The Plain and Precious Things

As I've read through 1Nephi 13, I have wondered, “what are the plain and precious things which were removed from the Bible?” You can't tell from just reading the Bible because you don't know what isn't there that should be, so how do you tell? The Book of Mormon helps, but it's still not a clear voice on what is missing. While I was pondering on this a couple of days ago, I came across a lecture by Hugh Nibley which he gave in 1964 at BYU. It does give some interesting insights. Here is a link to an MP3 audio of the lecture. Here's the print version.

In it, Bro. Nibley said the scrolls of Qumran and the books of Nag Hammadi Library give the answer to that question. The Dead Sea Scrolls as the scrolls of Qumran are also known, were written and collected by residents of a small community known today as "Khirbet Qumran". While it is not known for certain which religious sect they were, most think they were Essenes: they were Jews. They taught the Jews at Jerusalem were in a state of apostasy, so they were trying to get back to a more pure adherence to Jewish law and scripture. 

The residents of Nag Hammadi were Christians. It is located in Egypt on the Nile River about fifty miles north of Luxor. The documents in question are dated from about the first to fourth century after Christ.

What Bro. Nibley did is compare what was taught in the texts from these sites with what we have in the Bible today. He identified at least these four things:

1. The doctrine of literal resurrection of the body after death and marriage that transcends death. While Paul touches on it in 1 Corinthians 15, and the Savior often refers to Himself as the "resurrection and the life," the people of Nag Hammadi taught the doctrine much more clearly. They were branded by the church at Rome as heretics for this and other teachings.

2. The coming apostasy and loss of God's authority. According the Nibley, the people at Nag Hammadi were branded as heretics by the church in Rome for their beliefs. Nibley said they "buried" their records, as the people of Qumran did, in anticipation of a time when those records would be valued again. The Book of Mormon has its own version of this tragic loss of priesthood authority. Here we have two witnesses separated by vast distances of the same event.

3. The Savior’s post-mortal ministry (40 days) to the Jews at Jerusalem. I found this particularly interesting. The account Nibley cites gives additional insight into the Nephite's request to do for them what the Savior did in Jerusalem. See 3 Nephi 17:12-24. There's no way Joseph Smith knew of this in 1829, yet the close parallel is striking, even breathtaking.

4.    The "Church of Anticipation," or a group of people who were expecting a soul saving Messiah as opposed to a militaristic Messiah who would free Israel from bondage. This was the whole focus of the community at Qumran. The Bible doesn't mention any such thing, but that's the dominant theme of the Book of Mormon: a people looking forward to the coming Savior and His atonement for them. The community of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls are a clear Old World validation of this premise.

He touches on more than these items, but it is enough for me to answer the question: "what was taken out?"

Lehi's Flight into the Desert

It's been said, "context is everything." What this means is when the context of an event is understood, you better comprehend what has happened. Which in turn gives you additional insights that can completely alter your perception of the event.

As an example, if a headline says "16 year old shoots and kills an older man" Your first read of that will likely lead you to think the 16-year old has committed a felony. But when the context comes to light that the "older" man is 22, and had already fatally stabbed the 16-year old's friend with a knife and was now attacking her with the same knife, you see it as a justifiable act of self-defense. The headline was true as far as it went, but the context changes your understanding of what happened: it's no longer a felony but a justified act of self-defense. 

Along similar lines, a lot of archeological research and field work that has been done in recent decades give a lot more context to us about Lehi's flight into the desert. This gives corresponding new appreciation for the faith of this great prophet.

This is what the Book of Mormon, teaches us about Lehi:

1. He lived in Jerusalem.

2. He is a member of the tribe of Manasseh.

3. He had access to his lands of inheritance.

4. His son, Nephi, was a highly skilled metalsmith and scribe.

5. He faithfully warned the people of Jerusalem as God had commanded him to do. For that, his life was threatened to the point the Lord commanded him to flee from Jerusalem.

This blog entry will touch the highlights of the additional context which is now available to us.  They include:

1. Lehi’s (great?) grandparents were refugees who fled to Jerusalem when the capital city of the Northern Kingdom, Samaria, was conquered in ~723 BC.

2. Their lands of inheritance were to the west of the Jordan River and they had a written title to their land. That title to the land had been handed down from generation to generation before it came into his possession. It would have been of no value until the reign of King Josiah when the Assyrians withdrew from the land. Once they were gone, it restored his claim to the land. The Samaritans who actually lived on the land would’ve owed him rent to farm it and to stay there.

3. In Lehi’s time, trades were passed from father to son.

4. As the descendant of refugees, with no tribal lands to farm, Lehi, like his fathers before him, learned a trade to earn a living. That trade was likely metal-smithing, which we have now learned was a highly regarded skill.

