Joel's Monastery

Book of Mormon Lesson 8: “O How Great the Goodness of Our God” 2 Nephi 6-10

2012-02-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

Book of Mormon Lesson 8: “O How Great the Goodness of Our God”
2 Nephi 6-10

Why does Nephi have Jacob and Isaiah’s teachings in his book?
2 Nephi 6

We may sometimes wonder why Nephi and Jacob quote Isaiah so much, or why Nephi includes Jacob’s teaching in his own book. There is a reason. For Nephi, he will later explain that Jacob, Isaiah and he (Nephi) all had something in common: each is a personal witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. In adding the three together, Nephi is combining three witnesses together of Jesus’ premortal existence and his forthcoming role as Messiah and Savior of the world. The Hebrew law of witnesses is an ancient concept that Nephi and the Lord took seriously.

Secondly, Nephi understands the concept of pesher or Midrash. These were ancient commentaries that often included quoting a scriptural text, and then commenting on it in a way to apply it to the commenter’s day. A perfect example of this is the Dead Sea Scroll, Habakkuk Pesher or Commentary (1QpHab). In the pesher, written in the first century BC, the Book of Habakkuk is quoted and explained in a manner that fit the Qumran people of the later era. The term “Kittim” described by Habakkuk as the Babylonians, is now likened to the Roman Empire. Other concepts taught by Habakkuk in our Bible are adapted to the Jewish experience in Roman times, with conflicts between Israel and Gentiles creating other foes, such as the Wicked Priest and the Teacher of Righteousness.

Just as we see this practice of quoting and then reinterpreting the scripture in the Habakkuk pesher and various other ancient commentaries, we see Nephi and Jacob doing the same thing. That Nephi and Jacob quoted Isaiah so extensively is actually evidence of the Book of Mormon’s veracity. Among the copies of scripture found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, there were more fragments of Deuteronomy and Isaiah than any other books of the Old Testament. These are probably the two books of scripture used most by Nephi in his books: writing often concerning Moses and even comparing Lehi and himself to Moses (see previous lessons), and Nephi and Jacob’s peshers on Isaiah.

That Jacob’s pesher quotes chapters of Isaiah that discuss the Gentiles connection with Israel, and then explains how it applies in his commentary, reminds us of the Book of Habakkuk and the Habakkuk Pesher discussing the gentile intrusion into Israelite lands. In this instance, however, it is regarding the Gentiles returning Israel back to its former glory, as children carried on Gentile shoulders (2 Nephi 6:6-12).

I Clothe the Heavens with Blackness
2 Nephi 7, Isaiah 50

The Lord explains to Israel why they have been cast aside, carried off into exile. God has divorced their mother because of her infidelity. She has slept with Baal and other idols, and the children have called upon the idols as their father, rather than their true Eternal Father. Jehovah has cast them off, but is willing and able to restore them when they are ready to change from their evil ways.

“Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst” (vs 2).

When God came to Israel, no one was at the door to greet him. When he called out, all had left their true home, and entered into the temples of the idols. They left God, thinking there was greater power with the idols, who allowed them to live sinful lives as long as they worshiped at their altars. Yet it is God who has the power to redeem and deliver Israel. When God rebukes, or rather removes his holy protection, the waters dry up and all things die from famine and drought. They have left his protection, and in depending upon idols to protect themselves have brought destruction upon themselves. Yet, even in being destroyed, they do not return to God to be delivered.

“I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering” (vs 3).

Here we see Isaiah using poetic imagery to show just how dreadful things will be for apostate Israel. Sackcloth was literally mourning clothing that was made from the poorest of materials, often from goat’s hair. The heavens clothed in blackness suggests that things are so bad that even the heavens are in mourning because of the death of Israel. This ties into literal prophesy for the last days, when we are told the stars will not give their light, the sun will be turned black and the moon turned blood red (Rev 6:12, Isa 13:10, Jere 4:28). Even like the destructions in the last days, Israel’s apostasy and destruction shocks the heavens and earth, the angels weep, and only hope in future deliverance and redemption can bring them back from despair.

“Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow” (vs 11).

The heavens have been darkened and the wicked seek to lighten the way with sparks. Matthew Henry noted:

“Sinners are warned not to trust in themselves. Their own merit and sufficiency are light and heat to them. Creature-comforts are as sparks, short-lived, and soon gone; yet the children of this world, while they last, seek to warm themselves by them, and walk with pride and pleasure in the light of them. Those that make the world their comfort, and their own righteousness their confidence, will certainly meet with bitterness in the end. A godly man's way may be dark, but his end shall be peace and everlasting light. A wicked man's way may be pleasant, but his end and abode for ever will be utter darkness.”

We walk in much darkness in this life. Yet only those who truly trust in God will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He becomes their light. The sparks or tiny lights of the sinner may convince them they are seeing clearly, but they are unable to truly see what is ahead of them: destruction and sorrow.

Look Unto Abraham your Father
2 Nephi 8, Isaiah 51

“Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody” (vs 1-3).

God calls upon Israel to look to where they truly come from and where they currently are. The rock is their heritage of prophets and patriarchs. They are now standing in a pit, which they dug themselves with shovels of sin. The more they worship idols and sin, the deeper their pit becomes. Yet they can still be reached.

They are called upon to look to their father Abraham. Abraham was called alone. In a previous lesson on Abraham we noted how Jehovah was given Israel as his assigned kingdom by Elohim. Rather than seek out a people that were already well established in the land, Jehovah selected one man to build a new nation from scratch, built upon faith in the Lord God. Abraham was Jehovah’s friends, as we discussed in the last lesson. God is calling upon all of Israel to be his friend, and to receive all the blessings of being Jehovah’s offspring.

And while Israel is now scattered to the nations, the Lord foresaw the reestablishment of Zion and its abandoned treasures. The wilderness would bloom as a rose, and be as holy and peaceful as the Garden of Eden. Here is the secret to establishing a Zion and a Zion people: they must look to Abraham’s example, and follow it.

“Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished".

Isaiah makes it clear that God shall bring forth a new law. This is not the Mosaic law, which already came from God, but a new law that will establish Zion as God’s chosen place, giving the righteous a place of rest and light. This law was brought forth by Christ during his mortal ministry. He came to fulfill the law of Moses, replacing it with the higher law. No more would animals be sacrificed, as the Messiah would be the final sacrifice. It is He who has the power to redeem and deliver” (vs 4-6).

Christ’s judgment is based upon both justice and mercy. For those who trust upon him, his mercy is sufficient to save them from hell fire. And to the extent that a person seeks after Christ’s redemption is the level that his mercy fully extends in saving the person. So mercy has Christ reaching out to all and giving them as much salvation as he can give them . Justice comes in that we only receive the level of salvation and deliverance that we want. This comes from our actions, words, thoughts, and desires. If we only desire the minimal salvation, we will live our lives barely giving Christ any thought and will not think often on our sins or repenting of them. If we have great desires to follow Christ, he will redeem us to a higher glory of salvation, according to the true desires of our hearts.

Trust in God the Creator
2 Nephi 8, Isa 51

“Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” (vs 9-16)

God uses patterns in Creation and Destruction. In creating the world, the tradition is that Jehovah had to subdue the sea serpent/dragon Rahab. In another passage, Isaiah foresees Jehovah defeating its twin Leviathan in the last days (Isa 27:1, see also Rev 12). God must destroy, or at least subdue Chaos in creating Order and Righteousness. The chaos of the oceans with its sea serpent had to be subdued in order to form land and life. In casting Lucifer out of the Garden with a curse, and in binding him for the thousand year Millennium, we see that Jehovah defeats the Dragon/Sea Serpent twice. This is necessary to accomplish his plans. The Sea Serpent is Chaos, trying to destroy all things for eternity. God destroys in order to reform things into a higher order.

Reminiscent of the Creation is the Exodus, where God created a new covenant people by destroying Egypt. Egypt with its many gods and idols represented chaos and the serpent (see Ezekiel 32:2). Slavery also represents chaos, and these had to be destroyed to create a new order of things: Israel. God brought the ransomed Israel across the chaos of the Red Sea to safety, while destroying their Egyptian serpent. Then, Israel was given the law of Moses as a new order in which to live and serve God in his order.

Every time God creates, he is creating or planting a heaven, laying the foundation of an earth or a great work, and creating a Zion people. Creation means bringing order out of chaos. When God gives commandments, they are a protection. He is creating order, which can guide and protect the people from chaos and harm. Yet, when they abandon the laws of God, chaos floods in destroying society and the benefits of the order and protection given it.

“There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up. These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?” vs 18-19)

Jerusalem is called to awake from its chaotic sleep and realize just what troubles they are really in. When society stops following the basic principles and doctrines God has established for an orderly society, it corrodes. There is no one who can truly lead them, for how does one rule over chaos? All that is left them is desolation, destruction, famine and death by sword.

Yet in the final verses, God states that the day will come when he will remove the cup of affliction from Jerusalem and give it to those who afflict Israel. Why? Because through great trial Israel will repent and seek the Lord’s way once again, while others will ripen in iniquity, choosing chaos over the freedom God offers in his order.

Put on Thy Strength, O Zion!
2 Nephi 8:24-25

“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. “Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion”.

The time will come when God will call upon Zion and Jerusalem, the two holy cities, to lift themselves from the dirty ground, shake the dust off themselves, and glory in God’s splendor. No longer will they be bound down in sin and chaos, but be redeemed and restored to their former glory.

We begin to see physical Israel gather together in Jerusalem in our day. The nation of Israel stands once again, though its existence remains fragile because of its enemies that surround it. In these last days, Spiritual Israel also has been restored, with the stakes of Zion being established through out the world. These too remain in a fragile existence, as they are beholden to kings and rulers to allow the small congregations of Saints to gather and worship. Yet as they seek to serve God, he will strengthen their little footholds on the earth, making them greater than their numbers.

Understanding the Covenant of Christ
2 Nephi 9

“And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel” (2 Ne 9:1).

Isaiah explains the covenants that God has made with the house of Israel. Anciently, covenants were made with some individuals such as Abraham. However, under the Law of Moses, covenants were made with the nation. Here though, Jacob is attempting to redefine the covenant on an individual basis for the Nephites.

What the Jews did not understand, and had lost because of the changes done by the Deuteronomists and temple priests from King Josiah’s time forward, was the true temple worship, with the covenants and ordinances done therein. Teachings such as the temple being the place for the Presence of God was lost. The symbolism that expected a Messiah that would pay for the sins of the people was lost. Many key teachings were lost among the Jews as they changed the worship to focus primarily on animal sacrifice and the 613 laws of Moses, instead of these being symbols of the eternal covenant.

So, Jacob explained the important matter of the eternal covenant of Christ with his Israelite family.

"Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more” (2 Ne 9:7).

Animal sacrifices do not make an infinite atonement. The twisted and apostate Jewish temple worship could not save anyone. Moses’ teachings would lead us to Christ, but were not the source of atoning salvation. Without Christ’s atonement, death would be eternal. We would not resurrect. We could not be placed in a redeemed and sinless state, wherein we could dwell in God’s presence, represented by the ancient temple.

“O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if theflesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit” (2 Ne 9:8-10).

Here is how important the covenant is with Christ. Had he not atoned for us, we not only would remain as spirits forever, unable to resurrect, but we could not progress. Without progression, we would eventually succumb to the stagnation offered by Satan. Shut out from the presence of God, unable to access the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying power, we would not have the agency to choose life over death. Christ becomes our rescue from the eternal monsters of death and hell. Death of the body and death of the spirit. Hell is to be forever out of the presence of God’s presence, light, and truth. It is to remain forever in a state of darkness, unable to grow, because Satan will not and cannot give us agency or choice.

“And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day” (2 Ne 9:21-22).

The covenant is that Christ is sacrificed, bringing about the resurrection and the atonement, in exchange for us promising to believe on his name, repent, and be baptized (vs 23-24). We have what should be an easy choice: accept and follow Christ and receive eternal life, or refuse to accept his atonement and suffer in darkness and turmoil, simply because we would not make the covenant with Jesus.

“O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that Ishook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood.O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation” (2 Ne 9:44-45).

Here, Jacob uses some parallelism. He shakes his garments at us, showing he is clean of our sins because he has done his part to warn us. He then pleads to us to shake off the chains that bind us to Satan. In many ancient ascension/temple texts, there is a change of garment. In ancient writings regarding them, Isaiah and Enoch, in ascending to heaven, are given a new garment to place upon themselves, prior to entering into God’s presence. This garment represents taking upon oneself the covenants and ordinances (including baptism) we need to make with Christ. But to put it on, we must first remove the garment that represents our earthly, sinful life, and become a new person in Christ.

Perish in the flesh
2 Nephi 10

“For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer” (2 Ne 10:2).

There is the concept that has been taught by some General Authorities that suggests that if faithful parents teach their children and they go wayward, that they will eventually be restored by God. Prior to this rescue, they will first have to “perish in the flesh” so that they can be saved in the spirit.

In D&C 19:10-20, the Lord commands us to repent or suffer even as he did. For those who go astray, they will suffer in hell until they repent, whether that suffering requires a few days or several centuries. The prophet Alma explains how such a painful experience drove him to repentance and a return to faith. Alma notes that he suffered until he remembered the words of his father, and he repented.

We read on this:

“The Prophet Joseph Smith declared—and he never taught a more comforting doctrine—that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God.”Orson F. Whitney, in Conference Report, Apr. 1929, 110.

Joseph Smith explained:

“Hence God hath made a provision, that every spirit in the eternal world can be ferreted out and saved, unless he has committed that unpardonable sin, which can not be remitted to him. That God has wrought out a salvation for all men, unless they have committed a certain sin.Every man who has got a friend in the eternal world can save him unless he has committed the unpardonable sin, so you can see how far you can be a savior. A man can not commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body, and there is a way possible for escape. Knowledge saves a man, and in the world of spirits a man cannot be exalted but by knowledge; so long as a man will not give heed to the commandments, he must abide without salvation.” – Joseph Smith, KFD, Apr 7, 1844, Times and Seasons Minutes

Such is the promise and covenant we have with Christ that it maximizes salvation and eternal joy.

Bibliography

Matthew Henry’s Commentary: http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=23&c=50

Order out of Chaos: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2010/07/gospel-scholarship-order-out-of-chaos.html

Joe Spencer’s lesson 8: http://feastuponthewordblog.org/2012/02/08/book-of-mormon-lesson-8-o-how-great-the-goodness-of-our-god-2-nephi-6-10-sunday-school/

Joel’s Monastery blog on Old Testament lesson 39, Isaiah 50-53: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2010/10/ot-gospel-doctrine-lesson-39-how.html

“Our Wayward Children” post at Millennial Star blog: http://www.millennialstar.org/our-wayward-childrens-salvation/#comments

Book of Mormon lesson #7 “I Know in whom I have Trusted” 2 Nephi 3-5

2012-02-01T13:52:00.001-08:00

Book of Mormon lesson #7 “I Know in whom I have Trusted” 2 Nephi 3-5

There are some interesting concepts from ancient Israel that connect with this lesson, and these will be the focus of this blog lesson.

