Post by Sherem-
My fellow Nephites,
I write to you today as a man of understanding, one who has studied the laws and commandments given to our fathers. I have walked among you, speaking with many, and I am troubled. Troubled, because there are those among us who seek to lead you away from the truth, replacing the sure foundation of the Law of Moses with idle tales of a so-called Christ.
The chief among these deceivers is Jacob, a man who claims to have seen visions and received revelations from God. He teaches that the Law of Moses was never meant to save us, but merely to point the way to a Messiah who is yet to come. I ask you—where is the proof of such a thing? Has anyone seen this Christ? Has he performed any miracles in our midst? Or are we simply to take Jacob’s word for it?
The law is clear. Moses, our great prophet and lawgiver, established the way by which we receive forgiveness of sins. It is through strict obedience to the commandments and through the sacrifices ordained by God. Nowhere in the writings of our fathers does it say that we must wait for a future being to redeem us. To believe such a thing is to reject the very foundation upon which our faith stands!
Furthermore, this doctrine of Christ is dangerous. It teaches that man is incapable of saving himself, that our righteousness and obedience mean nothing without some future atonement. What purpose, then, is there in following the law if our fate depends on an event that may never come? This teaching weakens our people, lulling them into complacency when they should be diligent in keeping the commandments.
I confronted Jacob personally, demanding that he prove his words by a sign from God. If he is truly a prophet, then let him show us undeniable evidence! Yet he relied only on his words, on dreams and visions, things which no man can verify. Is this how truth is established? By claims of the unseen and unfounded?
My friends, let us not be led astray by enticing words and speculative doctrines. The truth has already been given to us. Keep the Law of Moses, for it is through this law that we receive the blessings of heaven. Do not be deceived by those who seek to change what God has already decreed. Stand firm, and do not waver from the path of righteousness.
—Sherem