5. Lehi may have been the one who taught Nephi to write. But Nephi’s use of a classic Egyptian colophon to introduce his writing implies formal scribal training. Lehi was wealthy enough to afford sending his sons to school.

6. Lehi lived in a house with his family in Jerusalem in an upscale area known as the Mishneh. He probably did not live on the land of his inheritance, but rather rented it to Samaritan farmers. 

7. Given his craft as a metalsmith, he probably traveled to Timna for ores which he needed for his business. (Timna is mining town south of Jerusalem on the road to modern day Aqaba, Lehi’s jumping off point into the wilderness.) Because of his trips there, he was acquainted with the route and experienced at living in tents.

8. Lehi was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Urijah the prophets. He was probably aware of Urijah’s fate of being extradited from Egypt back to Jerusalem and his eventual execution.

9. At the time he fled from Jerusalem, no route but south was safe: to the north was Assyria, to the East was Ammon and Moab who were hostile to Judah at the time, to the West was the ocean. As explained above, Egypt was no refuge. That left the Frankincense trail into Arabia as the only safe route out of town. It was a daunting and dangerous trail even for experienced caravaners, let alone women and children accustomed to life in a city.

10. He probably had time to plan his departure from Jerusalem. He had time to take his riches and hide them in his land of inheritance. He had time to buy supplies and arrange for camels with which to ride into the Arabian wilderness.

There are more things which could be brought up, but this is enough for now. I’ll elaborate on some of these in future entries. I need to give credit to people like Jeff Chadwick, Margaret Barker, John Tvedtnes, John Welch, Arnie Greene, Daniel Peterson and many others who are the real scholars behind what I've written here. What I have written is my opinion, but it draws on their research. I’ll cite their works when I go into greater detail on these points.

The Adventure Resumes

 I have a copy of Royal Skousen's seminal work, The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text. (A link to the book on Amazon is below.) I continue to read the Book of Mormon daily. I recently finished my latest read through. This next time, I've decided to read, not the standard edition printed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the version in Skousen's book. Unlike previous read-throughs I feel like sharing my insights this time through on this blog. There may be some repetition of comments, but there will be a different focus this time around. Rather than writing with an apologetic voice, I plan on writing with an affirmative voice and such insights as I feel to share.

I've been doing this for a few days now, so here are my thoughts for what I've read so far. I hope you find some value in what I share here.

Regards,

Ken Cluff

Zedekiah, King of Judah

I read an article about the Savior’s birth and when Lehi really left Jerusalem that doesn’t exactly conform to the Sunday School version of events. This different version rings true to me, even though it’s a bit different.

Most historians today think King Herod the Great died in 4 BC given the association of his death with a lunar eclipse near that time. If so, then the Savior’s birth, since he was born before Herod’s death had to be earlier than 0 BC. Years earlier. 

With that being the case, it presents an opening for critics and skeptics to claim the Book of Mormon can’t be true because its account doesn’t support the actual history. I don’t think it does though and here’s why. According to Jeff Chadwick, Jews considered Zedekiah to be the legitimate heir to the throneupon the death of his father Josiah and the disappearance of his older brother Jehoahaz. They were murdered by the Egyptians, archeologist think in about 609 BCE. He argues the Jews of that day considered him king even though Jehoiachim was installed as king by the Egyptians. It wasn’t until much later when Zedikiah was made king by the Babylonians.

With this view of history, it’s easy to have Lehi leave Jerusalem 600 years before the Savior’s birth. There’s a four year window in which that could occur and still have the timelines work. What it also means is that Lehi may have spent a lot more time preaching in Jerusalem than we might have assumed... years even.

For me, it’s an easier nuance to swallow than the alternative theory of shorter “years” some argue the Nephites used to make a 600 year interval between Zedekiah was made king and the Savior’s birth.

Dating the Departure of Lehi from Jerusalem

Dating the birth of Christ

The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text - Amazon

The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text - Barnes and Noble

The Safe Way Forward

We live in a time of extraordinary civil unrest and turmoil. It’s unsettling. As responsible parents and individuals this uncertainty makes it hard to plan and live our lives. The questions on our minds are, “where do I find the honest answers to these questions?” “How can I know for sure what I should be doing in response to events of our day?”

Trying to figure out what the facts are is difficult. It’s a given social media is agenda driven. If you want to listen to an echo chamber, you need look no further. But if you want a more informed source of information where do you turn?

It used to be people could turn to the news to get information about people and events. But not today. People on both sides of the issues have little confidence in new agencies. Democrats (Liberals and Progressives) consider Fox News, most of talk radio, and a few newspapers to be shills for the President.

Republicans (Conservatives and Libertarians) view the “MSM,” the “Main Stream Media,” most cable news outlets and most newspapers as little more than propaganda organs for the DNC. Their credibility is so stained, even the President mocks them with the moniker “fake news.” 

