Tuesday, 7:00-8:30 Michael Wilcox Institute 25-30 Book of Mormon Class

4 Major Anti-Christs in the Book of Mormon
Wilcox felt the term Anti-Christ gives people an image of a very noticeable, godless type person. He stressed that an Anti-Christ is really anyone who is a “faith shaker”. Jacob 7:5 ( Sherem hoped to shake faith)

4 Anti-Christs in Book of Mormon are

Sherem - Jacob 7
Nahor - Alma 1
Korihor - Alma 30
Zoram - Alma 31

Alma the Younger interacts with Nahor, Korihor, AND Zoram. Alma the Younger is perfect to be the ANTI anti-Christ because he himself was one. He knew where they were coming from.

5 Ways to deal with Anti-Christs

1) Know their trademarks ( you can find them in church or outside of church)

Sherem Quotes Scripture, calls Jacob “Brother”, Religous
Nahor Wants clergy to be Popular and Paid
Korihor Non-Religious
Zoram Highly Religious

You can’t always know who the anti-Christ’s are. They can be religious, non religious.
I think of how the philosophies of men can mingle with scripture and true religion.

2) Know your doctrine

Sherem - Something else will saved
Nahor – Everyone will be saved
Korihor – Some will, Some won’t
Zoram – You don’t need to be saved

3) You don’t have to listen to them. You have a choice

Choice is not between two trees (as in the knowledge of the tree of good and evil and the tree of life) The choice really is between the tree of life and ALL other trees.

4) Sometimes the best defense is a good offense

He shared story of how philosophy professors like to pick on religious people. But at the end of the day –they can’t prove anything anymore than you can. Religious people back themselves into a corner, when we actually have a much stronger foundation (Alma 30:36-37)

5) Answer with testimony

Shared the concept of a testimony pyramid in which faith rests on
1) Faith “I Know it is true” based on feelings, emotions
2) Evidence “I know why I know”

Hebrews 11:1 ( Wilcox felt this was the best definition on faith)Greek translation of “Substance” is also foundation, assurance, evidence

Evidence is based on
Experience - personal experiences, testimony of “brethren” peers
Authority -- testimony of prophets
Reason -- Nature, etc...

Anti-Christs have a reverse pyramid (based on bad beliefs as their foundation, traditions, and then emotions) Anyone of any religion can get mixed up in a reverse pyramid

6 Articles of NO FAITH for Anti-Christs ( aka Faith Shakers) Alma 31

1) (v )Can’t know of anything to come
2) (v 15)Can’t know of anything you can’t see ( empirical)
3) (v17) No Atonement was made, every man fares according to management of creature (law of the jungle, social Darwinism)
4) (Whatsoever someone did was No Sin, No Crime (no law, chaos, free love,etc..)
5) No afterlife
6) (v 28) God is never seen, never known, God Doesn’t exist (atheist)


Next week is Alma 32 –

He'll go into how Alma the Younger proves how we can find out about God through the scientific method. (Wilcox felt that this was really neat because it was like Alma the younger knew exactly that we would need this level of proof)