“The Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. It confounds false doctrines … 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 are 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.” ~ Ezra Taft Benson, 1
The Book of Mormon was written for our day. Ezra Taft Benson pointed out that the ancient people from whom we got the Book of Mormon did not even have the book. The prophet Mormon abridged centuries of records. The Lord guided him to know what needed to be included for our wisdom and safety. Here’s what we can learn about the apostates and their teachings as found in the Book of Mormon.
In 2 Ne 28, Nephi teaches us basic things to look for in false teachings in our day:
a. Verse 5, preachers will:
1. Deny the power of Jesus Christ
2. Deny that God will give His power to men.
3. Deny the existence of God.
4. Ask people to follow them.
b. Verse 6:
1. Deny the reality of miracles.
2. Ask people not to believe.
3. Ask people to follow.
c. Verse 7:
1. Eat, drink, and be merry (do whatever you want) for life ends in death.