Regardless of your political leanings, the reality is news organizations today have overt agendas. Having one is nothing new: the “voice” of a news organization has always been either the owner or publisher. If the publisher wanted something said, the news organization would say it. But, years ago, reputable news agencies enforced a discernible boundary between news and opinion. Today's advocacy journalism has blurred that boundary to the point of nonexistence. Advertising and agendas, not truth, drive the news cycle. As evidence for this, I offer Andrew Sullivan’s blistering departure letter from the New York Magazine. It’s also the root cause of the enormous libel settlements several formerly reputable news organizations are paying Nicolas Sandmann. Click bait headlines is more evidence that this behavior is pervasive in the industry.

So, in the midst of this war of ideas where a tumult of opinions masquerade as news, where can you find the truth about events of our day? There is only one answer. It’s the same one people of all generations have had: personal revelation. President Nelson urged members to develop a greater ability to receive personal revelation from God. The seminal scripture which started the Restoration, James 1:5 doesn’t limit what a person may ask of God. It states: “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.”

President Nelson also said, “good information leads to good revelation.” The Doctrine and Covenants, tells us to “study it out in your mind, then ask.” Moroni promises, “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” So the promise for an answer is there. But, you must ask in humility and with the understanding the Lord will tailor His answer, whatever it is, to your personal needs. 

Of the few instances where I’ve heard of people asking these very sort of questions, the answers were rarely, “this guy is right while that guy is wrong.” In one case, the answer was, “don’t worry about it. Let it go.” In another it was, “it’s not needful that you know.” For another, the answer was, “this is something you must be more involved in.” And another was insight into the concepts Heavenly Father thinks are relevant and correct for the situation, an insight incidentally which had little to do with the person’s original question.

The common theme through all the answers is the Lord saying: “have faith in Me. I will take care of you and deal with those things outside your sphere of influence.” The scriptures give clear examples of how different those answers can be. Alma the Younger’s answer was to preach the Gospel. For a time, both Mormon and Ether's was to stand as an idle witness: to do nothing. In contrast, Abinadi's was stand as a bold witness, even though it cost him his life doing so.

There will also be times your preconceptions and emotional state will obscure clear answers. Consider Lehi’s and Nephi’s understanding of the river of water in their respective visions of the Tree of Life. Lehi’s anxieties for his sons' welfare blinded him to the water’s filthiness which Nephi saw. 

The lesson of the perfecting of the Olive vineyard in Zenos’ vision in Jacob chapter five is also instructive. In that vision, the perfection of the vineyard was an iterative process. The Lord removed the most wicked first. As righteousness increased, He removed the worst remaining fruit. The Lord repeated this process  until He finished. Your answers will change over time too, depending on where you are on your personal path of discipleship.

So, ask the Lord to learn what you should do. But do so with humility for He may answer your question with “No,” or with an answer you are not expecting. The thing to remember is to ask in faith then hearken to the answer you get. That is the safe way through these days.

The Chiasmus that is 1 Nephi

I’ve mentioned in the past about the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. I’m not a meticulous or careful enough scholar to find these by myself. Rather I’m borrowing and presenting the work of John Welch. So, this entry is not the result of my work but that of Bro. Welch. I present it here, because it’s fascinating to me and is one more piece of evidence of the Book of Mormon’s antiquity.
A chiasmus is a Hebraic literary art form, much like a sonnet is an English literary art form. Like a sonnet, a chiasmus has a clear set of rules which the work must conform to, to be labeled as such. Where sonnets have a set meter and rhyming pattern, a chiasmus must follow a specific structure and order of meanings and expressions. Rather than rhyme, a chiasmus has a set order for its structure.
This is the chiastic structure:
A
    B
        C
    B’
A’

In this structure, A and A’ say the same thing with slight variations in nuance, often using the same words such that read together they carry more meaning than if read alone.
In the same way, B and B’ do the same thing. But they build on A and A’ to the apex statement C, which is the heart of the expression. For a further exploration into what a chiasmus is, I suggest you read this article by Bro. Welch.
What I wanted to write about is this: 1 Nephi is written as a large chiasmus. While it was taken from the records Nephi wrote, it was something which took him a considerable amount of time to read and produce. It is far more complex than it seems when you simply read it through. Here is the chiastic structure of 1 Nephi:
A.    1 Nephi 1 - Lehi’s dream which is a warning to the Jews.
  B. 1 Nephi 2 - Lehi’s departure from Jerusalem for the Promised Land
    C. 1 Nephi 3-5 - Nephi performs a great feat with the help of his brothers in getting the Brass Plates from Laban. God intervenes to complete the assignment.
      D. 1 Nephi 7 - Ishmael joins the group with his family
        E. 1 Nephi 8 - Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life
          F. 1 Nephi 10 - Lehi’s prophecy of the coming of the Messiah to the Jews.
             G. 1 Nephi 11 - Nephi’s encounter with the Spirit of the Lord and his testimony of Christ, the Messiah
          F’. 1 Nephi 12 - Nephi’s prophecy of Jesus coming to his descendants
         E’. 1 Nephi 15 - Nephi’s interpretation of his vision of the Tree of Life
       D’. 1 Nephi 16 - The marriages of Ishmael’s daughters to Lehi’s sons and the death of Ishmael
     C’. 1 Nephi 17 - Nephi performs a great feat with the help of his brothers in building the boat. God intervenes to protect Nephi from his brothers.
   B’.  1 Nephi 18 - Nephi’s departure from the Old World and arrival in the Land of Promise.
A’. 1 Nephi 19-22 - Nephi warns the Jews

