The (s)word of God -- Part 2

In part 1, I pointed out how the sword can be a symbol for the word of God. I also proposed that the sword of Laban had particular symbolic value for the Nephites and that it is one of several sacred relics both among Nephites and ancient Israelites, that can all be linked to "the word". There is another aspect of this symbolism that I want to discuss in this post. Again, it might be a bit speculative, because I don't know if the Nephite record keepers saw or intended these connections. But regardless, I think that God makes sure to leave layers of meaning in the scriptures for us personally, that we can uncover if we search. 

In relation to swords, I was pondering the curse that was prophesied by Samuel the Lamanite and later fulfilled. We read about his prophesies in Helaman 13. First, in verse 4, he says

Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart; and behold he hath put it into my heart to say unto this people that the sword of justice hangeth over this people; and four hundred years pass not away save the sword of justice falleth upon this people.

As discussed in the previous post on this, the sword symbolizes the word of God that can give understanding to some and judgment to others. The Nephites in Zarahemla at this time were in a state where the word would judge them. Then there is a stranger and more specific prophecy in verses 32-36

And then shall ye lament, and say:
33 O that I had repented, and had not killed the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out. Yea, in that day ye shall say: O that we had remembered the Lord our God in the day that he gave us our riches, and then they would not have become slippery that we should lose them; for behold, our riches are gone from us.
34 Behold, we lay a tool here and on the morrow it is gone; and behold, our swords are taken from us in the day we have sought them for battle.
35 Yea, we have hid up our treasures and they have slipped away from us, because of the curse of the land.
36 O that we had repented in the day that the word of the Lord came unto us; for behold the land is cursed, and all things are become slippery, and we cannot hold them.

The connection between the sword and the word of God is illustrated by the fact that when they no longer held on to the word represented by the iron rod, they couldn't hold on to their swords any longer either. They became slippery along with their treasures. Their physical treasures and swords slipped from them, because they had broken the covenants and not clung to the word that is sharper than the sword and the real treasure. Referring again to the previous post, I'm thinking of the ark of the (new) covenant as a treasure chest and a symbol of the real treasure in heaven. 

The fulfillment of the prophecy is described in Mormon 1:17-18

17 But I did remain among them, but I was forbidden to preach unto them, because of the hardness of their hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts the land was cursed for their sake.
18 And these Gadianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, did infest the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in the earth; and they became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the land, that they could not hold them, nor retain them again.

Again, they did not obtain the word and concurrently they lost their treasures. Their loss of earthly treasures symbolizes their loss of heavenly treasures. Just like the value of the plates, the Liahona and the sword of Laban is not in the precious metal but in what they contain or symbolize: The word of God. 

And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless. (Mormon 8:14)

This connection or symbolism might be a bit of a stretch but the implication is relevant and important: As covenant people, we should protect the word of God, keep it sacred and hand it to our children like a valuable treasure. If not, it will slip from us.

What is the "calamity" spoken of in Doctrine & Covenants 1:17?

I realize this is a Book of Mormon blog, so why am I asking the question in the title of this post? I promise I'll connect this to the Book of Mormon before long.

I came across the word calamity in Doctrine & Covenants 1:17 a few weeks ago and this question has been rolling around in my head ever since.

17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; (D&C 1)

It seems rather important to understand what the calamity is! This section is very intricately worded, so my next step to unpacking the meaning of the word "calamity" was to pare down the text of the entire section into key points. It seems to me that verse 17 marks a turning point in the text.

The section begins with a strong voice of warning. It paints a picture of the fate of the world at the day of judgement if they are not protected by the everlasting covenant:

2 ...there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.
3 And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.

We are then asked to "hearken" to "the voice of the Lord ... by the mouths of my disciples" who "go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious..."

The Lord is restoring measure and order to His creation by re-establishing the everlasting covenant. The purpose of His creation has been forgotten, and He is bringing about a work to restore that purpose.

The presence of the voice of warning serves to justify "the wrath of God ... "poured out upon the wicked without measure..."

It all sounds quite severe, yet how can God look upon sin with the least degree of tolerance, knowing it blocks us from experiencing pure joy? 

Just before verse 17, we are given a significant clue about the nature of the calamity spoken of in that verse:

15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.

The calamity is the loss of the everlasting covenant! What could possibly be worse than being unprepared for the day of judgment?

After verse 17, we are given some clear indicators of exactly what the Lord is doing to restore the proper order of things for His children. 

