A mere six verses. This is one of those housekeeping chapters in the Book of Mormon, one that says, allow me to explain why we're suddenly rewinding several thousand years, or here, let me explain how we found this tale of the slavery and woe of a people heretofore unmentioned. Nephi explained that he was commanded by the Lord to make two sets of records (keeping in mind that said records were both hard to find and heavy). One set of records was to be a history, the other a religious record. Nephi says several times, in effect, "I don't know why God is asking me to do this, but He is God, so He knows best."
I started thinking while I read this little chapter. Sometimes hard things are really tough, like, say, forsaking all your possessions and camping for years in the wilderness. Sometimes things sound ridiculous on the outset and then turn out great somehow, like returning several hundred miles to the city you just left, to convince a family to come with you, who happens to have one child that matches each of your children in temperament, level of righteousness and relative age.
And sometimes, things can seem so insignificant as to not warrant your attention, but have far-reaching consequences. Nephi learned this, though not while he was technically alive, seeing as the Book of Mormon was compiled hundreds of years after his death, and translated thousands of years later. I learned this on my mission. Allow me to illustrate.
It was halfway through my first transfer in my very first area. My trainer was the intense type, and hanging with her on P-days was not exactly my favorite. It was just like working except there was no rush of success when an investigator felt the Spirit. We had an OK time together but I think that was because she was my first real companion and I didn't have anyone to compare her to. Anyway, one P-day she suggested we go to a nearby park and play basketball with the Elders. Recreation? As a missionary? Hallelujah!
This playground belonged to a local school and was surrounded on all four sides with a chain link fence. There was only one gate and it happened to be on the opposite side from where my companion and I approached the grounds. So my companion and I just clambered on over it. It wasn't really that high. However, I am humble enough to admit that I am a big klutz, especially when it comes to climbing over or under things. I stumbled (if you can picture what stumbling while climbing a fence would look like ... yeah, like that) but didn't fall, and felt really quite pleased with myself.
Next week. My date with destiny. We approached the same fence, and as my companion climbed I heard a little voice inside me say, don't climb the fence. I thought briefly about walking over to the gate and walking through, but that would draw attention to me and certainly elicit ridicule for my companion (she was kinda like a high school athletics coach in that way). So I climbed over anyway.
I fell, of course. I remember my foot slipping or getting caught somewhere, falling facefirst towards the pavement, but my knees reached the ground first and took most of the impact. Then I'm not sure how but I ended up on my back. It hurt a lot but I knew that if I cried in front of my trainer she would have made my life miserable, so I held it in.
My knees were both terribly sprained. For the rest of the week I was incapable of running after a bus, much to my trainer's annoyance. I whimpered every time we knelt to pray. And I burst into tears at a program because me knees hurt so, so, so, so, so bad. And I have a pretty high pain tolerance.
So, lesson learned. Obey promptings, even one that sound silly. You never know when God is preparing a Book of Scripture that will print millions of copies in several thousand years. Or when God is trying to spare you a week of dreadful pain.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
1 Nephi 8
The tree of life vision is probably one of the defining stories in the Book of Mormon. Full of interesting images that keep the attention of children, but also symbolically meaningful. A quick summary:
Lehi dreams that he is wandering through a dark and dreary wilderness. A man in a white robe shows up and commands Lehi to follow him. He obeys, and is led to another dark, horrible place. He travels for hours in this darkness, until he prays that God will have mercy on him, and upon so doing enters a field. He sees a tree and knows that the fruit of the the tree is the source of happiness. He eats the fruit and is filled with joy. He immediately thinks of his family and desires that they too eat this fruit and enjoy this same happiness. Sam, Sariah, and Nephi follow his directions and also partake of the fruit, but Laman and Lemuel do not. There's an iron rod leading to the tree, and he sees people holding onto it in order to find their way to the tree through a mist of darkness that makes it impossible to see. Nearby, there is a big building where people are dressed up in ostentatious clothing. They mock the people who have partaken of the fruit, and because of that some people are embarrassed enough to let go of the iron rod and get lost. However, a great deal of people use the iron rod to guide themselves to the tree and partake of the marvelous fruit.
There is enough in this little allegory to write books about. But here are some of my humble insights:
1. Initially, Lehi knows he is being guided, because he has an actual, physical guide. Then the guide leaves for no apparent reason, and Lehi wanders for a very long time. However, that doesn't mean he is lost, or abandoned. Heavenly Father doesn't always give us the assurance we want that we are being guided, but that doesn't necessarily mean we are doing something wrong, either. He might just be testing our faith.
2. The guide didn't lead him to the field right away. He led him to a dark and dreary waste, and then Lehi got out of there on his own. Sometimes, God's will is for us to be in places that are frightening and far from ideal. Being unhappy or sad or discouraged for a time doesn't mean we took a wrong turn, as it were. It might just be a sad time in our lives.