What I find particularly interesting is the apex is the testimony of the mission of Jesus Christ. Ever after in the Book of Mormon, the Savior is referred to as Christ by the Nephites. Up until this point, Lehi’s group were Jews looking for the coming of the Messiah. Afterwords, they were Christians.

The Warning of Fourth Nephi

While it’s a recurring theme throughout the Book of Mormon, Fourth Nephi stands as a stark witness to the fact anyone can fall from grace. Anyone. Doesn’t matter how “far along” the path you are or how long you’ve been eating the fruit of the tree Lehi saw, if you become complacent, you can fall. Or perhaps in our world… you will.

The scope of the Book of Mormon applies to societies and individuals. Read at the personal level, you see how by degrees people fade or fall away. The divergence is small to begin with, barely noticeable even. Yet it grows over time not only in the amount of separation caused by the different tracks, but the rate divergence increases over time too, like a hyperbolic arc.

For a long time, things appear normal, then BOOM! In an instant as it were the differences manifest in behavior which surprises most.

I think that principle can be applied to not only our testimonies, but to relationships. They need to be fed constantly. They need to be treated like the special things they are every day. It doesn’t take much, but it takes some effort, a little each day.

Helaman 1 - Humanity on Display

This chapter has human nature on display for all to see. My time in the Air Force showed me most military planners prepare to fight the last war. Not only generals and admirals, but also politicians (especially so) and defense contractors are prone to this. The people who change the face of warfare are the underdogs who are so desperate to win, they'll fight in a way no one expects.

When Russia invaded Afghanistan, its tactics were based completely upon how they beat the Germans in WW2. They couldn't deal with anti-tank and shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. The US Navy is still committed to aircraftcarriers because that's how they won the war in the Pacific. But cruise missiles are a daunting challenge for them.

This trait even happens in Helaman. Moronihah believed the Lamanites would attack just like they did when his father was in command. Only they didn't and as a result, the City of Zarahemlah fell to the Lamanites.

The Lamanites, thought the key to victory was the shields, protective garments, and weapons of the Nephites. Divine aid was something they couldn't grasp or imagine. So, while they capture Zarahemlah they still lost big by getting themselves surrounded. The armor and weapons they'd put so much trust in didn't help them at all.

It's vignettes like this which are so unerringly accurate in showing the humanity of the good guys that lead me to the conclusion, this book is not made up. Tolstoy maybe could have pulled it off. Joseph couldn't.

Alma 36-38 - Letters to Helaman and Shiblon

This section of the Book of Mormon contains some of the most personal writing in the entire work. Only the letters of Mormon to his son Moroni evoke a stronger sense of love and poignancy. Also contained in this passage is THE chiasmus of the entire Book of Mormon, Alma 36.

These are not letters dashed off in a moment. They are instead, works of literary art Alma spent hours crafting. His intent wasn’t to write something beautiful and instructive, though they are. He wrote them to bare the most powerful witness he could to the reality of Jesus Christ and the events surrounding his conversion. While you can read them quickly in a few minutes and get something out of them. If you spend time pondering this passage and getting lost in the artistic beauty of the work, you’ll learn so much more.

To delve further into the literary artistry is beyond the time and space I can take here. If you’re interested here are a couple of links to much more detailed examinations of the chiasmus: Chiasmus in Alma 36, A Masterpiece: Alma 36

Also in this passage, Alma retells his conversion to his sons Helaman and Shiblon. He also hands over to Helaman custody of the plates, including instructions about what not to say of the Jaredite record. Contained in it is one of my favorite scriptures, Alma 37:37

“Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings,
and He will direct thee for good.

     Yea, when thou liest down at night,
    lie down unto the Lord,

        that He may watch over you in your sleep.

    And when thou risest in the morning,
    let thy heart be full of thanks unto God.

And if ye always do these things,
ye shall be lifted up at the last day.”

