"'Tis a lying spirit prompts thee so to answer," replied Alma, "for never while sense and judgment keep their seat in the mind of man can he cast off restraint, or become dead to the sense of moral responsibility; therefore what you would call joy would be the wild delirium of the madman or the drunken--long may this people be preserved from such joy as this--its spirit is drawn from hell, its effect is destruction. Equally false is your statement that the priests glut themselves on the labors of the people. From the commencement of the reign of the judges, seventeen years since, until now, I have labored with my own hands for my support; and notwithstanding all my travels for the Church, and labors in it, I have never received even one senine for my labors, nor have my brethren, save it were in the judgment seat; and then we have received only according to the law for our time. What doth it profit us to labor in the Church, then, but to declare the truth, that we might have happiness in the prosperity of our people?" The scoffer was silent at the calmness of the high priest; something in the manner of Alma moved him strangely, but he stared boldly in the face of the speaker. Corianton, however, manifested more uneasiness, for under the calm exterior he saw the spirit in his father awakening. "Korihor," said the High Priest, and there was an intensity in the voice now which thrilled the whole assembly, "you mock at religion, you deny the existence of God, but I testify to you there is a God, and now will you deny his existence or blaspheme his name?" "Yea, that I will! What, thinkest thou because a High Priest says in solemn tones, 'I tell thee, Korihor, there is a God,' that I will crouch at his feet and confess what ye would call my sins, and like an echo say 'amen' to your testimony? By the gods, if such there be, you must think my spirit easily over-awed! I tell thee no, there is no God--ye have no evidence that there is--give me proof of his existence--let me see a manifestation of his power--show me a sign!" "All things testify of his existence. The traditions of our fathers affirm it"-- "The traditions of our fathers!" contemptuously broke in Korihor, "I demand a living sign, and you talk to me of tradition!"