The (s)word of God -- Part 1

I have written extensively about "the word" on this blog and apparently I cannot give it up quite yet. The word is frequently likened to a sword in the scriptures.

And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God. (Alma 31:5)

The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword (Isaiah 49:1-2)

Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore, give heed unto my word. (D&C 12:2)

A Jewish rabbi commenting on 1 Nephi 8:19, where the rod of iron in Lehi's dream is introduced, states:

According to Rashi in his commentary of Psalm 2:9 an iron rod is a poetic euphemism for a sword. The sword in ancient Jewish mysticism is represented by the letter ז (zayin) which in Kabbalah is associated with understanding. So the sword represents the word of G-d which brings understanding to some and judgement to others.

It is therefore ironic that these two words are so similar in English that Oliver Cowdrey likely misread it and confused them when creating a copy of the original manuscript.

The bold part of the last quote is actually a common theme in the Book of Mormon. When prophets speak, the word tends to have a divisive effect, depending on the audience.

There is a much more subtle example that I have been pondering. When Nephi gets the brass plates, he kills Laban and takes his sword. This sword is not just something nice and convenient that Nephi brings along. It is later used by Nephite kings to protect their people and becomes a sacred artifact handed from one generation to the next. Why? This is speculative, but I think there was much symbolic value in the sword of Laban for the Nephites. It was the means by which the brass plates were obtained. The sword and the word were obtained together and brought out in the wilderness. Later, the Liahona was found and became another sacred artifact. These things were handed from one generation of kings or prophets to the next. This verse describes king Benjamin handing these to his son, Mosiah.

And moreover, he also gave him charge concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass; and also the plates of Nephi; and also, the sword of Laban, and the ball or director, which led our fathers through the wilderness, which was prepared by the hand of the Lord that thereby they might be led, every one according to the heed and diligence which they gave unto him. (Mosiah 1:16)

 According to this verse, the following sacred relics were passed from father to son:

• The brass plates = The word of God
• The plates of Nephi = The word of God
• The sword of Laban = The word of God?
• The Liahona = The word of God

Just to comment on the Liahona as the word of God, consider another example of handing these sacred artifacts from one generation to the next. In Alma 37, this is Alma-2 entrusting these to his son, Helaman. In verse 45, he compares the Liahona with the words of Christ.

And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise. (Alma 37:45)

The sword of Laban fits well in this context as an artifact accompanying the word of God and perhaps a symbol of the word of God in itself. I wonder if that is how the Nephites saw it. The early Nephite kings protected their people from physical destruction with the sword and from spiritual destruction with the word. See for instance the description of King Benjamin in the Words of Mormon

But behold, king Benjamin gathered together his armies, and he did stand against them; and he did fight with the strength of his own arm, with the sword of Laban. (WoM 1:13)

Then a few verses later

it came to pass that king Benjamin, with the assistance of the holy prophets who were among his people—
17 For behold, king Benjamin was a holy man, and he did reign over his people in righteousness; and there were many holy men in the land, and they did speak the word of God with power and with authority; and they did use much sharpness because of the stiffneckedness of the people—
18 Wherefore, with the help of these, king Benjamin, by laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land.

King Benjamin established peace in the land by fighting with the strength of his own arm, with the sword of Laban, and by "laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul" to "speak the word of God". He spoke with "much sharpness" the word of God, which is "sharper than a two-edged sword". The sword was "sharp" enough to protect from physical death. But to protect from spiritual death, something even sharper was needed: The word. In any case, it seems that the sword of Laban was one of the sacred relics to remind the Nephites of how they obtained the word in the first place and to symbolise the power of the word.

