Short summary. Corianton was a leader in the Church who attempted to cover up and justify his sexual sins.
As Alma 39:11 points out, because of Corianton’s actions people rejected the gospel.
I bring this up because I recently encountered a different interpretation of Corianton’s issues.
It seems this time of year is rife with “interesting” scripture interpretation.
Questions for our readers:
- Have you seen Corianton used to decry things other than the sins of leaders driving people away from God?
- Have you encountered any unique or unusual interpretation of scripture recently?
- Do you think covering up or justifying sin is any less common today than it was in the past?
Wheat & Tares 
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. How we, as members of the “only true church,” justify our sins by comparing ourselves to others who only “play church.” Our institutional and individual exclusion of others who don’t look, love, or speak like we do; amassing wealth while people starve then spending it on temples in places where they are already abound; the restriction of basic reproductive healthcare for church employees; refusal to admit wrong for past grievous mistakes- all of these are acceptable because we don’t smoke, drink, watch rated R movies or have sex before we’re married.
The story of Corianton might also be used as an example of how the behavior of members causes people not to believe the words of the the Lord’s anointed.
The story of Corianton might also be used as an example of how the behavior of members can cause people not to believe the words of the Lord’s anointed.
I’m thinking “Coriantons” would be a great name for a bar, a noisy happy San Francisco bar, maybe on a Friday night when it’s foggy & cool outside…
Question about the picture: Why is Corianton portrayed by a Caucasian while Isabel is portrayed by what many LDS would envision as a “Lamanite”? Is this an assumption because she lived close to Lamanite territory? Or is it because the correlation prefers their harlots to have non-Caucasian appearance? Certainly makes one wonder if a blonde, blue-eyed Isabel would be acceptable to Correlation…
I would also notes that the repentance process appears to work more rapidly among the Nephites than among Latter-day Saints. Just a few chapters later, Corianton is back in the field.
I have always been fascinated by the fact that despite Corianton committing one of the most grievous sins, while a missionary, and as the son of a prophet, and having caused a lot of trouble in that part of the church, he is simply told to repent, stop going after those lusts, and continue preaching the good word of God.
What?? No suspension of priesthood or calling? No disfellowship or excommunication council? That is not how our Church works either in policy or in doctrinal “punishment.”
I’ve heard recent interpretations that suggest Corianton’s only “serious” sin was abandoning his mission, not so much his sexual dalliances. This makes more sense to me, rather than the fear-based law of chastity lesson it often turns into.
Alma, his father, reprimanded him, but in the manner of a concerned and overprotective father projecting the woes of his own wayward youth, but then shifted away from chastisement to revealing an expansive view of the eternities; essentially a pep talk about redemption and atonement. The part of the story that most lessons miss is that Corianton was quickly sent back out to work with no further punishment.
We don’t know how much time elapsed between Corianton’s misdeed and his being restored to his call to preach. It could have been a while–as it seems that those were Alma’s final words to him before he walked off into the sunset. It also seems very clear that Alma wanted Corianton to understand the seriousness of his sin–and not be casual about his repentance. And so, even though there may be procedural differences between the Nephite church and the modern church vis-a-vis serious sin–the spirit of the process seems to be the same.
I have always loved the verse in the Book of Ecclesiastes that starts “caste thy bread upon the waters . . . “. I alway assumed that it was an encouragement to travel, to see the world, broaden our horizons. (I’m currently in Peru.) But biblical scholars interpret it as financial advise. Invest your money wisely. And watch it grow. I like my interpretation better. Who needs biblical scholars?
Jack,
Would it not be more accurate to say that we don’t know if any time at all passed between Corianton’s misdeed and his renewed call to further the ministry?. From the narrative, we do know that Corianton was recalled to minister (Alma 42:31) in the same letter that he is reprimanded in (Alma 39-42). Incidentally, in traditional dating given in the chapter headings, the Zoramite mission date (see Alma 31) during which Corianton supposedly goes astray, has the same date as the date given for Alma’s letter to Corianton (74 B.C.)
How many modern missionaries are reprimanded for dalliances with harlots are then reinstated the same year? It seems to me like there is quite a difference in the spirit of the process.
