The Order of the Nehors

One of the major themes of the book of Mormon as well as the book of Alma is that the wars that take place first begin with a war of words and ideologies. The book of Alma begins with a war of words and ends with major bloodshed. The same can be seen in the Book of Mormon as a whole, with the complete decimation of the Nephite way of life. The first chapter of Alma shows readers an order established by a man named Nehor, a name that is probably given him after the fact, an example of metonymy.

The order established by Nehor became a major threat to the egalitarian order that Nephite prophets worked to establish. This order was both politically and religiously divisive and dangerous to the society Nephite prophets worked to establish, eventually bringing about the downfall of Nephite civilization. Mormon defines this order in Alma 1.2-6. The order of the Nehors was syncretic, meaning that it combined many aspects of the true Nephite religion with other elements in the surrounding culture. This order did follow many elements of Torah, such as a belief in Yahweh/Jehovah, while rejecting the core of Nephite religion: The Atonement of the Messiah. This order emphasized the following points:

1. It preached the “Word of God” (Alma 1.3).
2. It was opposed to the church established by Alma (Alma 1.3).
3. It taught that all would receive eternal life (Alma 1.4).
4. Because all would be redeemed, it was unnecessary that the Messiah die and rise again to atone for the sins of mankind. This denial of an atoning Messiah is central to Nehorism.
5. It taught that the priests of this order should not work, but must be supported by the labor of the people (Alma 1.3,5).
6. It emphasized class distinctions and the “wearing of costly apparel,” something Nephite prophets continually opposed in their sermons (Alma 1.6). This intense social division becomes the fuel that ignites these people to destroy themselves later in the Book of Mormon (4 Nephi 1.35-38).

This paper by Brant Gardner from his excellent Book of Mormon commentary is worth reading. His examination of what he calls the religion of the Nehors clearly shows how these teachings influenced Nephite society, demonstrating that the order of the Nehors was a combination of Old World religion mixed with elements from the New World, where the stratification of society lead to their downfall.