Joseph’s Blessing
2 Nephi 3

First is the blessing given to Joseph, Lehi’s youngest son. Lehi discusses the reason he named Joseph after the patriarch of old. Then Lehi explains that the blessing he gives Joseph is based upon the blessing Joseph of Egypt gave to his descendants in a prophecy long ago, not found in the Bible. First is the early concept of Messiah Ben Joseph (Messiah, son/descendant of Joseph). This was a belief in a second Messiah, one who would precede Messiah Ben David, who would restore truth and be slain by his enemies.

Messiah ben Joseph

From wikipedia, we read:

“Messiah b. Joseph will appear prior to the coming of Messiah ben David. He will gather the children of Israel around him, march to Jerusalem, and there, after overcoming the hostile powers, reestablish the Temple-worship and set up his own dominion. Thereupon Armilus, according to one group of sources, or Gog and Magog, according to the other, will appear with their hosts before Jerusalem, wage war against Messiah ben Joseph, and slay him. His corpse, according to one group, will lie unburied in the streets of Jerusalem; according to the other, it will be hidden by the angels with the bodies of the Patriarchs, until Messiah ben David comes and resurrects him “

As many prophecies have multiple fulfillments, some LDS think this may either directly or indirectly apply to Joseph Smith. He came forth prior to the Second Coming to restore ancient teachings and prepare the way for the Christ (Messiah Ben David). Joseph Smith gathered Latter-day Saints or spiritual Israel around him, was driven with the Mormons from New York, Ohio, and then Missouri. He re-established temple worship, and established gathering places for the saints. While Joseph Smith was never near the literal Jerusalem, he believed that the spiritual or New Jerusalem would be established in America. He was slain by a large angry mob, who would have been glad to leave his body to rot, but ran off, fearing Mormon revenge (there was none). Joseph’s body was hidden for decades along with his brother Hyrum’s body. Hyrum was the Patriarch of the Church, when both were assassinated by the mob. Joseph's body was literally hidden with the body of a Patriarch. LDS believe the two will be resurrected together at the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Other beliefs have Messiah Ben Joseph gathering the Ten Tribes of Israel, and later joining them all under Messiah ben David, or Jesus Christ. In the Kirtland Ohio Temple, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the “keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north” (D&C 110:11) from the prophet Moses.

Another apocryphal story relates that Joseph of Egypt foresaw the coming of Messiah Ben Joseph, who would restore true worship. In Ginsberg’s “Legend of the Jews” we read:

“Once Joseph dreamed a dream, and he could not refrain from telling it to his brethren. He spoke, and said: "Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed. Behold, you gathered fruit, and so did I. Your fruit rotted, but mine remained sound. Your seed will set up dumb images of idols, but they will vanish at the appearance of my descendant, the Messiah of Joseph. You will keep the truth as to my fate from the knowledge of my father, but I will stand fast as a reward for the self-denial of my mother, and you will prostrate yourselves five times before me."”

That the Book of Mormon contains a prophecy from Joseph of Egypt foreseeing the coming of Joseph Smith actually gives strength to this ancient prophecy regarding Messiah ben Joseph, and Joseph Smith providing one possible fulfillment of the prophecy.

Nephi’s Psalm
2 Nephi 4

A psalm or hymn is often connected to temple worship (cf Psalms in the Bible). For Nephi, he tells of his constructed temple in 2 Nephi 5:16, so his psalm may very well be connected to temple worship. That his psalm discusses his visions ties it to the temple, as the temple is the mountain of the Lord, the place where heaven and earth meet, and where man goes to see the face of God.

Nephi’s Psalm has always appealed to me. Years ago, as I was studying a hymn in the Community Rule scroll (1QS) of the Dead Sea Scrolls, I noticed it strongly reminded me of Nephi’s Psalm. In studying the two together, I clearly saw a pattern in both. You can see my side by side comparison here: http://rameumptom.weebly.com/nephipsalm.html

In it, we see both begin with discussing a book or the words of God. As it continues into the struggles and faith of Nephi and the author of the Community Rule, we see a pattern that works in both. Finally both end by stating God as their rock, twice:

“He that is everlasting is the support of my right hand; the way of my steps is over stout rock which nothing shall shake; for the rock of my steps is the truth of God and His might is the support of my right hand." (Community Rule)

“I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.” (2 Ne 4:35)

My conclusion was that either there is a huge coincidence at work here, or the author of the Community Rule and Nephi had a common pattern to use, written by someone previous to both of them.

Nephi’s Temple - were they alone?
2 Nephi 5

Nephi’s description of his building a temple brings up an important question: how could a group of perhaps twenty adults build a temple “after the manner of the temple of Solomon”? The short answer is, they could not. Solomon’s temple required years of building by thousands of workers. Nephi and twenty people could not have built a temple anywhere near the manner of Solomon’s temple within just a few short years.

This becomes a strong piece of evidence that the Nephites were not alone in the Americas. The Nephites were often a minority among other people, but still were able to gain control of governance (cf Omni 1:12). It is very possible by this time that Nephi became leader of a group of people that became Nephites, not from Israelite DNA, but from adoption into the culture and religion.

Even in their escape from Laman, Nephi suggests there were other people now in their group, beyond his brothers and the sons of Ishmael:

“Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me. And all those who would go with me were those who believed in the warnings and the revelations of God; wherefore, they did hearken unto my words” (2 Ne 5:6).

Prior to this time, when Nephi discussed the various groups, they were named (Laman, Lemuel, Ishmael’s sons, etc). This time, not only does Nephi note his brothers and Zoram, and his sisters, but also all others “who would go with me.” Except for the children of Laman, Lemuel and the brothers of Ishmael (who could easily be enumerated with the rest), who else could there have been, except for peoples already living in the Americas and absorbed into the Nephite and Lamanite nations.

Later evidence will show that distances in Nephite territory only allow for a land of perhaps 250-400 square miles. It becomes ever clear, as we study the text, that the Nephite nation during the period of the Book of Mormon was in a very limited area.

Interestingly, among the ancient Maya, history shows that their agricultural methods would leave lands infertile for years, forcing whole peoples to move to new areas on occasion, in order to prevent famine. It is possible that one reason Nephi and his people had to move was a severe shortage of resources, which Laman and Lemuel could have blamed on Nephi, in order to obtain political power.

Such political struggles with foreign groups included increases in the struggles and political intrigue we shall see occur as we continue on through the Book of Mormon.

Does this mean that not all Native Americans are not Lehi’s descendants? Modern DNA tests show no definite ties to Israel and the Middle East among Native Americans, but then what does Lehite DNA look like? What we see in the Book of Mormon is people are adopted culturally into the nation (i.e., Mulekites), and become literal descendants of Nephi and Laman.

Cut off from God’s Presence

Interestingly, as Nephi and his people fled, the presence of God went with them. This is much like the Tabernacle of Moses, where when the faithful travelled, the Lord went with them. We see that those that did not follow the prophet and his standard were “cut off from the presence of the Lord”, even though the Lord was technically not visible to Laman, etc. That Nephi built a temple shows that the Lord was with them, and to be in God’s presence meant one had to accept Nephi as prophet and worship at the temple. Nephi refused to be king, because the Lord was their king.

Bibliography

My side-by-side comparison of Nephi’s Psalm and the Community Rule Scroll (1QS - Dead Sea Scrolls):
http://rameumptom.weebly.com/nephipsalm.html

Community Rule Scroll (1QS): http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/community

Messiah Ben Joseph/Ephraim, wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_ben_Joseph

Louis Ginsberg, “The Legends of the Jews” vol II, regarding Joseph of Egypt and Joseph ben Messiah:
http://philologos.org/__eb-lotj/vol2/onea.htm#2

Kevin Barney on Messiah ben Joseph: http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/08/30/the-messiah-ben-joseph-tradition/

Jewish Encyclopedia on Messiah ben Joseph: http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10729-messiah#anchor16

Book of Mormon Lesson 6: “Free to Choose Liberty and Eternal Life” 2 Nephi 1-2

2012-01-27T13:58:00.000-08:00

Book of Mormon Lesson 6: “Free to Choose Liberty and Eternal Life”
2 Nephi 1-2

Lehi as Moses, the Patriarch and Prophet
2 Nephi 1

“And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, and rehearsed unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem. And he spake unto them concerning their rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea.And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem: (2 Ne 1:1-3).

In verse one, it appears that Nephi taught his brethren. It is possible that it involves the quoting and interpreting of Isaiah that we find in 1 Nephi 19-22. As it is written to the reading audience, one may not notice that he is repeating a lesson he has already given. It is possible that the 1 and 2 Nephi division is a more modern change, or perhaps something Nephi did in writing the account 20 years later. The focus on Nephi’s teaching is the destruction of the Jews in Jerusalem, the Babylonian captivity, the scattering of Israel, the coming of the Lord in flesh, and the eventual gathering of Israel in the last days. That Nephi is teaching his elder brethren in the presence of Lehi suggests that Nephi is now the “official” guide of the family and foreseen leader.

From here, we can note that Lehi’s words then continue much on this line of thinking. While Nephi spoke of the entire House of Israel, Lehi will confine his focus on his family.. According to Nephi, his father becomes the Moses of his family. He led them out of captivity. Jerusalem would be carried off by Babylon into physical captivity, but the spiritual captivity already lay heavy upon the Jews. He saw in vision that Jerusalem already was destroyed - meaning there was nothing to return to, even if they could return.

The ocean represented Israel’s wandering in the wilderness, and the Red Sea. God allowed Israel to pass safely through the sea and into the Promised Land, except for their rebellion. For Lehi, the rebellion on board the ship was just like ancient Israel partying in rebellion, while Moses received the tablets on Mt Sinai. Only God’s mercy prevented ancient Israel from drowning while crossing the Red Sea on dry land. And only His mercy prevented Lehi’s family from sinking into the ocean when the storms threatened them.

After many difficult experiences in the wilderness, Moses and Lehi brought their peoples into the Land of Promise. Lehi reminds them of their trials and the source of their blessings. Such protection will only continue as they seek the Lord and repent. To do so, they must accept Nephi as their prophet and leader.

“But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord” (2 Ne 1:5).

Lehi recognized that his family may not be the only peoples who were in the Americas. He realized the Lord may have brought forth others as well. In fact, it is possible that Lehi and his people may already have come in contact with others, absorbing them into their group. We shall see little hints within the text that the Nephites and Lamanites were not the only peoples here, and that the Mulekites were just one major example of this.

Archaeology shows that various groups have arrived here in the past. One of the original major groups is the Clovis group. These came from Asia during the last Ice Age. Many of these came over an ice-land bridge from modern Russia through Alaska and then through much of the Americas. Good evidence from various archaeological sites show that they are not the first. Some groups traveled quickly by boat, following the coast lines. In fact, it is possible the Nephites also used this technique as they traveled past the Indian subcontinent and other Asian coastlines until they entered into the Pacific Ocean, then they could island hop, even as the ancient Polynesians did..

Among the Pre-Columbian peoples that arrived in the Americas, there is evidence of Caucasians, Africans, Chinese, Norwegians, and possibly even Jews.

Lehi explained that if the inhabitants of the Promised Land rejected Christ and his gospel, they would be replaced by others, who would come forth and take over the land. Lehi’s fear is that his own children would reject the gospel and end up scattered and lost as a people, replaced by a new group of believers.

“Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth.…. My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time, for I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts the Lord your God should come out in the fulness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed forever;Or, that a cursing should come upon you for the space of many generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine, and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of the devil” (2 Ne 1:14-18).

In his fear, Lehi fully understands that a wicked people are a people in decline, ripe to be replaced by a holier group. They would suffer for generations, perhaps connecting with Moses’ 2nd commandment:

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:4-6).

Lehi is well aware that when people reject Christ, they lose his mercy and protection. They are left to fend for themselves against others. And God will often bring a holier and/or stronger nation in to replace the rebellious. Only generations later can they hope to recover, when like the Israelites enslaved in Egypt, they have finally humbled themselves enough to merit his mercy and rescue.

Nephi pronounced as Lehi’s successor

“Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were it not for him, we must have perished with hunger in the wilderness; nevertheless, ye sought to take away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow because of you.And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, lest he shall suffer again; for behold, ye have accused him that he sought power and authority over you; but I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare....” (2 Ne 1:24-26).

This is Lehi’s attempt to declare Nephi as the legal successor to his father. Lehi promises him the “double portion” of the eldest son. In this lesson and the next, we will see that others, and more particularly Sam, will be placed under Nephi’s blessing. In essence, Nephi is absorbing their inheritance into his own.

Laman and Lemuel will not lead the family.. For the children of Jacob/Israel, the eldest sons lost their right of inheritance: Reuben for sleeping with his step-mother. Simeon and Levi for slaying those involved in Dinah’s rape, Judah for sleeping with his daughter-in-law and his involvement in selling Joseph into Egypt. Joseph’s other older brothers were sons of Jacob’s concubines (secondary/slave wives), and so would not be included in the list of those considered for the birth right.

So it was with Nephi. Laman and Lemuel’s rebellion prevented them from receiving the birth right and blessing. The sons of Ishmael, not being of the line of Lehi, would be like secondary children, and so not considered for the line. Nephi was the next in line, save one.

Sam’s Disability
Sam was the only potentially eligible son, but was not chosen. In the very last blessing Lehi would give, he would say to his son, Sam:

“And after he had made an end of speaking unto them, he spake unto Sam, saying: Blessed art thou, and thy seed; for thou shalt inherit the land like unto thy brother Nephi. And thy seed shall be numbered with his seed; and thou shalt be even like unto thy brother, and thy seed like unto his seed; and thou shalt be blessed in all thy days” (2 Ne 4:11).

.We would hear of tribes of Laman, Lemuel, Jacob and Joseph, but not of Sam. Why not? Ever since his introduction, Sam seems to always believe Nephi and follow him (1 Ne 1:17). Now, he is told he will be blessed by his father for his faith, yet he and his seed will be absorbed into Nephi’s line. I believe that Sam may have had a disability, perhaps mental retardation, which prevented him from ever being independent enough to manage a tribe of his own. If Sam had the mental capacity of a young child, he could bear children, but perhaps not be able of caring for them. It seems that Sam and his family needed extra care from other family members. Now that Lehi was old and no longer able to care for his disabled son, he was passing the responsibility over to Nephi.