In his book "The lost 116 pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon's missing stories", Don Bradley calls these sacred Nephite relics the ark of the new covenant and draws a parallel to the ancient Israelite ark of the covenant. The old ark of the covenant was made during the exodus and carried into the promised land and placed in the Holy of Holies, first in the tabernacle and later in the temple of Solomon. It contained:

• The stone tablets with the commandments
• Aaron's rod
• A pot of manna

Comparing with the "ark of the new covenant", the stone tablets are clearly similar to the plates and a direct manifestation of the word of God. The pot of manna is another symbolic reminder of the word of God, just like the Liahona in the ark of the new covenant.

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

What about Aaron's rod? It might be interpreted as another symbol of the word, in this case in the form of priesthood power. Perhaps it is the old covenant version of the sword of Laban, the "iron rod" (yes, the sword of Laban was made of steel, but all steel contains iron). Again, comparing the old and new world ark of the covenant, the metal sword would seem like an upgrade from the wooden rod, just like the Mechizedek priesthood represent higher power and authority than the Aaronic.

I realize this is all a bit speculative. But there must be a reason why the sword of Laban was treated like a sacred relic. I think it carries some symbolic significance. I also like thinking about the sacred Nephite artifacts as the ark of the new covenant and the word of God being the central element in it. The word is to be protected, held sacred and handed from generation to generation.

The next post will discuss another aspect of the sword/word relation and be perhaps even more speculative. I apologize in advance.

Covenant symbols in Alma 17

Every primary-age boy knows the story of Ammon defending the king's flocks at the waters of Sebus by "disarming" the men who come to steal the flocks.

Recently, I went back and read this account and was surprised to see so much covenant symbolism.  Mormon truly was an expert at telling a story in a way that offers layers of meaning.

• Arms are a symbol of an individual's strength (or God's strength). 
• Flocks represent the spiritual state of people. (Think of all the sheep references in the scriptures, even though these animals weren't sheep.)
• Scattering/gathering are symbols of our breaking/keeping the covenant. (See 1 Nephi 22:3-5 for "scattering" and 1 Nephi 22:8-12 for "gathering.")
• The fear of death and weeping is symbolic of the feelings the wicked have when they think about the day of judgment. 
• Faithfulness to the covenant causes our heart to "swell with joy." (The Hebrew term for "makes me happy" is "makes my heart enlarge."
• Encircling is a symbol of covenants and divine protection. 
• Water is a symbol of gospel truth and God's love.
• A Hebrew root in the name Ammon refers to "faithfulness."
• "Be of good cheer" is a common saying in divine communications (see Acts 23:11, Matthew 9:2, 3 Nephi 1:13).
• "According to their own will and pleasure" gets worked into this passage.
• "Deliver" is a powerful word with reference to the redemption Christ brings us.
• "Contend" has reference to what the Lord promises those who stay faithful to Him. (See Isaiah 49:25.)
• "Power" is an obvious blessing on keeping our covenants.
• Being "in the service of the king" might also be considered a clever word choice in this context.
• Even a word like "stood" has symbolic meaning, though I'm not including it in this example.

With these symbols in mind, notice how Mormon chooses to tell this story. (I've put covenant symbols in bold.)

