Dissenters Became More Wicked

Amalickiah was a wicked man who with some of his followers went and joined the Lamanites and tried to get them to go back to battle again with the Nephites. Amalickiah does some pretty wicked, sneaky things to gain favor with the Lamanites, and eventually become a ruler over them.

He and those followers of his who were raised Nephites, but left them and fell away, were referred to as dissenters of the Nephites, and Alma makes an observation about them.

"Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites—drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God." (Alma 47:36)

I am sure this is not universally true in our day for all "dissenters", or those who fall away from the Church, but I have certainly seen this for myself. Not only do people in this situation just leave, but they sometimes become some of the harshest and loudest critics. 

I believe this has something to do with the withdrawal of the Spirit. It's amazing the difference it makes having and feeling the Spirit's influence, and even that much more amazing when we have the gift of the Holy Ghost, with His constant companionship. I think we can become a little familiar, though, and it can be easily dismissed, because it's how you feel all the time. I believe it's probably kind of a shock to the system to be without it. I wonder if this causes people sometimes to let the pendulum swing a little far the other way, and they start fighting against the Church. They fall more easily into temptation because they are used to having the added help from the Spirit to help protect them from temptation.

Really giving this some thought, I hope I can always stay close to the roots of my faith, and not find myself in this situation. I hope to always stay strong and help others, especially my family, to stay strong as well.