Hugh Nibley
"From the first, according to the apocalyptic concept of history, men have chosen the darkness rather than the light. This teaching receives great emphasis in the Book of Mormon, where a constantly recurring event is the apostasy of God's church from the way of righteousness. Such general apostasies are described in Alma 62:44-46; Helaman 4:11-12, 21-23; 3 Nephi 7:7; 4 Nephi 1:27-31, 38-46. Behind this is the general weakness of the human race and 'the nothingness of the children of men' (Helaman 12:4-7), which make this world inevitably the kingdom of darkness and the dominion of Satan, 'which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men' (Alma 28:13)." (An Approach to the Book of Mormon, p. 205)