Alma 30:6 he was Anti-Christ

“Here we find an interesting definition of an anti-Christ: one who defies and denies the prophecies concerning the coming of Christ. This definition would, of course, pertain primarily to those who lived before the meridian of time. In our day we would speak of an anti-Christ as one who denies the divine birth of Jesus; who downplays the significance of his teachings; who claims that Jesus' sufferings, death, and resurrection have no significance for mankind. Many in this dispensation have been seduced into the damnable heresy that Jesus was merely a good man, a brilliant speaker, and a loving and tender example of mercy and forgiveness--these things alone. The restored gospel--especially as made known through the Book of Mormon--testifies that Jesus Christ was and is divine, that he is God.” (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 201)

Alma 30:7 there was no law against a man’s belief

Mormon seems to almost regret that there was no legal recourse which could be taken against Korihor. In the cause of righteousness, the great triumph and tragedy of a free society is that all beliefs are protected—even those detrimental to that society.

Hugh Nibley

“It was under the protection of this Bill of Rights that the infamous Korihor was able to carry on with perfect impunity. Only a miracle stopped him… What were all those leading authorities so helpless against? Against abridging the right of free speech and freedom of religion as ‘laid down by the commandments of God’ (cf. Alma 30:7). These are the words of the Book of Mormon… No one will deny that the smart-aleck criticism of Alma and his friends was bad, unfair, foolish, and injurious. What could be done about it? The answer is always the same. One replies by preaching the gospel with increasing fervor, and that is what the young Alma learned for himself.

‘(Quoting Brigham Young) Do not you wish sometimes you had some power to pinch their ears? Do not you wish you had power to stop them in their mad career? Let the Lord Almighty do this…’

“A principle as strong as that of free agency itself exists from eternity to eternity.” (Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints, p. 423 – 424)

Neal A. Maxwell

“Clever but pathetic Korihor surely has his modern counterparts, especially in today's settings in which so many people are especially free to choose for themselves. In his time (as in ours), ‘there was no law against a man's belief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God…’(Alma 30:7-9.)

“Soon we may see such situations in which there will be ‘no laws against a man's belief,’ but also few laws against a man's behavior.” (Plain and Precious Things, p. 69)

Alma 30:8 Choose ye this day, whom ye shall serve

Obviously, Mormon is quoting the passage from Joshua. The children of Israel, like all people in a free society, were given the option to serve the Lord or serve Satan. Joshua’s inspiring response was, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Josh 24:15). Nephi expressed the same concept as follows, Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself (2 Ne 2:27).

Alma 30:10 if he committed adultery he was also punished

The fact that the Nephites had laws against adultery is interesting. In the United States, many states have had similar laws which were either repealed later or have been ignored. The political argument is that “you can’t legislate morality.” Yet, the problem with that argument is that all other laws are also moral issues. Murder is a crime against morality. Robbery, stealing, lying and almost all other crimes are crimes against morality. Their focus may not be on sexual immorality but they are moral issues, nonetheless. The point is not that every nation should use their legal system to prosecute adulterers. The point is that deviant sexual behavior can appropriately be proscribed by law when detrimental enough to society, and that the usual argument against such laws is fundamentally flawed.

Alma 30:12 this Anti-Christ…Korihor…began to preach

The Book of Mormon has introduced us to some other anti-Christs. Sherem from Jacob 7 and Nehor from Alma 1 are examples. Now we meet the last named anti-Christ in the Book of Mormon—Korihor. The teachings of Korihor will provide us with a framework to discuss the many arguments used by Satan in our day. His doctrines have been repeated a thousand different times in a hundred different forms.

