"Teach them diligently unto thy children"

In the Book of Deuteronomy, when the Israelites are about to enter into the promised land, they are admonished over and over to keep the judgments, statutes and commandments of the Lord. They are informed about the blessings that await if they do and warned about the curses that inevitably follow if they don't. This passage is particularly well-known 

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. (Deuteronomy 6)

The Savior quotes verse 5 when he answers the famous question about the greatest commandment. But I wanted to focus on verse 7 about teaching the children. The NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible comments on this verse: 

The inculcation of moral principles and wisdom in youth was practiced widely in the ancient Near East. In Egypt, teaching and instruction were used from at least 2500 BC up until the time of the Ptolemies (c. 300 BC). Rules of conduct and learning were prepared for sons. From moral issues to royal protocol, children were trained in the home or in the king’s palace. Order, truth and justice were important. In Mesopotamia, Sumerian literature includes the advice of a father to his son. Several famous works of a didactic nature come from Mesopotamia. Repetition by mouth, copying texts and strict discipline (the rod!) were the main pedagogical means of “impressing” a desired curriculum on a student or child. This was done both in the home and in any place of learning available. Covenantal conditions and stipulations were passed on so that following generations would know and pursue them diligently

This is not the first time I read about ancient Israelite customs and see how well the Book of Mormon fits into that cultural framework. Especially the bolded parts are easily recognized in several Book of Mormon passages. Here are some examples:

Lehi's teachings to his sons

This is perhaps the best example of Near Eastern fatherly inculcation in the Book of Mormon. There are too many examples to go through in detail, but despite mixed outcomes, Lehi is quite clear about his objectives. 

28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen. (Nephi 1-4)

The way of life and the way of death is the essence of Deuteronomy and this is what Lehi lays out in this chapter. "I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls" is really strong language. All of 2 Nephi 1-3 and some of chapter 4 is Lehi's "advice of a father to his son" with "covenantal conditions and stipulations...passed on so that the following generations would know and pursue them diligently"

5 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 Nephi 1)

3 Wherefore, after my father had made an end of speaking concerning the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman, his sons, and his daughters, and said unto them: Behold, my sons, and my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my firstborn, I would that ye should give ear unto my words.

4 For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.

5 But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it.

6 Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents.

7 Wherefore, because of my blessing the Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever. (2 Nephi 4) 

We could go on but this sample is sufficient to illustrate the point. 

King Benjamin's teachings to his sons

This account is much briefer but sufficient to see the ancient Near Eastern cultural heritage

2 And it came to pass that he had three sons; and he called their names Mosiah, and Helorum, and Helaman. And he caused that they should be taught in all the language of his fathers, that thereby they might become men of understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered them by the hand of the Lord.

3 And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying: My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God.

4 For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates; for he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time.

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.

8 And many more things did king Benjamin teach his sons, which are not written in this book.

Apparently, this account is very abbreviated, and King Benjamin taught his sons "many more things". In verse 4, King Benjamin seems to refer to Deuteronomy 6:7, probably among other things, where the commandment to teach the word of God to your children is given.

Alma-II to his sons

I am sure that all the righteous record keepers in the Book of Mormon had similar teaching sessions to their sons, even though not all have been recorded. But Mormon decided to include Alma's word to his sons and take them directly from his own record. Here we see the same pattern, especially with Helaman who is the oldest and the next record keeper.

13 O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence...

17 For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers...

20 Therefore I command you, my son Helaman, that ye be diligent in fulfilling all my words, and that ye be diligent in keeping the commandments of God as they are written....

35 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God. (Alma 37)

The bold parts are directly linked to the quoted description of the ancient Israelite practice of fathers teaching their sons.

Another parallel between the word of God and the covenant people

14 And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever. (2 Nephi 29)

Writing about the miraculous preservation of a remnant of Joseph of Egypt's coat (see here) got me thinking about the verse above.

The preservation of the coat is a symbol of both the promises made by God about His seed and also about His word. Both would be miraculously preserved by the hand of God until the day comes when they shall be gathered in one. We live in the day when that has begun. The covenant people are the ones who make sacred promises to live by the word of God. Both are miraculously preserved by the Word of God, who came into the world to be a light unto it.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1)

In this post, I will review some of the key verses which detail how these promises are written about in the Book of Mormon.

The Words of Jacob/Israel

Here are the words of Jacob as quoted by Moroni as he rallied an army (by covenant) to defend the liberty of the Nephites:

24 Yea, let us preserve our liberty as a remnant of Joseph; yea, let us remember the words of Jacob, before his death, for behold, he saw that a part of the remnant of the coat of Joseph was preserved and had not decayed. And he said—Even as this remnant of garment of my son hath been preserved, so shall a remnant of the seed of my son be preserved by the hand of God, and be taken unto himself, while the remainder of the seed of Joseph shall perish, even as the remnant of his garment.

25 Now behold, this giveth my soul sorrow; nevertheless, my soul hath joy in my son, because of that part of his seed which shall be taken unto God.

