Shining faces

Occasionally, we encounter shining faces in the scriptures. I wrote in my previous post that the Hebrew word for face is synonymous with presence. "Paneh Yahweh" (face Yahweh) is often translated into "before the Lord". A shining face therefore signifies the glory of God or being illuminated by his presence. This is what several Old Testament authors seek.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. (Psalm 119:135)

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.
3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. (Psalm 80)

24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. (Numbers 6)

The latter is the well-known blessing of Aaron. I have mentioned before that an event during Jesus' visit to the Nephites is a realization of that blessing.

And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof. (3 Nephi 19:25)

After Jesus' countenance shines upon the Nephite disciples, they start shining like him.

And when Jesus had spoken these words he came again unto his disciples; and behold they did pray steadfastly, without ceasing, unto him; and he did smile upon them again; and behold they were white, even as Jesus. (3 Nephi 19:30)

Apparently, those who are enwrapped in the glory of God can start shining too. We see the same with Nephi-3 and his brother Lehi in Helaman 5:

And it came to pass that he turned him about, and behold, he saw through the cloud of darkness the faces of Nephi and Lehi; and behold, they did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels. And he beheld that they did lift their eyes to heaven; and they were in the attitude as if talking or lifting their voices to some being whom they beheld. (Helaman 5:36)

Another well-known example is Moses after talking with God on Mount Sinai and receiving the commandments. He comes down and his face is shining (see Exodus 34:29-30), even though he is unaware of it himself. Surely, God's face shone on him as they talked face to face in the chapter before (Exodus 33:11). Now, Moses emulates God as his face shines before Israel. This is similar to the outstretched hand that Lord Wilmore recently wrote about, where a prophet emulates God to deliver His message. 

In an interesting parallel, Abinadi's face also shone when he quoted the 10 commandments.

Now it came to pass after Abinadi had spoken these words that the people of king Noah durst not lay their hands on him, for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses’ did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord. (Mosiah 13:5)

Mormon emphasizes that parallel as he compares Abinadi with Moses. In both cases the 10 commandments were given. Perhaps the lesson is that God's glory is found in his commandments? At least it fits well with Psalm 119:135 quoted above ("make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes"). Another thing worth noting is that according to Jewish sages, the events in Exodus 34 happened on the Day of Atonement. According to the Zohar, it is the day "when all faces shine". This is the one day when the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, right into the presence and glory of God, to reconnect the people with God, to reconnect heaven and earth.

The prayer to the Lord to shine his face upon us, is a plea to be enwrapped in his glory, but can lead to us radiating that glory ourselves for others to see.

Gold and the Two Ways -- part 1

I'm studying gold (and other precious things) as a symbol connected with the doctrine of the two ways. From a materialist point of view, gold is perhaps the most precious substance known to man. It doesn't rust, it shines brilliantly, and it is rare enough to be quite valuable.

From a spiritual point of view, gold is a substance, but spiritual things are of greater importance. Several things are explicitly referred to as more important than gold:

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Psalm 19)

72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. (Psalm 119)

7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1, NRSV)

Peter draws other parallels between our faith and gold -- both are "tested by fire." He goes on to make another comparison to gold: 

18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. (1 Peter 1, NRSV)

Job 28

This chapter is a poem praising God's wisdom. It begins by talking about gold and other precious materials found in the earth:

1 Surely there is a mine for silver,
and a place for gold to be refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Miners put an end to darkness,
and search out to the farthest bound
the ore in gloom and deep darkness. (Job 28, NRSV)

In other words, humans go to great lengths to search for worldly treasure. But will they go to such lengths to find something of even greater worth?

12 12 But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 Mortals do not know the way to it,
and it is not found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be gotten for gold,
and silver cannot be weighed out as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
the price of wisdom is above pearls. (Job 28, NRSV)

When we are ready to value God's wisdom over all other things, we will be ready to seek this heavenly treasure:

20

20 Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Abaddon and Death say,
‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
23 God understands the way to it,
and he knows its place.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth,
and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he gave to the wind its weight,
and apportioned out the waters by measure;
26 when he made a decree for the rain,
and a way for the thunderbolt;
27 then he saw it and declared it;
he established it, and searched it out.
28 And he said to humankind,
‘Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
and to depart from evil is understanding.' (Job 28, NRSV)

I love the ending to this poem.  Wisdom and understanding are hidden and concealed for our mortal eyes, perhaps obscured by the glint of gold. The creator of all things established wisdom from the beginning to help us overcome death and chaos. (Abaddon is a name for a place of destruction and the archangel of the abyss.)

