Book of Mormon: Day 197: Stand Strong and True

Today’s Reading:  Alma 30

8 For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve.

This chapter in Alma tells of Korihor and refers to him as an “anti-Christ.”  The Bible Dictionary defines  an anti-Christ as “anyone or anything that counterfeits the true gospel or plan of salvation and that openly or secretly is set up in opposition to Christ.”  Korihor “ridicules Christ, the Atonement, and the spirit of prophecy—He teaches that there is no God, no fall of man, no penalty for sin, and no Christ.”

When I think of Korihor, I imagine he was persuasive and very convincing in trying to prove his false ideas and teachings to those around him.  He was probably very articulate in his speech and used words of intelligence and flattery to lead people astray.  He probably had an outwardly charming, pleasant, and maybe even handsome appearance that made his deception even more convincing.  He mocked and ridiculed those who were followers of Christ.  He was good at what he did because he was successful in his deceit and lead many away from the truth.

How many of us have encountered “Korihors” in our lives?  People who tell us that what we believe is wrong – that our ideas about God, Jesus Christ, our doctrine, the Church, the leaders of the church – are wrong.  They tell us that we follow blindly and cannot think for ourselves.  Just like Korihor, they can make evil appear good, and try to tell us that our ideas and beliefs are outdated and unpopular.  Their appearance, speech, and intelligence can be potentially deceiving and persuasive.  In those times, our faith can be shaken if we don’t have our testimonies firmly built upon the right things.  President Thomas S. Monson has said,

“If our testimonies are not firmly enough rooted, such criticisms can cause us to doubt our own beliefs or to waver in our resolves.”

“In Lehi’s vision of the tree of life, found in 1 Nephi 8, Lehi sees, among others, those who hold to the iron rod until they come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, which we know is a representation of the love of God. And then, sadly, after they partake of the fruit, some are ashamed because of those in the “great and spacious building,” who represent the pride of the children of men, who are pointing fingers at them and scoffing at them; and they fall away into forbidden paths and are lost. What a powerful tool of the adversary is ridicule and mockery! … do we have the courage to stand strong and firm in the face of such difficult opposition?”  (Dare to Stand Alone)

When Korihor is brought before Alma and continues his criticism and false accusations, Alma boldly testifies and defends the truth.  He has no hesitation.  There will be times when each of us will have to stand up and defend our beliefs against false ideas and ridicule and testify of the truth.  We may find ourselves hesitant or afraid.  It is not always easy.

I once found myself having to defend my beliefs to a friend who had left the Church for reasons of her own.  She told me that I could choose to believe what I did, but she also made it very clear that she didn’t agree with most of it.  She went on to criticize Church doctrine, Church leaders, Joseph Smith, and almost everything else having to do with the Church.  As a missionary, years ago, I learned the power of testifying.  I learned that when others criticize, ridicule, or become confrontational, the best thing I could do was to share my testimony with them.  There is power and peace that comes through bearing pure testimony.  I learned that being fearless and bold in defending truth is not always easy but the Lord will always stand with us if we have courage to defend what we know is right.  As I listened to my friend, I knew that trying to argue with her about it would just cause contention and more false accusations from her so I shared my testimony, defending doctrine and Church leaders.  I made it clear to her that I was firm in what I believed and that no matter what she said to me or how much she criticized what I believed, she would not persuade me otherwise.  Like Alma, I was bold as I testified to her and defended the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His church.  She didn’t have much to say after that.  The Spirit replaced the contention and I knew she felt the power of my testimony.

It made me sad to see that my friend had let her heart become so hardened to the Spirit and to the light and truth of the gospel.  She had let pride fill her heart and overrule her spirit.  She had listened to the “Korihors” of the world and was slowly, subtly, and deceitfully, led away from truth with false ideas and teachings.

Each of us will encounter those “Korihors” and we will be challenged by our beliefs.  In those times we can take counsel from our prophet, Thomas S. Monson:

“May we ever be courageous and prepared to stand for what we believe, and if we must stand alone in the process, may we do so courageously, strengthened by the knowledge that in reality we are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven.”

When we find ourselves in a situation where we have to stand up for what we believe, may we stand strong and true and be FEARLESS in defending the truth.

Jenny Richards Rockwood

I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. I served a Spanish-speaking mission in Toronto, Canada. I attended BYU and taught at the MTC. I am a wife and a mother and I love being a stay at home dance/basketball/football/soccer mom. I love the beach, anything chocolate, Santa Fe sunsets, and all things Jane Austen. I’m a thyroid cancer survivor, a big fan of BYU Soccer, and I love teaching the gospel. Over the last twenty years, I’ve lived in San Francisco, California; New Haven, Connecticut; Miami, Florida; Kalispell, Montana; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Utah. I have loved each place I’ve lived and I’ve been blessed with amazing friends and all kinds of experiences along the way! My motto has become: “Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.” 💜