First Blessing

Again, Lehi discusses the birth right:

“And now my son, Laman, and also Lemuel and Sam, and also my sons who are the sons of Ishmael, behold, if ye will hearken unto the voice of Nephi ye shall not perish. And if ye will hearken unto him I leave unto you a blessing, yea, even my first blessing.But if ye will not hearken unto him I take away my first blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him” (2 Ne 1:28-29).

Interestingly, he seems to offer it as a group blessing to his three eldest sons and the sons of Ishmael, even though the Israelite tradition was to give it specifically to the eldest deserving son. Here we see Lehi making a distinction between Nephi and all the other men combined. If Laman, Lemuel and all the others are not righteous and listen to Nephi as their prophet, none will receive the first blessing. We see this in Sam’s blessing, where he and his children are absorbed into Nephi’s blessing. He doesn’t get established in his own right, but only as part of a group.

The only person mentioned separately is Zoram. He is noted for his faithfulness to Nephi and the Lord. Here, his seed will be blessed with the Nephite line. Not being of Lehi’s line, Lehi cannot bless him outside of his family line. He can adopt him into one of his children’s lines, which is Nephi in this case. However, we shall see later in the Book of Mormon, where the descendants of Zoram tire of being lost and unrecognized as a separate body, and will rebel because of it.

Jacob’s blessing
2 Nephi 2

It is doubtful that the blessings of Laman and Lemuel were so very short, while Jacob’s was an in-depth discourse. More likely, Nephi has focused on the more important parts of the things taught and shared by Lehi. In this instance, Lehi will explain what is one of the most important discourses on free will ever written, either within or without Mormonism. This is Jacob’s temple endowment, delivered by his father.

“And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my first-born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren.Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain” (2 Ne 2:1-2).

No temple experience would be complete unless there was reference to darkness, trials, afflictions, the lone and dreary world. Lehi’s “tribulation in the wilderness” not only refers to the many years walking through the Arabian desert, but perhaps also to the hours he walked in the dark during his vision of the Tree of Life. We begin our personal journey in darkness, pain and sorrow, until we find the way out. Lehi will then expand on how we escape the telestial state we live in.

“thou hast beheld in thy youth his (the Redeemer’s) glory....” (2 Ne 2:4).

Even as a lad, Jacob has seen the Lord, perhaps in a vision. He has had the same spiritual experience as his father Lehi, and brother Nephi. Jacob has seen the Messiah, and already understand as does his father, how to escape the dark and enter into the light.

Lehi explains that via the Holy Spirit, “men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil” (vs 5). All have the law of God written in their hearts via the Spirit and the light of Christ. Our conscience generally tells us when we have done wrong things.

But there is another law given to men. For the family of Lehi, it is the Law of Moses with the carnal commandments and animal sacrifices.

“And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth” (2 Ne 2:5-6).

In Lehi’s day, the people of Jerusalem believed they were saved simply because they offered animal sacrifices at the temple and had themselves circumcised. Lehi knows this is wrong. We are not saved by the Ten Commandments, the 613 laws in the Mosaic code, or by sacrificing an animal.

Only in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is there salvation. Only in the Messiah do we find the path to “grace and truth.” The grace of Christ frees us from sin. Truth allows us to choose to follow Christ.

Atonement, Justification and Sanctification

“Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered” (2 Ne 2:7).

Here we see an early concept that develops more in LDS theology. Christ offered himself as a willing sacrifice. Nephi notes this in the present tense, and not the future, because the premortal Christ indeed offered himself as the Savior of the world (Moses 4:1-4, Abraham 3:27). All that is required from us is a broken heart and contrite spirit.

This is a concept that goes beyond what many Christians believe. Some believe we must save ourselves through keeping commandments. Commandments are important, but we cannot save ourselves. As Hugh Nibley once wrote, “work we must, but the lunch is free.”

Life is a probation, wherein we are attending a special college. God provides the necessities of life, so that we can focus on learning and growing. Unfortunately, many people spend their time trying to get more lunch. So it is for those who think they can earn their way into heaven. God provides a free salvation for mankind, only requiring a contrite spirit and broken heart. Instead of developing our spiritual heart and spirit, we focus on getting gain in the world. We think we can offer up obedience as a way to pay God back, so we can get back into his graces and presence. We shall see as we study the Book of Mormon that keeping commandments are important, they are a part of the work, but not to earn our salvation. Instead, when done properly, obedience teaches us how to become like Christ.

Nephi also sees things this way:

“Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise” (2 Ne 2:8).

We simply cannot earn our way back into the presence of God. The lunch is free. Our part is to work to improve ourselves, developing contrition that will allow us to remain in God’s presence, after Christ’s mercy brings us there.

Here we see the importance of resurrection. It is an entirely free lunch. We do not have to earn the resurrection, nor beg for it. Joe Spencer notes that in the Book of Mormon, the term “resurrection” includes the term atonement. He explains:

“For the Nephites, the resurrection is the core of the atonement. It’s the resurrection that makes repentance possible. This is to say, of course, that there’s no doctrine of atonement paying for sin in the Book of Mormon.”

Jacob will later explain that without the resurrection, we could only become “children of the devil”, with no hope for redemption (2 Ne 9:9). This is a very important concept Lehi and the Nephite prophets will teach again and again- that Christ offers a free lunch, and all that is required is a deep humility and teach-ability, a broken heart and contrite spirit..

“Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement” (2 Ne 2:9-10).

Christ makes intercession for everyone. Period. The only key is we must believe in him to be saved. Upon believing in Christ, we are justified in his blood and resurrection. We are made sinless and guiltless of all evil. Note that all will be brought back into the presence of God. Only those who refuse to believe, those who embrace Satan and refuse to accept Christ’s atonement, will not be saved. Sons of Perdition are those who refuse to believe, insisting Christ is their enemy. Such will not remain in the presence of God. For LDS, the “presence of God” connotes being in the presence of any of the members of the Godhead (Father, Son or Holy Ghost). Depending upon the level of belief and contrition determines how much of God’s glorious presence we can endure.

In the ancient text, Ascension of Isaiah, the prophet ascends through levels of heaven, each level having a greater level of glory than the preceding one. Eventually, one ascended into the full presence of God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost. While it seems we must earn higher levels of salvation, we can determine that it is still a free lunch. As we seek to become more holy, God sends his Spirit upon us to sanctify us to a higher level. We are lifted up, not by our works, but via the sanctification, wherein the Holy Spirit and Christ’s atonement makes us holier. This work to make us holy is how sanctification works for us.

Opposition in All Things

Agency is something LDS Christians believe in, yet often do not understand how it works. Lehi explains it to us. First, God allows opposition to occur. Without opposition, there is nothing that can be or do. Even laws of science show us the importance of opposing forces. When we toss a ball, there is an equal and opposite force that goes away from the ball’s direction. We do not float away into space, because the force of gravity opposes such. Exercise strains muscles through opposing force, which allows them to strengthen and grow.

There cannot be life, existence, nor growth without opposition. Opposition means change is possible. Early creation beliefs show that God did not form the world from nothing (creation ex nihilo), but formed it from existing matter. His effort was to bring order out of chaos. Isaiah notes that God had to conquer the sea serpent or dragon Rahab, to bring order (Isa 51:9, Psalms 89:10). The waters and darkness represented chaos, and God brought forth light and land to establish order. In the last days, God again will fight against the spouse of Rahab, even the dragon, Leviathan, to bring about the order of the Millennium (Isa 27:1, Job 41:1, Rev 12).

The opposition in all things is a fight between order and chaos, light and darkness, good and evil, growth and stagnation, salvation and damnation. Law, whether it is the Ten Commandments, the guidance of the Light of Christ (our conscience), natural laws like gravity, or the guidance given in many religions and cultures, are put in place by God and man as a way to master chaos.

Lehi explained that for man to grow, the Garden of Eden required opposition for Adam and Eve. The Garden was a safe place, where innocent beings, such as Adam and Eve, could easily dwell. However, they could not progress, learn, or increase without the ability to experience more opposition. Scripture denotes the opposition in the Garden being partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, versus the fruit of the Tree of Life. Lehi suggests that one had sweet fruit, and the other had bitter fruit. This may have two connotations.

First, a physical connection. If all we eat are sweet items, they pretty much all taste the same. But when one adds a lemon, suddenly the experience becomes very different. The Garden was a place of complete order, but a sour or bitter fruit would bring about an opposing experience: unpleasant, yet still intriguing. Many people eat lemons for the bitter flavor, even though it causes chaos to our taste buds.

Secondly, partaking of a forbidden fruit brings about chaos. No more is there obedience, but disobedience. This also brings about a change, from innocence and stagnation into a different state. Yes, it is a fallen state, but it is a difference. Sometimes it is better to feel bad or guilt than to feel nothing at all. Without chaos, we cannot bring order back into our own lives.

For mankind, agency is necessary for us to be able to choose between order and chaos. However, with the Fall of Adam, we lost the ability to choose for ourselves. Regardless of how we lived our lives, we could not return back into the presence of God. As noted above by Jacob, we would forever be trapped in the chaos of stagnation. We could not eternally grow. We could not resurrect and dwell with God. We would stagnate until we eventually became demons, “even children of the devil.”

Here, Lehi’s story of Adam and Eve explains a key motif in the temple endowment: our own agency and rescue from bad choices. Along with Adam and Eve, we are cast into the “lone and dreary world” where we learn, hopefully grow, and live a probationary life where we can repent. Opposition here in a world of chaos is much greater than in an ordered or innocent world. Yet, if we only had the Fall, our overall agency would be ended.

Remaining in the Garden, there would be no choice, no growth, no children, no experiences. We could not have the chance to understand the difference between sweet and bitter. Worst still, we could not return to God, nor learn to be like him.

Fortunately, God’s plan teaches, “Adam died that men might be, and men are that they might have joy” (2 Ne 2:25).

Not only was the Fall necessary to bring chaos and opposition into the world, but one other thing was necessary: the atonement. Without the atonement, our agency would be seriously curtailed. We could choose to be as good as we wanted, but still could not resurrect nor return back into the presence of God. Because of Christ’s atonement, we both resurrect and return to God’s presence.

“And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Ne 2:26-27)

Christ would come to redeem all mankind from the Fall. He brings order back into the mix for us, empowering us with agency, so we can personally choose to believe and be saved, or choose to disbelieve. We now are given the choice of two opposing powers: Christ’s atonement and order, or Satan’s temptation and chaos. In accepting Christ, we receive even greater freedom. We can become like God through Christ. In doing so, we gain greater power to order things, and to overcome chaos. For those who choose Satan, they lose agency and power. They are unable to control chaos, because they have no ability to bring forth order by themselves. They become captive within the very chaos they promote and embrace, while the righteous become free in the order they embrace through Christ’s atonement.

It is our choice via the agency Christ gives us to choose happiness or misery, life or death, order or chaos. We may ascend into the presence of God and his order, or descend into darkness and chaos.

Bibliography

Joe Spencer’s excellent in-depth study of lesson 6: http://feastuponthewordblog.org/2012/01/26/book-of-mormon-lesson-6-free-to-choose-liberty-and-eternal-life-2-nephi-1-2-sunday-school/

Hugh Nibley, “Work we must, but the lunch is free”: http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/transcripts/?id=119

Groups that migrated anciently to the Americas:
Clovis culture

Southeast Asia

Kennewick Man

Solutrean Europeans and others in Brazil

Africans in America

Bat Creek Inscription - early Jews in Tennessee?

Ascension of Isaiah: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ascension.html

Book of Mormon Lesson 5: "Hearken to the Truth, and Give Heed unto It" 1 Nephi 16-18

2012-01-19T12:57:00.000-08:00

Book of Mormon Lesson 5: "Hearken to the Truth, and Give Heed unto It"
1 Nephi 16-18

Thou hast declared unto us hard things
1 Nephi 16

Recently (January 2012), there has been a lot of press about Mormonism, both good and bad. One topic has been on how the high standards of the Church “cause” women in Utah to take prescription anti-depressants and young people to commit suicide over a variety of issues. As sad as these issues are, there really is no direct corollary that shows the Church “caused” any of these tragedies. What it does show is that the people involved would not or could not adapt to the expectations. For the world, the solution would be for the Church to loosen up its standards, allowing young people to serve missions while sexually active, or look the other way when people transgress.

Here, we see in the beginning verses of chapter 16 that Nephi experiences the same response from his older brothers. Nephi’s teachings brought on by his brothers’ confusion over the dream Lehi had regarding the Tree of Life meant that wickedness was not acceptable. In the dream, Laman and Lemuel were not willing to follow their father to the Tree of Life, instead choosing a different path.

The call for repentance and obedience was a difficult one for them. If only God would allow them to return to Jerusalem and live out their lives in comfort and spiritual ignorance, rather than force them into a harsh existence in the Arabian desert. Already they attempted to kill Nephi once, leaving him bound in the wilderness for wild animals to tear apart. And the Lord had already delivered Nephi out of their hands on several occasions. Clearly, this was no Promised Land, nor was it a desirable land to travel through, and it depressed them to think they were being forced to live a nomadic and spiritual life, rather than the normal life they were used to living.

Nephi actually agreed with them that the things he taught were hard.

“And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.
And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.
And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord.
And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness” (1 Ne 16:1-5).

While he could still get them to be humble and repentant now, the time would come when they would insist that such requirements and standards were insufferable. They would attack the standard bearer as mean-spirited and down right evil. Interesting how the wicked insist that their “standard” is the correct one. While it provides a rush of exhilaration for a moment, sadly, it does not provide true and lasting joy to the sinner.

My father dwelt in a tent

“Now, all these things were said and done as my father dwelt in a tent in the valley which he called Lemuel” (1 Ne 16:6).

Nephi has repeated this concept several times. His father dwelt in a tent. It is a significant statement that is often bypassed in our reading the journeys of the Nephites across the desert. In ancient Israel, Moses set up a tent that sat in the midst of the tribes of Israel. This was the center place, where the Presence of the Lord (Shekinah) was experienced, where revelations were received, and where the important decisions of the Israelites were made. Lehi’s tent also is a place of the Shekinah, as Lehi saw Christ in his dream of the Tree of Life. His tent was the center place for his people, where important decisions were made, and where miracles and revelations occurred. Lehi’s tent symbolized the Tabernacle of Moses, or the Temple of Solomon in its purpose.

Again, in noting that Lehi dwelt in a tent, Nephi then commences to explain what occurred next at the tent.

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also, my brethren took of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also Zoram took the eldest daughter of Ishmael to wife” (vs 7).