26 Now behold, this was the language of Jacob. (Alma 46)

(The phrase "taken unto himself" in red is interesting and related, but outside the scope of this post, It will be the subject of a post in the next few days.)

Notice how Israel describes the remnant: "preserved and not decayed." He prophesies that the same will happen to a remnant of his son's seed.  What will make the difference between decaying and being preserved?  The word of God, of course. Having it and "keeping" it. In a magnificent and directly relevant sermon to his son Joseph, Lehi teaches this very clearly:

23 Wherefore, because of this covenant thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the book. (2 Nephi 3)

As I read the words of Joseph of Egypt in Alma 46, I was immediately reminded of two key phrases in the Book of Mormon which revolve around the same theme, which equally apply to the people of God and the word of God and which have been the subject of several previous posts:

• "Kept and Preserved" (see this post)
• "Retain their Brightness" (see this post)

"Kept and Preserved"

Summarizing from the post linked above, we find various contexts in which the phrase "kept and preserved" appears in the Book of Mormon:

• the plates of brass (see Mosiah 1:3-5, Mosiah 28:11, Alma 37:3-4 and 14)
• the plates of Nephi (see 2 Nephi 25:21, Mosiah 28:11)
• righteous leaders (see Mosiah 2:11)
• God's people (see Omni 1:6, Mosiah 2:20, Mosiah 7:20, Alma 9:22, Alma 44:4)
• the Urim and Thummim (Mosiah 28:14)

The express purpose of the word of God is to bring about covenants (see 1 Nephi 13:40-41), thereby creating a covenant people.  Keep in mind that the word of God goes far beyond the written word.  It includes all that is necessary to walk to the tree of life.

"Retain their brightness"

Another phrase/symbol that can be applied to the word of God and the people of God is the concept of brightness. 

• Nephi's brother Jacob knew the things which were written upon plates "must remain" (Jacob 4:1), whereas anything written "upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away."
• Lehi, upon receiving the plates of brass, states: "these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time." (1 Nephi 5:19)
• King Benjamin says this about the words he was commanded to deliver to his people by an angel: "They shall stand as a bright testimony against this people, at the judgment day" (Mosiah 3:24)
• Alma-2 tells his son Helaman that "if they are kept they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ." (Alma 37:5)

Conclusion

This promise given by God to the ancient patriarchs underscores the intimate connection between God's covenant people and His word.  The connection between covenant-making and the scriptures is emphasized in our modern temples, too, in several important ways. I'll close this post with a prophecy of Joseph in Egypt about a Latter-day Joseph who restore this everlasting covenant to the earth and begin the final gathering of Israel:

7 Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers. (2 Nephi 3)

"Blot out"

Here's my 2022 prediction: readers of this blog will see quite a bit of Old Testament-related material. :)

The thing is, understanding the Old Testament better has greatly deepened my understanding and appreciation of the Book of Mormon. Stisa and I have both taken a great interest in continuing this trend, and so the 2022 Come Follow Me curriculum sets up a perfect opportunity to dig in and feast on this wonderful material.

I'm definitely an amateur scriptorian. I've got exactly zero degrees in ancient languages, but we live in an amazing time when resources abound through the internet and other sources.  Even if you aren't interested in spending a dime, sites such as Biblehub.com and Biblegateway.com offer wonderful material to help understand the meaning of the scriptures in Hebrew and Greek. Recently I've purchased digital access to the NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. It's been a great help and many interesting ideas have sprung out of my study of this book.  I highly recommend it.

This post will detail a discovery I made this evening related to the term "blot out" (which Stisa has previously covered in this post) as found in Genesis 6:7 (NRSV):

6 And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 

7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created—people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 

8 But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord.

I am more familiar with other translations, so this use of blot out really stood out to me.  The KJV uses "destroy" in place of "blot out" and the NIV says: "wipe from the face of the earth."

The Hebrew root is:

machah: abolish (מָחָה) -- abolish, blot out, destroy, full of marrow, put out, reach unto, utterly, wipe away

The use of this term in the story of Noah is particularly meaningful. Humankind was to be "wiped out" by means of a flood.  This mirrors a basic meaning of the word:

Erasing writing from a scroll was normally effected by washing, and this action appears to be a basic meaning of מָחָה. Since wiping off or out implies the complete removal of whatever is in view, מָחָה is often used with great effect for both Yahweh’s judgment and salvation. (NIDOTTE Vol. 2, p. 913, emphasis added by me.)

"Blot out"

I've already made some important connections by learning that "destroy" and "blot out" are connected in Hebrew. Let's take a look at a few scriptures. First, in the context of a cursing related to adultery:

23 And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water: (Numbers 5)

The adulterer is then made to drink the bitter water. Very interesting symbolism.

