2 Nephi 9:2 When they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise. There seems to be a really big fixation with promised lands and lands for inheritance throughout scripture. It's one of the pillars of the Abrahamic Covenant--specific lands were covenanted to be given to him and his posterity as part of his deal with God. It was reiterated with Isaac (and very notably refuted with Ishmael when Abraham asked if it could be through him), and was again confirmed with Jacob. But why was it so important that you have land (and more particularly, specific lands) when Christ comes? We know that the earth will be renewed and become the Celestial Kingdom after the Millennial reign of Christ, and perhaps the deed transfers and the covenant of land is actually a ticket to the Celestial kingdom.
But the people in scripture seem to have a fixation on the land of their fathers. Zeniff and his people with the land of Lehi-Nephi, the Jews throughout the Old Testament. And it seems to be supported by the Lord, in that he tells people to go take certain lands away from others because he has given them to them. It's the kind of thing that really wouldn't go over well today: "Hey, I've given you Phoenix. Go kill the people who are currently living there and move into their houses." But the fact that they didn't have to build the houses, plant the crops, dig the wells, etc. was a major part of the deal with inheriting the land of Israel when Joshua led them across the Jordan river after the Exodus. Will this happen again if we start expanding outward to new planets? I could easily envision the whole Old Testament being acted out on a cosmic scale a couple of hundred years from now.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
2 Nephi 8
2 Nephi 8:12 Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son of man, who shall be made like unto grass? According to the Bible Dictionary, the title Son of Man was something that Christ used about 80 times when speaking of himself but was never used by anyone else when speaking about him while he was alive. In the Old Testament, it was used frequently but appears to refer to pretty much anyone the writer wants it to, but never to Jehovah. Bruce R. McConkie postulates that Christ used it about himself as an expression of humility or lowliness. In any case, as this chapter is Nephi, quoting Isaiah, both of whom were Old Testament time period, it clearly does not refer to Christ as someone who is more familiar with the New might assume.
8:17-20 Awake, Awake, stand up, O Jerusalem...thou has drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out--And none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up. Here's an interesting illustration - Jerusalem needs to awake and arise but struggles because none of her sons are around to hold her hand. Who are her sons? Who has she brought up? My first thought was that perhaps Christianity is one of the sons of Judaism, springing as it did from Jerusalem and spreading to the western world. If so, what is our obligation to the state of Israel? Could that be why the state of Israel is consistently supported by the western world despite the clearly superior claims that the Palestinians have to the land?
However, the scripture goes on to list two different sons, which makes me wonder who the other sons could be even more, and pokes holes in my first thought pretty effectively. These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee--thy desolation and destruction, and the fame and the sword--and by whom shall I comfort thee? Thy sons have fainted, save these two; they lie at the head of all the streets; as a wild bull in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. So one son is desolation and destruction, and the other is famine and the sword.
This puts a different spin on who the sons might be. It implies that another son might be happiness and contentment, or increase and prosperity, or righteousness and blessing. But the only two that stuck around are full of fury and represent the rebuke of God, taking us back to an earlier discussion where we questioned whether the things that happened to the Jews after they were scattered among all nations were the continuing punishment of God or whether they were simply the natural consequences of that scattering, mingled with the agency of man, and could potentially have been different. I do not want to revisit that except to mention verse 22, which says, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over--and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over. To me that indicates that the treatment of the Jews post scattering is something the Lord is clearly viewing as an offense, which he will punish.
I want to focus on the other sons. It says of all the sons she hath brought up, these two sons are come unto thee. and Thy sons have fainted, save these two. Applying this to us, indicates that we have the opportunity and ability to bring up a variety of children which can represent our lifestyle. Since these two sons are the only ones to stick around, and they represent the rebuke of the Lord, perhaps they were preceded by the sons Pride and Wickedness. If we want the sons that stick around to be Peace and Happiness, perhaps we need to focus on raising the sons Patience and Gratitude. If we want Success and Prosperity, we probably want to focus our efforts on Work and Frugality. It seems that if we want the lasting children to be Blessings and Peace, our overall focus needs to be on Righteousness so that those children can represent the Blessings of the Lord instead of the Rebuke.