A quick word to the observant, the punctuation here is not what is found in the current printing of the book, but what exists in Royal Skousen’s work, “The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text.” I’ve presented it pretty much as it appears in that work, though I’ve marked the parallels with the indentations to make them easier to see. I did it so you can see Alma's use of parallelism to enhance the meaning of the passage. As you compare each level against its counterpart, you'll get a deeper meaning of what Alma is trying to say. This is just a taste of the literary artistry in this passage. Reading Skousen's version will increase your appreciation for the Book of Mormon and show in a compelling way, this is not the work of an Upstate New York farmer of 1829.

Alma - 5 - A PPI with the Savior

Alma Chapter Five is one of my favorites in the Book of Mormon. A friend once observed it is a type and shadow of the interview you’ll have with the Savior after this life. I’m inclined to agree. That said, there are books worth of material discussed in this chapter. (Have you noticed I say that a lot?) The Book of Mormon is doctrinally dense. It’s like the oriental game “Go” I watched old men playing in Korea: the rules are simple, but mastery takes a lifetime. It can be read in a day almost, but mastering it will take years, even decades.

That said, this time through a couple passages stood out to me. The first is verse seven where Alma tells how the Lord saved the people of Noah. As I pondered that, I realized we all are, to different degrees, in spiritual darkness. His saving them is a testament to us that no matter where we are, the Lord can reach us too.

I also was touched by verses 45-47 where Alma teaches that he knew the truth of all that he’d taught because he’d learned for himself they were true. By fasting and prayer, he’d come to know the truthfulness of what he taught. Here is a person who’d seen the Savior and Heavenly Father in an unforgettable vision which changed his life. Despite this, or more accurately, besides this, he’d devoted a lifetime to studying the scriptures, prayer and fasting. And through these actions, the Holy Spirit had taught him the truth of these things.

He paid the same price to know which we must pay today. The powerful lesson is that as Alma did it, so can we…

Mosiah 5-8 - From Benjamin to Zeniff

Mosiah Chapters 5-8 is a transition piece that moves the narrative from King Benjamin’s eloquent address to the story of King Zeniff. I think, Mormon wrote about Zeniff because of the dynasty of religious leaders who arose from his people. I’m speaking of Alma and the five generations of prophet-leaders who are his descendants. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

For this entry, several things struck me. One is the Nephites considered life as slaves to Nephites a better  arrangement than what they had under the Lamanites. Under the Lamanites they had a 50% tax rate and they couldn’t leave. Tax day is coming. When you pay your taxes this year, keep in mind, the Nephites thought a 50 percent tax rate was worse than slavery.

Another is Ammon, the leader of the expedition to the land of Lehi-Nephi. He was not a descendant of Lehi but a Mulekite. I’m curious why he would be so interested about the Nephites? It begs the question and dovetails into my last observation on this section.

The people don’t weary Mosiah about the Nephites who left so many years ago until after Benjamin dies. I doubt their interest just flipped on at that time. So, why didn’t they do anything before he died? I don’t know, but there’s a lot going on here which we don’t know about.

Mosiah 4 - The Great Sermons

While the Book of Mormon is filled with many truths, there are within it, sermons which rise above the rest. Benjamin's sermon on charity is one. I’m also pretty certain, Mosiah 4 is on your list too. What makes it great? For me, it’s Benjamin explaining God’s definition of charitable giving. “What is it?” you ask.

This: Give according to the need. Don’t judge the recipient. Especially don’t withhold your help because you think they deserve the problems they have. Give according to your means. This is how God helps us. To be like Him, do it the same way with the same intent.

For what t’s worth, here’s my list: (Listed in the order in which they appear)

The Coming of Jesus Christ - Nephi’s vision in 1 Nephi 11

The Role of Agency and Opposition - Lehi’s benedictory admonitions to his sons  in 2 Nephi 2-3

The Evils of Pride and the Proper Role of Fathers - Jacob’s exhortation to the Nephites in Jacob 2-4

The Future History of the World, a recitation of Zeno’s prophecy by Jacob - Jacob 5.

The Power of Prayer - Enos

The Meaning of Charity, King Benjamin’s benedictory address - Mosiah 4

The Coming of Christ by Abinadi to King Noah’s court - Mosiah 13

The Proper Role of Government: an essay by King Mosiah II - Mosiah 29

The Saint’s Checklist for a Christ-like Life, a sermon by Alma the Younger - Alma 5

An Exposition on Faith, a sermon by Alma the Younger to the humble Zoramites - Alma 32

Who Is God, a dissertation by Ammon to King Lamoni - Alma 18

Repentance and Forgiveness and the Plan of Salvation, Alma the Younger’s letter to his son Corianton - Alma 39-42

Man’s role in defending Liberty. A letter to Pahoran by Captain Moroni - Alma 60

Faith, Hope and Charity. A sermon to the righteous Nephites of Mormon’s day - Moroni 7.

