Number 11
Sherem
Jacob 7
Kicking off the list is an Anti-Christ, and get used to it because he won't be the last. Around the time of Jacob he appears out of nowhere and tells the world that, there is no such thing as a Christ, nor there ever will be. When the prophet gets word of this they had a debate until Sherem demanded of sign of God. With one lift of Jacob's arm, he's struck down and dies later. Then everything was back to the way it was.
If only it were that simple for the rest on this post.
Number 10
Nehor
Alma 2
*Sigh* another freaking Anti-Christ. I'll tell you why this tops Sherem. In Alma chapter 2 he shows up saying that there IS a God and saviour...
but in the end everyone will be saved. So basically there's no such thing as Hell. Now the (obvious) reason why it's so bad is because what's the point in being good if you be raised into heaven anyway. Now let me tell you something his temper was as short as his honesty. A man by the name of Gideon basically calls him a fraud and Nehor doesn't take it so well, so he cuts him down. He's tried for his crimes, found guilty, and executed. However even though he died, his teachings did not. His followers then persecuted the saints and dissension was ripe. They even went to form the city of Ammonihah; which went well (that's sarcasm, they went the way of Sodom and Gomorrah and were destroyed.)
Number 9
Amlici
Next up is a dissident; as if they didn't have enough of those. Amlici was a very respected man by many, a celebrity of his time if you may. Then he thought: "Hey, I'm so bloody popular, I should be frickin' king!" Unfortunately for him because it was a democracy, they had to have a vote, and to his surprise, they voted him out. In a flurry of anger he assembles an army to take over the country by force, and not surprisingly he loses. Twice; with the last battle killing him. Oh you just wait, the bloodshed gets worse from here.
Number 8
Zerahemnah
Alma 44
Yet another warmonger. In Alma chapter 31 when the Lamanites and Nephites were at each others throats, this general rose up to take the challenge of conquering Captain Moroni's army.
SPOILERS; he loses. At the Blood-Spill of the River Sidon (as I like to call it) the two armies met with uttermost ferocity. At first the Nephites have the upper hand seeing that they had better armour, to which the Lamanties had forgotten it entirely. But then the Lamanites start fighting like dragons as the book calls it to the point were it doesn't matter, and start routing their enemies. If it wasn't for the inspiring righteousness of Moroni, they might've lost the day. The Nephites have Zerahemnah's army surrounded and demand an end to the slaughter. He refuses and attempts to kill the captain, which fails, resulting in the literal and symbolic cutting of and falling scalp. Seeing they don't want to fall as the general's hair complexion, they all retreat into the wilderness, and peace is restored
Number 7
Laman and Lemuel
1st and 2nd Nephi
Ahhh... now let's go to a classic source of conflict. Freaking sibling rivalry. Around the time when Lehi and his family left into the wilderness to escape Jerusalem to flee to the American Continent (starting the Book of Mormon events) two of his sons weren't so happy leaving everything they had. They hardened their hearts against there father and brother Nephi, and a series of incursions, from open criticism to physical harm. When they reached the promised land, things took a turn for the worse. When Lehi passed away, Nephi received the entitlement of a prophet, and founded a great nation of good people. His brothers were envious, so they broke off with other people and founded the Lamanites with one goal in mind. Take Nephi and the Nephites DOWN! Thus setting of the chain of events that make up the rest of the book.
Number 6
King Noah
Monarchs; what would we do without them. That's was the idea going into everyone's head after this guy took the throne. After his benevolent father passed it was his turn to run the country. I bet the father must've regretted it looking down on him in purgatory. The man gave the Nephites a bad name with an insatiable appetite for wealth. The taxes were highway robbery, demanding a 1/5th of their gold, silver, grain and animals. It wasn't until the prophet Abinadi came along that his rule started to wane. After a trial far too elaborate to get into now, and a change of heart by one of Noah's priests (Alma) the King had a change of heart as well, until his jury stepped in. So the prophet was burned; quite literally. Thankfully, the King met the same fate at the hands of his servants.
