In our last chapter we stated that Korihor, the Anti-Christ, was killed in a city of the Zoramites. Who was Zoram? and who were the Zoramites? are questions that now present themselves.
There are two distinct classes of people called Zoramites in the Book of Mormon. The first, the descendants of Zoram, the servant of Laban, who accompanied Nephi from Jerusalem. The second were followers of the Nephite apostate Zoram, whose defection and treason caused so much trouble and bloodshed in the Nephite Republic.
Of the last named Zoram and his individual life we have no history. We only know him through his pernicious teachings, and the sad results thereof. But it is altogether probable that before he started out as a religious reformer on his own account, he was a follower of Nehor, as a majority of his adherents appear to have been gathered from that sect and to have belonged to that order.
Zoram assembled his people in a region of the South American Continent which at that time was but a very thinly settled territory. It was called the Land of Antionum, and lay to the east of the River Sidon, while it stretched from the Land of Jershon on the north to the great southern wilderness which was infested with the more savage, wandering Lamanites. To this broad land the Zoramites gathered, and there built their cities, erected their synagogues, and grew in material wealth until, in the year 75 B.C., they had become an important, though an undesirable portion of the Nephite Commonwealth. As friends, they were unreliable, as enemies, formidable.
In the various apostasies, partial or total, that from time to time disgraced the Nephites, there was one characteristic feature that seems to be universal to them all, however much they may have differed in minor points. It was the denial of the coming of the Savior in the flesh, and the necessity of His Atonement for the sins of the world. This was the evil one's strong point in his efforts to mislead the ancient Nephites. Let him but to persuade any people to reject this, the foundation of the Gospel scheme, and little does he care what else they believe or disbelieve. For when this fundamental truth is rejected their spiritual enslavement is secured.
This was the case with the Zoramites. They claimed to be a chosen and a holy people, separate from their fellowmen, and elected of God to eternal Salvation, while all around were predestined to be cast down to Hell. This atrocious creed naturally resulted in its adherents and advocates being puffed up in vanity and consumed with pride. They became haughty, uncharitable, and tyrannical, and oppressors of their poorer neighbors. They covered their bodies with the finest apparel, and profusely adorned their persons with costly ornaments of gold and jewels. In their arrogance and self-righteousness they became the Pharisees of their age and country. But in other phases of iniquity they far exceeded their counterparts in the Holy Land. They bowed down to idols, denied the coming of Christ, declared the doctrine of the Atonement to be a foolish tradition, and, like many of the sects of modern Christendom, they misinterpreted the teachings of the Holy Scriptures with regard to the being of God. Their declaration of faith was: "Holy, holy God; we believe that Thou art God, and we believe that Thou art holy, and that Thou wast a spirit, and that Thou art a spirit, and that Thou wilt be a spirit forever."
This strange medley of ideas gave birth to corresponding vagaries of worship. They left off praying. Being chosen and elected to be God's holy children, they had no need of prayer. Once a week they assembled in their synagogues and went through an empty form, which was a little prayer, a little praise, and considerable self-glorification. Having done this, they never mentioned God or holy things again throughout the week. Indeed, it was a portion of their creed that in their synagogues were the only places in which is was lawful to talk, or even to think of religious matters.