Mosiah 1 - Compelling Proof for the Book of Mormon

I’m glad Joseph Smith hadn’t translated this chapter before the 116 page manuscript was lost. It contains an event no one in North America knew off in 1829. I’m speaking of Mosiah 2’s “coronation” ceremony. In other words, Benjamin’s benedictory address and a ritual act of succession wherein he hands the kingdom to his son, Mosiah.

In his book “An Approach to the Book of Mormon,” Hugh Nibley asserts this one passage is the most convincing set of evidence which had yet been brought forth to show the Book of Mormon’s authenticity as an ancient work. He said no one knew of or identified the pattern of this ceremony of succession until the 1920’s. How then could Joseph write about something with such unerring accuracy a century earlier? Dumb luck? I think not.

Nibley identifies the event as a “Grand Assembly” held, often at the beginning of a new year or a new age, in which a major change was announced to the people. He goes on to cite 36 elements in this narrative which are the typical attributes of such an event. I won’t list them all here. But you can find the material in Chapter 33 in that book. He said all of the traits in this passage which identify such a ceremony have been found in the Old World. None of them in the Book of Mormon exist only in it too.

In the end, despite the weight of evidence for its authenticity, archeological evidence will never prove it. At most, it will show the culture in which these events take place is plausible. Additionally, there will never be archeological proof of the truthfulness of the doctrines it contains. That comes only from God.

While a story can teach, a true story telling the same theme can inspire. Such is the role of the historicity and plausible archeological authenticity of the Book of Mormon.

Enos

One of the things which amaze me about Enos is how much time passes and how few men it takes to witness it all. When Enos finishes his record, 179 years have passed from the time Lehi left Jerusalem. That’s a lot of years covered by two and a half generations. I say two and a half because Nephi and Jacob though brothers have a few years between them. Nephi was an adult when Jacob was born. I wonder if Nephi knew Enos. Would I know my younger brother’s son?

What it does say is they lived long lives! It’s something to wonder about.

But the heart of Enos’ record are the four stages of his life journey. The first is what I’d say is normal: he goes about his life, but his guilt over weaknesses and his desire to know the things his father knew concern him. Eventually, it becomes an earnest desire which compels him to spend hours in prayer.

He receives an answer, which begins the second phase of his life: his concern for his family. At some time, he gets an answer about them which starts the third and a long phase of his life: his concern for his distant relatives, the Lamanites. After many years of praying and participating in missionary efforts to reclaim them, the Lord answers his prayers saying the record he is keeping will be preserved for a future time.

This begins the final phase of his life: his soul at rest, he spends the rest of his days preaching and prophesying to whoever will listen of the many things he’s learned, seen and heard. He makes the observation there are many prophets among the people. I wonder what happened to their records?

Jacob 1 - 3: Wealth and Pride

God’s expectations of the example and role parents play in raising their children is front and center in this passage. Right next to it are His expectations of husbands treatment of their spouses. By corollary it’s applicable to wives treatment of husbands too. The best way for us to set the good example and treat the spouse with respect is to obey all God’s commandments. Anything less causes problems.

The other takeaway from this is Jacob’s denunciation of the pride that comes with wealth. He actually says having wealth is okay… if done in the Lord’s way. If we seek the Lord first and then seek the wealth with the intent to bless others. Then we are doing it in the proper way.

Their search for gold is a clue they were part of a larger culture. A handful of small families living in an enclave in the wilderness of America will focus on survival. An enclave of Nephites living in a much larger culture is going to have a lot of interest in gold since it’s the means of getting the necessities of life.

From this point in the narrative forward, trade with other groups is a recurring thread. Whether you believe the events of the Book of Mormon took place in Meso-America or the Ohio River valley, the common trait to both regions’ cultures is an extensive network of traders and trading.

2 Nephi 27 - Isaiah 29 and the Translation

This chapter is Nephi’s last comment and citation of Isaiah. Based upon chapter 29, it has more changes from the Masoretic version found in the King James Bible than any other chapter. This one foretells the advent of the Book of Mormon and the efforts taken by Joseph Smith to get it translated.

The book “From Darkness into Light” by Michael Hubbard MacKay and Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, is an excellent history of that effort. From the book, I learned Martin Harris left on the trip because of a vision he’d received from the Lord. He also wanted to go to get a scholar’s confirmation that the characters were authentic. All Joseph knew was they were ancient. He didn’t know they were “Reformed Egyptian” till late in the translation process.