His tent becomes the place for weddings. Herein lies a connection with the modern LDS temple, whose highest ordinances and rituals involve returning into God’s presence, and in marrying or sealing families together for the eternities. While we are not told if their weddings at Lehi’s tent were forever or not, the symbolism still is there.

Again, Lehi receives a commandment “by night” or in his tent that they should depart on the morrow. Upon rising in the morning, Lehi finds a brass item outside his tent door.

“to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness” (vs 10).

This is Lehi’s encounter with the Liahona, a compass-like item with interesting capabilities. It uses spindles to point the way forward in the desert. Why would it need two spindles? It is possible that one pointed toward true north (or perhaps at the Jerusalem temple, or some other key landmark), while the other would point in the direction they needed to go. In this way, they could verify and re-verify the direction they were traveling by outward signs (stars, sun’s point in the sky). Later, we find that the wording on it changes from “time to time.” This is highly significant because no other such item is described in ancient scripture. When we compare what is written here with other verses given to Joseph Smith, we find that the Lord gives his seers a “stone” or item that helps them see hidden things.

“Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer.
But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.” (Mosiah 8:13, 17).

“And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations” (Alma 37:23).

“Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known;
And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word” (D&C 130:10-11).

In conjunction with the Urim and Thummim, seer stone descriptions, and the Liahona, we find items that contain information on any topic one seeks after. There are some topics a person ought not to look for, as it can pull them down into evil things. It reveals the higher order of God’s kingdom, as well as the secret works of evil men. It can reveal new text for the viewer to read. And it is protected by the new name, a password. Such items, in other words, are special celestial computers designed by God for seers of ancient days. The Liahona was similar to a modern GPS device, which shows a person how to arrive to his/her destination, and can also provide guidance through text on a screen. Just as having an IPhone with internet connection can bring a world of information to one’s finger tips, so too can we see the same things described by Joseph Smith in 1829.

The Place Called Nahom

“And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called Nahom” (1 Ne 16:34).

In the journey through the Arabian desert, Nephi normally states that when they arrived at a place to stay, they would call it by a name they created (Valley of Lemuel, for instance). However, they arrived at a location, which Nephi said was already named “Nahom.”

Since its translation, critics have dismissed the Book of Mormon for having no known locations. In recent years, however, some possible locations have been found in the Arabian desert. One that is most definitely an accurate hit is the place Nahom.

Lehi and his followers stopped on the traveling along the Frankincense Spice Trade Route because of the death of Ishmael. There was much mourning, because Ishmael would have to be buried outside of the Promised Land, and left behind by his family.

In recent decades, along the path taken by Lehi along the Red Sea, a location has been found. Three altars or markers have been found with the place name NHM on them. Ancient Semitic writing did not have vowels, so modern scholars could transcribe this as Nehem, Nihm, or Nahom and be accurate. At the spot is an ancient temple of the nomadic Nihm people. Here along the trade route they had a large cemetery used to probably bury their own, as well as travelers who died along the trade route. The cemetery, altars, and other things found at the site date to the 6th-7th centuries BC - exactly the time frame when Lehi was there.

The chances of such a location being known in Joseph Smith’s day are almost nil. In other words, Joseph Smith had it right. For those who claim it was a lucky guess, then they need to determine just how lucky Joseph Smith was in guessing dozens of things correctly in the Book of Mormon. Eventually, the statistical probability of all his correct “guesses” makes it basically impossible to believe to just be guesses.

Rebellion

Because of their mourning, the children of Ishmael, Laman and Lemuel all began to plot against Lehi and Nephi. They believed that Nephi’s claims of visions and authority were not from God, but just a ploy to lead them into the wilderness, where he could become their ruler.

Interestingly, it is the “voice of the Lord” (vs 39) that chastens them, until they were humbled and repentant. It seems that part of the chastisement was the inability to obtain food. Hunger is a powerful tool for humbling people, and it seems that it was a part of the Lord’s chastising.

The Arabian Bountiful
1 Nephi 17

From Nahom, the group turned east, spending years in the wilderness, bearing children, and continuing to their next major destination. From reading of verse 4, “we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness” we can determine that the 8 years of traveling may have begun as they left Jerusalem, or perhaps even from Nahom as they left the “civilization” of that area and re-entered an even more hostile environment away from the well traveled spice road. In other words, their traveling through Arabia took eight years, which may not have included the time spent at Bountiful nor the ocean voyage.

The Arabian Bountiful is the next site that has likely been found in recent years. Nephi describes a location on the eastern Arabian coast which included certain things to be present. Among the things Nephi required are:

1. The location must lie nearly eastward of Nahom (1 Nephi 17:1).[3]
2. The coast must be accessible from the interior desert.
3. Both the general area and the location when the Lehites camped must be fertile and capable of producing crops.
4. It must be a coastal location (1 Nephi 17:5).
5. It must be very fertile, with "much fruit and also wild honey" and small game (1 Nephi 17:5-6).
6. Timber must be available with which to build a ship (1 Nephi 17:8).
7. Freshwater must be available year-round.
8. A mountain must be located nearby to account for Nephi's reference to going to a mountain to "pray oft" (1 Nephi 18:3).
9. Cliffs overlooking the ocean must be present to account for Nephi's brother's attempt to throw him "into the depths of the sea" (1 Nephi 17:48).
10. Ore and flint must be available with which to make fire and fabricate tools to build a ship" (1 Nephi 17:9)
11. No resident population at the time of the Lehite's arrival.
12. Wind and ocean currents capable of carrying a ship out into the ocean (1 Nephi 18:8)

Each of these items is found in a narrow strip of land off the Arabean Sea in modern day Oman, called Wadi Sayq. One would think there is no such thing as such a wonderful garden spot in the Arabian peninsula, but we can see from this photo taken nearby that it is. Wadi Sayq is a very small area along the coast line, virtually unknown in America in Joseph Smith’s day.

Photo taken near Wadi Sayq in Oman

We also learn another important fact that Joseph Smith most likely would not have known. Lynn and Hope Hilton noted that the term the Nephites used for the ocean was “Irreantum”, meaning “many waters.” The actual ancient Arabic term for the Arabean Sea was “Erythraeum”, which is very similar sounding to Irreantum.

How Prayer and Self-reliance work together

When the Lord commanded Nephi to build a ship, Nephi didn’t ask the Lord to give him the lumber and tools for the job. Instead, he asked where he could find ore to make the tools he would need. Often we ask the Lord to handle situations for us that we either can completely handle ourselves, or we have control over at least a part of it. Thinking through our struggles and determining which part we can manage, and then giving the rest to the Lord to help us with, ensures the assistance of the Lord. He gives us such tasks so that we can grow in faith and ability. But he often requires us to think of a solution in which he becomes our helper, and not just having Him hand all things to us simply because we ask.

God will help us with our school work, but he will not do it for us. He will help us with a test, but we must study diligently first. Nephi teaches his brothers that Moses was able to lead Israel through the wilderness. The Lord managed the parts they had no control of, such as how to feed thousands or millions of people every day. For Israel, the Lord gave them manna. For Nephi’s people, they could not build fires in the wilderness (probably to avoid contact with robbers), but God made the meat they caught taste “sweet” or taste cooked.

In teaching his brethren in chapter 17, Moses becomes the archetype for Nephi. Moses led Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness, en route to the Promised Land. Nephi and Lehi also were leading their small band of Israel into the wilderness from an apostate Jerusalem, and towards a land of promise. While Moses caused the Red Sea to divide by God’s power, through God’s power Nephi was going to build a ship wherein they would cross the ocean. Both Moses and Nephi had murmurers to deal with, and God chastised them in order to drive them along to the Promised Land. If Moses could do such great things, then Nephi could build a ship with the Lord’s help.

More Rebellion
1 Nephi 18

As Lehi’s family loads the boat for their long voyage, they must realize they are now embarking on an entirely different experience. They were definitely leaving Jerusalem forever behind them. They would no longer travel in the heat of the desert, but float for days at a time on ocean currents. While it is not mentioned, it is likely they followed along coast lines of Asia until hitting the Pacific Ocean. From there, they would probably hop from island to island, much like Polynesian ocean travelers of the time did between South America and Australia. In stopping at such places, they could stock up on food, water, and other needed supplies for the continued journey.

During one leg of this journey, possibly after obtaining much provisions, including alcohol, Laman and his merry band chose to party. While ancient Israel trusted Moses while passing through the Red Sea, but then turning rebellious at the foot of Sinai while Moses was delayed, rebellion also occurred on Nephi’s ship. Forgetting God, and wanting to enjoy a wild party at sea, they turned their backs on Nephi and began acting like their counterparts in apostate Jerusalem, even as ancient Israel turned away from Moses and back to the gods of Egypt.

Only the fear of absolute destruction would cause them to change and repent. This is how it will be with people of Telestial desires. They are considered the enemies of God, and will be until they repent. In death, their spirits will go to prison hell, where they will suffer until they completely and fully repent of all their sins.

“Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.
For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink” (D&C 19:15-18)

For the Telestial in the Spirit World, they will suffer extremely until such suffering causes them to be humble enough to repent. We get an idea of how this works from Alma 36, where he tells his son about his own experience in such a hell. His only escape was faith and repentance.

So it was for Laman and his followers. They were at the point where only the absolute threat of destruction would cause them to repent. While the storms blew for several days, they refused to release Nephi from his cords. Not until they saw absolutely no other recourse would they repent.
In doing so, they showed that they were only ready for a Telestial glory, and then only when forced into it.

1 Nephi 19-22

Not covered in the manual, these chapters are very important as a study in Nephi’s beginning understanding of the writings on the Brass Plates. He quotes prophets that were very important to the tribe of Joseph and the other Northern Tribes of Israel. Here we get the first mention of Zenock and especially Zenos, who would also be important to Jacob and other Nephite authors. Isaiah also gets his first main mention, as Nephi quotes chapter 48 of Isaiah, and uses it with Zenos’ writings to help predict the future of his people, the world, and its end times.

It is possible that Zenock is another form of the name Enoch. It is possible that the Nephites had some of his writings, which never made it into the Bible.

“but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning” (1 Ne 19:23).

For Mormons, this is an important concept in how to interpret the scriptures, and in applying them to ourselves. A danger, however, that afflicts many Christians in regards to using scripture, is they tend to “over-liken” the scriptures unto themselves. Instead of first understanding the ancient context and then finding how it applies, many tend to read scripture entirely from a modern viewpoint. In doing so, we miss much of the important concepts being taught by the prophets, simply because we do not understand the context in which they write.

For example, in several of these lessons, I’ve shown how Lehi and Nephi use Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses as archetypes for their own callings from God. While to some it may seem insignificant, such symbolism ties the author to the ancient patriarchs and prophets, giving them authority for the things they do. Without such ancient archetypes to follow, Nephi’s beheading of Laban would just be murder, rather than an example of following in the path of earlier prophets, such as Moses slaying the Egyptian to protect a slave.

As in Nephi using the story of Moses to justify his building a ship, such context was very important for Nephi to relay to us. For us then to miss such an important thing means we may not place as much importance on it, or may take the story out of context.

Elder Jacob de Jager gave such an example of the importance to not only understand, but not to be misunderstood. He had been in a meeting concerning new teaching materials. After the meeting ended:

“President Romney stopped and said, “Now, Brother de Jager, how are you going to teach all these inspired materials?”
I paused, thinking of an answer that would satisfy a member of the First Presidency of the Church. I replied, “President Romney, I shall teach in such a way that everyone will understand.”
President Romney, a twinkle in his eye, said, “That’s not enough; you shall teach in such a way that no one will misunderstand these divine materials.” Then he walked on.
Now, many years later, I begin to see more and more the wisdom of his counsel. People do easily misunderstand, like the sweet old sister I met in the ZCMI shopping mall the other day.
“Aren’t you that Dutchman who spoke in general conference a while ago?” I said, “Yes, ma’am.” Then she continued, “Oh, I loved your Holland story about the boy with his finger in the dike.” I remarked, “Well, sister, that was not exactly the subject of my talk; I was talking about saving souls.” But she went on to say, “You know, I heard that story for the first time when I was still in school, and I am so pleased you told it again.”

This is the danger of “likening unto ourselves” without first building a solid foundation of the context of the text first. There are some members who focus only on the war chapters. Others see very grim preaching about repentance. Some do not notice the teachings regarding the temple, of theophany/ascension (cf 1 Nephi 1) or other very important teachings. Many skip over the Isaiah sections, because they do not see how it fits in so perfectly and importantly into what Nephi is trying to teach us. We become like the nice lady who loves the story of the boy with his finger in the dike, without understanding the real context and meaning.

Yes, liken them unto yourselves. But first spend time learning what the ancient prophets initially meant by their writing.

Bibliography

Nahom articles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahom
http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=10&num=2&id=255
http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=8&num=1&id=187
http://www.jefflindsay.com/bme15.shtml
http://www.nephiproject.com/on__nahom.htm
http://www.mormonheretic.org/2009/01/28/nahom-archeaological-evidence-of-book-of-mormon/

Arabian Bountiful articles
http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=7&num=1&id=165
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bountiful_%28Book_of_Mormon%29#Sea_.22Irreantum.22
http://www.ldsmag.com/component/zine/article/7731 (compares Arabian and New World Bountiful)

Elder Jacob de Jager, “Let There Be No Misunderstanding” (Oct 1978 General Conference):
http://lds.org/general-conference/1978/10/let-there-be-no-misunderstanding?lang=eng&query=misunderstood

Gospel Doctrine Book of Mormon Lesson 4: “The Things Which I Saw While I Was Carried Away in the Spirit” 1 Nephi 12-14

2012-01-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

Gospel Doctrine Book of Mormon Lesson 4: “The Things Which I Saw While I Was Carried Away in the Spirit”
1 Nephi 12-14

This lesson combines with the Vision of the Tree of Life, expanding upon Nephi’s vision of the future of his people and the last days, some of which were discussed in my blog post for lesson 3.

After seeing the Tree of Life and the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Nephi sees further into the future. Unlike his father Lehi’s dream, Nephi’s vision goes beyond the connection of the family and into a major Revelation of the last days, from a Nephite/Lamanite perspective.

Vision of the resurrected Christ
1 Nephi 12

This part of the vision begins with the visit of the resurrected Jesus to the Nephites. With the Lord’s death,

“And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them.
And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen” (1 Ne 12:6-7).

This section of the vision actually seems to jump out of Lehi’s Vision of the Tree of Life, and goes back to his visions in 1 Nephi 1:

“And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.
And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.
And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.
And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read” (1 Ne 1:8-11).

Here, both Nephi and Lehi see Christ descend from the heavens, with 12 apostles following after, or being ordained to the holy calling. He sees the period of peace among the Nephites and Lamanites that would last several generations at the resurrected Christ’s coming.

