Scripture Stories KING BENJAMIN
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An Hypothesis Concerning the Three Days of Darkness Among the Nephites
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Volume 2 Number 1 Article 8 1-31-1993 An Hypothesis concerning the Three Days of Darkness among the Nephites Russell H. Ball Atomic Energy Commission Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Ball, Russell H. (1993) "An Hypothesis concerning the Three Days of Darkness among the Nephites," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Vol. 2 : No. 1 , Article 8. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol2/iss1/8 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Title An Hypothesis concerning the Three Days of Darkness among the Nephites Author(s) Russell H. Ball Reference Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2/1 (1993): 107–23. ISSN 1065-9366 (print), 2168-3158 (online) Abstract Aspects of the three days of darkness following the three-hour period of intense destruction described principally in 3 Nephi include: (1) the strange absence of rain among the destructive mechanisms described; (2) the source of the intense lightning, which seems to be unaccompanied by rain; (3) a mechanism to account for the inundation of the cities of Onihah, Mocum, and Jerusalem, which were not among the cities which “sunk in the depths of the sea”; and (4) the absence in the histories of contemporary European and Asiatic civilizations of corresponding events, which are repeat- edly characterized in 3 Nephi as affecting “the face of the whole earth.” An -Hypothesis concerning the Three Days ·of Darkness among the Nephites Russell H. -
Critique of a Limited Geography for Book of Mormon Events
Critique of a Limited Geography for Book of Mormon Events Earl M. Wunderli DURING THE PAST FEW DECADES, a number of LDS scholars have developed various "limited geography" models of where the events of the Book of Mormon occurred. These models contrast with the traditional western hemisphere model, which is still the most familiar to Book of Mormon readers. Of the various models, the only one to have gained a following is that of John Sorenson, now emeritus professor of anthropology at Brigham Young University. His model puts all the events of the Book of Mormon essentially into southern Mexico and southern Guatemala with the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as the "narrow neck" described in the LDS scripture.1 Under this model, the Jaredites and Nephites/Lamanites were relatively small colonies living concurrently with other peoples in- habiting the rest of the hemisphere. Scholars have challenged Sorenson's model based on archaeological and other external evidence, but lay people like me are caught in the crossfire between the experts.2 We, however, can examine Sorenson's model based on what the Book of Mormon itself says. One advantage of 1. John L. Sorenson, "Digging into the Book of Mormon," Ensign, September 1984, 26- 37; October 1984, 12-23, reprinted by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS); An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: De- seret Book Company, and Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1985); The Geography of Book of Mormon Events: A Source Book (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1990); "The Book of Mormon as a Mesoameri- can Record," in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited, ed. -
Doctrine and Covenants Stories
CHAPTER 15 A Mission to the Lamanites September 1830 esus wanted more people to hear about the gospel. J He wanted some of the Saints to go on missions. He called Oliver Cowdery to go on a mission to the American Indians. These Indians were also called Lamanites because some of them were descended from the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon. Doctrine and Covenants 28:8 Jesus wanted the Lamanites to read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon tells the Lamanites about their He had promised many prophets that the Lamanites ancestors who lived hundreds of years ago. It tells them would have the Book of Mormon. Now it was time to about important promises Jesus made to them. It helps keep that promise. them believe in Jesus. It teaches them to repent and be Doctrine and Covenants 3:19–20 baptized. Doctrine and Covenants 3:19–20 58 Other men wanted to go with Oliver Cowdery to preach First the missionaries went to some tribes in New York. the gospel to the Lamanites. The Lord said three of the The missionaries gave the people the Book of Mormon, men could go. but only a few of them could read. Then the missionaries went to preach to some Lamanites The missionaries left Ohio and went to a town named in Ohio. These people were happy to hear about the Independence in Jackson County, Missouri. Book of Mormon and learn about their ancestors. 59 There were many Lamanites in Missouri. The missionaries Other people in Missouri did not believe the restored preached the gospel to them and gave them the Book of gospel or the Book of Mormon. -
The Nephites?