8:17-20 Awake, Awake, stand up, O Jerusalem...thou has drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out--And none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up. Here's an interesting illustration - Jerusalem needs to awake and arise but struggles because none of her sons are around to hold her hand. Who are her sons? Who has she brought up? My first thought was that perhaps Christianity is one of the sons of Judaism, springing as it did from Jerusalem and spreading to the western world. If so, what is our obligation to the state of Israel? Could that be why the state of Israel is consistently supported by the western world despite the clearly superior claims that the Palestinians have to the land?
However, the scripture goes on to list two different sons, which makes me wonder who the other sons could be even more, and pokes holes in my first thought pretty effectively. These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee--thy desolation and destruction, and the fame and the sword--and by whom shall I comfort thee? Thy sons have fainted, save these two; they lie at the head of all the streets; as a wild bull in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. So one son is desolation and destruction, and the other is famine and the sword.
This puts a different spin on who the sons might be. It implies that another son might be happiness and contentment, or increase and prosperity, or righteousness and blessing. But the only two that stuck around are full of fury and represent the rebuke of God, taking us back to an earlier discussion where we questioned whether the things that happened to the Jews after they were scattered among all nations were the continuing punishment of God or whether they were simply the natural consequences of that scattering, mingled with the agency of man, and could potentially have been different. I do not want to revisit that except to mention verse 22, which says, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over--and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over. To me that indicates that the treatment of the Jews post scattering is something the Lord is clearly viewing as an offense, which he will punish.
I want to focus on the other sons. It says of all the sons she hath brought up, these two sons are come unto thee. and Thy sons have fainted, save these two. Applying this to us, indicates that we have the opportunity and ability to bring up a variety of children which can represent our lifestyle. Since these two sons are the only ones to stick around, and they represent the rebuke of the Lord, perhaps they were preceded by the sons Pride and Wickedness. If we want the sons that stick around to be Peace and Happiness, perhaps we need to focus on raising the sons Patience and Gratitude. If we want Success and Prosperity, we probably want to focus our efforts on Work and Frugality. It seems that if we want the lasting children to be Blessings and Peace, our overall focus needs to be on Righteousness so that those children can represent the Blessings of the Lord instead of the Rebuke.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
2 Nephi 7
2 Nephi 7:4,8 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should learn how to speak a word in season unto thee...And the Lord is near, and he justifieth me. Who will contend with me?...Let him come near me, and I will smite him with the strength of my mouth. This is an interesting thought, that either Isaiah or Christ (Isaiah could be speaking messianically at this point--several of the scriptures in between 4 and 8 are clearly references to Christ I gave my back to the smiter, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back etc, although both of those verses could also be applied to Isaiah), one of them is basically saying, bring it on and I will destroy you with words. There is a verse somewhere in the old testament that says, He strengthens my arms to war that a bow of bronze is broken by my hands (or something similar). That one implies physical strength while this reference is clearly talking about rhetoric.
7:10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkess and hath no light? This is a great question: who loves the lord while walking in darkness? No one. You either love the Lord or you walk in darkness because if you love him, you keep his commandments, which means no walking in darkness.
2 Nephi 8:6-8 This one will take a minute to explain; Isaiah says, everybody on the whole earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner and then says that God's people should fear not the reproach of men because the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them up like wool but he just said that would happen to everybody! So he starts off by saying, everybody's gonna die, so don't be afraid of the wicked people, because they're going to die. But what? so are you, which we know, but what how is the fact that the wicked die supposed to change your mindset about their actions toward you? Perhaps it is supposed to remind you that there is no need for petty vengeance or anger at physical actions because eventually that person will die and then you'll both get what you deserve.
7:10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkess and hath no light? This is a great question: who loves the lord while walking in darkness? No one. You either love the Lord or you walk in darkness because if you love him, you keep his commandments, which means no walking in darkness.
2 Nephi 8:6-8 This one will take a minute to explain; Isaiah says, everybody on the whole earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner and then says that God's people should fear not the reproach of men because the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them up like wool but he just said that would happen to everybody! So he starts off by saying, everybody's gonna die, so don't be afraid of the wicked people, because they're going to die. But what? so are you, which we know, but what how is the fact that the wicked die supposed to change your mindset about their actions toward you? Perhaps it is supposed to remind you that there is no need for petty vengeance or anger at physical actions because eventually that person will die and then you'll both get what you deserve.