3. Lehi didn't receive comfort and arrive at his destination until he prayed.
4. The first thing that Lehi thinks after he eats the fruit and experiences that great joy is he desires for his family to feel that same joy. We used this story in Hungary when we met with members to encourage them to share the gospel with their friends and family. If you feel joy because of the things you have learned, why not share it?
5. One assumes that the fruit resembles true conversion, not just baptism or being taught the gospel, because Laman and Lemuel were most likely baptized and taught the gospel as children. But they failed to accept it and find joy in it.
6. The people who fall away from the truth because of the mockery of others go "crawling towards" the great and spacious building. But since the building was high above the ground, they never reached it. They were just lost forever. Giving in to people who mock you does not mean they will let you join their ranks. You will just end up bereft of what you had, lost, and all alone.
Nephi says there was more: that what he wrote was just a summary of the vision (making my puny paragraph a summary of a summary). This is one of those stories I'm excited to see the video of when I die.
Monday, July 14, 2008
I Nephi 7
So the Lord speaks to Lehi again, and do you know what He says? "Welcome back. Glad to hear your boys made it home safely. Now all y'all return to Jerusalem and find your boys wives."
First of all, if this is reward for their long-suffering and all-around good sportmanship during the whole Brass Plates ordeal, it works. This time around, no one complains, not even Laman and Lemuel. Kind of like how I have to twist guys' arms to help me move my stuff every August, but any one of my hot former roommates actually had to send eager helpers away.
I wonder about Ishmael, the father of the women Lehi's sons take to wife. I wonder if he was one of those golden converts who is enamored by the Gospel and is delighted to do whatever his newfound spiritual leader says, or if he was just a real adventurous type and thought journeying to a new land sounded like a good time. Amongst the daughters, there must have been all types, for each of the sons of Lehi to find their match. Two older, swarthy girls for Laman and Lemuel (I picture them as sexy in a dark mannish sort of way, like Pansy Parkinson from Harry Potter); two clean-cut, chipper little blonds for Nephi and Sam; and whichever one was left for Zoram.
No sooner has everyone been paired off (although it doesn't say that for sure ... maybe it happened after this little incident) two (count 'em) of the daughters of Ishmael, two sons of Ishmael, plus Laman and Lemuel (naturally) rebel against the rest and mobilize in favor of returning to Jerusalem. As if they want to travel all that way? Again? Wickedness not only opposes happiness, it really doesn't make any sense. Nephi chastises them, of course, and a picture his little wifey gazing up at him with admiring little eyes as he does so.
A summary of Nephi's stern little talking-to:
1. You guys are older than me, and yet I'm the one who has to be the good guy here? Hell-o!
2. Why don't you listen?
3. Have you forgotten about the angel?
4. And all the other cool stuff God did for us?
5. You also seem to have forgotten that God, being God, can do anything, am I right?
6. Also, Jerusalem is going to be destroyed. Pretty sure you don't want to be there.
Granted, if one were the choose-to-be-offended type, that's some harsh language. But this time I actually side with Nephi. These guys can be pretty dense and frustrating. Maybe they were rebelling to impress the ladies, but still. Honestly.
And then, what do they do? Bind their brother with cords, like frat boys. But Nephi, evidencing that not only brain triumphs over brawn, but so does having God on your side, prays for the strength to deliver himself from the bonds, and breaks those suckers clean off. I like that Nephi deson't pray to be rescued, he prays to have the strength to deliver himself. That sets a good example for people like me who expect to be coddled by God in certain situations. Forget that. Go, to and break your own dang bonds.
Unfortunately this lesson, and any other lesson that might have been learned from this situation is lost to L and L (as I have just now decided to call them) and they try to attack him again. But one of the daughters of Ishmael (you don't have to be a statistician to guess that this is probably the future Mrs. Nephi) sticks up for him, and so does her mother and one of the sons of Ishmael (so maybe Lehi had only one righteous daughter to marry this guy? Who knows?) Nephi forgives them, and everyone goes on their merry little way.
I saw only the first few moments of the Book of Mormon movie before getting annoyed and turning it off, but the thing about making a movie based on a book like this is that it's incredibly repetitive. This is because 1) everyone in the Book of Mormon seemed to need several examples of every principle in action before they really got it and 2) we modern people also need to have everything repeated to us in order to fully understand. I would not find rebellion against God so pointless were it not for L and L. Thanks, boys!
First of all, if this is reward for their long-suffering and all-around good sportmanship during the whole Brass Plates ordeal, it works. This time around, no one complains, not even Laman and Lemuel. Kind of like how I have to twist guys' arms to help me move my stuff every August, but any one of my hot former roommates actually had to send eager helpers away.
I wonder about Ishmael, the father of the women Lehi's sons take to wife. I wonder if he was one of those golden converts who is enamored by the Gospel and is delighted to do whatever his newfound spiritual leader says, or if he was just a real adventurous type and thought journeying to a new land sounded like a good time. Amongst the daughters, there must have been all types, for each of the sons of Lehi to find their match. Two older, swarthy girls for Laman and Lemuel (I picture them as sexy in a dark mannish sort of way, like Pansy Parkinson from Harry Potter); two clean-cut, chipper little blonds for Nephi and Sam; and whichever one was left for Zoram.
