Nehor’s doctrine would be very popular among many of our own day. He obviously did not believe in a fall, from which mankind required redemption. He advocated some form of humanism, the pernicious belief that men and women have but to fulfill their genetic blueprint in order to be happy, for they are by nature good and noble, having no need for divine assistance.
As we will see later in the story, in the main the people of Ammonihah, a perverse lot given over to the profession of Nehor, “repented not of their sins; ... for they were of the profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins” (Alma 15:15). Nehor taught the people that they should “lift up their heads,” that is, lift up their heads in their wickedness (compare Alma 30:18); he surely preached against guilt and shame and judgment.
Like his master, Lucifer, his program propounded the pernicious but popular belief that all mankind would eventually be saved, without righteousness, without faith, without atonement and repentance (see Moses 4:1-4). His doctrine had been foreseen by ancient Nephite prophets. Nephi had warned:
“And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God- he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God” (2 Nephi 28:8).