9/22/2025

Prologue

The assassination of Charlie Kirk in 2025 shocked the American people and stirred reflections on the spiritual meaning of his life and death. Within conservative Christian and Latter-day Saint thought, the Book of Mormon is often understood as a prophetic allegory for the last days, providing a lens through which modern events can be interpreted. This essay examines how the Religious Right might view Charlie Kirk as a modern prophet whose death aligns with Book of Mormon warnings and fulfills Book of Mormon prophecies about the fate of some saints and prophets in the last days.

Introduction

The Book of Mormon presents itself not only as a historical record but as a prophetic allegory for the last days. Its narratives are designed to warn future generations of spiritual, social, and political dangers (2 Nephi 25:8; Mormon 8:35). One recurring theme is the persecution and killing of saints and prophets, often in secret. This pattern, repeatedly emphasized by Nephi, Samuel the Lamanite, Mormon, and Moroni, foreshadows what will occur in the end times.

The Pattern of Killing Prophets

The text gives multiple reasons why prophets are rejected and slain:
1. Prophets speak hard truths that expose sin, angering the guilty (1 Nephi 16:2; Helaman 13:24–26).
2. Corrupt (religious and political) leaders silence prophets to maintain power and avoid accountability (Mosiah 17:7–13; 3 Nephi 6:23).
3. Secret combinations carry out assassinations to preserve and increase power, wealth, and influence (Helaman 6:17–30; Ether 8:9–22).
4. Hypocrisy prevails, where people honor dead prophets but reject the living prophets (Helaman 13:25–26).

Prophets Slain Privily

One distinctive feature in the Book of Mormon is its focus on prophets being killed in secret:

• “They did cast them out, and send men to stone them, and did slay them secretly.” (3 Nephi 6:23)
• Samuel warns that when a true prophet arises, the people “seek all manner of ways to destroy him secretly” (Helaman 13:26).

The emphasis on secret murder underscores the role of conspiratorial powers that operate outside the public eye — aligning with the broader theme of secret combinations.

Saints and Prophets Persecuted and Killed

There are many passages in the Book of Mormon that provide profound insight into the pattern of prophets and believers being slain, often in secret or by conspiracy, reinforcing the allegorical application to latter-day events.

• Alma 14:3-4 – “And they were also angry with Alma and Amulek; and because they had testified so plainly against their wickedness, they sought to put them away privily. But it came to pass that they did not; but they took them and bound them with strong cords, and took them before the chief judge of the land.”

After Alma and Amulek had preached repentance in Ammonihah, the judges stirred up the people against them, accusing them of false testimony. The prophets were cast into prison while others were burned. This shows how political and religious leaders used false accusations to justify violence against God’s messengers.

• Alma 35:5–6 – “Now their rulers and their priests and their teachers did not let the people know concerning their desires; therefore they found out privily the minds of all the people. And it came to pass that after they had found out the minds of all the people, those who were in favor of the words which had been spoken by Alma and his brethren were cast out of the land; and they were many…”

The Zoramites cast out believers who accepted Alma’s preaching, driving them into the land of Jershon. Though not slain in this instance, the pattern of persecution and expulsion reflects the hostility toward true prophetic voices and those who heed them.

• 3 Nephi 1:9 – “Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions [about the sign of Christ’s birth] should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet.”

As the sign of Christ’s birth approached, unbelievers set a day to kill all who believed in the prophecy unless the sign appeared. This reveals the depth of secret plotting against believers, demonstrating how entire populations conspired to destroy the righteous.

• Ether 11:5-7 – “And it came to pass that the brother of Shiblom caused that all the prophets who prophesied of the destruction of the people should be put to death. And there was great calamity in all the land, for they had testified that a great curse should come upon the land, and also upon the people, and that there should be a great destruction among them, such an one as never had been upon the face of the earth, and their bones should become as heaps of earth upon the face of the land except they should repent of their wickedness. And they hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord, because of their wicked combinations; wherefore, there began to be wars and contentions in all the land, and also many famines and pestilences, insomuch that there was a great destruction, such an one as never had been known upon the face of the earth…”

Prophets in the Jaredite record prophesied destruction unless the people repented, but they were rejected, reviled, and slain. This passage situates the killing of prophets as a recurring cycle throughout Jaredite and Nephite history, a cycle explicitly intended as a warning for the latter days. And it gives fair warning of the consequences that follow when prophetic warnings are not properly heeded.