I believe that the Book of Mormon is indeed a book writtenfor our day, that it contains many powerful lessons that can greatly benefit us. I propose that a society that negatesfernaleness will likely be a society that is militaristic- or that a society that is militaristic will likely be a society that negatesfemaleness; whichever the cause and whichever the eflect, the result will be disaster: THE NEPHITES? By Carol Lynn Pearson LMOST EVERY TIME I HAVE MENTIONED THE That's as scary as it's going to get in this piece. "It's much easier title of this article to anyone, it has brought a standing hand in hand." Partnership. A laugh-not a laugh of derision, a laugh of delight. The In October 1992, I was invited to perform Mother Wove the very idea, mentioning woman-power and the Book of Morning on Crete at an international conference to celebrate Mormon in the same breath. Humor depends on the incon- partnership between women and men. While I was sitting in gruous, and what could be more incongruous than feminism the audience of about five hundred people from all over the and the Nephites? world, waiting to hear a talk by Margarita Papandreou, former Let me propose a very modest definition of feminism, one first lady of Greece (and who had invited me), I visited with that appears in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism: "Feminism is Hilkka, a striking Finnish woman who had represented her the philosophical belief that advocates the equality of women country at the United Nations. When I asked about her areas and men and seeks to remove inequities and to redress injus- of study, she said, "I'm doing some writing on the relationship tices against women."' between patriarchy and militarism. -
The Secret Mormon Meetings of 1922
University of Nevada, Reno THE SECRET MORMON MEETINGS OF 1922 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History By Shannon Caldwell Montez C. Elizabeth Raymond, Ph.D. / Thesis Advisor December 2019 Copyright by Shannon Caldwell Montez 2019 All Rights Reserved UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RENO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by SHANNON CALDWELL MONTEZ entitled The Secret Mormon Meetings of 1922 be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS C. Elizabeth Raymond, Ph.D., Advisor Cameron B. Strang, Ph.D., Committee Member Greta E. de Jong, Ph.D., Committee Member Erin E. Stiles, Ph.D., Graduate School Representative David W. Zeh, Ph.D., Dean, Graduate School December 2019 i Abstract B. H. Roberts presented information to the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January of 1922 that fundamentally challenged the entire premise of their religious beliefs. New research shows that in addition to church leadership, this information was also presented during the neXt few months to a select group of highly educated Mormon men and women outside of church hierarchy. This group represented many aspects of Mormon belief, different areas of eXpertise, and varying approaches to dealing with challenging information. Their stories create a beautiful tapestry of Mormon life in the transition years from polygamy, frontier life, and resistance to statehood, assimilation, and respectability. A study of the people involved illuminates an important, overlooked, underappreciated, and eXciting period of Mormon history. -
Samuel the Lamanite
Samuel the Lamanite S. Michael Wilcox Samuel the Lamanite was the only Book of Mormon prophet identied as a Lamanite. Apart from his sermon at Zarahemla (Hel. 13—15), no other record of his life or ministry is preserved. Noted chiey for his prophecies about the birth of Jesus Christ, his prophetic words, which were later examined, commended, and updated by the risen Jesus (3 Ne. 23:9—13), were recorded by persons who accepted him as a true prophet and even faced losing their lives for believing his message (3 Ne. 1:9). Approximately ve years before Jesus’ birth, Samuel began to preach repentance in Zarahemla. After the incensed Nephite inhabitants expelled him, the voice of the Lord directed him to return. Climbing to the top of the city wall, he delivered his message unharmed, even though certain citizens sought his life (Hel. 16:2). Thereafter, he ed and “was never heard of more among the Nephites” (Hel. 16:8). Samuel prophesied that Jesus would be born in no more than ve years’ time, with two heavenly signs indicating his birth. First, “one day and a night and a day” of continual light would occur (Hel. 14:4; cf. Zech. 14:7). Second, among celestial wonders, a new star would arise (Hel. 14:5—6). Then speaking of mankind’s need of the atonement and resurrection, he prophesied signs of Jesus’ death: three days of darkness among the Nephites would signal his crucixion, accompanied by storms and earthquakes (14:14—27). Samuel framed these prophecies by pronouncing judgments of God upon his hearers. -
The Name Mormon in Reformed Egyptian, Sumerian, and Mesoamerican Languages