Hi Stephen. I am a fan of many of your posts and I thank you for always giving me something to think about. However, I think a cogent reading of the verse in question has nothing to do with sexual sin and everything to do with not taking one’s stewardship responsibly. If we visit the relevant passage (Alma 39: 2 – 5), we can see that the sentence structure and grammar provide an important context:
2 For thou didst not give so much heed unto my words as did thy brother, among the people of the Zoramites. Now this is what I have against thee; thou didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom.
3 And this is not all, my son. Thou didst do that which was grievous unto me; for thou didst forsake the ministry, and did go over into the land of Siron among the borders of the Lamanites, after the harlot Isabel.
4 Yea, she did asteal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son. Thou shouldst have tended to the ministry wherewith thou wast entrusted.
5 Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?
The key phrase, I think, is “these things”. So it’s not one thing (lusting after harlots), but rather “things” (plural). And if we look at the passage above, the related “things” are “boasting in they strength and thy wisdom” and forsaking the ministry (mentioned twice; one in 3 and once in 4). So it isn’t lusting after harlots specifically (is there a passage somewhere that says specifically Corianton and Isabel were physically intimate? I concede it’s implied, but maybe I’m missing something more concrete), but rather being distracted enough to leave one’s ministry. In that context, it could have been anything that led Corianton away. If he heard about a Starbucks in Siron and went over there for a decaf latte, he still would have sinned in the same way because he allowed the “lusts of his eyes” to tempt him into forsaking his ministry. So the sin that’s next to murder is forsaking one’s sacred duty/calling for any reason, not specifically for chasing after harlots. I know the italicized superscript above the chapter’s text mentions sexual sin, but I don’t believe this is borne out with a careful reading of the text. Additionally, it’s incredibly harmful to teach especially our young people that sex is second only to murder on the hierarchy of sins. Really? What about how the corrupt banks during the housing collapse in 2009 caused millions of people to lose everything? That’s not as bad as lusting after a harlot?
Old Man,
I could be wrong on the timing. But even so, Alma does say “farewell” to both Helaman and Shiblon after he speaks to them in Alma chapters 36 through 38–which implies that those are his final words to them before he departs. He doesn’t say “farewell” to Corianton–though one gets the sense that chapters 39 though 42 might be his final words to him as well. So, as I say–I could be wrong–but if I’m right then Corianton’s reinstatement would have happened a year or so after their mission to the Zoramites.
That said, it really doesn’t matter so much how long the process takes so long as there’s genuine repentance. Though, I think it’s important to recognize that there may be different judgments for different people who may appear to have committed the same serious sin.. Some folks might only be put on probation for committing a sin that others may be disfellowshipped or even excommunicated for. They are judged on a case by case basis. So I think we have to be careful not to use Corianton’s case as a model for how things out to be down today. We just don’t know enough of the details regarding what he actually did and where his heart was after the fact.
I can’t find the source now but I remember reading once that the connection with her name to Jezebel implies that Isabel was a temple harlot, a priestess of another faith. So Corianton’s sin was not merely sexual, but apostasy, and defiling the temple.
^ I’d call that wildly speculative and without a shred of evidence, even by Book of Mormon exegetical standards.
This may not be uniques or unusual, but the best scripture interpretation that I heard is, ” if the Book of Mormon is not historical, did Corianton even exist?” However I will concede that even if Corianton is fictional, there is still the power of scripture.
Pontius Python, I’m pretty sure it was Hugh Nibley who came up with the idea that anitawells is talking about. Maybe he was wrong–but it sure smacks of the temptations that the Israelites were constantly beset with because of the close contact they had with some of their neighbors.
Was she a real live prostitute? Women that go into that line of work are at the very bottom. They have nothing else to turn to. We think its funny or that they “choose” to sell themselves for money. Not true. I had a friend and defense attorney tell me one time that she had a client that tried to sell herself for $20 just to get drug money. This is not two consenting adults having fun. He is taking advantage of a woman when she is most desperate. I’d call that second only to murder.
The comments have been excellent.
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