Friday, January 28, 2011
2 Nephi 6
2 Nephi 6:4 And they are the words which my brother has desired that I should speak unto you. Was Jacob here, trying to bolster his authority or add weight to his words by saying, "Nephi also thinks this is important"? Or was he saying it in the way a high councilor says, "This is what the Stake Presidency has asked me to focus on"?
6:5 They may be likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel." This is interesting: he doesn't say they are actually about you because you are of the house of Israel, bur they can be likened unto you. Am I misunderstanding what he means by liken? Probably. Except he then goes on to talk about the scattering and returning of the Jewish nation, still inhabiting the area known as Israel.
Additionally, how many of the prophesies regarding the children of Israel are actually, as we are also (either through literal descent or adoption) of the house of Israel?
6:9 They should return again...and...the Holy One of Israel should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; This just made me think and question when the kings should be the nursing mothers and fathers. I had always read that to be a prophesy focused on the second coming and the literal gathering of Israel, not the return of the tribe of Judah from Babylonian captivity, as this seems to be saying. If I'm understanding Jacob's commentary, he's saying that they get scattered, and then they return (with kings and queens as nursing parents), and then Christ appears to them and they get smitten and afflicted.
6:10 And after they have hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel, behold, the judgments of the Holy One of Israel shall come upon them. And the day cometh that they shall be smitten and afflicted. Were the jews persecuted for thousands of years because they crucified Christ? Was their treatment throughout Europe throughout the dark ages a punishment from God or natural animosity toward foreign businessmen? Is there any chance that this scripture is saying that the Holocaust was a punishment for two thousand year old choices? I think not. I think the scattering that occurred for hundreds of years may be attributed to that, but I think that he prophesy is focused on "scattered" and "gathered." What happens in between isn't part of the punishment.
6:13 For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. This is interesting, because currently the Jews say that Jesus was not the Messiah because he failed to fulfill some of Isaiah's prophecies - a very valid argument - and so they are still waiting for someone who will meet the criteria and prove himself to be the promised Messiah. We (conveniently) accept Jesus as the Christ, despite those unfulfilled prophecies, by saying that he'll fulfill the rest the next time he shows up. If I were looking for a man behind the curtain, I would start pointing.
6:5 They may be likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel." This is interesting: he doesn't say they are actually about you because you are of the house of Israel, bur they can be likened unto you. Am I misunderstanding what he means by liken? Probably. Except he then goes on to talk about the scattering and returning of the Jewish nation, still inhabiting the area known as Israel.
Additionally, how many of the prophesies regarding the children of Israel are actually, as we are also (either through literal descent or adoption) of the house of Israel?
6:9 They should return again...and...the Holy One of Israel should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; This just made me think and question when the kings should be the nursing mothers and fathers. I had always read that to be a prophesy focused on the second coming and the literal gathering of Israel, not the return of the tribe of Judah from Babylonian captivity, as this seems to be saying. If I'm understanding Jacob's commentary, he's saying that they get scattered, and then they return (with kings and queens as nursing parents), and then Christ appears to them and they get smitten and afflicted.
6:10 And after they have hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel, behold, the judgments of the Holy One of Israel shall come upon them. And the day cometh that they shall be smitten and afflicted. Were the jews persecuted for thousands of years because they crucified Christ? Was their treatment throughout Europe throughout the dark ages a punishment from God or natural animosity toward foreign businessmen? Is there any chance that this scripture is saying that the Holocaust was a punishment for two thousand year old choices? I think not. I think the scattering that occurred for hundreds of years may be attributed to that, but I think that he prophesy is focused on "scattered" and "gathered." What happens in between isn't part of the punishment.
6:13 For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. This is interesting, because currently the Jews say that Jesus was not the Messiah because he failed to fulfill some of Isaiah's prophecies - a very valid argument - and so they are still waiting for someone who will meet the criteria and prove himself to be the promised Messiah. We (conveniently) accept Jesus as the Christ, despite those unfulfilled prophecies, by saying that he'll fulfill the rest the next time he shows up. If I were looking for a man behind the curtain, I would start pointing.
Friday, January 21, 2011
1 Nephi 5
1 Niphi 5:5 I should depart from them and flee into the wilderness. Did they sneak off in the middle of the night? or were things not quite to that point? perhaps he actually went to them and said, "Hey, guys, I'm thinking about taking off. I can tell I'm not really wanted around here, so I'll just go." I doubt it - or he'd never have gotten away with the plates of brass, sword of laban, and all the rest of the people. If Laman and Lemuel were actually power-hungry, they wouldn't want to lose any of their subjects.