No sooner has everyone been paired off (although it doesn't say that for sure ... maybe it happened after this little incident) two (count 'em) of the daughters of Ishmael, two sons of Ishmael, plus Laman and Lemuel (naturally) rebel against the rest and mobilize in favor of returning to Jerusalem. As if they want to travel all that way? Again? Wickedness not only opposes happiness, it really doesn't make any sense. Nephi chastises them, of course, and a picture his little wifey gazing up at him with admiring little eyes as he does so.
A summary of Nephi's stern little talking-to:
1. You guys are older than me, and yet I'm the one who has to be the good guy here? Hell-o!
2. Why don't you listen?
3. Have you forgotten about the angel?
4. And all the other cool stuff God did for us?
5. You also seem to have forgotten that God, being God, can do anything, am I right?
6. Also, Jerusalem is going to be destroyed. Pretty sure you don't want to be there.
Granted, if one were the choose-to-be-offended type, that's some harsh language. But this time I actually side with Nephi. These guys can be pretty dense and frustrating. Maybe they were rebelling to impress the ladies, but still. Honestly.
And then, what do they do? Bind their brother with cords, like frat boys. But Nephi, evidencing that not only brain triumphs over brawn, but so does having God on your side, prays for the strength to deliver himself from the bonds, and breaks those suckers clean off. I like that Nephi deson't pray to be rescued, he prays to have the strength to deliver himself. That sets a good example for people like me who expect to be coddled by God in certain situations. Forget that. Go, to and break your own dang bonds.
Unfortunately this lesson, and any other lesson that might have been learned from this situation is lost to L and L (as I have just now decided to call them) and they try to attack him again. But one of the daughters of Ishmael (you don't have to be a statistician to guess that this is probably the future Mrs. Nephi) sticks up for him, and so does her mother and one of the sons of Ishmael (so maybe Lehi had only one righteous daughter to marry this guy? Who knows?) Nephi forgives them, and everyone goes on their merry little way.
I saw only the first few moments of the Book of Mormon movie before getting annoyed and turning it off, but the thing about making a movie based on a book like this is that it's incredibly repetitive. This is because 1) everyone in the Book of Mormon seemed to need several examples of every principle in action before they really got it and 2) we modern people also need to have everything repeated to us in order to fully understand. I would not find rebellion against God so pointless were it not for L and L. Thanks, boys!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
1 Nephi 6
I remember hearing as a young girl in various writing workshops: never apologize for your writing. Never say, "Um, sorry this is still really lame because I haven't figured out the dialogue yet ..." or "I don't think you guys will like this, but this is my poem ..." But that's what this chapter is. Nephi apologizes for not copying the genealogy of his fathers onto the brass plates, because he wants to save the space for the most important things. Namely, the things of God. Not that family history isn't important! No sir! But he's right. For his intents and purposes, it really is sufficient to say that he is a descendant of Joseph.
It interests me that Nephi straight up says that his goal is to convince people to believe in God. You know, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That God. Not to be confused with some other God. And that his words will not be pleasing to the people of the world. Got that right. A nice Biblical genealogy might have helped to convince some scholar that the Book of Mormon is real scripture. Probably not too many people though. Nephi never was much for the popular opinion. Which is why even though I envision him as a bit of a goober, I still respect him. A lot.
It interests me that Nephi straight up says that his goal is to convince people to believe in God. You know, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That God. Not to be confused with some other God. And that his words will not be pleasing to the people of the world. Got that right. A nice Biblical genealogy might have helped to convince some scholar that the Book of Mormon is real scripture. Probably not too many people though. Nephi never was much for the popular opinion. Which is why even though I envision him as a bit of a goober, I still respect him. A lot.
Monday, July 7, 2008
1 Nephi 5
Here is one of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon. Well, OK. There is a certain theme here that you don't don't find in many other places in the scriptures, and this is the first instance of it: complaining. Sariah believes that all four of her sons have died in Jerusalem, and she does what any normal person would do in the same situation: she gets upset! What a breath of fresh air! Some people use this as an excuse to revere Sariah less than other women in the scriptures, but it makes me love her more. She gets dealt a seemingly lousy hand, she complains, then repents. Flaws were indeed part of the Biblical character make-up. Which means I'm not entirely lost.
An interesting aside to this: when Lehi tries to comfort Sariah and reel her back into righteousness, so to speak, he tells her "I have obtained a land of promise, in the which thing I do rejoice." Say what? They haven't obtained any promised land yet that I know of. But his use of the present tense makes me wonder: to tell well-organized mind, is a promised blessing as good as an actual blessing? If I have been promised an eternal marriage, should that be just as satisfying to me as if I were already married? If so, I am in big, big, huge trouble. Really, though, I think he has the right idea. God is a s good as His word as long as we keep our end of the bargain: to continually move towards perfection. Piece of cake. All the blessings He has promised will be fulfilled, equals, almost as good as having them.