• The Lord:
• called a prophet (v. 17)
• spake unto him from heaven (v. 17)
• gave him commandments (v. 17)
• gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world (v. 18)

• So that:
• that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; (v. 20)
• That faith also might increase in the earth; (v. 21)
• That mine everlasting covenant might be established; (v. 22)
• That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers. (v. 23)

Next we learn that "these commandments" were "given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding." (v. 24)

What comes next is beautiful. We get language similar to the beginning of the section, only this time with the benefit of the covenant:

31 For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
32 Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
33 And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.
34 And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;
35 For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.
36 And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world.

How does this connect to the Book of Mormon?

I told you we'd get back to the Book of Mormon before long. Here is one obvious connection:

Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever (Book of Mormon Title Page)

Here is another: The Nephites experienced this "calamity" on a societal level. Their story is given to us as a voice of warning, to help us avoid the same fate. Moroni summarizes the importance of fully embracing the covenant in order to avoid the "calamity" that the Nephites suffered:

28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.
29 See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out.
30 Behold, I speak unto you as though I spake from the dead; for I know that ye shall have my words.
31 Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been. (Mormon 9)

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.

More Book of Mormon language in Doctrine & Covenants 10

Stisa's latest post outlines numerous examples of Book of Mormon language in Section 10.  As he notes, this is particularly interesting since this revelation predates the translation of the Book of Mormon text we currently have.

As I studied the examples he listed, I recognized some additional connections, which happen to center on topics I've been studying for the past several weeks in my most recent posts.  In this post, I'll focus on similarities between D&C 10:55-56 and 1 Nephi 22:22-23.

 

55 Therefore, whosoever belongeth to my church need not fear, for such shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.
56 But it is they who do not fear me, neither keep my commandments but build up churches unto themselves to get gain, yea, and all those that do wickedly and build up the kingdom of the devil—yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that it is they that I will disturb, and cause to tremble and shake to the center. (D&C 10)

 

22 And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh

23 For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; 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; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet. (1 Nephi 22)

In these two relatively short passages we find five similar phrases in the same order. Yet, the passages are different enough for this common language to hide in plain sight.  I'm certain there are many more connections between Section 10 and the Book of Mormon.

What does this mean?

I'm not sure I have a great answer to this important question. It seems Christ is highlighting some key teachings from the Book of Mormon. This makes section 10 incredibly important as a key to understanding the purposes and themes of the Book of Mormon. This of course also has implications for any naturalistic claim on Book of Mormon authorship -- these themes must have been worked out long before the first draft was produced.

Book of Mormon language in D&C 10

D&C 10 was part of the the Come, Follow Me reading for this week and the revelation that Joseph Smith received as he and Oliver tried to figure out how to go on with the translation after the loss of the 116 pages (which according to church historian Don Bradley probably were much more than 116). As I read it, I noticed all the Book of Mormon language in this Section. This is of course language from the Book of Mormon we have today, not the part that was lost. At the time of this revelation, this part had not been translated yet. Consequently, God gives Joseph Smith a revelation about a record that he is about to translate containing some of the language that God uses in the revelation.

Consider these examples:

D&C 10	Book of Mormon
I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. (v. 43)	I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. (3 Nephi 21:10)
build up churches unto themselves to get gain (v.56)	build up churches unto themselves to get gain (4 Nephi 1:26)
I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. (v.57)	I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name. I came unto my own, and my own received me not. (3 Nephi 9:15-16)
I am he who said—Other sheep have I which are not of this fold—unto my disciples, and many there were that understood me not. (v.59)	And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. And they understood me not (3 Nephi 15:21-22)
And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them (v.63)	29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. 30 Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away. (3 Nephi 11:29-30)
For, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts (v.65)	O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart. (3 Nephi 10:6)
Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely. (v.66)	Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely (Alma 42:27)
And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. (v.69)	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. (3 Nephi 11:39)

Most of this comes from 3 Nephi where Christ himself speaks to the Nephites. But Joseph Smith has not translated this part at the time when D&C 10 was given. The language Jesus Christ uses when giving this revelation to Joseph Smith is a sort of precursor to what is going to come when he later reveals to Joseph Smith the English translation of the Book of Mormon of his own words to the Nephites of old.

I think the standard works are given to us not only to be considered as separate witnesses of Christ to different people at different times, but also as a unified whole set of God's words to us today. Comparing the word of God across different standard works and seeing how they both confirm and supplement each other enriches my studies.