Here is another example in the context of the idolatry of the children of Israel at Mount Sinai which provoked the wrath of God:

14 Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they. (Deuteronomy 9)

This same root is also used in a positive context, such as in this verse from Isaiah:

8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 25)

Or this one:

25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43)

It seems that there will be a "blotting out" for each of us at the day of judgment -- either our sins will be blotted out through the atonement of Christ or our names will be blotted out from the book of life if we reject Christ.  The covenant mediates all of this:

5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Revelation 3)

And once again we see that this preservation is associated with symbolic clothing and a name. This preservation probably ties back in to the miraculous preservation of a remnant of the garment of Joseph of Egypt.  I'll discuss this in more detail in my next post. 

On the subject of names and 'blotting out,' King Benjamin makes a similar statement in connection with the name he gives to his people:

11 And moreover, I shall give this people a name, that thereby they may be distinguished above all the people which the Lord God hath brought out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I do because they have been a diligent people in keeping the commandments of the Lord.

12 And I give unto them a name that never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression. (Mosiah 1)

Recall Alma-1, when faced with transgression on the part of members of the church, was given this revelation regarding how to deal with the situation:

29 Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.

30 Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me. ...

32 Now I say unto you, Go; and whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward. ...

34 And it came to pass that Alma went and judged those that had been taken in iniquity, according to the word of the Lord.

35 And whosoever repented of their sins and did confess them, them he did number among the people of the church;

36 And those that would not confess their sins and repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered among the people of the church, and their names were blotted out. (Mosiah 26)

The covenant between God and man allows all who will hearken and repent to have their names preserved. God's wrath is kindled against those who will not confess their sins and will not repent after hearing His voice. Whether it be called 'blotting out' or 'destroying,' the consequence of sin is separation from God, also known as spiritual death.

On the contrary, for all those who repent and hearken, their transgressions will be blotted out, wiped away, and remembered no more.  That bitter water associated with the adulterer in Numbers 5 sounds a lot like the 'bitter cup' spoken of by Christ in Doctrine & Covenants 19:

15 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.

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 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—

19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. (Doctrine & Covenants 19)

Creating a covenant people

In this post, I will just elaborate on something Lord Wilmore wrote in his series on the endowment pattern. Here, he explained how new names are part of this pattern. I will just repeat and extend the quote from the NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

If creation is the act of bringing something into existence, we must ask what constituted existence in the ancient world. In our culture, we consider existence to be either material (i.e., having molecules/taking up space and extending to energy and subatomic particles) or experiential (e.g., abstractions such as love or time). Those definitions, however, are culturally determined. By contrast, in the ancient world something existed when it had a function -- a role to play. In Mesopotamia one way to accomplish this was to name something, because a name designated a thing's function or role...In Egyptian accounts existence was associated with something having been differentiated. The Genesis account includes both of these concepts as God separates and names. (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, "Creation and Existence")

The creation account is an account of opposites. This explanation of the cultural background helps me understand why. By separating water and dry land, both came into existence and got a role to play. The same with light and darkness.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Genesis 1)

Obviously, this was Lehi's worldview.

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God. (2 Nephi 2)

Without division leading to opposites, all is compound in one and has no purpose.

This is all just meant as an introduction to another kind of creation: The creation of a covenant people. The first symbol of Lord Wilmore's endowment pattern is a warning to depart. This is a separation of the righteous from the wicked. They each have a role to play but not when they are "compound in one". For instance, the Lamanites "scourge unto [Nephi's] seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance." (1 Nephi 2:24). Very early in Nephite history, there is a separation of Nephites and Lamanites (see 2 Nephi 5). Only then can the endowment begin because otherwise the temple is defiled. This pattern repeats as Lord Wilmore has pointed out but I wanted to elaborate on the examples of King Benjamin and his people and the converted Lamanites in the context of separating and naming. We should not be surprised that the endowment pattern resembles the creation.

King Benjamin explains

And moreover, I shall give this people a name, that thereby they may be distinguished above all the people which the Lord God hath brought out of the land of Jerusalem (Mosiah 1:11)

This is happening in Mosiah 5. The people enter into a covenant and get a new name. The creation of a covenant people happens by separation and naming, just like the creation of heaven and earth. The same thing happens with the Lamanite converts in Alma 23

16 And now it came to pass that the king and those who were converted were desirous that they might have a name, that thereby they might be distinguished from their brethren; therefore the king consulted with Aaron and many of their priests, concerning the name that they should take upon them, that they might be distinguished.

17 And it came to pass that they called their names Anti-Nephi-Lehies; and they were called by this name and were no more called Lamanites.

In the next chapter they enter into a covenant and later they physically separate from the Lamanites as they obtain the land of Jershon in Nephite territory.

These are two examples of the creation of a covenant people. I find it interesting that they are created by separation and naming, just like God does in the creation account. This gives them a new purpose, a role to play. The name indicates what this purpose is and it relates to the covenant. King Benjamin's people receive the name of Christ and covenant to keep his commandments. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies take a new name that we don't know the exact meaning of, but it obviously indicates a sympathy with the Nephites that replaces their former animosity. This is suitably marked by the covenant token of burying their weapons in the ground.