To my mortal mind, this makes no sense: the promise of cake is not nearly as delicious as a real piece of real cake. The anticipation of said cake may make the cake eventually taste better, but that still implies reception of the cake. I would not be happy to have anticipation forever unfulfilled. I guess that's just the mortal in me.
The rest of the chapter talks about the brass plates and why they were so great. So worth going back for. First five books of Moses. Pretty important, especially if one is still subject to that tricky Law of Moses. Genealogy. A man after my own heart, Lehi is thrilled to learn he is a descendant of Joseph. So was Laban, which proves that it takes all kinds to make a PAF chart. This knowledge sparks Lehi to prophesy about his seed, and the important role the brass plates would play in his posterity's lives. Beautiful stuff.
I wonder if, as Lehi rejoiced in the future fulfillment of positive prophesies, he likewise mourned in the doleful prophesies about his seed, as much as if it had already happened?
An interesting aside to this: when Lehi tries to comfort Sariah and reel her back into righteousness, so to speak, he tells her "I have obtained a land of promise, in the which thing I do rejoice." Say what? They haven't obtained any promised land yet that I know of. But his use of the present tense makes me wonder: to tell well-organized mind, is a promised blessing as good as an actual blessing? If I have been promised an eternal marriage, should that be just as satisfying to me as if I were already married? If so, I am in big, big, huge trouble. Really, though, I think he has the right idea. God is a s good as His word as long as we keep our end of the bargain: to continually move towards perfection. Piece of cake. All the blessings He has promised will be fulfilled, equals, almost as good as having them.
To my mortal mind, this makes no sense: the promise of cake is not nearly as delicious as a real piece of real cake. The anticipation of said cake may make the cake eventually taste better, but that still implies reception of the cake. I would not be happy to have anticipation forever unfulfilled. I guess that's just the mortal in me.
The rest of the chapter talks about the brass plates and why they were so great. So worth going back for. First five books of Moses. Pretty important, especially if one is still subject to that tricky Law of Moses. Genealogy. A man after my own heart, Lehi is thrilled to learn he is a descendant of Joseph. So was Laban, which proves that it takes all kinds to make a PAF chart. This knowledge sparks Lehi to prophesy about his seed, and the important role the brass plates would play in his posterity's lives. Beautiful stuff.
I wonder if, as Lehi rejoiced in the future fulfillment of positive prophesies, he likewise mourned in the doleful prophesies about his seed, as much as if it had already happened?
Sunday, June 29, 2008
1 Nephi 4
The chapter begins with a pep talk of sorts (which further cements the image in my head of Nephi as a geeky and overzealous glee club type ... like Patty from Grease except with more muscle) by Nephi to his downcast brothers. He says they should be strong like Moses, who "truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither." I don't know why he picked that analogy. Why not use one a little more relevant to their situation, like when the Children of Israel broke down the walls of Jericho? I guess parting the Red Sea must have been an act of faith on everyone's part: Moses had to believe that something would happen when he put his staff in the water, and the rest of them had to have faith that the water would stay that way as they crossed and they wouldn't get drowned in the depths of the sea. Faith, chums. Maybe is it sort of relevant, then.
There can be miracles ... when you believvvvvve...
Anyway, pep talk doesn't seem to help much, but they all follow Nephi towards Jerusalem anyway. Once arrived, Nephi wanders into the city with no plan, trusting the Spirit to lead him to do whatever he needs to do. Which, my friends, is a great deal of trust. My my my.
He comes across a drunk dude in a gutter--hold it! That's not just any drunk! It's Laban! What an unbelievable coincidence! Yeah right. There is no such thing as coincidence. Homeboy is so drunk he is completely passed out (don't forget he was drunken with wine, not the hard stuff ... meaning he must have had either a very low tolerance or a very large stomach ... or both). The Spirit constrains Nephi to kill Laban. Understandably, he is afraid. I could be wrong, but I think this is the only time when Nephi admits any level of fear or potential cowardice. Although, really, who can blame him? I can't imagine what I would do if the same thing were to happen to me ...
Spirit: See that girl over there who's dating the guy you like?
Me: The blond?
Spirit: That's the one. Kill her.
Me: Say what?
Spirit: Kill her. She's unconscious and wasted. She won't feel a thing. No witnesses. Kill her.
Me: Oh no. I'm going crazy. I should never have gone on the Pill.
Spirit: I'm telling you, this is the will of the Lord!
Me: Listen, I've never killed anybody before! This cannot possibly be right! I'm checking myself into an institution, stat!
Spirit: IF YOU DO NOT KILL THIS PERSON, YOUR POSTERITY WILL BE DOOMED!!!!
