Warning! This book contains information about a deadly enemy’s top secret plans of world domination and total destruction. Your mission — should you choose to accept it — is to learn what the enemy is planning as well as what his weaknesses are so that you will be prepared to defeat him.
Gathered here are case studies of some of the enemy’s top soldiers in his army — Laman and Lemuel, Korihor, King Noah, Amalickiah — as well as the strategies that allowed the Lord’s righteous warriors — Nephi, Alma the Younger, Abinadi, Captain Moroni — to defeat them.
President Ezra Taft Benson said, “The Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ . . . . It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day.” By learning about the bad guys, by studying their traits, tricks, and tactics, we will be able to see clearly the plans and plots Satan used in Book of Mormon times. And because they are the same plans he is using today, we will have “insider information” on how to defeat him.
This book is something like you have never read before. The Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon turned out to be something I wasn’t expecting. This book is full of humor and teaches young adults, as well as adults, gospel lessons in a way that you will not forget. I also truly loved the way that Dennis Gaunt presented each “bad guy” found in The Book of Mormon. It is so easy to dismiss all of these bad guys as just that, they were bad and didn’t live the gospel. Though that statement could be proven true, he also reminds the reader that all of the bad guys were also human. These people were more than the one dimensional wicked bad guy, there was so much more to them. Many had trials in their lives where they also had to make a choice of good or evil.
In this book Dennis teaches readers that there are lessons to be learned from the mistakes that these sinners made. Every chapter ends with 1.Lessons NOT Learned and 2. LessonsTO Learn. Here is a list of the chapters in the book:
- Chapter 1: Whiners in the Wilderness
Laman and Lemuel - Chapter 2: It May Be Spacious, but It Ain't That Great
Lessons from the Other Side of the River - Chapter 3: "I Am So Smart!S-M-R-T!"
Sherem - Chapter 4: "Have a Great Summer!"
The "Yearbook" of Omni - Chapter 5: Kings for a Day, Losers for Life
King Noah, Amulon, and the Wicked Priests - Chapter 6: Popular Like Me
Nehor and Amlici - Chapter 7: A Frenzied and Deranged Mind
Korihor - Chapter 8: "Is It in You?"
The Zoramites - Chapter 9: Throwdown with Captain Moroni
Zerahemnah, Amalickiah, and Ammoron - Chapter 10: Stealth Fighters
Secret Combinations among the Nephites and the Jaredites - Chapter 11: From Bad to Good
Alma and the Sons of Mosiah, Amulek, Zeezrom, and Corianton
This book is a must read for youth. You can tell he wrote it with them in mind. This doesn’t detract at all from adults enjoying the way the messages are presented.Dennis relates so much of the gospel in language that teens of today can understand. There is a chapter about Nehor and Amlici called, "Popular Like Me". The chapter starts with what the being popular is like for teens today; sitting at the cool table, sitting with the football players and cheerleaders etc. Gaunt then goes on to tell how Nehor was very much like the "popular" person and became a celebrity with the Nephite people. With his humor he adds, "I wonder if he was on the cover of Nephite People magazine, topping their 25 Most Beautiful Nephites list"
My favorite chapter has to be chapter 11 about Alma and the Sons of Mosiah. It is the best story to show us how people can go from bad to good. The overall message is that there are many miraculous stories of repentance and change in the Book of Mormon. What a great message to share with the youth of our church. I look forward to reading more books by Dennis Gaunt.
This book can be purchased here at:
Deseret Book and Amazon.com
About the Author :
Dennis Gaunt has been an avid student of the scriptures for as long as he can remember. He studied history and English at the University of Utah. He taught seminary and institute in CES for a number of years, and currently serves as the Gospel Doctrine teacher in his ward. He and his wife, Natalie, live in Sandy, Utah.
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