Need a story from the Book of Mormon...

Hi, all

I am working on a WIP with a Mormon character who thinks of herself as being a bit of a "bad seed" -- a trouble-maker even though she doesn't really intend to be. She has good intentions, but her curiosity and need for experimentation constantly lead her into situations that cause trouble for herself and others.

I want to make an allusion to a "bad seed" story in the Book of Mormon, but I am not familiar enough with it to know where to start looking. I think a comparison to Laman might be too heavy-handed. Her badness is more unintentional, though it often leads to rebellion against her family.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

Thanks, but I've already got my plot well defined and I'm not interested in the FLDS church or in exploring racism with this book. I'm looking specifically for an opportunity for my religious character to compare herself to a trouble-maker from the Book of Mormon -- something where she can say, "I'm just like Laman..." but I still think Laman might be too strong a comparison.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

Once again, this is what I am looking for: stories from the Book of Mormon about a character who is bad.

It doesn't have to be a female character. Under the Banner of Heaven is an awesome book, but it's about a relatively recent murder case and how it relates to the history and founding of the church. (Actually, anybody who is interested in reading about the history and founding of the LDS church should also read The Refiner's Fire by John L. Brooke...it's fascinating.)

I am trying to write a scene in which my character, a young Mormon woman who is religious but struggles with her impulses, compares herself to a "bad person" from the Book of Mormon. I'll give some examples -- if I were writing this book from the perspective of a young non-Mormon Christian woman who was struggling with her need for proof, she might compare herself to Thomas the Apostle, who needed to feel Jesus' wounds before he would believe that Christ had risen. If I were writing this book from the perspective of a young non-Mormon Christian woman who was struggling with the feeling that she had betrayed somebody important, she might compare herself to Judas Iscariot.

Yes, I could use an example from the Bible since Mormons use the Bible as well as other texts in worship, but in order to convey the right tone, I'm looking for a character from the Book of Mormon or one of the supplemental Mormon texts for this comparison.

Surely there IS more than one example of "how not to behave" in the Book of Mormon? Laman isn't the only bad guy, right? It's been over a decade since I've read the Book of Mormon so my memory is not serving well.

I truly do appreciate folks' attempts to help me, and I'm not trying to be a bitch.

Thanks, MAP and Smiling Ted!

Alma the Younger might be just right. Hmmm.... I need to find my Book of Mormon. It's in my storage unit somewhere.

My character is about 23 and is well versed in scripture. I'll give it some more thought and see what happens.

Thanks for your help, guys!