Nephi then notes the mists of darkness and the great and spacious building as the pride of the world, which leads to the conflicts arising anew between Nephites and Lamanites. This ties in interestingly with Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life and the Great and Spacious Building. Lehi partakes of the fruit with others, and notes that some look elsewhere and then walk away from the tree, ashamed. Nephi saw the Nephites/Lamanites partake of the fruit of Christ during their 200 year “Millennium.”

The time would come when pride would return among the peoples, and they would again contend. Eventually, the Nephites would be destroyed by the Lamanites. But the contention would not end there, for Nephi sees the on-going contentions would turn into “wars and rumors of wars” among the Lamanites and any other groups in the area.

The Lamanites would again “dwindle in unbelief” and become a dark and loathsome people. Perhaps Nephi could foresee the simple tent dwellers of North America, and the human sacrifice of “more advanced” groups, like the Aztecs, Mayans and others. Writing would be almost entirely obliterated from the western hemisphere, with the only known exception being in Central America. All others would have oral tradition that would tie them to nature and their gods.

The Gentiles in Prophesy
! Nephi 13

Nephi then saw the nations of the Gentiles, normally considered the European nations for Book of Mormon view of Gentiles. This would be a vision of them after the death and resurrection of Jesus, as it would work in conjunction with the ending times of the Nephites.

Great and Abominable Church
Immediately, he sees the formation of the Great and Abominable Church among the Gentiles. Many LDS read this and think it means the Catholic Church. This is a belief often shared by many Protestants in their reading of the abominable church mentioned in the Book of Revelation. However, let us read how Nephi describes this church:

“And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity.
And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.
And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots.
And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church.
And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity” (1 Ne 13:5-9).

There is no serious historian who would think the Catholic Church was slaying the saints of God, torturing them, etc. While the Catholic church did become very powerful and rich, it is difficult to establish that getting gain was its main goal.

The Catholic church has had bad people in its history, but also great men like St Francis of Assisi, St Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Jesuits), St Augustine, St Jerome, Mother Teresa, John Paul II, and others. These people brought true Christianity to the world. The Jesuits opened up the first schools for the poor. St Francis cared for the poor and animals. St Augustine envisioned the “City of God”, while Jerome formed the current and official Bible we now use. Of course, Mother Teresa is enroute to being a Saint for her charitable work in India. John Paul II was a key part of the Triad (Reagan, Thatcher) that freed hundreds of millions of people from Soviet slavery. Clearly, these are examples that the Catholic Church is not, nor has been, the Great and Abominable Church.

Instead, the Great and Abominable Church is any organization that has “getting gain” as its main goal. We need to find groups akin to the Gadianton Robbers (see Book of Helaman), who sought wealth and power at any cost, including the murdering of good people (the saints). In early Gentile/Christian history, this would have been the Roman Empire, where Nero and others used Christians as entertainment in the Roman Colosseum, fodder for the lions who would feed upon their carcasses. This same Rome is the place where both Peter and Paul were executed.

It is more likely, then, that the Great and Abominable Church is not really a church, but a political view that attacks freedom of religion. Later in the Book of Mormon, Nephites would be greatly concerned as they battled for freedom against the “king men.” While roving preachers (Korihor, Sherem) would cause some harm, more harm occurred by those seeking a social justice that placed them as over lords. It would be political atheists, who would threaten the believing Nephites with death if the sign of Christ’s birth did not occur by a certain day (3 Nephi 1).

And in our day, we see what philosophies tend to be most destructive towards Christianity and the human soul: communism, Marxism, and depotism. Occasionally, religion is mixed in, but often it is a twisted form of religion that murders to get gain. During the Crusades, the Popes sought to retake Jerusalem for Christianity. The political soldiers and lords who led the armies often were side-tracked in their desire for getting gain by sacking Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox), or portions of France, killing Christian saints (believers) in doing so. Most Muslims today are wonderful and peaceful people, yet certain radical groups within their ranks seek gain by murder of children and innocents.

In other words, it isn’t religion that is the problem. It is religion that is co-opted by evil men seeking gain.

.Gentiles in America

Nephi sees the Lord’s wrath on the proud Europeans, and prepares some to cross the Atlantic to start a new world. Even as Nephi was inspired to build a ship and cross the waters to his Promised Land, so Christopher Columbus and others would also be inspired in the dangerous journey.

"It was the Lord who put it into my mind, (I could feel His hand upon me), the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures.” (Christopher Columbus’ Journal)

The Pilgrims left England and Netherlands for religious and political freedom. They were persecuted for their beliefs in England, and for their being foreigners with different political views in the Netherlands. Their only hope was to begin a life in the Americas. Of the 102 voyagers on the Mayflower, only 52 survived through the first winter. But others came and they grew as a people. They “humbled themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them” (1 Ne 13:16).

Establishing a nation with religious and political freedom was unheard of in known history. Yet, because the Lord worked upon the people, he also prepared them for such concepts of freedom. This was a novus ordo seclorum or new world order. Novus ordo seclorum is the Latin motto suggested in 1782 by Charles Thomson, the Founding Father chosen by Continental Congress to come up with the final design for the Great Seal of the United States.

The Great Seal of the United States of America

This new world order sought to make men great in the eyes of God, by giving them the ability to truly be like their Creator. Instead of having all aspects of life dictated by despots, many getting gain off the backs of the serfs who slaved for them, this new order would allow each person to believe and strive as he or she wanted. Since the small beginnings in America, we have seen billions of people freed from the enslavement of others. Any and all people are invited to get out from underneath the pyramid’s base - the enslavement of modern Pharaohs, and climb it to the “all seeing eye” of knowledge and of God.

The Bible and other Holy Scripture

Just as in Lehi’s vision, he was given a book by the Lord to read (1 Nephi 1) and would then receive the Brass Plates of Laban as the guide for his people, so Nephi would see a book that would be read, the Bible. He sees, in fact, that they are similar to the Brass Plates, though they are missing important pieces of God’s truth. Interestingly, Nephi would be commanded to add to that truth by writing his own spiritual story.

The books of the Bible were pure when they “came forth from the mouth of a Jew”, but were later changed in the days of Gentile Christians. What does it mean when the verse says “a Jew”? Does it generally mean the Hebrew prophets and Christian apostles that wrote? Or is it the specific words of “a Jew”? Perhaps the Jew referred to is Jesus Christ, as he would have guided each prophet in the writings of the future Bible.

“Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.

And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them” (1 Ne 13:28-29).

It is not so much that things were changed in the Bible, but things were left out. Is there evidence that the Bible is missing books? Yes. In the early days of Judaism and Christianity, there was not a standard list of scriptures. Different Jews and Christians in different areas had a variety of books they used, many of which did not make it into today’s official list of books of the Bible. Today, we note that Catholics regard the Apocrypha as holy scripture, even though the Protestant world does not. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls, all the Books of the Old Testament were found except Esther, and then hundreds more spiritual books were also found as well. These other books were sacred scriptures for the Essene Jews in Jesus’ day. The Book of Enoch was important to both Jews and Christians. It is quoted or referenced in the New Testament 39 times (cf Jude 1:14-15). The Shepherd of Hermas was used by many Christian sects in the first several centuries of Christianity, but was rejected by St Jerome for not being written by one of the apostles. There are many other examples of missing scripture, as well.

In this displacement of important texts, many plain and precious teachings were lost, which traditional Christianity has struggled with over the centuries. By 325 AD, Christians and their leaders were arguing over whether there was just one God of three persons (Trinity) made of pure spirit substance (Bishop Athanasius), One God the Father, and Christ the Lord as separate beings and since there is only one God, Jesus is not a God (Bishop Arius), or that the Father and Son are both Gods and separate beings, with Christ as a subordinate God to the Father (Origen, Eusebius). Other issues, such as deification of man, monotheism vs monolatry, baptism for the dead (1 Corinthians 15:29), faith vs works, grace, priesthood authority, and many other issues were fought over time after time.

The Great Apostasy

Nephi foresaw what Mormons call the “Great Apostasy.” While some Church leaders in the past have stated that it was a “total apostasy” that occurred, a close study of the scriptures and of history will show this is not the case. Had there been a “total apostasy” there would have been no Bible teaching of Christ and the commandments. There would have been no people on earth calling themselves “Christian” or that prayed to God that they would be forgiven through the atonement of Christ.

Clearly, the apostasy was not a complete one. Many good truths and teachings survived over the centuries in traditional Christianities. Some groups embraced more of God’s truth than others. For those with greater truth would come greater blessings and rewards in heaven. Yet, there were many key things missing. The Bible was organized because the proto-orthodox Christian church sought to eliminate their competitors (such as the Gnostics) and the writings they used. This required a hard decision: rejecting any new claims of revelation. The Bible would be sealed, and no more scriptural revelation would be allowed. It also meant that only the books that managed to get through the sometimes political process of selecting books would be officially sanctioned. St Jerome was on the cusp of rejecting Hebrews and Revelation, except the Western Church insisted on retaining them. If he wanted his list of books to be approved, he would have to include them. Meanwhile, other books were rejected simply because the Gnostics or others used them.

In eliminating official revelation, the Church had to find another means to establish doctrine and eliminate diversity of scriptural interpretation. The Nicaea Council of 325 AD established the Trinity as the official view of what God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are. Yet, it took another century for it to really be established, as Arius’ teachings still almost won out. The council did not answer all questions about Jesus. For example, how could Jesus be only a Spirit, and yet also be a physical being? The Council of Chalcedon attempted to answer this with the duality of Jesus Christ.

Eventually, there were some issues that just could not be satisfied by a synod, and the universal (Catholic) Church began to unravel. First, the Great Schism separated east and west, due to the issue of who had the true apostolic authority, the Pope of Rome or the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Centuries later, Martin Luther would write his theses against various Catholic teachings and practices, including indulgences (paying money for one’s sins). Later reformers would seek to provide the Bible to more people, translating it into German, English and French. William Tyndale would be executed for translating the New Testament into English. In speaking with a priest who was against spreading the Bible’s word, Tyndale retorted, “if God spares my life, ere many years, I will cause the boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost!”

Such a prophesy! Not many centuries later, the farm boy Joseph Smith, Bible in hand, would bring about a revolution in the restoration of all those lost teachings of old! “I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb” (1 Ne 13:34). The Lord would then bring forth the Book of Mormon, primarily for the Lamanites, but also for the Gentiles. But the Lord would not only stop at the Book of Mormon.

“And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true” (1 Ne 13:39).

When Mormons read this chapter, they normally think the other books refer to their additional scriptures: Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. These would be included in the list. But since its publication in 1830, many ancient books have come forth that have increased our understanding of ancient Israel, early Christianity and the Lord Jesus Christ. These include the Dead Sea Scrolls, Nag Hammadi library, and hundreds of other early Jewish and Christian texts that have been discovered since the days of Joseph Smith. These also are brought forth to enlighten us in our day, and to be as a witness of God, Christ, and the many precious and plain things that were lost long ago. Here we see a prophesy from the Book of Mormon literally fulfilled in our day!

The Great and Abominable Church versus the Saints
1 Nephi 14

Nephi’s vision continues to see that curses and blessings will fall upon the Gentiles, depending on their humility and obedience to the Lord. Again, the great and abominable Church is mentioned. It will fight against the Church of Christ. What is the Church of Christ? I believe it has two connotations. First, it is the fully restored gospel of Jesus Christ found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is “the only true and living church upon the face of the earth with which I, the Lord, am well pleased” (D&C 1:30). This does not mean that it is the only true (correct teachings) church, nor the only living (indwelling of Spirit) church. It means it is the only one with which the Lord is “well pleased”, and that is because it has accepted the plain and precious things that were once lost.

As mentioned before, each church and person who follows its tenets will be blessed for the truths they embrace. The more truths, the greater the blessings. When one church has greater truth, it is a notch above the others. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contains the restoration of many ancient truths, and so is a notch above the rest.

That said, the second meaning for the church of Christ is any and all churches that accept Christ as Lord and Savior, and embrace Christian truths of righteousness.

In the last days, not only the Mormons (who have a history of being persecuted), but many Christians will find themselves persecuted by the Great and Abominable Church. Their religious freedoms will be threatened or destroyed by unbelievers, who seek to get gain and power at any cost. Yet the saints of God will be protected by the power of God in those days. LDS believe that the Lord will help us build sanctuaries of righteousness, if necessary, in the midst of the wicked. These will be cities of safety and refuge which will be shared with other good people of faith. Working together, we will build little Zions as refuges from the storm. In the end days, the Lord will then destroy the evil in the world, and the church of getting gain will be no more.

John the Revelator and Nephi the Revelator

After seeing the wicked destroyed, Nephi learns that the vision he has received (including many things he cannot share with us) were also revealed to John the Revelator and others. The apostle John was given the responsibility to witness of the last days, and therefore Nephi was commanded not to elaborate on the rest of what he saw. Still, the things Nephi taught us in his Vision of the Tree of Life (1 Ne 11-15)) are important for understanding how to understand John’s Revelation, or at least Nephi’s version and understanding of the Revelation of John.

What we do see from this vision is that for modern Gentiles and Lamanites alike, we live in the last days. Each one of us must choose whether to stay at the Tree of Life and partake of its fruit of love and redemption, or look across the gap toward the great and spacious building of pride.

As we reach the end days and the Coming of the Lord in glory in our own day, greater disasters will occur and the great and abominable church of men seeking gain through murder and larceny will grow ever bigger. It may be made up of many organizations and people, but their focus is all the same: getting power and wealth through any means necessary. We may well see the freedoms that now spread across much of the world, end in many places due to the political and evil actions of the abominable church.

In the Book of Mormon, we will see many examples of how the righteous are preserved, by repenting, believing on Christ’s name, following his example, and uniting together as a family of saints.

Bibliography

Dead Sea Scrolls - Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Scrolls

Five Dead Sea Scrolls available online: http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/

Dead Sea Scrolls translations online: http://www.gnosis.org/library/scroll.htm

1 Book of Enoch: http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/

Shepherd of Hermas: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/shepherd-lightfoot.html

Early Jewish Writings: http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/

Early Christian Writings: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/

William Tyndale: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tyndale

Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine lesson 3 “The Vision of the Tree of Life” 1 Nephi 8-15

2011-12-30T14:56:00.000-08:00

Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine lesson 3 “The Vision of the Tree of Life”

1 Nephi 8-15

The teacher’s manual discusses much of the standard symbolism in the Vision that both Lehi and Nephi experienced regarding the Tree of Life. While the manual divides this lesson differently (chapters 8-9 are covered in lesson 2), I will add it to Nephi’s vision so that the two may be compared and contrasted. This discussion will focus on key parts of the experience, focusing on ancient roots and how for Lehi and Nephi it was a temple endowment.