Me: I AM HAVING SOME SORT OF HORMONALLY INDUCED NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!!!
Spirit: Listen, sometimes a wicked person has to die so hundreds of thousands of righteous people can live. She has what you need to raise a righteous posterity. It is God's will that what she has belong to you. So kill her, and then you can get it. I'll help you.
Me: If you're wrong about this ...
Spirit: Have I ever been wrong before?
Me: Well, no.
Spirit: Look, she's got a sword. Kill her now. Use that.
Me: Why the frick does she have a sword?
Spirit: Less talk. More beheading.
Mother. So glad it wasn't me. I think the above conversation pretty much sums up Nephi's internal dilemma, as well as the Spirit's reasoning with him, that ends with his killing Laban.
The rest of the story is familiar: Nephi puts on Laban's clothes, pretends to be him, gets the plates from the guards and escapes to Jerusalem, gaining a friend/servant in the process (Zoram). Brothers are first afraid, then mollified, all return to Jerusalem. Cue happy music.
There can be miracles ... when you believvvvvve...
Anyway, pep talk doesn't seem to help much, but they all follow Nephi towards Jerusalem anyway. Once arrived, Nephi wanders into the city with no plan, trusting the Spirit to lead him to do whatever he needs to do. Which, my friends, is a great deal of trust. My my my.
He comes across a drunk dude in a gutter--hold it! That's not just any drunk! It's Laban! What an unbelievable coincidence! Yeah right. There is no such thing as coincidence. Homeboy is so drunk he is completely passed out (don't forget he was drunken with wine, not the hard stuff ... meaning he must have had either a very low tolerance or a very large stomach ... or both). The Spirit constrains Nephi to kill Laban. Understandably, he is afraid. I could be wrong, but I think this is the only time when Nephi admits any level of fear or potential cowardice. Although, really, who can blame him? I can't imagine what I would do if the same thing were to happen to me ...
Spirit: See that girl over there who's dating the guy you like?
Me: The blond?
Spirit: That's the one. Kill her.
Me: Say what?
Spirit: Kill her. She's unconscious and wasted. She won't feel a thing. No witnesses. Kill her.
Me: Oh no. I'm going crazy. I should never have gone on the Pill.
Spirit: I'm telling you, this is the will of the Lord!
Me: Listen, I've never killed anybody before! This cannot possibly be right! I'm checking myself into an institution, stat!
Spirit: IF YOU DO NOT KILL THIS PERSON, YOUR POSTERITY WILL BE DOOMED!!!!
Me: I AM HAVING SOME SORT OF HORMONALLY INDUCED NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!!!
Spirit: Listen, sometimes a wicked person has to die so hundreds of thousands of righteous people can live. She has what you need to raise a righteous posterity. It is God's will that what she has belong to you. So kill her, and then you can get it. I'll help you.
Me: If you're wrong about this ...
Spirit: Have I ever been wrong before?
Me: Well, no.
Spirit: Look, she's got a sword. Kill her now. Use that.
Me: Why the frick does she have a sword?
Spirit: Less talk. More beheading.
Mother. So glad it wasn't me. I think the above conversation pretty much sums up Nephi's internal dilemma, as well as the Spirit's reasoning with him, that ends with his killing Laban.
The rest of the story is familiar: Nephi puts on Laban's clothes, pretends to be him, gets the plates from the guards and escapes to Jerusalem, gaining a friend/servant in the process (Zoram). Brothers are first afraid, then mollified, all return to Jerusalem. Cue happy music.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
I Nephi 3
Ah, the brass plates. Classic. So after (not when they were still in Jerusalem, but after) they had travelled something like a few hundred miles, (which makes me wonder, what exactly is God trying to prove here? That all good things come by way of sore feet?) Lehi has a dream that his sons need to return to Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates, which were the Bible up to that time. No New Testament to be found, but still very valuable. Laman and Lemuel, who never seem to know the value of anything, complain. Nephi, who always seems to know how to win the hearts of everyone except Laman and Lemuel, says, "Jerusalem, ahoy! Man the sandals! Away we go!" or something like that. You gotta admire his gumption, but he must have been an exhausting dude to live with.
I love that when they finally get to Jerusalem they play the ancient Israeli version of "Bubble bubble gum in a dish" or some other elimination game to decide who goes first. I have never thought about this before, but it warrants consideration: if Nephi was so gung-ho, why didn't he just volunteer to go first? Could it be that he was just as scared as the others, but chose to leave that out of the story, seeing as he was writing about himself? I really respect those scriptural writers who have the guts to admit their own mistakes. "I myself am I wicked man ... " "I was guilty of levity ..." Now that's admirable. I won't even let people touch my mission journals, and I've told those close to me that if I die, I want them destroyed. Yes, I myself am a wicked, prideful woman.