“We did not borrow the Book of Mormon from the ancients; they wrote it to us. We are the audience Mormon ad Moroni addressed as they chose what was to be included in this scriptural record. They told us the story of Korihor because they knew that we would have our Korihors. The Korihor of the Book of Mormon story is but the prototype of our modern anti-Christs. As the modern man of faith is in the image and likeness of his ancient counterpart, believing and testifying of those truths of which the ancients believed and testified, so the modern anti-Christ but echoes the arguments and sophistry used to beguile the souls of men anciently. Invariably, Korihors are articulate and carry with them an air of sophistication. They thrive on controversy, debate, and contention, yet inevitably their popularity rests in their appeal to the carnal nature of man.” (Millet & McConkie, Sustaining and Defending the Faith, p. 96)

Ezra Taft Benson

“…the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. It confounds false doctrines and lays down contention. (See 2 Nephi 3:12.) It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day. The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon is similar to the type we have today. God, with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious, and philosophical concepts of our time.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1975, pp. 94-95)

Alma 30:12 Korihor…began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ

The arguments of Satan, though pleasing to the carnal mind, are inconsistent at best. His logic has so many holes in it that the truth leaks out like water through a sieve. Korihor’s claim that there should be no Christ is typical. This claim is in direct conflict with one of his later arguments—that no man can know of anything which is to come (v. 13). If no man can know the future, then Korihor can’t know that Christ will not come (see v. 30). If he knows that Christ will not come, then he has claimed to know the future. Both arguments can’t be true simultaneously. In effect, he can’t have it both ways. See also Jacob 7:2-9.

Alma 30:13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves

This is one of Satan’s most often used lies. It claims that discipleship equates to a surrender of freedom and individuality, that the many rules of religion just bind the individual unnecessarily. While the evil one is silently binding, first with flaxen cords (2 Ne 26:22), and then with the chains of hell, he brazenly preaches that true freedom can only be obtained outside the constraints of consecration. This is the “free agency without consequences” doctrine. It states that freedom comes by doing whatever you want—ignoring the reality that for every violation of divine law there is a consequence. Satan tries to paint the picture that the sinner is free while the obedient is bound down. The opposite couldn’t be more accurate, for If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (Jn 8:31-32). While it is true that there is a yoke of discipleship, the Lord reminds us that this yoke is not a heavy one, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matt 11:29-30).

“Korihor claims the protection of law in a free nation to teach the doctrines of disbelief, disrespect, and disobedience. He attempts to convince people that they are in bondage, for if he can successfully do so they will naturally turn to him as a liberator or redeemer. His then is a liberation movement. He is going to free them from the burden of commandments and gospel commitments. Whereas the gospel declares that the knowledge of revealed truths brings freedom, Korihor contends that freedom really means being without the constraints of righteousness…Korihor sought to ‘lift up their heads in their wickedness (v. 18),’ that is, to come out of the closet and take pride in those things that are an offense to God.” (Millet & McConkie, Sustaining and Defending the Faith, pp. 88-9)

Ezra Taft Benson

“One of Satan’s frequently used deceptions is the notion that the commandments of God are meant to restrict freedom and limit happiness. Young people especially sometimes feel that the standards of the Lord are like fences and chains, blocking them from those activities that seem most enjoyable in life. But exactly the opposite is true. The gospel plan is the plan by which men are brought to a fullness of joy. The gospel principles are the steps and guidelines which will help us find true happiness and joy.” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 357 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 297)

Alma 30:13 no man can know of anything which is to come

Neal A. Maxwell

“In sum, many maintain that we simply cannot know the future; that angels do not minister to man; and furthermore that we cannot accept the word of those who testify otherwise! For some this amounts to an article of faith: ‘We find insufficient evidence for belief in the existence of a supernatural; it is either meaningless or irrelevant to the question of the survival and fulfillment of the human race. As non-theists, we begin with humans not God, nature not deity.... No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.’ (Humanist Manifesto II, Encyclopedia of American Religions: Religions Creeds, J. Gordon Melton, ed. [Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1988], p. 641.)

“Fortunately, as Latter-day Saints we know better, having been blessed with the witness of the Spirit.” (A Wonderful Flood of Light, p. 75)

Neal A. Maxwell

“Many in the world hold back from making the ‘leap of faith’ because they have already jumped to the Korihor conclusions, such as ‘God never was nor ever will be; there is no redeeming Christ; man cannot know the future; man cannot know of that which he cannot see; whatsoever a man does is no crime; and death is the end.’