Lehi’s Vision
1 Nephi 8-10

As mentioned in previous lessons, Lehi is a future symbol of Abraham. In his vision, much of the focus will be establishing his family in the promised land, just as Abraham was led to his own promised land in Canaan.

Lehi’s vision begins with him sharing his concerns for his family, and especially for Laman and Lemuel. His discussion then switches to the beginning of the dream, where he found himself in “a dark and dreary wilderness” (1 Ne 8:4). Ancient and modern temple rites take us through a representation of trying and difficult times. Such a dark place would represent what the Fall of Adam has caused for Lehi and his family. They have left Jerusalem and the temple, which once symbolized God’s presence, and has left on a journey in a dangerous wilderness. Their stop at the Valley of Lemuel was necessary, as verse one states they had to gather food for the next leg of their journey. Perhaps they remained several months, in order to grow such things in a rare oasis in one of the driest places on earth.

He found himself cast out of the Presence of God (Shekinah) both in the dream and in real life. He is in a fallen world, what LDS would call a Telestial state. His real life and dream symbolize Abraham’s departing from Ur of Chaldees, which was a grand and powerful place, and entering into the unknown deserts and wilderness of Canaan and Egypt. Abraham would also have stopped often along the way in order to provide food as he continued his journey as a wanderer in a strange land.

“And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies. And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field” (1 Ne 8:5-9).

In many ascension/theophany/temple experiences, the person is met by an angelic guide. In the Apocalypse of Paul, the Holy Ghost appears as a child to guide him in his ascension experience. In the Book of Revelation, John is guided by an angel of great power and holiness. So powerful is this angel that John falls down to worship him (Rev 19:10). In the Ascension of Isaiah, the prophet is also guided by an angel in his ascent through the heavens. Interestingly, in Nephi’s Vision of the Tree of Life, he is guided by the Holy Ghost in the form of a man, similar to Paul’s apocalypse.

It is very possible that the “man in the white robe” which Lehi saw was the Lord. Lehi symbolizes Abraham, who while in the wilderness was visited by three men in white, one possibly being Jehovah (Genesis 18). One LDS scholar, David Larsen, suggests that the being may have been the translated king Melchizedek, a symbol of Jehovah/Jesus Christ. This concept derives partially from from the Melchizedek scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls (11QMelchizedek), where it is proclaimed, “Melchizedek is Yahweh” and “Melchizedek is El.”

Is it possible that Lehi’s guide was Jesus Christ, Abraham, or some other individual symbolizing Christ? That Lehi began praying to the Lord as he remained in the dark and dreary wasteland suggests that he may have prayed to the holy messenger he was with, again suggesting that the angel was Jesus.

It is when he prays to the Lord that the lights come back on, and Lehi is able to see all that is going on around him. Clearly, he has taken the first step in returning into the presence of the Lord’s glory, as he has prayed in faith. Lehi sees a big field, which represents the world we live in. But then he sees his objective: the Tree of Life. Note in 1 Ne 8:10 that it is the fruit which makes one happy. This will be important to remember as we study the Tree’s significance during Nephi’s vision.

“And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit” (1 Ne 8:10-12).

As we study Nephi’s vision, we will learn what the symbol of the fruit means. However, it is important that we note that this fruit is which makes one happy. Later, Lehi would teach his son, Jacob, that “Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy” (2 Ne 2:25), and that it is the Messiah’s atonement that affords us that happiness. The fruit, therefore, is Christ and his atonement. True happiness only comes from partaking of the fruit of Jesus Christ by believing on him and repenting of our sins. This will be a theme that we return to time and again in the Book of Mormon: that true joy comes to those who turn to Christ.

It is at this point, when Lehi partakes of the fruit that he symbolically is in the presence of the Lord. While all mankind must some day return into the presence of the Lord at the judgment bar (Alma 11-12), not all will choose to remain. Instead, many cast their eyes elsewhere and are lured away by worldly enticements and attitudes, such as those represented by the people in the great and spacious building. These are people who mock holy things and use peer pressure to cause us to turn our backs on Jesus and the happiness he offers us. Many fall away from activity and faith in the LDS Church and other forms of Christianity. They believe it to be too restrictive, too old-fashioned, or too worldly to desire to be lifted to a higher plain of happiness. Many are lost in mists of darkness, following paths that lead them further and further away from the light, and deeper into the darkness which Lehi had just escaped by praying to the Lord for rescue. And that is what it requires for each of us, a rescue. We are all fallen from God’s presence. Only through Christ can we return to His presence. Only through continued faith and repentance may we remain in God’s presence.

Immediately, Lehi’s dream becomes personalized, as he focuses it on his own family. The fruit of the Tree of Life is wonderful, and he wishes to share it with them. He finds his wife, Nephi and Sam in one place, near the head of the river, eager to join him. But Laman and Lemuel do not heed their father. They are satisfied with what the world has offered them. Later they will speak admirably of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, and condemn their father and Lehi for leading them away.

Lehi’s rod of iron, which Nephi will interpret to be the “word of God” has important ancient symbolism. Matthew L. Bowen explained that in Egyptian, the term mdw means both “staff” and “to speak”. The term mdw-ntr meant divine revelation or sacred writing. So the “rod of iron” means both a literal rod to grasp onto, but it also means divine revelation or writing. The LDS children’s song, “To Nephi, Seer of Olden Time”, which states the “iron rod is the word of God” is literally correct.

Lehi’s tale ends with him exhorting his older sons, pleading with them to believe and turn to God. His is a vision of a small family striving to seek the promised land, the Tree of Life, the presence of God.

Nephi’s Vision of the Tree
1 Nephi 11-15

Nephi desired to “know the things my father had seen.” As with his father, his journey begins with meditation and prayer near the beginning of it. As he pondered, the Holy Ghost lifted him to a high mountain. Whenever a person in scripture or in ancient Jewish/Christian writings has an experience on a high mountain, one knows it will be a temple-like experience, where the person is prepared to enter God’s presence and glory (Matthew 17, Revelation 21:10). We see this in the Apocalypse of Paul, with Moses’ ascent of Sinai, and the brother of Jared as he saw Christ.

We learn something important regarding the Holy Spirit - he is human-like in form, for Nephi spoke with him as a man talks to another man. The Spirit tested Nephi’s faith prior to giving him such a powerful experience. He was asked if he believed his father’s Lehi’s words, and in God. The Spirit then testified of the Father and Son, which is his main responsibility to mankind. Then the Spirit probed him, to see what things he already understood (1 Ne 11:3-6)
An interesting dialogue occurs between Nephi and the Spirit. The Spirit tells him that after seeing the Tree of Life, he would see the Son of Man descend from heaven. Upon seeing the tree, Nephi asked to know the interpretation of it. The Holy Spirit then showed him the virgin Mary. Nephi still was not sure of the interpretation.

“And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things” (1 Ne 11:18-22).

Why is it that upon seeing Mary with the baby that suddenly he understood the Tree of Life to mean the love of God? Here we come to an ancient Jewish belief that was lost from the temple in the days of King Josiah and the Deuteronomist reforms. In reforming the religion, many things were removed from the temple, including the Tree of Life, angels, and being in the presence of God (Shekinah).

Anciently, it was believed that God had a wife or consort, named Asherah. She was known to be the goddess of wisdom and fertility (love). Archaeologists have found evidence of her as being a part of the worship of both Elohim and Yahweh. In Proverbs, she is known as Wisdom (Proverbs 8). Lost from the temple teachings in Lehi’s day, the concept of Asherah, the Tree of Life, the wife of God would have stood out in the Brass Plates and recognized immediately by Nephi. In speaking of this at the 2005 Library of Congress, Joseph Smith Symposium, Old Testament scholar Margaret Barker noted that such a teaching in the Book of Mormon was perfectly understood and accepted in 600 BC.

In seeing the mortal mother of God represented by the Tree of Life, Nephi understood that the Tree of Life signified the wife of God, or Heavenly Mother as LDS call her, shedding forth her fruit that would make one happy. The fruit was white beyond description and was the thing that gave spiritual life and joy. The fruit is Jesus Christ.

Condescensions of God

Nephi is shown two condescensions of God, or two times when God descends below mankind. (1 Ne 11:16, 26). The first was a condescension of both Father and Son in bringing forth the birth of Jesus through a mortal mother. Jesus would descend from his throne on high, and become mortal, leaving the Father behind. The second was at Jesus’ baptism, where the Lord of all set the example of baptism for all the rest of us to follow. Though he was perfect, he was baptized to fulfill all righteousness and the will of the Father.

The condescension continued as Christ walked the earth, taught and healed during his ministry - the King of Israel as the humble servant, and then suffered physical and spiritual death (My God, why hast thou forsaken me?) in the Garden and on the Cross, so that we may be lifted up by him.

In death, he descended into the catacombs of the dead, where he opened the prison doors and brought forth the First Resurrection. Such was the condescension of God.

The Future Nations

While Lehi’s vision focused primarily on his family, and linked him symbolically to Abraham, Nephi’s vision will link him to Joseph or Moses, leaders not only of families, but of nations.

Nephi’s vision follows the timeline of the Nephites, where he sees the future division of the people, their wickedness and their repentance at the coming of Christ to his people. He then witnessed the Nephite destruction and the survival of the Lamanites, who would remain in the dark and dreary wilderness until a future restoration would occur.

Unlike Lehi’s vision that focused on his family, Nephi’s vision takes him further to see the nations of the Nephites and Lamanites, the coming of the others, and the Second Coming of the Lord. His is a an expansive vision with an entirely different focus than that of his father’s.

He sees the coming of the Gentiles to the promised land, with Columbus inspired to cross the ocean, even as his father Lehi was inspired to do. He foresees the land of liberty and the day when the Gentiles would fall into sin, becoming like the wicked Lamanites, living in a telestial state outside the presence of God, and losing the blessings of the promised land (1 Ne 12-14).

A discussion ensues regarding the two churches: that of God and the Devil. The great and abominable Church has sometimes been believed to be the Catholic Church and perhaps the Protestant religions that broke away from it. However, we see that Nephi described the abominable church as one that led men’s souls to hell. According to LDS belief, this cannot include these faiths, as they do not lead men down to hell. Instead, they call people to Christ, and are among the honorable men of the earth which shall inherit the Terrestrial kingdom (D&C 76). Instead, we should see the great and abominable Church as any organization that leads people away from Christ, down paths of destruction. We shall see in the Nephite record that this includes organizations that resemble Gadianton Robbers, who seek to get gain and power by any method necessary, including theft and murder. Among other places, these can be found as gangs, business organizations, or even in government, if such organizations seek power and gain and are willing to murder to obtain or maintain that power.

Interestingly, Nephi is told that his vision is like that of John the Revelator, and is commanded to not write most of the vision, because it was assigned to John to write it. That John’s Revelation is an ascension text was discussed my 2011 New Testament lessons on Revelation. There is a big connection between the Book of Revelation and Nephi’s Vision of the Tree of Life. Perhaps reading them together may bring forth interesting insights into both.

In 1 Nephi 15, Nephi notes he returned to his father’s tent. Again, the tent represents the center of their universe. It is where they council, and where Nephi explains the vision to his brothers. It is akin to Moses’ Tabernacle, as a sacred place in the wilderness, where the family may receive revelation.

Bibliography

Apocalypse of Paul: http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/ascp.html

Ascension of Isaiah: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ascension.html

The Dead Sea Scrolls in English, by Geza Vermes: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Scrolls-English-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140449523/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325182867&sr=1-1

David Larsen’s Heavenly Ascent blog on the Three Men who visited Abraham: http://www.heavenlyascents.com/2010/02/19/the-three-men-who-appeared-to-abraham-the-godhead-angels-or-human-beings-old-testament-lesson-8/

“What meaneth the Rod of Iron?”, Matthew L. Bowen: http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/insights/?vol=25&num=2&id=421

Hymn: “To Nephi Seer of Olden Time” (Hold to the Rod): http://lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=1&searchseqstart=274&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=274&searchsubseqend=ZZZ

“God’s wife edited out of the Bible - almost” where scholars discuss Asherah and the changes in Judaism in Lehi’s day: http://news.discovery.com/history/god-wife-yahweh-asherah-110318.html

“Nephi and his Asherah” by Daniel C Peterson: http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=9&num=2&id=223

My Old Testament article on Proverbs, where I discuss Wisdom as the wife of God: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2010/08/ot-gospel-doctrine-lesson-31-happy-is.html

Margaret Barker at Joseph Smith Symposium (session 2, second speaker): http://lds.org/library/display/0,4945,510-1-3067-1,00.html

Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 2 “All Things According to His Will” 1 Nephi 1-7

2011-12-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 2 “All Things According to His Will”
1 Nephi 1-7

Lehi’s Theophany
1 Nephi 1:5-20

As discussed in lesson 1, the Book of Mormon is a book of ascension, or a “How to” book on returning into the presence of God, which is what a theophany is: standing in God’s presence.

Lehi went to the Lord to pray for the people, whom the prophets called to repentance. In praying for others, he received an unexpected vision and experience.

The first part of the vision occurred as he prayed for the people in the wilderness. As he prayed, a “pillar of fire” appeared on a rock, where “he saw and heard much”. From the very beginning, Lehi takes the role of Moses, who also initially saw God as a pillar of fire or burning bush. This is an importance symbolism, because Moses’ goal at Sinai with the Israelites was to have them all purify themselves and ascend the mountain into the presence of God (D&C 84:19-26). For Lehi, this would be his work for his family, and would continue into succeeding revelations, but first beginning with himself.

Later, after returning to Jerusalem, he experienced another vision. In this one, the heavens opened and he saw God sitting on his throne, with the divine praising God. In this instance, Lehi experienced his theophany, seeing God. Not only that, but he saw the divine council that other prophets also experienced in their theophanies (Isaiah 6:1-8, Rev 4:1-6).

Lehi’s vision continues, wherein he saw One descend from heaven. Twelve others followed him down and spread across the earth. These were divine beings, as Lehi notes their luster: The first one, Jesus Christ, shown greater than the sun, while the Twelve apostles shown brighter than the stars of heaven. It could also be that the Twelve shown brighter than many of the other heavenly beings, also known as the “morning stars” (Job 38:7). The descended Lord gave him a book to read, wherein he was filled with the Spirit and prophesied of Jerusalem’s destruction by the Babylonians.

Lehi exclaimed,

“Great and marvelous are the works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!” (1 Ne 1:14).