A temple pattern in the Book of Mormon, continued -- More about shaking

4 Yet now ... be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:

5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2)

As in all things, I learn more and more as I go.  In this post, I'd like to add more depth to the concept of shaking which was discussed in this recent post. Shaking and covenants are deeply connected. In the earlier post, we looked at Mormon's declaration (found in Helaman 12) that "by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake" and "by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center." 

Mormon also says of mankind: "they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide."

This juxtaposition of creation and God's commandments really speaks to me. It is true that we are agents unto ourselves (see Doctrine & Covenants 58:28). We came to His creation, this earth, as a result of a promise we made with God to follow Jesus Christ. To the extent that we live according to His purposes, we "shall have glory added upon [our] heads forever and ever" (Abraham 3:26). If we violate His purposes, we are misusing His creation.

Each of us has the opportunity (and obligation) to "rend that veil of unbelief" (Ether 4:15) and remember some important truths:

1. We are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (See Hebrews 11:13.) 
2. Our time here is short and our eternal destiny depends on how the choices we make during this time of probation. (See Alma 42:7-10, 23-24.) 
3. The everlasting covenant is the only path to eternal life. (See Doctrine & Covenants 45:5-10.)

In the words of the Psalmist: "A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. ... Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures ... Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, NIV)

Shaking in the presence of God

The earth is God's creation, intended for man's use according to His purposes.  

The arrival of God (v. 18) is heralded by these awesome forces of nature serving like a king’s outrunners (2 Sam. 15:1; 1 Kings 1:5) and by a loud blast of the horn. See also 1 Kings 19:11–13; Hab. 3:3–5; Pss. 18:8–16; 68:9–10. Outside the Bible these phenomena also appear in theophanies, particularly of storm gods. In Israelite tradition, although the LORD is no mere storm god, these motifs were taken over to describe the overwhelming power and majesty of the direct experience of the divine. (Berlin, A., Brettler, M. Z., & Fishbane, M. (Eds.). (2004). The Jewish Study Bible (p. 147). New York: Oxford University Press.)

Along the same lines, each of us is His child and subject to His power.  Thus, to the extent that we are unworthy servants (or caught by the power/kingdom of the devil), when we stand in His presence we are shaken to the center. (See Doctrine & Covenants 10:56.)

An illustration from Moses and the children of Israel

I'll illustrate this pattern using a story from Moses and the children of Israel.

In Exodus 19, three months after their miraculous rescue from bondage in Egypt, Moses "went up unto God" and conversed with Him.

3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19)

In verse 8 we learn that "all the people" agree to these terms.  In other words, they accept the covenant God has offered them. Then the Lord tells Moses to "sanctify" the people in preparation of His appearance to them.

10 ¶ And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about... (Exodus 19)

After setting the terms of the covenant, receiving agreement from the people, and preparing them by sanctification and "set[ting] bounds," the Lord "came down upon mount Sinai."  Here is the description of how the creation reacted:

16 ¶ And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. (Exodus 19)

It is in this context, with the people prepared and a boundary set that God gives Israel His law.

The Everlasting Covenant as a "light to the world"

With all of this rich symbolism in mind, I'll close this post with powerful words from Doctrine & Covenants 45, with some emphasis added by me:

1 Hearken, O ye people of my church, to whom the kingdom has been given; hearken ye and give ear to him who laid the foundation of the earth, who made the heavens and all the hosts thereof, and by whom all things were made which live, and move, and have a being.
2 And again I say, hearken unto my voice, lest death shall overtake you; in an hour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the harvest ended, and your souls not saved.
3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—
4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.
6 Hearken, O ye people of my church, and ye elders listen together, and hear my voice while it is called today, and harden not your hearts;
7 For verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world—a light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
8 I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not; but unto as many as received me gave I power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God; and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life.
9 And even so I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the Gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me. (Doctrine & Covenants 45)

 

Witnesses

The Law of Moses required two or three witnesses to convict someone of a crime. Also, commercial transactions and signing of documents of importance was done in the presence of witnesses. As a general rule, a single witness was not competent to attest or testify. (See e.g. Deuteronomy 19:15 and Isaiah 8:2). This was probably also the case for the Nephites, who followed the Law of Moses until the coming of Christ.