The pattern relating gold and the two way takes shape in this poem -- when we love God and His ways more than gold, we will give away our gold to find this hidden wisdom.  On the contrary, when we love gold more than God we will attempt in vain to adorn ourselves in gold in the futile that we will increase our value thereby. In the next post, we'll take a closer look at this ancient wisdom as it appears in the Old Testament and Book of Moses.

Alma 32 and Psalm 119

In studying about covenant metaphors in Alma 32, I came across a very interesting passage from Psalm 119, which I'll quote below from the Expanded Bible. This version of the Bible puts alternate translations in brackets. If the phrase in brackets starts with a superscript "L," this means the brackets are giving a literal translation of the Hebrew. Pay particular attention to the literal Hebrew as you read the passage below:

25 ·I am about to die [L My soul clings to the dust].
    Give me life, as you have promised.
26 I ·told you about my life [L recounted my way], and you answered me.
    Teach me your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
27 Help me understand your ·orders [L the way of your precepts].
    Then I will ·think [meditate] about your ·miracles [wonders].
28 ·I am sad and tired [L My soul is weary/melts with sorrow affliction].
    Make me ·strong [L rise up] again as you have promised.
29 ·Don’t let me be dishonest [L Turn me away from a false way];
    ·have mercy on me by helping me obey your teachings [graciously teach me your instructions/laws].
30 I have chosen the way of ·truth [faithfulness];
    I have ·obeyed [placed before me] your ·laws [judgments].
31 I ·hold on [cling] to your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
    Lord, do not let me be ·disgraced [shamed].
32 I will ·quickly obey [L run the way of] your commands,
    because you have ·made me happy [L enlarged my heart/mind].

33 Lord, teach me ·your demands [L the way of your demands/statutes/ordinances/requirements],
    and I will ·keep [observe] them until the end.
34 Help me understand, so I can ·keep [protect] your ·teachings [instructions; laws],
    ·obeying [guarding] them with all my heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commands,
    because ·that makes me happy [L I take pleasure in them]. (Psalm 119, Expanded Bible)

This passage did not land on my list of Psalm language as I was studying the many examples found in the Book of Mormon, but reading it helps me understand the point Alma is making in his seed metaphor, especially verse 32 above. It seems clear that Alma and the Psalmist are talking about the same thing.

In some cases (such as verses 25, 27, 32, 33) the literal meaning of the Hebrew seems to fit Alma's language better than the English equivalent. That fact alone is interesting.  Psalm 119 also helps put this "enlarging of the heart" in the context of covenants.  Notice how the Psalmist laments that his "soul clings to the dust" and asks God to "make me rise up again as you have promised." He says, "Turn me away from a false way" and "I have chosen the way of faithfulness." Also "I cling to your decrees" and "I will run the way of your commands because you have enlarged my heart." "Lead me in the path of your commands because I take pleasure in them/they make me happy."

Can you see the connections to Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life and the path which leads to it, as opposed to the false, broad paths?  Can you see the "Two Ways" symbolism and the covenant symbolism?

Compare this language to Alma 32:

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

The "word of God" is an iron rod leading along the path to the Tree of Life, whose fruit is delicious. When the seed sprouts in the heart, it causes "swelling motions" and "enlarges" the soul, and "beginneth to be delicious to me." In this recent post, I discuss the covenant connections with the concept of "giving place" and "enlarging" the borders of Zion.  These are both terms Alma uses to describe the receptive heart.  I also discuss in that post how a part of the covenant involves "casting out" the unbelievers. This is precisely what Alma tells us not to do with the word. (He is speaking to a group of people who had been "cast out" of their place of worship.)

I've known about the connection between Alma 32 and Lehi's vision for a long time, but I'm just beginning to see the extent of connections both passages have to covenant symbols in the Old Testament.

A closer look at possible "Psalm-language" in Alma 60:34

I've been taking a detailed look at the use of Psalm-language in the Book of Mormon. I've learned interesting things in the process.

In this post, we'll look at the curious example of Psalm 119 and Alma 60:34.  It isn't entirely clear whether or not this is a coincidence or intentional. In studying both passages, I've come to a firm conclusion.  I'll see if I can convince you to see it my way.

