שָׁמַר -- shamar: to keep, watch, preserve, part 2

In my last post, I reviewed various words translated from "shamar" in the Old Testament.  In this post, we'll look at how those same terms are used in the Book of Mormon.

I'll post many examples below, but one example stood out to me as I undertook this study, from the words of King Benjamin to his sons:

5 I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.

6 O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true. And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes.

7 And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers. (Mosiah 1)

I appreciate the balance in this passage:

• The scriptures have been "kept and preserved by the hand of God"...
• ...in order to allow the covenant people to have His commandments "before [their] eyes" (observe)...
• ...so that they can "keep the commandments"...
• ...in order to prosper (be preserved) in the land of promise.

In fact, the Book of Mormon proverb (alluded to in verse 7) demonstrates this balanced keeping/preservation between God and His covenant people.

"Shamar" in the Book of Mormon

The various words translated from "shamar" show up many times in the Book of Mormon.  Below is a sampling of a few of these. Notice the balance between the responsibilities of the covenant people and the blessings promised to the faithful by God:

• Keep
• 11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me. (Mosiah 2)
• As ye have kept my commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and have prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands of your enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you. (Mosiah 2:31)
• Beware

• 32 But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah. (Mosiah 2)

• 15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (3 Nephi 14)

• Take heed
• 11 "...therefore, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts." (Mosiah 5) 
• 14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. (Moroni 7)
• Observe
• 6 "And now, this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them..." (Jacob 3)
• "6 And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you." (3 Nephi 18)
• To mark
• 14 "...Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall..." (Jacob 4)
• 16 And again: I will set a mark upon him that fighteth against thee and thy seed. (Alma 3)
• Preserve
• 17 "...he will preserve the righteous by his power..." (1 Nephi 17)
• 3 "...I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation." (Jacob 1)
• 11 "... I, Mormon, pray to God that they may be preserved from this time henceforth. And I know that they will be preserved; for there are great things written upon them, out of which my people and their brethren shall be judged at the great and last day..." (Words of Mormon 1)

Bitter and sweet -- Part 2

I didn't label the last post on this topic part 1, because I didn't know there would be a part 2 at the time. That seems to happen a lot these days. In the first post I connected the bitter/sweet contrast in the scriptures to the the trees in the Garden of Eden and its fruit. Tree symbolism in the scriptures often go together with water. See for instance this post and this post. So I came to think about the bitter and good waters that Mormon talks about in his sermon in Moroni 7. He says

For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil. (Moroni 7:11) 

We know examples of trees producing good/sweet fruit and bad/bitter fruit. Zenos' allegory in Jacob 5 is perhaps the most extensive treatise of this subject. Jesus teaches the Nephites:

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (3 Nephi 14)

A very similar sentiment to what Moroni presents, only that Christ talks about trees and Moroni talks about water. The ultimate fruit and source of "good water" is the fruit of the tree of life and the fountain of living waters. They are both found together in Lehi/Nephi's visions in 1 Nephi 8 and 11 and John's vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22:1-2.

It is interesting that Mormon chooses this analogy with water, considering the fact that his own name can be connected to the fountain of living waters. The first time his name is mentioned in the Book of Mormon, it is the name of the place he is named after.

Now, there was in Mormon a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted thither, there being near the water a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of the king. (Mosiah 18:5)

Notice how Mormon goes out of his way to inform the reader that there also were trees near that fountain of pure water. 

So there are several references to pure/good/living waters in the scriptures. Where did the bitter water come from? This contrast is found in Lehi's dream/Nephi's vision, where there is filthy water as a contrast to the pure. But Mormon and his audience might also have been aware of another story with bitter water. Evidently, the Exodus story was found on the brass plates. In Exodus 15, we read about an interesting event

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them

For the record, "marah" means bitter in Hebrew. So the water was bitter, but became sweet when Moses tossed a tree into it (can also be translated as "wood"). This is another example of the connection between trees and water. According to this article, the Zohar suggests that it was wood from the tree of life thrown into the water.