5: 6 I did take my family...Zoram...Sam...Jacob and Joseph...my sisters and all those who would go with me. This is the part that makes the sneak off look less likely. He took all these people and their families, leaving Laman and Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, and their families, minus anybody from those families who wanted to go with him.
Unless they had moved in with some indigenous peoples, there wasn't really a whole lot of people who stayed behind. And how would you give everyone the option if you kept it a secret? So it may well have been a real slap in the face to Laman and Lemuel to go from, "we're going to kill Nephi" to standing on the playground like two team captains, only you don't pick which players are on your team, the players pick and the captain with the most team members wins. Nephi clearly won in this case. It makes the traditions handed down to Lamoni about the Nephites a little more believable - it makes sense that they would have told the few who remained with them that Nephi had lied, stolen stuff that was rightfully theirs, and perpetuated that until Ammon's time.
5:14 Nephi did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords. Has anyone found steel swords in the Americas? How does a society go from great steel swords to sticks with rocks in the sides?
5: 6 I did take my family...Zoram...Sam...Jacob and Joseph...my sisters and all those who would go with me. This is the part that makes the sneak off look less likely. He took all these people and their families, leaving Laman and Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, and their families, minus anybody from those families who wanted to go with him.
Unless they had moved in with some indigenous peoples, there wasn't really a whole lot of people who stayed behind. And how would you give everyone the option if you kept it a secret? So it may well have been a real slap in the face to Laman and Lemuel to go from, "we're going to kill Nephi" to standing on the playground like two team captains, only you don't pick which players are on your team, the players pick and the captain with the most team members wins. Nephi clearly won in this case. It makes the traditions handed down to Lamoni about the Nephites a little more believable - it makes sense that they would have told the few who remained with them that Nephi had lied, stolen stuff that was rightfully theirs, and perpetuated that until Ammon's time.
5:14 Nephi did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords. Has anyone found steel swords in the Americas? How does a society go from great steel swords to sticks with rocks in the sides?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
1 Nephi 4 (Part II)
Nephi's psalm follows the following format:
Testimony of Scripture
Shame
Affirmation of faith
Recital of blessings
Affirmation of personal effort
Recital of blessings
Sorrow for vaguely specific sins (in the form of questioning why would I do that)
Injunction to self to cease sinning
Request that the Lord bless anew
Testimony
How would mine go, following the same format?
The stories of the prophets have always spoken to me; I read about their experiences and feel inspired and motivated, particularly the prophet Elijah. His trials as a man alone, deprived of human companionship, and more particularly not having others of his nature and familiarity with the scriptures, the spirit, and God make me sad for him.
He had the kind of faith that it must take a lifetime to attain; he called down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice in the midst of his enemies. When he was alone on the mountain, he remained faithful.
Why do I find that my moments of greatest weakness come when I am alone? When I do not have others around me to help me make the right choice, I am weak. I act like I am strong but I fail and sin, knowing full well that it is so.
And yet I know that God loves me. I feel his love, and have felt his love throughout my life. He has guided my choices, he has given me both spiritual light and worldly success. I have been spared from suffering and pain and have been greatly blessed, both materially and spiritually. Even in times when I feel like a failure I have felt the presence of his spirit and its overpowering affirmation that my life is following a course that God approves of.
I have found joy in my family, and have felt the wonder of creation through the miracle of my children's births. I have seen the power of God in their eyes and in their souls. I have been guided in the choices I have made and have often acted without knowing the blessing until after. I have felt the spirit so powerfully that I can stand and say I KNOW that God loves me. I know he blesses me. I know that his love extends to all who serve him, and also to those who fail.
And why do I fall? Why am I the one who knows by personal experience that God loves even the fallen? Why do I neglect the many blessings that God has given me to seek other paths? Why am I unable to live up to the standards that my family deserves? Why do I feel anger at my family? Why do I lack patience? Why does my focus leave the circle of my home for personal interests that have no place therein? How do I forget the feelings of joy the spirit brings?
Find strength, oh my soul! Remember the spirit is more powerful than the flesh! Tame thy body to do the will of the Lord. I will no longer droop in sin. I will exercise the self discipline to love and serve my family and the Lord with full purpose of heart. Keep bright in memory the feelings of the spirit and strive to experience new spiritual events regularly. Love my wife with my whole soul, and leave no room for anger, frustration, or impatience. Love my children and exercise restraint in discipline and release the bowels of my love toward them. Repent of my sins and seek the Lord early. I will arise from my bed in the dark hours of morning to seek his face in his holy temple. Oh my soul, find strength! Find courage!