“One basic limitation of worldly wisdom is its lack of longitudinality and of precious perspective. Worldly wisdom cannot ‘see afar off,’ and without a spiritual memory and spiritual will, past mistakes are repeated and folly is resumed!” (Church News, Aug 22, 1992, “Vital Truths are Expressed in Life”)

Alma 30:15 ye cannot know of things which ye do not see

Often it is the scientist, pretended or real, which demands physical evidence for spiritual realities. Yet the scientist believes in many things which he cannot see. A scientist cannot see a magnetic field but he can see the effects of one. A scientist cannot see ionizing radiation, but he can see the radiation burns. A scientist cannot see subatomic particles, but he will argue from here to eternity that they exist. Thus we see that even the atheist-scientist has faith, for faith is things which are hoped for and not seen (Ether 12:6). Why is it so hard for the same individual to believe in a Supreme Being? Just like the magnetic fields, radiation fields, subatomic particles and gravity itself, God is not visible to the naked eye but the effects of His reality are all around us.

Alma 30:16 ye see a remission of your sins…it is the effect of a frenzied mind

This is the “religious people are crazy” doctrine. It proposes that all spiritual feelings are a product of sensationalism and self-fulfilling prophecy. This was the argument used by Festus against Paul, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad (Acts 26:24). The irony of the argument is that those who have no experience with the things of the Spirit are convinced that they are expert enough to pass judgment on the spiritually-minded. They assume that their lack of experience in spiritual matters is universal. Anyone teaching otherwise, they argue, is just delusional. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor 2:14).

Hugh Nibley

“Now many of my friends think like this, that Mormons must be deranged. We have a professor from Hebrew University who is here (at BYU) now. He thinks that anybody must be crazy who can believe in an angel. That's just impossible; there's something wrong there. He just can't get it through his head, although there it is. That's why he is so interested in being here with people who actually believe it. ‘But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind’” (Teachings of the Book of Mormon, lecture 54, p. 423)

Alma 30:17 every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature

Darwin would be rolling over in his grave if he found out that the “survival of the fittest” doctrine was taught almost two millennia before he proposed it. Yet, Korihor’s “survival of the fittest” is not an explanation of evolution but a justification for social stratification and oppression. While the saints count their many blessings, Korihor counts his many capabilities. He demands that stepping on the little guy is okay because whatsoever a man did was no crime.

Neal A. Maxwell

“Some who do not acknowledge God-and, for that matter, some who do-proceed through life insensitively. Like Korihor, they apparently believe that in this life we fare only according to the individual management of the creature, and that everyone conquers according to his genius or strength (see Alma 30:17). To the ‘strong,’ this seems ideal, but what of the conquered and subdued? Injustice multiplies like insects in the sunshine.” (A Wonderful Flood of Light, p. 85)

Hugh Nibley

“When you talk about ‘the management of the creature,’ that's a perfect expression. It's the manipulation of people as if they were items or products. You can manipulate everything with the psychology of salesmanship. It is the manipulation, the management of the creature.” (Teachings of the Book of Mormon, lecture 54, p. 424)

Alma 30:17 whatsoever a man did was no crime

Three of Satan’s favorite doctrines are 1) that there is no punishment for sin, 2) that there is nothing after death, and 3) that Satan himself does not exist. Two of these heinous doctrines are taught by Korihor. The third is found in 2 Nephi 28:22, And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none--and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

Alma 30:18 when a man was dead, that was the end thereof

Korihor was able to convince many to commit great whoredoms with the doctrine that there is no afterlife. Thus, the denial of immortality inevitably encourages immorality. This doctrine is a corollary to the doctrines that man will not be punished for his sins and that there is no hell. It is the “eat, drink and be merry” doctrine.