For instance, in Alma 9, Alma is charging an entire city with wickedness and prophesy of destruction. The people respond

2 Who art thou? Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of one man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away?...
6 And they said: Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man among this people, to declare unto them the truth of such great and marvelous things? 

When Amulek enters the scene, the people react differently

And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them. (Alma 10:12)

The ancient Israelite law of witnesses is evidently at play. Apparently, this does not only apply to legal matters but also spiritual matters. One of the reasons Nephi quotes Isaiah, is to call on him as an additional witness to prove that his testimony of the Savior is true.

2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.

3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words. (2 Nephi 11)

To Nephi, God proves his words by calling multiple witnesses. In this case, three eye-witnesses (Isaiah, Nephi and Jacob) who all saw the Redeemer. According to John, we also have three witnesses in heaven.

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (1 John 5:7)

The Greek word translated into "bear record" in the KJV means to witness, testify or give evidence. Similar expressions are found in the Book of Mormon, like in 3 Nephi 11:32

I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me

There is another interesting example of the word of God being proven by the law of witnesses. Consider Ether 5:3-4

3 And unto three shall they be shown by the power of God; wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things are true.

4 And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day.

These verses talk about the three witnesses. Verse 4 is a long, convoluted sentence. It starts off by restating the law of witnesses and refers specifically to "these things" which is contextualized by the preceding verses and refers to the Book of Mormon. After sorting this a bit:

• In this work (the coming forth of the Book of Mormon), the power and word of God will be shown forth
• There will be three witnesses to testify of "these things" (the Book of Mormon)
• The Father, Son and Holy Ghost all bear record of the word of God (as found in the Book of Mormon)
• "All this" (above) shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day

When demonstrating God's power in bringing forth his words in the form of the Book of Mormon in these latter days, there are two sets of witnesses: One on earth (Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris) and one in heaven (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost). See this post for more context. This should tell us something about both the truthfulness and the importance of the Book of Mormon.

A temple pattern in the Book of Mormon, continued -- overcoming the devil (part 1)

I'll continue with my series on the temple pattern in the Book of Mormon.  Se these two prior posts for background and references to shaking:

Overview

Shaking

We left with Mormon's words from Helaman 12 about the power of God's voice to save us if we will hearken. In that passage, he also laments: "how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom’s paths!" (Helaman 12:5)

In the fallen world in which we now live, we are enticed by two voices. (See 2 Nephi 2:16.) Once we have identified the power of the voice of God, the next important step is to learn to overcome the power of the devil.

The next few posts will review some important passages in the Book of Mormon which teach us how to overcome the devil. We'll begin with a man who set such a good example, presumably Mormon named his own son after him.

The example of "Captain" Moroni

Mormon writes very lofty words about that Moroni who led the armies of the Nephites:

17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. (Alma 48)

Notice the use of past/present/future at the start of the verse as well as the word "forever." I believe both of these are designed to point our minds to things of eternal significance. Moroni wasn't just a dedicated public servant or military leader, his example includes a range of commendable attributes.

Notice also the description of the "powers of hell" shaking and the devil "never hav[ing] power over the hearts of the children of men." This echoes themes from the temple pattern described in the overview. 

In the preceding verses, we find a list of powerful attributes which allowed Mormon to make such a claim:

And Moroni was:

1. a strong and a mighty man
2. a man of a perfect understanding
3. a man that did not delight in bloodshed
4. a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
5. a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people
6. a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.
7. a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. 
8. his heart did glory --
• in [the promise that if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land] 
• in preserving his people, 
• in keeping the commandments of God
• and resisting iniquity.

This is a great list.  I see elements of obedience, willingness to sacrifice, dedication to resisting evil, centering one's life on covenant promises, gratitude, and commitment to the "welfare and safety" of God's covenant people.

These are the attributes which bind Satan and cause his kingdom and powers to shake.

A note about "perfect understanding"

This phrase shows up only once in the Book of Mormon.  We find it in Luke 1:3 as well, but that instance doesn't add much. The only other closely-related instance comes from D&C 97:14 in a revelation about the building of the temple:

13 For a place of thanksgiving for all saints, and for a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices;
14 That they may be perfected in the understanding of their ministry, in theory, in principle, and in doctrine, in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth, the keys of which kingdom have been conferred upon you.
15 And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it;
16 Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God. (D&C 97)

Take that for what it is worth.

In the next post, we'll look at other scriptures that teach how we can overcome the devil.