Here is a side-by-side comparison:

115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. (Psalm 119)

34 And now behold, I, Moroni, am constrained, according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God; therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God, and send speedily unto me of your provisions and of your men, and also to Helaman. (Alma 60)

On the one hand you have a 6 word phrase that matches word for word.  On the other hand, the three most unique words in that phrase are "keep," "commandments," and "God."  Those are pretty common, and they naturally fit together. My first instinct was to dismiss this as a coincidence.

My opinion shifted when I looked at both verses in broader context.  I knew the context of Alma 60 already -- Moroni is writing an angry letter to Pahoran, accusing him of negligence and treason, and threatening to march his army to Zarahemla and take provisions by force unless Pahoran sends relief.

Psalm 119 is pretty unfamiliar to me, but as I looked at the context, I found a few interesting connections. Below is a side-by-side comparison of both passages, with some color coding to highlight what I believe are similar themes:

Psalm 119                                 Alma 60

113 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.	29 Behold it is time, yea, the time is now at hand, that except ye do bestir yourselves in the defence of your country and your little ones, the sword of justice doth hang over you; yea, and it shall fall upon you and visit you even to your utter destruction.
114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.	30 Behold, I wait for assistance from you; and, except ye do administer unto our relief, behold, I come unto you, even in the land of Zarahemla, and smite you with the sword, insomuch that ye can have no more power to impede the progress of this people in the cause of our freedom.
115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.	31 For behold, the Lord will not suffer that ye shall live and wax strong in your iniquities to destroy his righteous people.
116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.	32 Behold, can you suppose that the Lord will spare you and come out in judgment against the Lamanites, when it is the tradition of their fathers that has caused their hatred, yea, and it has been redoubled by those who have dissented from us, while your iniquity is for the cause of your love of glory and the vain things of the world?
117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.	33 Ye know that ye do transgress the laws of God, and ye do know that ye do trample them under your feet. Behold, the Lord saith unto me: If those whom ye have appointed your governors do not repent of their sins and iniquities, ye shall go up to battle against them.
118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.	34 And now behold, I, Moroni, am constrained, according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God; therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God, and send speedily unto me of your provisions and of your men, and also to Helaman.
119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.	35 And behold, if ye will not do this I come unto you speedily; for behold, God will not suffer that we should perish with hunger; therefore he will give unto us of your food, even if it must be by the sword. Now see that ye fulfil the word of God.
120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.

From this side-by-side comparison, I see multiple poetic allusions to the same section of Psalm 119 with the 6-word phrase. A condemnation of vanity. An ominous reminder of the justice/judgements of God against the wicked. Moroni accuses Pahroan of "trampling" the laws of God and suggests he'll be trodden down by God as a result. Mormon hopes in God's word and twice reminds Pahoran to "adhere to" and "fulfil" the word of God.

Pahoran's Response

The details above are enough to convince me this was intentional. Reading Pahoran's measured response to Moroni's fire and brimstone makes it even clearer:

12 We would subject ourselves to the yoke of bondage if it were requisite with the justice of God, or if he should command us so to do.
13 But behold he doth not command us that we shall subject ourselves to our enemies, but that we should put our trust in him, and he will deliver us. (Alma 61)

Compare to three Psalms:

1 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: (Psalm 7)

20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. (Psalm 25)

1 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. (Psalm 31)

Conclusion

Is this intentional?  In my mind, there is no doubt that both Moroni's accusation and Pahoran's meek reply contain clear references to the Psalms.

Psalms in the Book of Mormon, Alma 26 - 60

In today's post we'll look at the remainder of the Psalm-language in the Book of Alma.

Praise ... his holy name ... forever

21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. (Psalm 145)

8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever. (Alma 26)

Will praise . . . name forever

2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. (Psalm 145)

12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. (Alma 26)

Hath been mindful of us

12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. (Psalm 115)

36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land. (Alma 26)

I will give thanks unto [God] forever

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. (Psalm 30)

37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen. (Alma 26)

As chaff before the wind

5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them. (Psalm 35)

15 And now behold, I tell you by the spirit of prophecy, that if ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God, and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the wind. (Alma 37)

Keep the commandments of my God

115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. (Psalm 119)

34 And now behold, I, Moroni, am constrained, according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God; therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God, and send speedily unto me of your provisions and of your men, and also to Helaman. (Alma 60)