Joseph F. Smith

“Some people cannot think of anything else but annihilation. What a glorious prospect for the sinner! Then he could say, ‘Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow we die, and next day we will be annihilated, and that will be the end of our sorrow and of God's judgment upon us.’ Do not flatter yourselves that you are going to get out of it so easy. This Book of Mormon is replete all the way through with the testimonies of the servants of God that men are born to be immortal; that after the resurrection their bodies are to live as long as their spirits, and their spirits cannot die. They are immortal beings, and they are destined, if they commit the unpardonable sin, to be banished from the presence of God and endure the punishment of the devil and his angels throughout all eternity. I think the wicked would prefer annihilation to the suffering of such punishment. That would be an end to punishment--an end to being. This view cannot be reconciled with the word of God.” (Collected Discourses 1886-1898, ed. by Brian Stuy, vol. 4, Joseph F. Smith, Jan. 20, 1995)

Hugh Nibley

“That is no hope for anything future-no hope for any hereafter, that this is all there is. That's what nihilism is. There is no more; this is all there is. Don't expect anything else. As we said before, ‘Una perpetua nox dermienda,’ (One perpetual black night awaits us), and that's all. Since this is all there is, we act that way. That is nihilism.” (Teachings of the Book of Mormon, lecture 8, p. 110)

Alma 30:25 I say that a child is not guilty because of its parents

“This argument is called a straw man. That is, he attributed to Giddonah something that Giddonah does not believe—the idea that children inherit guilt through Adam’s transgression. Korihor knows that he cannot fight truth fairly and come off victorious, so he attributes bad doctrine to Giddonah, a straw man to which he can give a good verbal licking.

“The straw man device seems to be a mandatory ploy in attacks on the doctrines of the Church…It is usually necessary to prop the straw man up by quoting some Mormon leader as having made some supporting comment. The rule here is to never quote anyone still living, and the longer they have been dead the safer you are.” (Millet & McConkie, Sustaining and Defending the Faith, p. 90)

Alma 30:29 when they saw that he would revile even against God, they would not make any reply

There comes a point in religious conversations when the Spirit of God has been replaced by the spirit of contention. When a gospel discussion has reached the point where no progress is being made, then the discussion must end. Giddonah wisely understood that he had reached that point with Korihor. Rather, than get into a “Bible-bash,” he backed off.

Joseph Smith

“Let the Elders be exceedingly careful…Remember that your business is to preach the Gospel in all humility and meekness, and warn sinners to repent and come to Christ.

“Avoid contentions and vain disputes with men of corrupt minds, who do not desire to know the truth. Remember that ‘it is a day of warning, and not a day of many words.’ If they receive not your testimony in one place, flee to another, remembering to cast no reflections, nor throw out any bitter sayings. If you do your duty, it will be just as well with you, as though all men embraced the Gospel.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 43, italics added)

Alma 30:40 what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not?

“As to the Korihors, we need not assume the burden of proof that is rightly theirs. If they assert we are without God, without prophets, and without revelation, it is for them to prove it. We await that proof as have the Saints of God from the days of Adam.” (Millet & McConkie, Sustaining and Defending the Faith, p. 94)

“Alma takes Korihor’s own philosophy and catches him in a trap of his own making. Korihor teaches that we can know only what we can see. (See Alma 30:15.) But when questioned, Korihor categorically denies that he believes there is a God. Alma then asks, ‘What evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.’ (Alma 30:40.)

“It is an inspired insight on Alma’s part. Korihor is not consistent in his own thinking. If we truly can know only those things for which we have empirical evidence, then we cannot teach there is no God unless we have evidence for that belief. And Korihor has no evidence.

“Korihor will consider only evidence that can be gathered through the senses. In such a system, it is much easier to prove there is a God than to prove there is not a God. To prove there is a God, all it takes is for one person to see, hear, or otherwise have an experience with God, and thereafter the existence of God cannot be disproved. But here is what it would take to prove there is no God…for Korihor to say that there is no God, based on the very criteria he himself has established, he would have to perceive every cubic meter of the universe simultaneously. This creates a paradox: In order for Korihor to prove there is no God, he would have to be a god himself! Therefore, in declaring there is no God, he is acting on ‘faith,’ the very thing for which he so sharply derides the religious leaders!