Joseph sent him for a different reason, to find someone who could translate the plates. He’d spent all 1827 studying the characters on them, not knowing the Seer stones or the Urim and Thumim would do that for him. He was anxious to figure out how to translate the plates. It wasn’t until Harris returned that he finally learned he would do the translating. Up until that time, he hadn’t learned the stones could be used to translate, instead he used them to keep the plates safe.

It wasn't until they were almost finished with the work that they read this chapter and saw how Harris' trip fulfilled the prophecies it contains.

1 Nephi 13-14 - The Apocalypse of Nephi

In these two chapters Nephi is shown the history of America to our day, the origins of the Bible and how it came to be what it is today, and an exposition on the great and abominable Church of the Devil. It ends with the tantalizing declaration that the rest of Nephi’s vision would be recorded by John the Apostle of Jesus Christ.

First a comment on that, while Nephi says no more about what he saw, he quotes a LOT of Isaiah in the rest of his record. He spoke of the future too. In my opinion, Nephi quoted Isaiah to say what he couldn't say himself. When he quotes him at length in the rest of his record, he did so with a clear recollection of what he saw in this vision. In other words, it all made sense because he saw how all the prophecies of Isaiah fit into the narrative he’d seen. So while he couldn’t say what he saw, he quoted Isaiah in a way to fit with what he’d seen. So, if you want to understand what Revelations has to say about our future, read the Isaiah passages and Nephi’s commentary on them in First and Second Nephi.

Another interesting point is the Angel’s declaration there are but two churches in the world. This struck me as odd because there are hundreds if not thousands of different churches in the world today. All preach their own brand of dogma and salvation. Yet, here in chapter fourteen, the Angel says there are but two. He then defines what God meant. All who are humble followers of Jesus Christ (note again there’s no mention of dogma or doctrine) are members of the Christ’s church. Everyone else is in the Devil’s church, the great and abominable one.

It should give members of the LDS church pause for reflection. While the only organization on the earth today where the ordinances of salvation can be authoritatively performed is the LDS church, its members of record do not have exclusive access to membership in “Christ’s church.” According to 1 Nephi 14: 10, membership in this “church” is determined by how you live, your devotion to Christ, and your commitment to being His disciple. The subtext is it’s possible to be a member of record but due to life choices not be a member of Christ’s church. That’s sobering, heavy doctrine, but I see no other way to read and understand that verse. It makes me wonder, “which church am I really in?”

1 Nephi 11 - The Lamb of God

If you recall my earlier post about 1 Nephi being a chiasmus, this chapter, eleven, is the apex. And what does it teach? Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, who was sent to earth to die for the sins of all men. He is the personification of the love God has for us. Hence, He is also represented as the Tree of Life.

When  you think of 1 John 15, where the Savior uses the image of Him being the vine and we are the branches? This image of the tree becomes more complete. There are powerful and life changing concepts being portrayed here. As I ponder this and how He did this willingly for us, the impressions become deeply moving.

Jesus Christ is not only the Tree of Life, He is also the Fountain of Living Waters. His love, the Father’s love, is sweeter than anything the world has to offer. Having experienced and felt it when forgiven for past sins, I can attest to this. The fickleness of human nature being what it is, I have to be constantly reminded. Sigh. Fortunately, God’s patience is as deep as His love.

It’s not surprising this is the apex of the chiasmus or of 1 Nephi. This was new doctrine for him and he has done everything he can to emphasize its importance to whomever reads it. I can only wonder what Mormon included in the Book of Lehi. Had Joseph not lost the manuscript, this would likely have been a summary retelling of the entire Book of Mormon. As it is, it sets the stage for what follows.

It is a second witness of Jesus Christ, reaffirming and clarifying the scriptural testimony of God contained in the Bible.

1 Nephi 9-10 - It's all personal

What I find interesting here is how Nephi introduces his desire to see the things his father saw. After Lehi told them about the vision of the tree, he recounted coming events. It’s obvious he saw more than just the tree.

In particular, it’s how Lehi mentions the Savior that’s instructive. He speaks of the coming of a prophet and Messiah. My impression is this was new doctrine for him. As an observant Jew, he knew the Messiah would come, but he didn’t fully understand His role or His reason for coming. This vision opened his mind to that.

It’s an example of Heavenly Father approaching us at our level and raising us from there. It’s also why the doctrines taught by the Church today are the basics: faith, repentance, baptism and the Holy Ghost. Even the epitome of public worship in the church, the temple ceremonies, are rote and repetitive: everyone sees and hears the same things.

The beauty of the Gospel and doctrines is despite all this sameness, when it comes to living it, it’s all intensely personal. That’s the great lesson of the visions here. Lehi saw and experienced something amazing. Nephi wanted to learn for himself. Heavenly Father shows them the same information, but their experiences were different… they learned different things.