The Name Mormon in reformed Egyptian, Sumerian, and Mesoamerican Languages by Jerry D. Grover Jr., PE, PG May 1, 2017 Blind third party peer review performed by After obtaining the golden plates, Joseph Smith stated that once he moved to Harmony, Pennsylvania, in the winter of 1827, he “commenced copying the characters of[f] the plates.” He stated: I copyed a considerable number of them and by means of the Urim and Thummin I translated some of them.1 In the mid 1830s, Oliver Cowdery and Frederick G. Williams recorded four characters that had been copied from the plates and Joseph Smith’s translations of those characters; one set of two characters was translated together as “The Book of Mormon” and the other set of two characters was translated as “The interpreters of languages” (see figures 1 and 2). Both of these phrases can be found in the original script of the current Title Page of the Book of Mormon. It clearly includes “Book of Mormon,” mentions “interpretation,” and infers the language of the Book of Mormon. It is reasonable therefore to assume that these characters came from the Title Page. Figure 1. Book of Mormon characters copied by Oliver Cowdery, circa 1835–1836 1 Karen Lynn Davidson, David J. Whittaker, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, eds., The Joseph Smith Papers: Histories, Volume 1 (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2012), 1:240. 1 Figure 2. Close-up of the Book of Mormon characters copied by Fredrick G. Williams, circa February 27, 1836 (MacKay et al. 2013, 137) 2 In a 2015 publication, I successfully translated all four of these characters from known hieratic and Demotic Egyptian glyphs.3 The name Mormon (second glyph of the first set of two) in the “reformed Egyptian” is an interesting case study. -
Mosiah the Lack of a Preface for the Book of Mosiah in the Present Book
Book of Mormon Commentary Mosiah 1 Mosiah The lack of a preface for the book of Mosiah in the present Book of Mormon is probably because the text takes 1 up the Mosiah account some time after its original beginning. The original manuscript of the Book of Mormon, written in Oliver Cowdery’s hand, has no title for the Book of Mosiah. It was inked in later, prior to sending it to the printer for typesetting. The first part of Mormon’s abridgment of Mosiah’s record…was evidently on the 116 pages lost by Martin Harris. John A. Tvedtnes, Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, ed. By John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne [Salt Lake City: 1991], 33 Note that the main story in the book of Mosiah is told in the third person rather than in the first person as was the 2 custom in the earlier books of the Book of Mormon. The reason for this is that someone else is now telling the story and that “someone else” is Mormon. With the beginning of the book of Mosiah we start our study of Mormon’s abridgment of various books that had been written on the large plates of Nephi (3 Nephi 5:8-12). The book of Mosiah and the five books that follow—Alma, Helaman, 3 Nephi, 4 Nephi, and Mormon—were all abridged or condensed by Mormon from the large plates of Nephi, and these abridged versions were written by Mormon on the plates that bear his name, the plates of Mormon. These are the same plates that were given to Joseph Smith by the angel Moroni on September 22, 1827. -
The Zarahemla Record September 1978
THEZARAHEMLA RECORD /ssueNumber 2 September 1978 "And he that witl not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word..." Alma 9: 18 The MORMON BOOKOF Endof JareditesArrive Jaredite Division and Culture of People- MESOAMERICAN OutlinesCompared: Beginning, Highpointsand Endings First Pottery Endof Olmec Maya Glyphs Appears Culture Begin By RaymondC. Treat The most importanttype of evidenceat the presenttime time range. The first pottery is clatedwithin this range. The so- supportingthe Bookof Mormonis a correlationof the outlines called Pox pottery from Puerto Marquez, Guerrero and the of the Book of Mormon and Mesoamericanarchaeology at Tehuacan Valley is dated 2300-2M B.C. and the newly strategic points along the approximately2800 years of their discovered Swasey pottery from Belize goes back to this time. common history. To understandthe reasonfor this it is Pottery is one of the most important types of evidence in necessaryto understandthat archaeologicalinformation is on- Mesoamericanarchaeology and the first appearanceof pottery ly partialinformation. Therefore, most archaeological informa- is always significant. Mesoamerica itself becomes known as a tion is subjectto morethan one interpretation.There is abun- culture area soon after the appearanceof pottery. dant evidencein Mesoamericanarchaeology supporting the Bookof Mormon,but in manycases a non-believercould offer Highpoint an opposinginterpretation to explainthe evidence.However, Archaeology necessarilydeals with physical things. Therefore the reconstructionof a long culturehistory is lesssubiect to in- an archaeologicalhighpoint is defined in terms of the quantity terpretationsince more data is gatheredto constructit than and quality of materialremains. Spiritual values of a culture are any other single type of archaeologicalevidence. This is much more difficult to detect. -