26 And after he had been in the service of the king three days, as he was with the Lamanitish servants going forth with their flocks to the place of water, which was called the water of Sebus, and all the Lamanites drive their flocks hither, that they may have water—
27 Therefore, as Ammon and the servants of the king were driving forth their flocks to this place of water, behold, a certain number of the Lamanites, who had been with their flocks to water, stood and scattered the flocks of Ammon and the servants of the king, and they scattered them insomuch that they fled many ways.
28 Now the servants of the king began to murmur, saying: Now the king will slay us, as he has our brethren because their flocks were scattered by the wickedness of these men. And they began to weep exceedingly, saying: Behold, our flocks are scattered already.
29 Now they wept because of the fear of being slain. Now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy; for, said he, I will show forth my power unto these my fellow-servants, or the power which is in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words.
30 And now, these were the thoughts of Ammon, when he saw the afflictions of those whom he termed to be his brethren.
31 And it came to pass that he flattered them by his words, saying: My brethren, be of good cheer and let us go in search of the flocks, and we will gather them together and bring them back unto the place of water; and thus we will preserve the flocks unto the king and he will not slay us.
32 And it came to pass that they went in search of the flocks, and they did follow Ammon, and they rushed forth with much swiftness and did head the flocks of the king, and did gather them together again to the place of water.
33 And those men again stood to scatter their flocks; but Ammon said unto his brethren: Encircle the flocks round about that they flee not; and I go and contend with these men who do scatter our flocks.
34 Therefore, they did as Ammon commanded them, and he went forth and stood to contend with those who stood by the waters of Sebus; and they were in number not a few.
35 Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did they know anything concerning the Lord; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king.
36 But Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a certain number of them insomuch that they began to be astonished at his power; nevertheless they were angry because of the slain of their brethren, and they were determined that he should fall; therefore, seeing that they could not hit him with their stones, they came forth with clubs to slay him.
37 But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for he did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword, insomuch that they began to be astonished, and began to flee before him; yea, and they were not few in number; and he caused them to flee by the strength of his arm. (Alma 17)

Notice how these themes and symbols come together:

• Ammon "term[s]" these men (who are Lamanites) "to be his brethren."
• The enemies scatter the flocks away from the water because they "delighted in the desctruction of their brethren." 
• Ammon puts a plan together to gather the flocks again to the waters and have his brethren "encircle" the flocks, then he stands to contend with the enemies with the power of the Lord.
• The enemies did not know about the Lord's promises.
• The enemies go from delight, to astonishment, to fleeing. They end up scattered and wounded/dead as opposed to the kings servants and the flocks.

In the following chapters, we see how Ammon's faithfulness and power in this action story carries over into his spiritual power.

I believe this example illustrates a pattern to show us how important our covenants are, which is one of the stated purposes of the Book of Mormon Title Page.  This is more example of a story with multiple layers of meaning.

More on Isaiah 49, the great and abominable church and dust

I noted in a recent post that the great and spacious building = the great and abominable church, based on some textual connections between 2 Nephi 10 and 1 Nephi 8 and 11. Here is another one, perhaps even clearer, in 1 Nephi 22:14

And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.

In 1 Nephi 11:36

And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 

I also posted recently on how 1 Nephi 22 and 2 Nephi 6 are linked in many ways as they both comment on Isaiah 49. Notice in 1 Nephi 22:14 that was just quoted, how the great and abominable church shall "tumble to the dust". Later, in the same chapter, verse 23, we read:

yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust

Notice the wording, "they are those who must be brought low in the dust" as if Nephi already has talked about someone who must be brought low but now clarifies who that is. It could refer to just a few verses earlier, but I think he refers to Isaiah that he has just read. Nephi read Isaiah 49 in the previous chapter, his brothers asked what it meant and he is now explaining. In Isaiah 49:23/1 Nephi 21:23

And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Avraham Gileadi comments on this verse:

A disparity exists between these same spiritual kings and queens of the Gentiles and other Gentiles who, instead of repenting, oppose Jehovah’s people (Isaiah 29:7-8; 54:15-17; 66:5). While the Gentiles’ kings and queens fulfill their roles of proxy saviors under the terms of the Davidic Covenant on the seraph level, those Gentiles who turn into Jehovah’s enemies end up bowing down before his people and licking the dust of their feet (Isaiah 45:14; 60:14; 66:5). Those who “know” Jehovah in the end are those who “hope in” or “wait for” (qiwweh) him through a time of adversity (Isaiah 19:21; 25:9; 52:6).

This disparity is not clear from the verse in Isaiah. You may get the impression from just reading it, that the kings and queens are also the ones who lick the feet of Israel. But the commentaries from Nephi and Jacob are consistent with what Gileadi explains, that these are two different groups among the Gentiles. When Nephi says that it is the "great and abominable church" or the "kingdom of the devil" that shall be brought to the dust, he is clearly referring to Isaiah 49:23 that he just read. In other words, those who shall bow down and lick the dust from off the feet of Israel are the great and abominable church. The pride of the world, that lifted up themselves shall be brought low in the dust with their "face towards the earth" and lick the dust of the feet of those they fought against. That is quite a powerful image.