He spoke directly to Almighty God (Hebrew: El Elyon), who he just saw seated on His throne. He understood the mercy he showed forth to those who rebelled, sending many prophets to them, and giving them many opportunities and generations to repent. Lehi also understood the Lord granting blessings to the obedient, not allowing them to be destroyed. This would foreshadow his own escape into the wilderness with his family.

Although his visions were very abbreviated by Nephi, Lehi’s visions are very similar to an ancient Jewish/Christian text called the Ascension of Isaiah. In the Ascension of Isaiah, the prophet ascends through ten levels of heaven, seeing the increasing glory of the angels that dwell in those levels. Isaiah entered the throne room, where the highest angels worshiped God, Christ and the Holy Ghost. Isaiah is dressed in white, so as to be able to be in the higher levels. In the seventh heaven, he is given a book to read.

“21. And whilst I was still speaking with him, behold one of the angels who stood nigh, more glorious than the glory of that angel, who had raised me up from the world.22. Showed me a book, [but not as a book of this world] and he opened it, and the book was written, but not as a book of this world. And he gave (it) to me and I read it, and lo! the deeds of the children of Israel were written therein, and the deeds of those whom I know (not), my son Josab” (Ascension of Isaiah, chapter 9:21-22).

Here, we see that he reads about Israel, just as Lehi read about Israel in his day. John the Revelator would also receive a book, which he would eat (read), telling of his mission to the lost tribes of Israel.

And, as with Lehi, Isaiah saw Christ descend through the levels of heaven on his way to earth. On reaching each level, Jesus’ glory lessened, so that those around him could tolerate his presence..

Lehi then preached repentance to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Here, he would have shared his visions with them, and the things he read in the book, regarding Jerusalem’s fate if they did not repent. Such teachings went directly against the beliefs of the day. Since the days of Josiah, the temple priests had changed worship both inside and outside the temple. Such changes were discussed in lesson 1, the Mosaic Law and the work of the temple had been changed. The temple no longer was a place that prepared people to be in the presence of God and his angels. Instead, it was a place of animal sacrifice, and nothing much more. The people needed to repent and make major changes to their religion, including the temple worship.

Lehi in the Wilderness
1 Nephi 2-7

Lehi traveled down near the borders of the Red Sea, along what is known as part of the Spice or Incense Road. It connected Egypt with the Mediterranean and eastern spice areas. Normally, the route was taken by large caravans, to ensure protection from bands that awaited. Lehi’s small band didn’t have that option. So, while they traveled near the route that followed the Red Sea, they probably stayed off the main trail for protection. Later, Nephi will note that they did not have fires in the wilderness, but ate their meat raw. This also was probably due to the dangers of robbers along the routes taken.

After three days, Lehi and family camped. Here, he named the valley Lemuel and the river that emptied into the Red Sea, Laman, after his eldest sons. It is possible that the Valley of Lemuel was recently discovered (1995), in a narrow canyon with a river that does not go dry in the dry season.

“And my father dwelt in a tent” (1 Ne 2:15).

Why was it so important for Nephi to tell us several times that his father dwelt in a tent? Shouldn’t it be obvious? Only to one understanding the ancient symbolism. It is what is implied, but not said that tells us what this means. In conjunction with dwelling in a tent (1 Ne 7:22) we find that Lehi built altars in the wilderness and offered sacrifice upon them. As did the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses, Lehi was a prophet in the wilderness. He lived a nomadic life, leaving behind the comforts of the city (as did Abraham in leaving Ur, or Moses in leaving Egypt). The tent became a place of council and revelation. For Abraham, the three angels (including Jehovah) came to his tent to council regarding Sarah’s pregnancy and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. For Moses and the nation of Israel, the tent would be expanded into a Tabernacle, a portable temple, where prophets and priests would council with God.

Lehi’s tent was their Tabernacle as they traveled through the wilderness. Lehi was Abraham and Moses in the journey to the promised land.

While Jerusalem had rejected the ancient temple rites and the wilderness altars of Abraham and Moses, Lehi embraced these ideas. He returned to his roots, which was the right way to worship God. Why? Because it led people to God’s presence and the promised land. The physical promised land symbolized the heavenly promised land we should all seek. In receiving his own testimony of Lehi’s visions, Nephi was told:

“ 20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands. 21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.” (1 Ne 2:20-21).

Here we see a dual prophesy. The righteous prosper both temporally and spiritually, being led to promised lands on earth and in heaven. But the wicked are “cut off from the presence of the Lord.” The people of Jerusalem, once a proimsed land, had rejected God’s covenants he made with Abraham in the wilderness, and now were cut off from God’s presence. And in refusing to repent, they would not return into God’s presence in the heavens, either. Again, we see the importance of the ascension into God’s presence, not only of the individual, but also the family (Lehi’s) and of the nation (Israel).

While Lehi would symbolize Abraham and Moses, Nephi would also symbolize ancient patriarchs. In the ancient Middle East, the eldest son normally was the leader. Yet, as with Isaac and Jacob, Nephi was chosen to lead his older brothers. A special trip is made to find a wife for Nephi and his brethren, even as Abraham sent his servant to find Rebekah for Isaac, or Jacob leaving home to find his wives Leah and Rachel.

The Brass Plates

1 Ne 3-5

As mentioned in the first lesson, it is possible that the Brass Plates of Laban were the source for the “E” or Elohist scripture from the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The plates were very important to both Lehi and Laban.

For Laban, they were a source of unique power. He may not have been a rich person, as he lusted after Lehi’s treasures brought to him by Nephi. But the plates were used not only by Laban, but by the elders and leaders of Jerusalem. When Nephi, disguised as Laban, told Zoram to retrieve them, Zoram did not seem to question taking the plates out in the middle of the night, or of talking about the “brethren” of the faith. The “brethren” would have been the leaders of the community, including the temple priests. They would have consulted the writings frequently, especially in dangerous times, such as the impending Babylonian invasion. The texts, being from the Northern Kingdom, would be useful in showing them what things they should do concerning an invasion, as the Brass Plates probably would have included prophetic warnings, and perhaps historical texts concerning the kingdom’s destruction by Assyria.

For Lehi and his family, it would be necessary to have the plates in order to teach their children, and prevent them from falling away from God and towards destruction. In fact, as Lehi studied the plates, he noted his genealogy, descending from Joseph, one of the early patriarchs. Perhaps the plates guided him in the wilderness, on developing a religion for his family that would return them to the ancient worship: altars, animal sacrifice by non-Levites, and using his tent as a mobile Tabernacle or center for the council.

Divine books were definitely an important thing for Lehi, as the divine book given to him by the Savior helped him see the future of Jerusalem, and now the Brass Plates would guide him towards the ancient religion and a return to true worship, as he and his family prepared to travel towards the Promised Land and into the presence of the Lord.

Bibliography

Ascension of Isaiah: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ascension.html

Lesson one, part one: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2011/12/book-of-mormon-gospel-doctrine-lesson-1.html

Lesson one, part two:
http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2011/12/book-of-mormon-gospel-doctrine-lesson-1_16.html

Valley of Lemuel found? http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=8&num=1&id=185

Feast Upon The Word Book of Mormon lessons: http://feastupontheword.org/Site:SS_lessons#Book_of_Mormon_lessons

Review: “A Most Remarkable Book” video

2011-12-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Review: “A Most Remarkable Book” video

Tyler Livingston recently asked me to review his new FAIR production, “A Most Remarkable Book”, about the Book of Abraham. Previously, due to replication issues, I was sent the DVD case, but not the DVD itself, and so provided a tongue-in-cheek review of the cover.

Being a good sport, Tyler still decided to send me the DVD (now I have two cases), hoping for an in-depth review of the actual film. I was excited to review the video, to see how in-depth they would go on a variety of issues tied directly or indirectly to the Book of Abraham. For someone wanting to see the LDS arguments relating to the Kirtland Egyptian Papers, you will have to look elsewhere. There are many good papers and discussions on it at Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR), Kerry Shirts’ Backyard Professor website, and Mormon Dialogue forum.. Rather than an intensive scholarly work, this video is made for the average viewer to gain an understanding on some complex issues on a more basic level. The focus of the discussion is on the papyri itself, and the text’s and facsimiles’ ties with modern archaeological evidence.

The Book of Abraham is a very controversial book, found in the Pearl of Great Price, one of the four books of the LDS canon. The video explains the beginnings of the story in our day: papyri scrolls and mummies found in Egypt during the era when Egyptian artifacts were all the rage. The items found their way to Joseph Smith, who stated that some of the writings claimed to be of Abraham and Joseph, the ancient patriarchs of the Bible. Joseph Smith translated at least a portion of Abraham’s writing, and on three facsimiles wrote notes regarding items found in the drawings. Most of the scrolls were lost in the great Chicago fire, while a few fragments and an 8 foot long scroll were rediscovered in 1967.

The video includes a narrative setting, with good quality shots of mummies, papyri (those in Church possession, and many others), and some nice pastoral scenes to make segues between topics. There are several LDS scholars interviewed or referenced in the DVD, including: Kevin Barney, John Gee, Michael Ash, Kerry Muhlstein, Jared Ludlow and David Bokovoy. On another review, someone said he would liked to have seen Kerry Shirts in the video. Kerry Shirts and his work were mentioned, but did not appear in the DVD. As I thought about it, I figured it was probably a good thing, as he tends to explain things on very technical and detailed levels, often requiring an intermediary to interpret it. (Kerry, you can thank me later).

The video includes a variety of topics, including: the age of the Joseph Smith papyri, the Missing Papyri Theory, the Jewish Redactor Theory, a focus on the three Facsimiles, Evidences for the Authenticity of the Book of Abraham, Egyptian language and concepts not known in Joseph Smith’s day, Geographical locations from the Book of Abraham found, Astronomy, Geocentric View of the Book of Abraham, the Council of Gods, and finally the importance of a spiritual testimony of the book.

The video does tell us that the scrolls date to 200 BC, and not to Abraham’s time. It may be they are copies of copies. The fragments we now have do not translate directly into the Book of Abraham, but include portions of the Egyptian Book of the Dead and other ancient Egyptian writings. For some people, this is “proof” that the Book of Abraham is a fraud. However, there is reason to believe it is not as simple as that. There is strong evidence that much of the papyri is missing, destroyed in the Great Chicago fire. It is believed that one scroll was perhaps 40 feet long, while the longest scroll now is only eight feet long. It is also known that Egyptian hieroglyphics are able to be translated or symbolized in many different ways. Perhaps modern Egyptologists interpret the writings one way today, while someone anciently interpreted it in a different way. Such are the two theories brought forth in the video: The Missing Papyri Theory and the Jewish Redactor Theory. These show good reasons why we need not expect to find a word for word translation of the Book of Abraham. As to the various theories on how Joseph Smith translated (including the Missing Papyri Theory and the Jewish Redactor Theory, I’m agnostic. While the two theories can both be used simultaneously, it is just as possible that the papyri were a catalyst for Joseph Smith to receive a revelation regarding Abraham. His concept of translation was quite different than we use it today. I was just a little disappointed that the Catalyst Theory was not introduced here. The gold plates were “translated” while the plates generally were closed, and Joseph looked through the Urim and Thummim. His “translation” of the Bible included additional information and revelation regarding the Creation, Fall, Enoch, Melchizedek, Joseph and much more. We do not need to necessarily even have the ancient parchment that the apostle John hid under a rock, available via revelation for Joseph Smith to “translate in Doctrine and Covenants 7. The Catalyst Theory is not included in the video. Perhaps it was due to time constraints, or the producer did not want to overwhelm the viewer with too many theories. Then again, it is possible that those involved may not give as much credence to this theory.

The three Facsimiles found in the Book of Abraham, including notes by Joseph Smith explaining various aspects within them was insightful, scholarly, yet easy enough for the average viewer to understand. “Kolob”is an Egyptian term “QLB”, which means “center”, fitting perfectly with the star Kolob being at the center of God’s creations. Terms introduced by Joseph Smith, such as “gnolaum”, “Raukeeyang”, “Shinehah” and others are also discussed, showing that Joseph Smith did not just guess at terms, even though Egyptian hieroglyphics were just being figured out by Champollion in this same period. Frequently, the scholars note that Joseph Smith’s high frequency of “guessing” correctly shows that it is more than just luck involved.

Interestingly, they included discussion on the ancient Council of Gods. On my blog at joelsmonastery.blogspot.com, I often discuss the ancient divine council, and so was thrilled to see a few minutes spent on one of the most important concepts we get from the Book of Abraham. In the Book of Abraham, we find that God is surrounded by his spirit children, who are divine “great ones” and “rulers”. They actually help him design and create the earth we now live on. Abraham was told that in the premortal life, he was one of the noble and great ones. This was definitely one of the key steps in Joseph Smith developing his understanding of theosis: man becoming like God. Such a concept, as explained in the video, was very foreign to 19th century Christianity, which believed in a strong monotheism. However, recent studies by both LDS and non-LDS scholars show that the ancient patriarchs did believe in a divine council of Gods.

This video was made for the average reader/viewer. Its purpose is to explain some of the complexities of the Book of Abraham, since there is so much turmoil going on about its authenticity by naysayers and doubters. I think it does a terrific job of explaining many complex issues in a way most people can understand. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a dunce and 10 being Professor Daniel C Peterson, I’d rate the video as a 5 or 6 on the intellectual scale. A college degree is definitely not necessary, although it may stir within many people the desire to look closer at the Book of Abraham, and perhaps deeper study into the ancient Middle East.

The video ends with several of the scholars explaining that what is most important to them is the spiritual witness each has received of this remarkable book. The physical evidences they share in the video only strengthens their spiritual witness, without supplanting it. And here lies the strength of the Book of Abraham when there are so many websites and books against it. Just as with the Bible’s stories of Noah’s Flood or Jesus’ resurrection, we cannot “prove” the Book of Abraham to be true via physical evidences. We can only show that there is much evidence supporting it as an ancient text. The real power of the book comes from the Spirit, and it is an excellent way to close the video.

For those interested in learning more about the Book of Abraham, this video is definitely a keeper. It will not give you a testimony of the book, but it could likely help you gain interested in gaining a witness of it.

You can get your own copy of this excellent video at the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research bookstore for $12.99. Not a bad price for a quality documentary on the Book of Abraham.

Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 1 part two “The Keystone of our Religion”

2011-12-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 1 part two “The Keystone of our Religion”

Key concepts from the keystone of our religion
More things to consider as we prepare for the Book of Mormon year. For many Latter-day Saints, the Book of Mormon may be stories of Nephites and Lamanites who have lots of wars, and in the end the Nephites end up destroyed. There are many levels of symbolism and key doctrine involved in the Book of Mormon. Here are some major points to consider as we go through the year of study, as they illustrate why the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.