I am not sure I understand all the aspects of this symbolism. But we have seen before how trees connect to God/our potential and the atonement. God's power manifest in the atonement is a healing power that turns bitter to sweet. The weird story of a tree thrown into the bitter water to make it sweet, makes sense when we consider

• Trees and water often go together as symbols in the scriptures, just like food and drink are both necessary to sustain physical life
• Christ was "hanged on a tree" (Acts 5:30) after suffering in a garden of olive trees. His atonement turned bitter into sweet. He drank the "bitter cup" so that we wouldn't have to.

In the next verse after the ones I quotes from the Exodus, God makes sure to inform:

I am the Lord that healeth thee

I have noticed that tree/fruit/water symbolism in the scriptures generally can refer to either

• God's love/power to save/the atonement or the power and influence of the devil
• Our own deeds, either good deeds/entering into and keeping covenants, or bad/breaking covenants). In other words, to what degree we let either of two sources of influence affect our lives.

To summarize:

• In the first verse I quoted in Moroni 7, Mormon clearly equates the bitter water with the devil and the good water with Christ. 
• In the Exodus story, the atonement (tree), turned the bitter water sweet. 
• In Lehi's and Nephi's visions, the tree of life and the living waters represented the love of God.
• In Mosiah 15, where converts gathered to enter into a covenant, there was a fountain of pure water and a thicket of trees. 
• This one has not been mentioned yet, but in Alma 5:3, Alma reminds the people of this covenant mentioned in the point above. Then in verse 34-35:

34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;
35 Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire

Come Follow Me Resources: September 21–27. 3 Nephi 12–16: “I Am the Law, and the Light”

 This week's lesson covers 3 Nephi 12-16:

3 Nephi 12 -- Good works, faith, and repentance, Remembering the words, What the Book of Mormon teaches about the Eternal Father and the Son (and each of us)

3 Nephi 13 -- 3 Nephi 11-18 as a Temple Text, 

3 Nephi 14 -- What does it mean to call upon the name of God?, Building upon the Rock

3 Nephi 15 -- Receiving the Law (BofM - OT Connection series)

3 Nephi 16 --  "Fulness of the Gospel," God's covenant with Israel and the latter days 

What does it mean to "call upon" the name of God?

Calling upon the name of God is mentioned several times in the Book of Mormon.  One reference particularly stands out to me:

27 Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. (Helaman 3)

"Thus we may see" is typically Mormon's way of pointing out important lessons we should learn from the verses immediately preceding this kind of statement. So let's look at the verses leading up to this statement, along with a few verses which come after and offer additional insights about what lessons we can learn:

24 And it came to pass that in this same year there was exceedingly great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did join themselves unto the church and were baptized unto repentance.
25 And so great was the prosperity of the church, and so many the blessings which were poured out upon the people, that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure.
26 And it came to pass that the work of the Lord did prosper unto the baptizing and uniting to the church of God, many souls, yea, even tens of thousands.
27 Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.
28 Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—
30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out. (Helaman 3)

It seems this passage, in addition to revealing the underlying meaning of "call[ing] upon [the name of God]," also connects other phrases with making and keeping sacred covenants. I've highlighted these in various colors above.  Each of these can be connected to covenant symbols found in other parts of the Book of Mormon (especially on the small plates).

 "gate of heaven" -- 2 Nephi 9:41; 2 Nephi 31:9, 17-18; 2 Nephi 33:9

"lay hold upon the word of God" -- 1 Nephi 8:24, 30; 1 Nephi 11:24-25; 1 Nephi 15:24-25

"strait and narrow course" -- 1 Nephi 8:20

"right hand of God" -- Mosiah 5:9 ("for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ"); Mosiah 26:23-24 ("in my name they are called"); Alma 5:58 ("the word of God must be fulfilled"); Ether 12:4; Moroni 9:26

"kingdom of heaven" -- Alma 11:37; Helaman 5:32; 3 Nephi 14:21

"sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...to go no more out" -- Alma 7:25; 3 Nephi 4:30; Mormon 9:11-13; 1 Nephi 17:40

Variants:

"enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow" Jacob 6:11
"lay hold upon every good thing" -- Moroni 7:19-21, 25 (see this post for more detail about how "every good thing" relates to covenants)
"lay hold upon the gospel of Jesus Christ" -- Mormon 7:8

Conclusion

This is an excellent example of what I believe to be a pattern throughout the Book of Mormon -- covenants are spoken of through symbolic language rather than at the surface level.  It isn't until you attempt to connect one passage with others that you see numerous clear and consistent references to the importance of covenants.