The kings and queens among the Gentiles who will carry Israel, however, Nephi describes differently. 1 Nephi 22:8

And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders.

So from Nephis comments we can infer that the Gentiles in the latter days will eventually be split in two groups:

1. Those who will be spiritual nursing fathers/kings and mothers/queens and to Israel, who shall bring about and support the marvelous work and bring it to Israel.
2. Those who unite with the great and abominable church, who fight against Zion

Jacob definitely supports that view in his commentary of this Isaiah passage. In 2 Nephi 6:12-13

12 And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things.

13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah.

Notice also how the green part is Jacob commenting and expanding on the last part of Isaiah 49:23.

Both Nephi and Jacob are great Isaiah commentators and show a deep understanding of his writings. It is also fascinating how they get their own revelations (like Nephi about the great and abominable church) and subtly tie it into Isaiah. The depth and complexity of the Book of Mormon does not cease to amaze me.

One final note: The symbolism of dust has been discussed extensively on this blog. When Jacob quotes Isaiah 49:22 - 52:2 in 2 Nephi 6-8, he starts and ends with this topic. In this post we have seen how Isaiah 49:23 links to Nephi's comments about the great abominable church tumbling to the dust. In Isaiah 52:1-2 we read

1 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.

2 Shake thyself from the dust

The Lord will cause those who fight against Zion to tumble to the dust and even lick the dust from their feet. At the same time he invites Zion to arise and shake herself from the dust. This is beautiful imagery used to illustrate the reversal of circumstances when the covenant people of old, who has been scattered, confounded and oppressed, are gathered again and enter into the new and everlasting covenant.

Isaiah 49 in the Book of Mormon

The first time Isaiah is really quoted in the Book of Mormon, is in 1 Nephi 20-21. (Sure, there are small references here and there like "how beautiful upon the mountains" in 1 Nephi 13:37). Here Nephi quotes Isaiah 48 and 49. The next time Isaiah is quoted is in 2 Nephi 6-8. Here Jacob quotes what he has been instructed by Nephi to read to the people, which is Isaiah 49:22 - Isaiah 52:2. Consequently, Jacob is instructed to teach the people the words of Isaiah that are a continuation of the words Nephi taught his brothers in 1 Nephi. But there is an overlap because the last 5 verses of Isaiah 49 are repeated.

In 2 Nephi 6, Jacob starts out with the first two verses before launching into a lengthy comment. These two verses from Isaiah 49:22-23 read

22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

It is interesting to compare Jacob's comments on these two verses in 2 Nephi 6:8-15 with Nephi's comments in 1 Nephi 22 because his comments there are also given after having read Isaiah 49. They are very similar, and I suppose Jacob has learned a great deal from Nephi. Here are some examples.

"And after they have hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel..." (2 Nephi 6:10) 

"because of the Holy One of Israel; for against him will they harden their hearts" (1 Nephi 22:5)

"they shall be scattered, and smitten, and hated; nevertheless..." (2 Nephi 6:11) 

"wherefore, they shall be scattered among all nations and shall be hated of all men. Nevertheless..." (2 Nephi 22:5-6)

"they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance." (2 Nephi 6:11) 

"they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance" (1 Nephi 22:12)

"if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things. Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet" (2 Nephi 6:12-13)

"And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it." (1 Nephi 22:14)

"And they that believe not in him shall be destroyed, both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine. And they shall know that the Lord is God, the Holy One of Israel." (2 Nephi 6:15) 

"Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel." (1 Nephi 22:18)

After his commentary, Jacob picks up right where he left off in Isaiah and maintains the natural flow of the text without saying anything like "OK, I'm going back to Isaiah now". We have seen that numerous times in the Book of Mormon. If you are not familiar with Isaiah 49, you cannot even tell where Jacob ends his remarks and goes back into Isaiah.