Anyway, so Laman employs the genius strategy of walking up to Laban, keeper of said plates, and saying, "Hi. Can I have the plates?" Laban responds with violence. Laman comes back and says, "Well, shoot. We tried! Now, let's go home." You think that for a wicked guy, he would have more of a mind for treachery. Which further proves my point that Laman and Lemuel weren't so much downright intentionally wicked as lazy.
Nephi rallies the troops with a "Heck no! We won't go! Not without the plates at least!" Someone comes up with the idea of bribery. The Lehites had been a wealthy family before they took to nature, so it seems, so they go back to their house, gather all their riches, and try to buy the brass plates from Laban.
Laban is a really unreasonable guy. He once again responds with violence. The brothers four flee into the outskirts of town, sans property, and that seems to be the last straw for Laman and Lemuel. They are so pissed they start beating him with a rod.
Note, my friends, in your study of the scriptures, how many different words there are for "rod."
The brotherly brawl gets broken up by none other than an angel from God. He promises them that if they go back to Jerusalem one more time, God will deliver Laban into their hands. One assumes that the promise of an angel from God is pretty airtight, you know? But incredibly, Laman and Lemuel start complaining again immediately. Like in the next verse. Making them not only lazy but shortsighted and irritating. Really, there are some relatives about whom all you can do is laugh. Like my great-aunt Margaret in Montana.
I love that when they finally get to Jerusalem they play the ancient Israeli version of "Bubble bubble gum in a dish" or some other elimination game to decide who goes first. I have never thought about this before, but it warrants consideration: if Nephi was so gung-ho, why didn't he just volunteer to go first? Could it be that he was just as scared as the others, but chose to leave that out of the story, seeing as he was writing about himself? I really respect those scriptural writers who have the guts to admit their own mistakes. "I myself am I wicked man ... " "I was guilty of levity ..." Now that's admirable. I won't even let people touch my mission journals, and I've told those close to me that if I die, I want them destroyed. Yes, I myself am a wicked, prideful woman.
Anyway, so Laman employs the genius strategy of walking up to Laban, keeper of said plates, and saying, "Hi. Can I have the plates?" Laban responds with violence. Laman comes back and says, "Well, shoot. We tried! Now, let's go home." You think that for a wicked guy, he would have more of a mind for treachery. Which further proves my point that Laman and Lemuel weren't so much downright intentionally wicked as lazy.
Nephi rallies the troops with a "Heck no! We won't go! Not without the plates at least!" Someone comes up with the idea of bribery. The Lehites had been a wealthy family before they took to nature, so it seems, so they go back to their house, gather all their riches, and try to buy the brass plates from Laban.
Laban is a really unreasonable guy. He once again responds with violence. The brothers four flee into the outskirts of town, sans property, and that seems to be the last straw for Laman and Lemuel. They are so pissed they start beating him with a rod.
Note, my friends, in your study of the scriptures, how many different words there are for "rod."
The brotherly brawl gets broken up by none other than an angel from God. He promises them that if they go back to Jerusalem one more time, God will deliver Laban into their hands. One assumes that the promise of an angel from God is pretty airtight, you know? But incredibly, Laman and Lemuel start complaining again immediately. Like in the next verse. Making them not only lazy but shortsighted and irritating. Really, there are some relatives about whom all you can do is laugh. Like my great-aunt Margaret in Montana.
Boy, am I glad I'm doing this ...
“Do eternal consequences rest upon our response to this book? Yes, either to our blessing or our condemnation. ...
"Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life. There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rod, and one who is not."
Ezra Taft Benson
"Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life. There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rod, and one who is not."
Ezra Taft Benson
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
1 Nephi 2
Lehi has a dream that tells him to pack provisions and hack it out in the wilderness. He obeys, to the chagrin of some (Laman and Lemuel) and the possibly grudging acceptance of the rest.
I wonder about their real reaction to this. No one in their right mind would be happy to leave their life and all their possessions behind to go camping for an indefinite period of time, right? There are lots of commandments from God that I obey even though I'm not exactly delighted about it. I won't go into which ones. But trust me. To tell you the truth, I think that's the real test of love: to be willing to do something not because it's what you want or because it would directly benefit you in some way, but because it's the right thing to do. Even if you don't understand it. If they hadn't all been pissed off about leaving, it wouldn't have been a sacrifice. It's what you do with your pissed-offed-ness that counts. You can whine and complain like a little sissy, or you can suck it up. Nephi, let's face it, is the champion of sucking it up.
An interesting aside about obedience: "fake it till you make it" can really work. If you keep going to church or paying tithing or avoiding coffee, eventually you'll gain a better understanding of why, and even an appreciation for that commandment. Unless you're really off the deep end.
My six year-old can be a sassy little punk sometimes, and always very obnoxiously asks "why" when I ask him to do something. A favorite answer of mine is this: "If for no other reason, then because I asked you to." It's like that.
Feminist insert: The entire First Book of Nephi is about Nephi's family, but he doesn't mention that he has any sisters until Second Nephi chapter five. What, he couldn't have just thrown that in there a little bit earlier? What's with the "my family, consisting of my mother, my father, and my brothers." What are sisters, chopped liver? That is so Old Testament. Given, this was written during the same time period. But still.