Number 5
Korihor
Alma 30
Oh boy, now were really getting to the heavyweights. The final Anti-Christ on this list, and by far the worst. In Alma 27 he emerges from the cracks of hell saying...
THERE IS NO GOD, NO CHRIST, NO HEAVEN, NO HELL, NO AFTERLIFE; RELIGION IS A LIE!!
He was basically the so called humanists of his day. Because he claimed there's none of the above there's ZERO accountability, NADA! It's scary as heck if you think about it. Worst of all, his teaching continue to thrive to this day!
Thankfully he met his end when he demanded a sign, and he got one; in the form of not being able to speak. Then trampled when begging under the feet of the Zoramite jerks.
Speaking of...
Number 4
Zoramites
Alma 31
The next chapter after that predicament, we get to these boneheads. Originally not to bad, they fell away much to the disdain of God. When Alma investigated this, his heart basically skipped a beat. Once a day they would go to their synagogues and say this travesty of a quote...
15 Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever.
16 Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou has selected us to be thy holy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ.
17 But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God.
18 And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen.
Even worse, they would say it over and over and over until everyone has said it once...
YES, EVERYONE! It's the SAME EVERY TIME!! Another chronic sin is they have a hatred of the poor and basically treat them like dirt; even though they build the churches there in the first place!! They're basically the Wall Street of their day.
Number 3
Amalickiah
Alma 45-48
Ugh, another bloody dissident, and by far the lowest. After the defeat of Zerahemnah, he appears just after the peace was restored and basically decreed that the church was false and began swaying the people's hearts to him. However Cap. Moroni came along decreeing the Title of Liberty (their version of the Constitution saying he's of the devil and wishes to destroy everything the people stand for which sparked a personal vendetta by Amalickiah. But the rogue fled with his followers and used lies, treachery and deceit to convince the Lamanites to go to war; AGAIN. Unfortunately he was successful, and his actions sparked a brutal conflict that lasted years and claimed many souls. His legacy was so evil, even his freakin' BROTHER joined in; which went well (sarcasm.)
Number 2
Ether 13-15
Coriantumr
Now before Lehi and his family landed in America there were actually people to do it before him. Called the Jaredites- after the prophet Jared- they set out to sea after the Tower of Babel debacle. They founded a civilization that lasted for generations; until it fell under the sword. A wave of sin set into the hearts of the rulers and soon a series of generals eventually led the people to water the ground with blood. Coriantumr was one of them. He tops Amalickiah because it's one thing to lead a nation to war, it's another thing to lead a faction to war...
THAT ENDS IN TOTAL EXTERMINATION!!! The violence was so evil that the Spirit of the Lord LEFT THEM COMPLETELY. That's how bad it was. A prophet named Ether warned him of the tragedy of his ways. He didn't listen; and by the time the fighting ended...
he was the last of the Jaredites. That's right; the last. With no one left to start a anew with he was doomed to a life of sorrowful, regretful isolation. To wander the land as the LAST of his kind. That's just saddening. However one manages to top him.
Number 1
Gadianton and his robbers
Helaman 2, 6 & 8
By the end of Alma's 63 chapters a new deadly force was emerging. How did it start, it all began on a typical day like any other. Everyone was all peaches and cream...
Until the incident! A man by the name of Kishkumen had murdered the Chief Judge who ran the country, and the nation was in chaos. He and his band relished in the moment of triumph. How could it get any worse? A man named Gadianton came along a took over. Using pacts and 'revelations' with the DEVIL HIMSELF, he turned the country upside down with lies, treachery, murder and corruption. His 'Gadianton Robbers' were basically the Mafia and he was the Godfather; managing to gather a large following basicallt saying "I make you a offer you can't refuse" (Get it?) It wasn't until the time of Christ and when he personally came to the people of the continent, were they faded to legend. But they re-emerged 200 years late, causing the single handed destruction of the Nephites! This secret combination (criminal organization) is THE REASON why he's number 1. Need I say more?
Thanks for reading. I'll see you next time.
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