When Jacob is done reading Isaiah, he comments on what he has read and gives his own remarks with some Isaiah references interspersed, Nephi style, in chapters 9 and 10. For instance, in 2 Nephi 10:9, he refers to Isaiah 49:23 that he had read earlier

Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore, the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute?

Those who think that this text comes from the mind of a poor farmer who just looked into a hat and dictated this without notes and manuscript, need to spend some more time with the Book of Mormon.

A Highway of Holiness for the Remnant -- Part 3

In the last few posts we've been looking at Isaiah's mention of a highway in the latter days.  In part 1, we connected the meaning of this symbol to the temple.  In part 2, we looked at how Isaiah, Joseph in Egypt, and Lehi prophesied that the recovery of the remnant would take place in the latter days.

In this post, we'll look at a few more references to this highway, and try to connect related symbols to the latter-day work of restoring the Everlasting Covenant.

Connecting other symbols

As we study this symbol of the Highway -- the Road to Being Holy -- it is worth taking note of the other symbols found in these passages.  So far, we've seen mention of an "ensign to the nations" and seen the symbol of going over water on "dry shod." More about both of those in future posts.

If we look at other mentions of this highway in Isaiah, we see several other interesting symbols, too. I've highlighted phrases and words that indicate a symbol (positive or negative) associated with the covenant. Some of these are self-explanatory, but others (in bold) are detailed below:

8 Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, O isles of the sea, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee my servant for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners: Go forth; to them that sit in darkness: Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
12 And then, O house of Israel, behold, these shall come from far; and lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; for the feet of those who are in the east shall be established; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for they shall be smitten no more; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not. (1 Nephi 21/Isaiah 49)

"to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages" 

I have to admit, this wording made very little sense to me, so I looked at other translations, which include one that makes much more sense to me:

You will bring back the people to the land [L …to restore/rebuild the land] and ·give the land that is now ruined back to its owners

In the context of the creation-covenant connection, this verse suddenly makes much more sense. I  like this translation.  The restoration of the covenant realigns humanity with the purposes of the creation.

"They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places"

Here is the NIV translation of this section:

“They will feed beside the roads

    and find pasture on every barren hill.

We continue with this theme of restoring the creation to its bounteous state through the creation of a covenant people.

"by the springs of water shall he guide them"

He who has compassion on them will guide them

    and lead them beside springs of water. (NIV)

For me this evokes the time when Moses was commanded by the Lord to strike the rock with his staff and cause water to gush forth (see Exodus 17 or Numbers 20).  These are symbols to which we'll return.

"I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted"

The way of life is a path which elevates and exalts.

"the feet of those who are in the east shall be established"

Interestingly, this phrase is only found in 1 Nephi 21, not in Isaiah 49.  "Feet" as a symbol, represent

"a symbol for the traveling and effort required in bringing the Good News to others. "

Thus, the restoration of the covenant (as symbolized by the mountains and highways) are connected to the work of salvation.

"break forth into singing, O mountains"

The work of redemption brings about joy in heaven and on earth.  Doctrine and Covenants 84 contains many important teaching about the building of Zion, missionary work, and even includes a "new song" of redemption:

98 Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together sing this new song, saying:99The Lord hath brought again Zion;The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel,According to the election of grace,Which was brought to pass by the faithAnd covenant of their fathers.100The Lord hath redeemed his people;And Satan is bound and time is no longer.The Lord hath gathered all things in one.The Lord hath brought down Zion from above.The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.101The earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength;And truth is established in her bowels;And the heavens have smiled upon her;And she is clothed with the glory of her God;For he stands in the midst of his people.102Glory, and honor, and power, and might,Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy,Justice, grace and truth, and peace,Forever and ever, Amen. (D&C 84)