Here's the rub about Lehi's parenting skills.
Compliment: having a river or valley named after you.
Insult: using said river or valley to make an unfavorable observation about your moral character.
So, do those two just cancel each other out? Once again, I feel for Laman and Lemuel. Granted, they were immature, whiny, lazy, kvetchers, but man, what a break. It's interesting to me that their descendants ended up better than Nephi's in the long run. Their progeny was spared, Nephi's destroyed. I have heard many times that this is because the Nephites had the truth in their lives, but rejected it. The original Lamanites rejected the truth early on, so their kids didn't have it in their lives, and thus weren't accountable. It's a little jumbled but it's actually pretty fair, when you think about it. With great power comes great responsibility, so if you blow it, you really blow it. The kind of blowing it that involves divine vengeance.
I think this is the same reasoning behind Cain having a mark put upon him intended to protect him from others. His descendants would be far from the truth, and thus protected from severe punishment for going against what they knew. Because they didn't know much.
Sounds like an easy life. Not that I would trade what I have for ignorance. Ever.
I wonder about their real reaction to this. No one in their right mind would be happy to leave their life and all their possessions behind to go camping for an indefinite period of time, right? There are lots of commandments from God that I obey even though I'm not exactly delighted about it. I won't go into which ones. But trust me. To tell you the truth, I think that's the real test of love: to be willing to do something not because it's what you want or because it would directly benefit you in some way, but because it's the right thing to do. Even if you don't understand it. If they hadn't all been pissed off about leaving, it wouldn't have been a sacrifice. It's what you do with your pissed-offed-ness that counts. You can whine and complain like a little sissy, or you can suck it up. Nephi, let's face it, is the champion of sucking it up.
An interesting aside about obedience: "fake it till you make it" can really work. If you keep going to church or paying tithing or avoiding coffee, eventually you'll gain a better understanding of why, and even an appreciation for that commandment. Unless you're really off the deep end.
My six year-old can be a sassy little punk sometimes, and always very obnoxiously asks "why" when I ask him to do something. A favorite answer of mine is this: "If for no other reason, then because I asked you to." It's like that.
Feminist insert: The entire First Book of Nephi is about Nephi's family, but he doesn't mention that he has any sisters until Second Nephi chapter five. What, he couldn't have just thrown that in there a little bit earlier? What's with the "my family, consisting of my mother, my father, and my brothers." What are sisters, chopped liver? That is so Old Testament. Given, this was written during the same time period. But still.
Here's the rub about Lehi's parenting skills.
Compliment: having a river or valley named after you.
Insult: using said river or valley to make an unfavorable observation about your moral character.
So, do those two just cancel each other out? Once again, I feel for Laman and Lemuel. Granted, they were immature, whiny, lazy, kvetchers, but man, what a break. It's interesting to me that their descendants ended up better than Nephi's in the long run. Their progeny was spared, Nephi's destroyed. I have heard many times that this is because the Nephites had the truth in their lives, but rejected it. The original Lamanites rejected the truth early on, so their kids didn't have it in their lives, and thus weren't accountable. It's a little jumbled but it's actually pretty fair, when you think about it. With great power comes great responsibility, so if you blow it, you really blow it. The kind of blowing it that involves divine vengeance.
I think this is the same reasoning behind Cain having a mark put upon him intended to protect him from others. His descendants would be far from the truth, and thus protected from severe punishment for going against what they knew. Because they didn't know much.
Sounds like an easy life. Not that I would trade what I have for ignorance. Ever.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
1 Nephi 1
So Nephi starts out by introducing himself and providing a brief summary of his childhood. I wish I knew enough about Biblical history to be able to picture what Nephi means when he says, "I was taught ... in all the learning of my father." Obviously that means he knows how to read and write--hence the records--but did he go to a legit school? Or was he home-schooled with his brothers (and, if they were progressive enough, his sisters)?
It's entertaining for me to picture Laman and Lemuel slacking off studies and making snide comments behind the teacher's back, while Nephi sits in the front row with an apple (or the Jerusalem equivalent ... a fig maybe?) on the teacher's desk, spot in the front row, his glowing visage always facing front despite the olive seeds his older brothers keep spitting at him. And venerable Sam, who bears a striking resemblance in my mind to Samwise Gamgee of LOTR fame, repeatedly glancing back at his older brothers with a mix of curiosity, fear and awe, but staying by Nephi's side, trying to keep up. Whoever was in charge of lessons probably always made Nephi the monitor too. Stick monitor, parchment monitor, sheep milk monitor. One wonders if he was the only kid to earn enough sheep's milk to make a difference in his physical development. Hence the large in stature thing.
