The first chapter of Alma illustrates an important difference between teaching for gain and teaching to edify. And it also shows the net effect of both.
TEACHING FOR GAIN
Nehor is the cause of a great contention among the Nephites. His preaching causes a sharp division among the
people.
And it's not hard to see why it would when you examine what Nehor's purpose in preaching was:
Nehor went among the Nephites "bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people" (Alma 1:3).
Nehor's purpose, therefore, was threefold:
(1) To get people to leave the Church of God.
You can see why that would upset the people who belonged to the church.
(2) To become popular
A self-serving purpose--clearly, a very unChristian pursuit. Christ did not seek his own popularity; rather, he sought the salvation of all. His prime purpose was to lift all, and for that, he caused that he himself should be lifted upon the cross. If Christ sought not glory for himself, neither should those who preach in Christ's name.
That is why part of the qualifications for teaching the gospel is "an eye single to the glory of God" (D&C 4:4). A teacher's singular purpose should be to help all come closer to Christ.
(3) To get money
This shows again Nehor's quest for an exalted place in society. Rather than laboring with the rest of the Nephites, he esteemed himself to be to good for labor. A preacher shouldn't be involved in commoner's work, he must have thought. So by taking their money, he wouldn't have to work, and he'd still have the ease of life that he desired.
A real problem with Nehor's pursuit for money and popularity is this: In order to get such, he had to preach what the people wanted to hear, not what they needed to hear.
On this point, Nehor was quick to sell out his God for a buck and a pack of friends.
So instead of teaching repentance as he should have, Nehor taught that all mankind had been already been saved; therefore, there was no need for the people to shed their ungodliness. They could cleave to their sins and not worry about the judgment. Such teachings put those who accept them on a road to destruction.
Nehor was rewarded handsomely for his efforts. They people paid him. Money which he happily spent:
"And he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very costly apparel, yea, and even began to establish a church after the manner of his preaching" (Alma 1:6).
Nehor's pride swelled to the point that when he faced an honest challenge to his false teachings, he chose to silence his accuser with the sword rather than discuss the merits of the argument.
The man Nehor slew was Gideon, a mighty man of God.
For this act of murder, Nehor was put to death. Before his execution, Nehor acknowedged "that what he had taught to the people was contrary to the word of God" (Alma 1:15).
Nehor's dubious legacy lived on. Nehor had introduced priestcraft--preaching to get gain--to the Nephites, and his followers, despite his actions and admission, glommed onto priestcraft and upheld it.
These "preachers" are described this way:
"There were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor" (Alma 1:16).
This practice causes the followers of Nehor to persecute the people of the Church of God (Alma 1:19) and eventually it cause contentions between the groups to even come to blows (Alma 1:21), despite the Church of God's stance that its members shouldn't behave in such a manner. Many people eventually left the church, abandoning the strait and narrow for the ease of not being persecuted (Alma 1:24).
So we can see the effects of teaching for gain, and we can see that they aren't the kind of effects one wants in a society.
TEACHING TO EDIFY
Now, comes the contrast.
Remember Nehor's three purposes for preaching? Let's see how they contrast with the Nephites' purpose.
NEHOR: Sought to destroy the church of God
CHURCH PREACHERS: "They did establish the affairs of the church" (Alma 1:28).
NEHOR: Sought popularity
CHURCH PREACHERS: Viewed themselves as equals with their listeners:
"The priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal" (Alma 1:26).
In other words, these preachers had an eye single to the glory of God. And they were humble--allowing themselves to be instruments in the hands of God. And for this, they took no glory to themselves, for they realized they had done nothing.
Isaiah explained why one who is used an instrument in God's hand shouldn't elevate himself in his mind:
"Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood!" (2 Nephi 20:15).
So we see the contrast. The preachers of the Church of God were the ax in the Master's hand. The preachers of the order of Nehor provided no ax for the Master.
NEHOR: Sought money
PREACHERS: Didn't seek compensation.
"And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors" (Alma 1:26).
When the hearers went back to work, so did the priests.
Perhaps the most telling factor on this point is what the people, including the preachers of the Church of God, did when blessed with riches:
"And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly capparel, yet they were neat and comely.
"And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need" (Alma 1:27,29).
For this, the people of the church of God were blessed. And they, even though they did not seek riches, become more prosperous than those who did seek riches, because the people of the Church were blessed by God.
Plus, their needy had their needs met, and they were unified. The divisions caused by the people who followed Nehor were stymied.
For this were the preachers popular? Probably not, but they fulfilled the work their Master, who loved them most, gave them to do. Were they rich? Yes, they had been blessed for their service. But more importantly, they and their flock found the treasures of the word of God. And because of the sacrifices of these preachers, the church was stronger.
So you can see how sharply the effects of righteous preachers differ from the effects brought on the people by those who preach wickedness.