O Lord, wilt thou forgive me of my failings? Wilt thou instill in me an unfailing desire to tread in thy ways? Wilt thou rebuke the devourer for my sake and for thy name's sake? Bless my soul with the strength of Elijah that in my solitude I may seek thy face and in public I may exhibit courage undeniable. Wilt thou empower my soul with courage and strength, discipline and control that I may overcome the failings of my flesh and the weaknesses which beset me? O Lord, I thank thee for thy loving guidance and kindness and everlasating mercy and patience and the powerful influence of thy spirit which has overshadowed my life and blessed my actions, often unbeknownst to me. Thy hand hath guided my life and my course hath followed thy path. I have seen the power of thy love and desire to always dwell in thy holy house. Make of my home a haven on earth wherein my children may dwell in love and learning and the power and glory of the Lord. Bless my children with strenght and power. Bless the with a sure knowledge of thy love and thy long-suffering towards them, and towards me, worthless creature that I am. Give them confidence toward thee, that their self worth be not defined by the vagaries of unfaithful friends whose standards are not thine. Give them friends who will uplift and encourage them in the paths of righteousness and make of them such friends for others. Bless their eyes and their hearts to see the good and to avoid the evil. Bless me that I will be an example to them.
For I know indeed that thou sentest them to me and that my life is thine to do with as thou wilt. I know that the blessings in my life are thine as well, and I render to thee the sacrifice of my soul. I ask thee to distil thy spirit upon my soul and to give me strength to overcome the flesh. The sacrifice of thy son makes possible this prayer unto thee and I thank thee for evermore for the atoning blood of thy son, whose love and compassion and mercy make possible my repentance and through whose sacrifice I am able to feel the spirit and rejoice despite my sins. Bless me, o Lord; I will praise thy name forever, Amen.
Testimony of Scripture
Shame
Affirmation of faith
Recital of blessings
Affirmation of personal effort
Recital of blessings
Sorrow for vaguely specific sins (in the form of questioning why would I do that)
Injunction to self to cease sinning
Request that the Lord bless anew
Testimony
How would mine go, following the same format?
The stories of the prophets have always spoken to me; I read about their experiences and feel inspired and motivated, particularly the prophet Elijah. His trials as a man alone, deprived of human companionship, and more particularly not having others of his nature and familiarity with the scriptures, the spirit, and God make me sad for him.
He had the kind of faith that it must take a lifetime to attain; he called down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice in the midst of his enemies. When he was alone on the mountain, he remained faithful.
Why do I find that my moments of greatest weakness come when I am alone? When I do not have others around me to help me make the right choice, I am weak. I act like I am strong but I fail and sin, knowing full well that it is so.
And yet I know that God loves me. I feel his love, and have felt his love throughout my life. He has guided my choices, he has given me both spiritual light and worldly success. I have been spared from suffering and pain and have been greatly blessed, both materially and spiritually. Even in times when I feel like a failure I have felt the presence of his spirit and its overpowering affirmation that my life is following a course that God approves of.
I have found joy in my family, and have felt the wonder of creation through the miracle of my children's births. I have seen the power of God in their eyes and in their souls. I have been guided in the choices I have made and have often acted without knowing the blessing until after. I have felt the spirit so powerfully that I can stand and say I KNOW that God loves me. I know he blesses me. I know that his love extends to all who serve him, and also to those who fail.
And why do I fall? Why am I the one who knows by personal experience that God loves even the fallen? Why do I neglect the many blessings that God has given me to seek other paths? Why am I unable to live up to the standards that my family deserves? Why do I feel anger at my family? Why do I lack patience? Why does my focus leave the circle of my home for personal interests that have no place therein? How do I forget the feelings of joy the spirit brings?
Find strength, oh my soul! Remember the spirit is more powerful than the flesh! Tame thy body to do the will of the Lord. I will no longer droop in sin. I will exercise the self discipline to love and serve my family and the Lord with full purpose of heart. Keep bright in memory the feelings of the spirit and strive to experience new spiritual events regularly. Love my wife with my whole soul, and leave no room for anger, frustration, or impatience. Love my children and exercise restraint in discipline and release the bowels of my love toward them. Repent of my sins and seek the Lord early. I will arise from my bed in the dark hours of morning to seek his face in his holy temple. Oh my soul, find strength! Find courage!