“No wonder Mormon chose to detail the story of Korihor. It teaches a great lesson for our day. No matter how clever, how sophisticated the philosophies of an anti-Christ may seem, they are not true. They are riddled with contradictions, errors, and false assumptions. The gospel, on the other hand, is truth—truth that has stood the test of centuries, truth that can withstand rational examination, truth that is pragmatic and practical, truth that can be confirmed through personal experience. A believer need not apologize for his or her beliefs, for these beliefs withstand every scrutiny much more efficiently than do the doctrines of Satan.” (N. Gerald Lund, Ensign, July 1992, p. 16)

Alma 30:41 I have all things as a testimony that these things are true

Korihor’s feeble arguments are no match for the power of the spirit of testimony. Alma, like Jacob before Sherem, is unshakeable. Alma’s response is a great reminder of how missionaries should respond to these situations—bear their testimonies.

“Now, we ask, have the united efforts of all the Korihors the world has ever known successfully proved that there is no God? Have they proved that Jesus was not the Christ, the promised Messiah? Where is the man that can refute the testimony of those humble shepherds who heard the heavenly host sing, and who found the infant child wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger? Who is it that can come forth and refute the testimony of the wise men who followed the star and paid homage to the Christ child? Who is it that can discredit the testimony of John that the heavens were opening to him and that he heard a voice saying ‘This is my beloved Son’?…Who with authority can deny such a testimony?” (Millet & McConkie, Sustaining and Defending the Faith, pp. 92-3)

Jeffrey R. Holland

“Korihor's arguments sound very contemporary to the modern reader, but Alma used a timeless and ultimately undeniable weapon in response—the power of personal testimony.” (Christ and the New Covenant, p. 121)

Alma 30:42 thou art possessed with a lying spirit

“How interesting is Alma’s insight! Alma tells us that Korihor in fact believes that which he is denying. He indicates that Korihor is little more than a wooden puppet, one dressed as a spiritual liberator, dancing and singing as his strings are pulled by the devil himself. And how appropriate that he now demand a sign, for we know that it is the ‘wicked and adulterous’ (Matt 16:4) that seek after signs. ‘The Lord said to me in a revelation,’ Joseph Smith reported, ‘that any man who wanted a sign was an adulterous person.’” (Millet & McConkie, Sustaining and Defending the Faith, pp. 92-3)

Alma 30:44 all things denote there is a God

To the atheist, the Book of Mormon responds, all things denote there is a God; 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 that there is a Supreme Creator (Alma 30:44). Ronald Reagan has been quoted as saying, “sometimes when I’m faced with an atheist, I am tempted to invite him to the greatest gourmet dinner that one could ever serve. And when we have finished eating that magnificent dinner to ask him if he believes there’s a cook.” (Quote Book #4, compiled by James H. Patterson, p. 5)

“It is also recognized by a majority of the great scientists that there is a God and that he is the source of truth. As Albert Einstein said, ‘The harmony of natural law reveals an intelligence of such superiority that compared with it all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection’ ("Search for Truth" 7). Similarly, the great space scientist Wernher von Braun has written,

“Anything as well ordered

And perfectly created as is our earth

And universe must have a Maker

A Master Designer

Anything so orderly, so perfect,

So precisely balanced, so majestic as

This creation can only be the product of a Divine Idea…

‘There must be a Maker; there can be no other way’ (“Creation” 21)”

(Book of Mormon Symposium Series, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 348)

“A believing British scientist has observed the following of our especially situated planet:

“[Just a bit nearer to the sun, and Planet Earth's seas would soon be boiling; just a little farther out, and the whole world would become a frozen wilderness.]

“. . . If our orbit happened to be the wrong shape . . . then we should alternately freeze like Mars and fry like Venus once a year. Fortunately for us, our planet's orbit is very nearly a circle.