“They Are of Ancient Date”: Jaredite Traditions and the Politics of Gadianton's Dissent
Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Faculty Publications 2020-8 “They Are of Ancient Date”: Jaredite Traditions and the Politics of Gadianton’s Dissent Dan Belnap Brigham Young University, [email protected] Daniel L. Belnap Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub Part of the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Belnap, Dan and Belnap, Daniel L., "“They Are of Ancient Date”: Jaredite Traditions and the Politics of Gadianton’s Dissent" (2020). Faculty Publications. 4479. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/4479 This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. ILLUMINATING THE RECORDS Edited by Daniel L. Belnap Published by the Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, in cooper- ation with Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City. Visit us at rsc.byu.edu. © 2020 by Brigham Young University. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America by Sheridan Books, Inc. DESERET BOOK is a registered trademark of Deseret Book Company. Visit us at DeseretBook.com. Any uses of this material beyond those allowed by the exemptions in US copyright law, such as section 107, “Fair Use,” and section 108, “Library Copying,” require the written permission of the publisher, Religious Studies Center, 185 HGB, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of Brigham Young University or the Religious Studies Center. -
Ziba Peterson: from Missionary to Hanging Sheriff H
ZIBA PETERSON: FROM MISSIONARY TO HANGING SHERIFF H. Dean Garrett As the Church of Christ (LDS Church) moved from hatt and Ziba Peterson, were called to go on this impor- New Yo* to Kirtland and then on to Missouri, some of tant, ground-breaking mission (D&C 32). the early converts remained faithful and continued afIT1- iating with the Church until their death while others fell The Lamanite mission was the Eust longdstance into apostasy and left th: Church One person who fell mission in the Church So important was this mission by the wayside is Ziba Peterson Through studying th: that Oliver Cowdery wrote a statement dated 17 October scant historical records of Peterson's life as an early con- 1830 in which he declared: vert to Mormonism, as a missionaxy to the Lamanites, as a resident of Missouri, and as a sheriff in Hangtown, I, Oliver, being commanded by the Lord God, to go California, we can gain a better understandhg of th: forth unto the Lamanites, to proclaim glad tidings of influences that shaped his life. great joy unto them, by presenting unto them the fullness of th: Gospel, of the only begotten Son of One of the first recorded events of Ziba Peterson's God; and also, to rear up a pillar as a witness where life was his baptism into the Church of Christ in Seneca th: temple of God shall be built, in the glorious new Lake, New York, 18 April 1830, by Oliver Cowdery.1 Jerusalem; and having certain brothers with me, who Not much is lamwn of his life before his baptism No are called of GOD TO ASSIST ME, whose names identifiable sources of his birth, parentage, or his early are Parley, and Peter and Ziba, do &refore most childhood have been discovered. -
Conversion of Alma the Younger
Conversion of Alma the Younger Mosiah 27 I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. Mosiah 27:29 he first Alma mentioned in the Book of Mormon Before the angel left, he told Alma to remember was a priest of wicked King Noah who later the power of God and to quit trying to destroy the Tbecame a prophet and leader of the Church in Church (see Mosiah 27:16). Zarahemla after hearing the words of Abinadi. Many Alma the Younger and the four sons of Mosiah fell people believed his words and were baptized. But the to the earth. They knew that the angel was sent four sons of King Mosiah and the son of the prophet from God and that the power of God had caused the Alma, who was also called Alma, were unbelievers; ground to shake and tremble. Alma’s astonishment they persecuted those who believed in Christ and was so great that he could not speak, and he was so tried to destroy the Church through false teachings. weak that he could not move even his hands. The Many Church members were deceived by these sons of Mosiah carried him to his father. (See Mosiah teachings and led to sin because of the wickedness of 27:18–19.) Alma the Younger. (See Mosiah 27:1–10.) When Alma the Elder saw his son, he rejoiced As Alma and the sons of Mosiah continued to rebel because he knew what the Lord had done for him. against God, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, Alma and the other Church leaders fasted and speaking to them with a voice as loud as thunder, prayed for Alma the Younger.