O Lord, wilt thou forgive me of my failings? Wilt thou instill in me an unfailing desire to tread in thy ways? Wilt thou rebuke the devourer for my sake and for thy name's sake? Bless my soul with the strength of Elijah that in my solitude I may seek thy face and in public I may exhibit courage undeniable. Wilt thou empower my soul with courage and strength, discipline and control that I may overcome the failings of my flesh and the weaknesses which beset me? O Lord, I thank thee for thy loving guidance and kindness and everlasating mercy and patience and the powerful influence of thy spirit which has overshadowed my life and blessed my actions, often unbeknownst to me. Thy hand hath guided my life and my course hath followed thy path. I have seen the power of thy love and desire to always dwell in thy holy house. Make of my home a haven on earth wherein my children may dwell in love and learning and the power and glory of the Lord. Bless my children with strenght and power. Bless the with a sure knowledge of thy love and thy long-suffering towards them, and towards me, worthless creature that I am. Give them confidence toward thee, that their self worth be not defined by the vagaries of unfaithful friends whose standards are not thine. Give them friends who will uplift and encourage them in the paths of righteousness and make of them such friends for others. Bless their eyes and their hearts to see the good and to avoid the evil. Bless me that I will be an example to them.
For I know indeed that thou sentest them to me and that my life is thine to do with as thou wilt. I know that the blessings in my life are thine as well, and I render to thee the sacrifice of my soul. I ask thee to distil thy spirit upon my soul and to give me strength to overcome the flesh. The sacrifice of thy son makes possible this prayer unto thee and I thank thee for evermore for the atoning blood of thy son, whose love and compassion and mercy make possible my repentance and through whose sacrifice I am able to feel the spirit and rejoice despite my sins. Bless me, o Lord; I will praise thy name forever, Amen.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
1 Nephi 4
1 Ne 4:2 And the prophesies which he wrote, there are not many greater. Speaking of Joseph, who was taken into Egypt. What makes prophesy "great"? I suppose it could be the number of people it impacts. It could also be the level of involvement with Christ, although if that's the criterion, the prophesies he is referencing probably don't meet it - they're supposed to be about his seed. Maybe he just meant they were pretty specific to him and he mean that there were not many that more specifically involved him.
4:5 For Behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will no depart from it. This one has always bothered me a little. For one thing, it places blame for children's behavior entirely on teh parents and their parenting. For another, if you had to pick the best parent ever, who would it be? Lehi? Apparently not: he had two kids fall away while he was still alive. Abraham? Ishmael didn't turn out so well, did he? Joseph? Maybe, but I'd put my money on Heavenly Father himself as the paragon of fatherhood. I think it is fair to say that he brought up his spirit children in the way [they] should go and yet one third of them decided to depart from it.
Also, Lehi here is ignoring his own failures as as parent when he makes this affirmation. If it is true that he knows it, then it implies that he did not bring up Laman and Lemuel in the way they shoal go and if it is not true, then why is he taking the cursing from Laman and Lemuel's kids and putting it on Laman and Lemuel? He's the one who should get the curse. Either it's not true or he should be cursing himself and apologizing to L&L, not adding to their cursing. My vote is not true.
4:5 For Behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will no depart from it. This one has always bothered me a little. For one thing, it places blame for children's behavior entirely on teh parents and their parenting. For another, if you had to pick the best parent ever, who would it be? Lehi? Apparently not: he had two kids fall away while he was still alive. Abraham? Ishmael didn't turn out so well, did he? Joseph? Maybe, but I'd put my money on Heavenly Father himself as the paragon of fatherhood. I think it is fair to say that he brought up his spirit children in the way [they] should go and yet one third of them decided to depart from it.
Also, Lehi here is ignoring his own failures as as parent when he makes this affirmation. If it is true that he knows it, then it implies that he did not bring up Laman and Lemuel in the way they shoal go and if it is not true, then why is he taking the cursing from Laman and Lemuel's kids and putting it on Laman and Lemuel? He's the one who should get the curse. Either it's not true or he should be cursing himself and apologizing to L&L, not adding to their cursing. My vote is not true.
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