“The 21 percent of oxygen is another critical figure. Animals would have difficulty breathing if the oxygen content fell very far below that value. But an oxygen level much higher than this would also be disastrous, since the extra oxygen would act as a fire-raising material. Forests and grasslands would flare up every time lightning struck during a dry spell, and life on earth would become extremely hazardous.4” (Book of Mormon Symposium Series: First Nephi, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 7)

Gordon B. Hinckley

“Can any man who has walked beneath the stars at night, can anyone who has seen the touch of spring upon the land doubt the hand of divinity in creation? So observing the beauties of the earth, one is wont to speak as did the Psalmist: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.’ (Ps. 19:1-2)

“All of beauty in the earth bears the fingerprint of the Master Creator.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1978, p. 90)

James E. Talmage

“The existence of God is scarcely a question for rational dispute; nor does it call for proof by the feeble demonstrations of man's logic, for the fact is admitted by the human family practically without question, and the consciousness of subjection to a supreme power is an inborn attribute of mankind…Even the atheist feels, in the more solemn moments of his life, a yearning of the soul toward a spiritual Parent, as naturally as his human affections turn toward the father who gave him mortal life. The atheism of today is but a species of paganism after all.” (The Articles of Faith, p. 29, 46)

Alma 30:45 I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign

Joseph Smith

“The principle is as correct as the one that Jesus put forth in saying that he who seeketh a sign is an adulterous person; and that principle is eternal, undeviating, and firm as the pillars of heaven; for whenever you see a man seeking after a sign, you may set it down that he is an adulterous man.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 157)

George A. Smith

“I recollect a Campbellite preacher who came to Joseph Smith ... and said that he had come a considerable distance to be convinced of the truth. ‘Why,’ said he, ‘Mr. Smith, I want to know the truth, and when I am convinced, I will spend all my talents and time defending and spreading the doctrines of your religion, and I will give you to understand that to convince me is equivalent to convincing all my society, amounting to several hundreds.’ Well, Joseph commenced laying before him the coming forth of the work, and the first principles of the Gospel, when [the minister] exclaimed, ‘O this is not the evidence I want, the evidence that I wish to have is a notable miracle; I want to see some powerful manifestation of the power of God, I want to see a notable miracle performed; and if you perform such a one, then I will believe with all my heart and soul, and will exert all my power and all my extensive influence to convince others; and if you will not perform a miracle of this kind, then I am your worst and bitterest enemy.’ ‘Well,’ said Joseph, ‘what will you have done? Will you be struck blind, or dumb? Will you be paralyzed, or will you have one hand withered? Take your choice, choose which you please, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ it shall be done.’ ‘That is not the kind of miracle I want,’ said the preacher. ‘Then, sir,’ replied Joseph, ‘I can perform none, I am not going to bring any trouble upon any body else, sir, to convince you.’” (Journal of Discourses, 1855, vol. 2, p. 326).

Alma 30:53 the devil…appeared unto me in the form of an angel

Joseph Fielding Smith

“There is no doubt about Satan having great power and that he can appear as an angel of light. In this form he appeared on the banks of the Susquehanna River to oppose the restoration of keys, and was detected by Michael, and his plans were thwarted. Jacob, son of Lehi, in his teachings, stated that if there had been no atonement, our spirits ‘…must have become like unto him [Satan], and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.’ Korihor, who tried to deceive the Nephites, admitted that Satan appeared to him as an angel and told him what to teach the people.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, vol. 1, p. 178)

Bruce R. McConkie

“Lucifer does not come personally to every false prophet, as he did to Korihor, any more than the Lord comes personally to every true prophet, as he did to Joseph Smith. Such an appearance--either of God on the one hand or of Satan on the other--is, however, the end result of full devotion to the respective causes involved. In each instance an earthly representative, by obedience to the laws that are ordained, may see the face of the master he serves." (Millennial Messiah, p. 72)

Alma 30:60 the devil will not support his children at the last day

“The conclusion to our story holds no surprises, for there is a consistency in such things. To those who lift up their heel against the Lord’s anointed in our day, he has said: ‘Those who sear falsely against my servants, that they might bring them into bondage and death—Wo unto them; because they have offended my little ones they shall be severed from the ordinances of mine house. Their basket shall not be full, their houses and their barns shall perish, and they themselves shall be despised by those that flattered them.’ (DC 121:18-20)” (Millet & McConkie, Sustaining and Defending the Faith, pp. 92-3)