was sent forth by the chief judge to all the people in the land, declaring unto those who had believed in the words of Korihor that they must speedily repent, lest the same judgments would come unto them.

58 And it came to pass that they were all convinced of the wickedness of Korihor; [ Or they say him for the decietful liar that he was. ] therefore they were all converted again unto the Lord; and this put an end to the iniquity after the manner of Korihor. And Korihor did go about from house to house, begging food for his support. [ So he looses and now he has no means of employment so he must beg. You can bet that he would have started at his best followers. Notice here who is not helping him(his master Satan). ]

59 And it came to pass that as he went forth among the people, yea, among a people who had separated themselves from the Nephites and called themselves Zoramites, being led by a man whose name was Zoram—and as he went forth amongst them, behold, he was run upon and trodden down, even until he was dead. [ He was stomped to dead. ]

60  And thus [ Or I will summarize for you - take warning to learn this. ] we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, [ Another "thus we see". This is doctrine. This is a stark comparison between the Savior who will do these things and Satan who is all in it for himself. The devil in the end has no power to save, so choosing him is choosing death. We should take special note here as we find this verse starting with the phrase, and thus we see. So we the author is trying to teach us something and wants to make sure we listen. For one the devil does not have any power to save; he bales out before the end as he has accomplished what he wanted - and since he is the most selfish when he gets what he just bolts onto the next victim. after all Satans mission statement is: “seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27). (Mormon 4:5 The wicked punish the wicked. ) ] but doth speedily drag them [ One should come to realize that if someone is being dragged then then it suggests that it is against their agency, if it where their agency theu would walk or run or at least follow. Dragging is something the adversary does. There is no gentilness, love or persausation as with Gods way - it is unrighteous dominion - dominion because they can. This who have hooked their wagon to the wrong master. ] down to hell.