Together, these verses highlight the persistent theme of prophets and the faithful being targeted by false accusations, expulsions, secret conspiracies, and outright murder. They deepen the allegorical message that in the last days, truth-tellers will again face organized opposition seeking to silence them.

Biblical Precedents of Prophets Slain Privily

Throughout the Bible, prophets and righteous men were killed through conspiracy, secret plotting, or treacherous schemes. These examples reinforce the allegorical link between ancient scripture and latter-day events:

1. Zechariah son of Jehoiada: Conspired against and stoned in the temple court at King Joash’s command (2 Chronicles 24:20–22).

2. Uriah son of Shemaiah: Pursued by King Jehoiakim, extradited from Egypt, and slain secretly with his body cast into a common grave (Jeremiah 26:20–23).

3. Naboth the Jezreelite: Though not a prophet, Naboth’s faithful adherence to covenant law made him a target. Jezebel arranged false witnesses, leading to his judicial murder (1 Kings 21:9–13). His story is a type of prophetic martyrdom.

4. John the Baptist: Imprisoned for reproving Herod, John was secretly executed by beheading at the request of Herodias, a killing motivated by political intrigue (Matthew 14:10–11; Mark 6:27–28).

5. Jesus’ Testimony: Christ Himself declared that Jerusalem had a history of slaying the prophets, citing the blood of righteous Abel and Zechariah as witnesses (Matthew 23:35–37).

These biblical accounts establish a consistent pattern: prophets and truth-tellers are often slain not in public judicial settings, but privily, through conspiracy, false accusation, or secret execution. This mirrors the Book of Mormon’s warnings and strengthens the interpretation of latter-day prophetic martyrdoms as a fulfillment of scriptural prophecy.

Prophets as Non-Institutional Voices of Warning

The Book of Mormon demonstrates that prophets are not always institutional religious leaders. Abinadi stood alone against King Noah’s priests (Mosiah 11–17). Samuel the Lamanite, a foreigner, prophesied repentance to the Nephite nation (Helaman 13–16). These examples expand the prophetic role to include any individual raised up by God to declare truth, rebuke sin, and warn of consequences (Mosiah 8:16).

“Prophets” in the latter days will not be confined to the institutionally backed clergy but will also include truth-tellers in political, social, and cultural arenas who expose corruption, warn against destructive ideologies, urge repentance, and teach faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Last Days Application

Moroni explicitly ties the Book of Mormon’s warnings to the Gentiles of the latter days: “It cometh in a day when the blood of the saints shall cry from the ground against them.” (Mormon 8:27) “Whoso buildeth it [secret combinations] up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies.” (Ether 8:25).

These passages suggest that in the final days, truth-tellers and prophets will again be targeted by secret networks of power who seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands. The assassination of prophets may not always be public executions but covert eliminations, designed to silence dissent and maintain control. We should expect more of these.

The Allegorical Warning

The killing of prophets in the Book of Mormon serves as a type and shadow of modern events. Just as ancient societies silenced voices that called them to repentance, so too in the last days will societies suppress and even murder those who stand against corruption, tyranny, and immorality.

Whether these latter-day “prophets” are religious figures, political leaders, or cultural critics, the pattern remains: truth invites persecution, and power seeks to silence it — often in secret.

Conclusion

The Book of Mormon’s portrayal of prophets slain, both openly and secretly, is more than a historical detail. It is a prophetic allegory, warning that in the latter days, the same fate will befall some (and perhaps many) of those who testify against sin, corruption, and oppressive powers. Modern readers are thus invited to discern not only the scriptural accounts but also their application today: to recognize the prophetic voices in their midst, to resist secret combinations, and to heed the warnings before destruction follows.

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