It’s the same for us. Through the teaching power of the Holy Ghost, study of the Book of Mormon will be a unique experience for each of us. We get what we’re willing to receive and can comprehend at that time. Even as I go through it again, I’m seeing different things. While there is a lot of repetition, there are many new insights too. When I go to the temple, and I go every week, I learn something new each time. Such is the power of the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

This personal experience, this personal relationship with God, is what He wants for us all. This is the Book of Mormon’s subtext.

1 Nephi's Chiastic Structure

If you don't already know what a chiasmus is, I'll give this short description. It's a Hebrew literary art form using repetition combined with parallelism. Envision if you will a stair case which goes up to an apex and then back down to the ground floor. There are an equal number of steps going up and down.

This is a visual representation of the structure. Now, instead of steps you have a phrase or short passage which contains a meaning. The repetition comes into play with each step and its mirror on the other side saying a similar thing or the same thing using different words. The parallelism comes because they sequence of the sayings is reversed so each list of expressions is a mirror. They lead to and enhance the apex, the highest step which doesn't repeat.

With this in mind, this is the chiastic structure of 1 Nephi
a. Chapter 1 - Lehi has a dream and he warns the Jews.
  b.  Chapter 2 - Lehi flees Jerusalem for the Promised Land
    c.  Chapters 3-5 - Nephi miraculously gets the plates
      d.  Chapter 7 - Ishmael joins the group along with his family
        e.  Chapter 8 - The vision of the Tree of Life
          f.  Chapter 10 - The Prophecy of the coming of the Lamb of God to the Jews
            g. Chapter 11 - The Spirit of God testifies of the coming of Jesus Christ
          f.  Chapter 12 - Prophecy of Jesus appearance to Nephi's descendants in the New World
        e.  Chapter 15 - The interpretation of the vision of the Tree of Life
      d.  Chapter 16 - The marriages of Ishmael's daughters to Lehi's sons and Zoram
    c.  Chapter 17 - Nephi miraculously builds a boat
  b.  Chapter 18 - Lehi's group, now led by Nephi leave the Old World for the Promised Land
a. Chapters 19-22 - Nephi warns the Jews of the latter days of the destruction of Satan's followers

And all this was thought up by a 22 year old farm boy from upstate New York who could barely read, a minister and a school teacher who culled all this from the bible, a history book and a novel. Ah... right.

The truth of it is this: It's less of a leap to believe it was revealed by God than to think they dreamt all this up. You have to keep in mind, once Joseph started translating, it was just him, the scribe, the plates (under a linen), the stone or stones and the hat. They did it in a room where others often stood by and watched. Hours on end, day after day they did this. So, if there really were years of preparation... he still had to memorize all of this so he could recite it to the translator. Keep in mind there were people in the room who never joined the church, yet they said the same thing about what happened.

Emma never outed her husband even though she had cause to do so. The Whitmers, who were eye witness to the effort never renounced or denounced the process. Ockham's Razor (the simplest explanation is often the correct one) demands accepting the translation of the Book of Mormon by the power of God as fact. Nothing else is even plausible. Which is why critics twist themselves and their logic into pretzels to try and explain it away as something man-made. It can't be done.

1 Nephi 7 - Split families

Tucked between the end of the prologue and the first act of 1 Nephi, the visions of the Tree of Life, is a kind of an out-of-the-way chapter where Lehi’s party is fleshed out. For those who live in families split along lines of religious dogma or politics, this chapter will be worth reading and pondering.

The headline event of this chapter is Lehi sending his sons back to Jerusalem to persuade Ishmael and his family to join them in their trek to the promised land. Ishmael has two sons and five daughters. They are the yin to Lehi’s yang in that he has four sons and Zoram in his group. I can’t help but wonder if the wives of Ishmael’s sons were Lehi’s daughters. Else why would they come? But that’s just a curious question.

In this group we see these fault lines: Laman as Lehi’s first born son is the leader of the group which thinks Lehi is a “visionary” man. In case you are wondering, in the 1828 Webster’s dictionary, “visionary” has a less than flattering connotation. It is, one given to daydreaming and somewhat disconnected from reality.

In Laman’s group you find him, Lemuel and Ishmael’s two sons. Everyone else, consisting of Lehi, Ishmael, Nephi, Sam and Zoram follow Lehi. You’ll note, in the Book of Mormon culture women barely appear. If you add them, two daughters of Ishmael and maybe the wives of Ishmael’s sons are also in Laman’s camp. The rest are in Lehi’s. From this split grow two nations: the Lamanites and the Nephites.

The chapter, even all of First and Second Nephi, show you must love and reach across this divide without surrendering your values. They show you must pray... a lot and go the second and third miles as the need arises. They show you never quit... you always follow God. They don't promise ease... only that the rewards will be worth the effort. While they show ultimately we are accountable only for our own actions, part of our required actions is reaching across that divide.