In response to the anti-Christ Korihor's allegations, Alma made the following response:
But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true?? (Alma 30:41)
Hugh Nibley asks, Is your main interest in the Book of Mormon proving that it is true, that it is a real history? Some might say, "No, I don't think so." Then what is your main interest in the Book of Mormon? "Learning more about its message" is their response. That's the point. People have that same response about the Bible. "Whether it's true or not whether it's a myth or not, it has great lessons for us." they say that. Well, the Book of Mormon certainly has great lessons, but it has always been the main issue whether it's true. . . . Unless the Bible is true and those stories are true, what is it doing? Philosophy teaches those things. . . . Most people today, including most ministers, say that the Bible teaches us morals, ethics, aesthetics, principles, spiritual things, and beautiful stories. It teaches love, affection, family--all those things. But you don't have to go to the Bible [for them]. You don't have to have angels come to tell you that. "It needs no ghost come from the dead, my lord, to tell us that," as Horatio says. We have thousands of books on that subject. The whole fourth floor [of the BYU library] is taken up with books that will tell you about humanity, love, morals, human nature, and all that sort of thing. No, the only purpose of religion is to answer one question . . . it's called the terrible question that nobody could answer . . . The question is: Is this all there is? If this is the whole show, then your whole way of life is going to be arranged differently, isn't it? Remember what Korihor teaches in the Book of Mormon? When a man dies that is the end thereof. Therefore, they lifted up their heads and rejoiced. They could sin all they wanted to; there would be no reckoning or anything like that. . . . Pure fantasy can teach us wisdom, morals, kindness, courage, forgiveness, and other moral things. We tell stories in Sunday School from [fictional stories]. . . . The mere reality of the Book of Mormon puts everything in a different light. [Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 3, pp. 48-50]