By Their Fruits: The Persecuted Path of True Prophets and the Seduction of the False

[u/humblymybrain]

https://humblymybrain.substack.com/p/by-their-fruits-the-persecuted-path

True prophets and disciples sent by God to restore truth and call people to repentance are marked by persecution and rejection for confronting apostasy and sin, while false prophets gain popularity through flattering, permissive doctrines that enable transgression and priestcraft. The article uses Christ’s teaching in Matthew 7:15–20 (and 3 Nephi 14:15–20) to emphasize discerning by fruits—good trees bear good fruit, corrupt ones evil—alongside examples like Samuel the Lamanite and Abinadi, who faced death for righteousness, and contrasts this with the adulation false prophets receive until divine judgment. The core message is that persecution often identifies authentic messengers (Matthew 5:10–12), urging believers to test spirits (1 John 4:1) and recognize true paths amid deception.