Building upon the rock -- Part 2

We looked at scriptures about building upon the rock in BC times in part 1. When Jesus appears to the Book of Mormon people, we see this theme coming up several times. I noticed this a while back, but this time I tried to analyze it more closely. There is a pattern here that I will try to summarize.

In 3 Nephi 11, after he has appeared and the multitude has come forth and witnessed for themselves, Jesus calls Nephi and 11 others and speaks to them specifically about his doctrine. In verses 39-40, he says

39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

After this, Mormon creates a break in Jesus' words ("And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto Nephi, and to those who had been called..."). 

Then, Jesus again speaks to the multitude and gives the Sermon at the Temple that we know as the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 5. As we know, this sermon ends with

24 Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock—

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand—

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it. (3 Nephi 14)

Again, immediately after this, Mormon breaks it up: "And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings". What follows is the talk on the other sheep and the gathering of Israel, healing of the sick, blessing the children and introducing the sacrament in chapters 16-18. After he has talked about the sacrament, towards the end of the first day of his ministry among the Nephites, Jesus says

12 And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things. And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock.

13 But whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall, and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them.

After a few more verses, Mormon breaks it up again in verse 17: "And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto his disciples...". This time Jesus says a few more words to the multitude before he gives his disciples the power to give the Holy Ghost and departs into heaven.

What did we observe here? Jesus repeats the theme of building upon his rock three times during the first day of his visit to the Nephites. These all somehow seem to mark the ending of a segment of that day. I find it peculiar and don't really know what to make of it. At the moment, I'm just fascinated by the complexity and structure of the Book of Mormon. Like I've said before, these intricate patterns are not created by a poor farmer dictating a text while looking in a hat. 

But the message is quite clear anyway: We must give heed to the words of Christ and do according to them. Then we build upon the rock and get a sure foundation. This is the way of life. The alternative is not doing what he says or doing "more or less". This results in a sandy foundation and is the way of death.

3 Nephi 11-18 as a Temple Text

What I'll present in this post is a summary of an idea championed by John W. Welch.  He's written entire books on the subject, so this will just be a brief overview of his biggest points.  I find the case to be pretty interesting, although I'm not sure exactly what to make of it all. Some points are definitely stronger than others, and some of these points seem like a stretch, but overall it is an interesting idea.

• Jesus appeared to the Nephites who were already gathered at the temple (3 Nephi 11:1-12).
• Jesus instructed the people and also gave the people authority to baptize, bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost, and prepare them to pass through the final judgment and enter into God's presence. (3 Nephi 14:21-23) and to be "raise[d] up at the last day" (3 Nephi 15:1).
• In 3 Nephi 11, the whole multitude falls to the earth when they realize what has happened.  Then they go forth "one by one" and felt the marks of His crucifixion. After this, they cry "Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!" with one accord, and fell down again and worshipped Him (see verses 12-17).
• Jesus tells the people to "give heed" to the words of His disciples (3 Nephi 12:1-2).
• The commandments given to the people in 3 Nephi 12-13 include (in order): obedience and sacrifice (3 Nephi 12:19), evil speaking of the brethren (12:22), chastity and marriage (12:28-32), love for one's enemies and obedience to the law of love or the law of the gospel (12:39, 41-45), alms to the poor and consecration (13:1, 20, 24).
• There is a warning against revealing holy things (14:6).
• Jesus prays things which cannot be written and the people are encircled by fire, angels, and witnesses (3 Nephi 17:17, 21, 24-25).
• The people take upon themselves a new name, the name of Christ (18:5, 11).