The Book of Mormon as a Prophesy of the Last Days

In general ways, we can see the events within the Book of Mormon as a cycle the world (and especially the USA) now is going through.

The Book of Mormon tells the story of a people inspired to leave the old world and go to a promised land. Whether it is Lehi or Christopher Columbus, the Book of Mormon shows inspired men led to find the New World. The Lord blesses the people in the promised land with prosperity, as they remain humble, yet they still must deal with those who hold tightly to the old ways (which include secret combinations).

Various “outsiders” enter into the picture of both the Nephites and America, trying to change the culture from one of righteousness and freedom to one of big government (king men) and wickedness. We find cycles of righteousness and wickedness. I recall as a new member in my teens, wondering how the Nephites could switch from good to evil in just a few short years. Now seeing the world we live in, we can see it occurs in our day, as well. For example, after the attacks of 9/11, Americans of all faiths and political beliefs humbled themselves, having days of prayer and repentance, united in moving the nation and our communities forward. However, just a few short years later, Americans were back to greed and making the kind of decisions that led to the housing and bank crash of 2008. Different though, this time (as of Dec 2011) the nation hasn’t seemed to humble itself, but continues on its economic crazy path to bankruptcy and ruin. Nephites also had periods where it took coming up to the edge of destruction, or at least the destruction of most of the wicked, in order to return to righteousness.

Of course, there are many wars, famines, and crises that occur along the way. Many of the wars lead to issues of government growth.

With both the Nephites and the world in the last days, the resurrected Jesus will come in his power and glory. As in the destruction of the wicked leading up to Jesus’ visiting the Nephites, we will have major natural disasters, earthquakes, storms, and the sun will be darkened. When the Savior comes to the remaining people, they repent, accept him, and there is a very long period of righteousness, peace, joy and unity. We shall find as we study the Book of Mormon that these attributes of a righteous people are taught time and again, including in the Savior’s sermons to the Nephites. There is a major focus on being One, even as the Godhead is One.

At the end of the Nephite “Millennium”, we find that Satan is loosed, he stirs up the people, and it leads to the final destruction of the wicked Nephites. This opens up for a new world afterward. For the descendants of Lehi, it meant a world of striving without God. For the world in the last days, it will mean the end of the old ways, and the final change of earth and heaven into celestial places.

So, we can use the Book of Mormon as a gauge toward events in the last days.

The Book of Mormon as an Ascension Text

As we proceed through the Book of Mormon, we are going to find that the Book of Mormon has much to do with the modern LDS temple. Both teach us the concepts behind ascending to God’s throne and being in his presence. Such an event is called a “theophany”. Whether we practice entering the celestial room of the temple and symbolically into God’s presence, or the Brother of Jared seeing Jesus Christ, We will find many such experiences and teachings throughout the Book of Mormon, beginning in the very first chapter of the book (no fair peeking!), which we will discuss in the next lesson.

For those who have read my postings of both the Old and New Testament, you will see that the concept of ascension and theophany are very important concepts in ancient Judaism and Christianity, even though most modern Jews and Christians may not recognize that truth, as it is now rather foreign to many today. We will occasionally discuss other ancient ascension texts, such as Revelation and the Ascension of Isaiah, and how these are evidence of the Book of Mormon, because of the similar experiences and symbols.

Grace and Atonement through Jesus Christ

Perhaps the most important thing the Book of Mormon does for an unbelieving world is testify of Jesus Christ and explain his role in our lives and salvation.

Many traditional Christians think that Mormons believe they must save themselves through obedience and work. Sadly, many Latter-day Saints also believe this. Such was an over-emphasis on works and a de-emphasis on salvation through grace. We are not discussing “cheap grace”, but the real grace that comes through Christ.

From King Benjamin’s sermon, we will find that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves, as we are already in debt to God, and if we do something good, he blesses us and we are paid and remain in debt to him. In this way, we are less than the dirt we are made of, for we are even made of the earth, yet God made that too.

We learn that all are justified in Christ’s blood through faith and repentance. This saves us from both physical and spiritual death, as we all will be resurrected from the grave, and those who repent and believe will be made guiltless/sinless through the atonement of Christ. In LDS belief, there are levels of reward in heaven, or what we call degrees of glory. Whether one is saved in the Telestial, Terrestrial, or Celestial kingdom, we are saved from death and Outer Darkness. Latter-day Saints believe in a near universal salvation.
Then we learn about sanctification in the Book of Mormon. Once we are saved from death and hell, we grow in faith and righteousness line upon line. The more holy or sanctified we become through the atonement and Gift of the Holy Ghost, the greater glory we will receive in heaven.

As Hugh Nibley once wrote, “work we must, but the lunch is free.”

Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 1: “The Keystone of Our Religion”

2011-12-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 1: “The Keystone of Our Religion”

This lesson begins the background for the Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine lessons for the year. While the manual will discuss concepts such as the book being the “keystone of our religion”, the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, etc., this lesson will deal with other key points of background, which will help in understanding the world of Lehi and Nephi we will enter into over the next several weeks.

Documentary Hypothesis
The Documentary Hypothesis is a theory that determines from studying the text of the five books of Moses (Torah or Pentateuch), that the current books as we now have them come from five sources: (J – Jahwist/Yahwist, E – Elohist, D – Deuteronomist, P – Priest, and R – Redactor).

Internal textual evidence of the Torah suggest that in its current form, the writings come from a variety of sources. The first two sources, J and E, came about around 850-800BC. J was possibly written during the time of King Solomon or his son, Rehoboam. It places within the writings of Moses several temple concepts and a Mosaic Law-centric world. E was written by an individual in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, after the nation split into two in the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam. It is not temple-centric.

In Genesis, the Elohist always calls God by the name Elohim or El; while the Yahwist always calls God Jehovah/Yahweh.

The Deuteronomist addition came during the time of King Josiah's reforms. The young king, raised by the temple priests, ordered the temple refurbished. The temple workers found a part of the book of the law, normally viewed as Deuteronomy. While portions of Deuteronomy are old, it is believed by many scholars that the Deuteronomists sought to establish the temple priests’ power by updating the writing of Moses to fit their belief system at that time. The Priest additions would be added between the time of the Deuteronomists and the collapse of Jerusalem in Lehi’s day (circa 587 BC). After the return of the Jews from Babylon, the Redactor took the various versions of the sacred writings of Moses and redacted or combined them into one Torah. The redactor is usually believed to be the scribe Ezra.

The Documentary Hypothesis explains why there are two versions of the Creation story (Genesis 1 and 2). Richard E Friedman, in his book, “Who Wrote the Bible?” demonstrates many examples of double and triple versions of stories found in the Pentateuch. Some are even imbedded one within the other, as he shows in the case of Noah’s Flood. In the story, we have two periods of time (40 days, 13 months), we have animals entering in two by two, but also having seven clean animals entering in. We also see both a raven and a dove used to determine if the waters have receded enough to disembark from the ark. Friedman demonstrates that you can literally pull these apart, and have two coherent stories.

Why the differences? The two Flood stories were written by J and P. J wrote his version in order to promote the kingships of David and Solomon. P wrote to promote the Levitical priests’ power within the temple, requiring that Noah do something special regarding clean animals. For instance, having seven clean animals meant Noah could sacrifice after leaving the ark. It also meant that a clean dove could be sent out, rather than an unclean scavenger, such as the raven.

The Book of Mormon and the Documentary Hypothesis

So, what does the Documentary Hypothesis have to do with the Book of Mormon? Modern scholars are using the theory to better understand the beginnings of the Nephite history.
When Israel and Judah divided, E and J became their major Mosaic historians. Each sought to promote the religious world they dwelt in. For the Yahwist, it meant focusing on the righteous line of Kings David and Solomon. They had a divine right, by God, to reign over Israel. J would promote anything that promoted the Jerusalem temple and the kingdom of David forever more. This meant reducing Moses’ impact, while promoting David.

Meanwhile, the Elohist wrote the history based, not on David, but on the patriarchs of old. Lehi will walk away from the temple, and return to the ways of Abraham in the wilderness: living in a tent, sacrificing on altars, and living the nomadic life.

Moses, the last patriarch, would also be exonerated by the Elohist. The Documentary Hypothesis notes Moses going twice to Meribah in the Pentateuch, and both times obtaining water from a rock. One story is negative towards Moses, where Moses is chastised for pride, and refused entrance into the Promised Land. However, the Elohist version does not mention any chastising; simply Moses was directed to the appropriate rock by an angel standing over it.

Professor John L. Sorensen suggested that the Brass Plates of Laban may be the original source for the Elohist tradition. In the Book of Mormon, we find a very strong Elohist position. In the instance where Nephi mentions Moses getting water from the rock at Meribah, it is the positive event of the Elohist.

Remember, Lehi was a descendant of Joseph. Joseph, through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, became a powerful force in Israel. When the nation divided in the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, Joseph went to the Northern Kingdom. In the Northern Kingdom, they would seek to have a religion that departed from the worship of that in the temple.

In the Old Testament Gospel Doctrine lessons, I suggest that the two calves established by Jeroboam represented Elohim. Elohim was symbolized by the bull: strong and fertile. In placing a golden calf on both the northern and southern edges of the nation of Israel, Jeroboam sought to establish the entire land as a temple under Elohim. If this is the case, then there was an ideological battle between Elohim and Yahweh/Jehovah going on between Israel and Judah.

When the Northern Kingdom was carried off by Assyria, many escaped into the land of Judah. With them would have come their own version of the Mosaic Law and belief, a different priesthood view, and their own sacred writing: possibly the Brass Plates of Laban. The Brass Plates would contain writings specifically targeted to the Northern Kingdom, but not necessarily tied to the Kingdom of Judah. In the Book of Mormon, we find such prophets: Zenock, Zenos, and Neum (1 Ne 19:10). It is possible that Neum may be the same as the Biblical prophet Nahum, who directed his witness towards the Northern Kingdom. Of course, Isaiah would also be prominent, being he was a key prophet for both Israel and Judah.

Moses would be the main Lawgiver and person who could do no harm. Nephi and the other Book of Mormon prophets frequently return to Moses’ teachings and life, as the one who was able to destroy the Egyptians, turn the Red Sea, and prophesy of Christ. Interestingly, according to Kevin Barney, the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon does not state “five books of Moses” (1 Ne 5:11), but just “the book of Moses”, suggesting that the word “five” was added later by Joseph Smith, not as an inspired addition, but simply because in light of his understanding of the Bible he had at the time, it made grammatical sense.

The Deuteronomists and Lehi’s Day

As mentioned above, during the reign of King Josiah, the book of Deuteronomy was found in the temple ruins. At this point, major changes occurred in the temple ordinances, making it very different than the original worship of Solomon’s temple.

According to Margaret Barker, Old Testament scholar and Methodist minister, the changes made were so dramatic that many ancient things were destroyed. No longer would the temple have a Tree of Life (a literal tree grew in the courtyard of the temple). Angels and other divine beings would no longer be a part of the temple liturgy, nor would the concept of being directly in the presence of God. Holy symbols, such as Aaron’s budding rod were destroyed, to disconnect the people from the ancient past, and place them under the power of the temple priests in Josiah’s day. The focus for the temple and people would be almost entirely on the Law of Moses as described in Deuteronomy, and in animal sacrifices.

By the days of Lehi, this practice would become so corrupt that Jeremiah would condemn the Jews and their practices. He would set forth the Rechabites as the example to follow. The Rechabites were a nomadic group of Jews, who did not build houses, hold large amounts of wealth, etc. They worshiped in the wilderness in high places (altars) to Jehovah. Jeremiah brought the Rechabites into the temple, to show the temple goers and priests the true form of worship, which was no longer available in the now corrupted temple.

Jeremiah 35 explains:

“1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,
2 Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;
4 And I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:
5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.
6 But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:
7 Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.
8 Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;
9 Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:
10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us….
15 I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.
16 Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people hath not hearkened unto me:
17 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered.
18 And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you:
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever” (Jeremiah 35).

Here, Jeremiah takes the nomads into the temple, as an example of what Judah should be doing. While the Jews worship in the temple, Jeremiah proclaims they are serving other gods! Why would this be, if the Deuteronomist reforms were a good thing? Instead, they changed God’s true temple worship into something else.

Prophets versus the Priests

In his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, Stephen Covey notes the difference between leaders and managers. He explains that the manager is tasked to cut a road through the jungle. He ensures the machetes are sharpened, the workers are fed, and the progress is consistent and on schedule. Meanwhile, the leader climbs a tall tree, looks at the big picture. The leader could ostensibly shout down to the manager, “Wrong Forest!”   Sadly, many managers would yell back, “Shut up! We’re making progress!”

Here we see the difference between the temple priests, whose whole world was designed to manage the dead Jewish religion (even if it meant they eschew revelation, angels, the Messiah, the Tree of Life and many other ancient themes from Solomon’s temple), and the prophet leaders, who can lead us into life eternal.

And so in the next few lessons, we will begin to see the contrasts between the preaching and visions of Lehi and Nephi, and that of the status quo Deuteronomists of the Jewish Temple circa 600 BC.

The ancient religion thus corrupted and replaced by a modern version that empowered the priests, but not the people, would be a theme that would occur again in the days of Jesus. Jesus would condemn Pharisee and Sadducee for dragging their converts down to hell with them. They rejected modern revelation, as well as Jesus’ miracles and Messiah-ship. The Savior called them to repent and believe, in order to be saved. Their rejection of their Prophet-Leader led them to crucify our Lord. Such calls of repentance in 600 BC landed Jeremiah in jail, caused the death of many other prophets, and lead to Lehi’s escape into the wilderness, and into the type of lifestyle lived by the Rechabites, Abraham, and the treasured ancestors of the Elohist tradition.

Bibliography
“Who Wrote the Bible?”, by Richard E. Friedman (major book on the Documentary Hypothesis): http://www.amazon.com/Wrote-Bible-Richard-Elliott-Friedman/dp/0060630353/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322762605&sr=8-1

Documentary Hypothesis, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_hypothesis

Kevin Barney on the Documentary Hypothesis in Mormon thought: https://dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V33N01_79.pdf

John Sorensen on the Documentary Hypothesis: https://dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V10N04_33.pdf

Jeroboam and the Northern Kingdom’s worship of Elohim the bull: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2010/07/ot-gospel-doctrine-lesson-27-influence.html

Important books by Margaret Barker:
    “The Great Angel: A Study of Israel’s Second God” http://www.amazon.com/Great-Angel-Study-Israels-Second/dp/0664253954/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1322767237&sr=8-3

    “Temple Theology”   http://www.amazon.com/Temple-Theology-Margaret-Barker/dp/028105634X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322767237&sr=8-1

Stephen Covey, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”: http://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People/dp/0743269519/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323719200&sr=8-2