Sometimes I identify with Laman and Lemuel more than the other characters in this book, which I know is terrible. But really, how often am I cynical when someone in my family gets some cockamamie idea that sounds all too founded on whimsy? Do I mock others for being goody-goody? Would I be entirely unwilling to approach a rich guy who wants to kill me to ask the same favor for a third time? Yes, yes, and a resounding no.
Still, there's no denying that Nephi was a good guy. Lehi, too. I always picture Nephi as having the family corner on sincerity (and hence geekiness ... the tapered jeans, polo shirt kind) but Lehi having the lion's share of the guts. He's one of those guys who not only prays on behalf of his people, but goes out and warns them about the consequences of their actions. Which is something I hesitate to do even with people I know well.
I wonder about the relationship between tact and truth sometimes. Where is the line between being polite and letting evil take hold in this world and meddling? Or being judgmental? One of my best friends is pregnant out of wedlock and is marrying the father in a few days. Not a week ago, she never wanted to see or speak to him (the father) ever again, because their relationship was never a healthy one, and she was frankly relieved when it ended. But for a number of reasons, which have been explained to me, but which I still don't entirely understand, she has made the choice to marry the guy and raise the child with him.
That is not the decision I would make. The Church provides for multiple options when it comes to unwed mothers, but I would say the general consensus is adoption over a shotgun wedding. In short, I'm saddened by her decision. But heck, I'm not her. She says she feels good about it. Who am I to discern the source of her warm fuzzy feelings? They could be from God for all I know. And I'm certainly not going to tell her how I feel about her decision once she's made it. But do I have an obligation to? Or would if under any weird theoretical circumstances?
Back to the Book of Mormon. How did Lehi do it? He has a fantastic vision of God, Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles. He feels the spirit with such force that he is physically overcome. Of course anyone righteous enough to have an experience like that would be dying to share it. But what role does pragmatism play? Does it in the least?
Perhaps that is what made me a sub-par missionary. I was never told this by anyone, but I always felt that I was too shy to be one of the powerhouses among the Hungarian elders and sisters. I was never the type to walk up to someone on the street and invite them to be baptized. I always felt that much of what we do as missionaries is pretty rude. Granted, if the Spirit touches someone's heart and they let the two frumpy girls standing at the gate into their house, results are often quite good. And I never avoided the truth when questions were asked.
Lady in lesson: So you mean my christening doesn't count as a real baptism?
Me: I'm sorry. No.
If something is true, it's true. You can't lie about it when you're asked. But I never would have in a million years walked up to a woman with three kids and no wedding ring and said, "I have seen your abominations, and they shall bring upon you the judgment of God." I would never physically take away a stranger's cigarette either, although I heard legends of other missionaries who did.
So when it says that Lehi, "went forth among the people" to "prophesy and ... declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard" did he stand on a street corner with a football helmet and a big sign that read some verse from Isaiah? Did he street contact?
"Hi, my name is Lehi and I'm a representative of the Church of the Lamb. I'm here to tell you that if you don't repent of your iniquities immediately, Jerusalem will be destroyed. Is there a more convenient time when we could meet at your home and discuss these things? Can I at least give you this parchment?"
There is also the distinct possibility that he went among the people as Christ did, serving them and teaching them basic principles using examples from their lives, helping them understand and apply the commandments. Part of me says "probably not" because that method really works, and the people rejected Lehi. But on the other hand, they rejected Christ too.
Nephi says that in the next few chapters, he will show us how the tender mercies of the Lord play a role in the lives of His chosen people. Which is odd because, thinking ahead, the next few events in their lives don't seem that tender to me. More like tough. And trials. I wish I could make trial into an adjective somehow, but I just can't. Anyhow, stay tuned.
It's entertaining for me to picture Laman and Lemuel slacking off studies and making snide comments behind the teacher's back, while Nephi sits in the front row with an apple (or the Jerusalem equivalent ... a fig maybe?) on the teacher's desk, spot in the front row, his glowing visage always facing front despite the olive seeds his older brothers keep spitting at him. And venerable Sam, who bears a striking resemblance in my mind to Samwise Gamgee of LOTR fame, repeatedly glancing back at his older brothers with a mix of curiosity, fear and awe, but staying by Nephi's side, trying to keep up. Whoever was in charge of lessons probably always made Nephi the monitor too. Stick monitor, parchment monitor, sheep milk monitor. One wonders if he was the only kid to earn enough sheep's milk to make a difference in his physical development. Hence the large in stature thing.
Sometimes I identify with Laman and Lemuel more than the other characters in this book, which I know is terrible. But really, how often am I cynical when someone in my family gets some cockamamie idea that sounds all too founded on whimsy? Do I mock others for being goody-goody? Would I be entirely unwilling to approach a rich guy who wants to kill me to ask the same favor for a third time? Yes, yes, and a resounding no.
Still, there's no denying that Nephi was a good guy. Lehi, too. I always picture Nephi as having the family corner on sincerity (and hence geekiness ... the tapered jeans, polo shirt kind) but Lehi having the lion's share of the guts. He's one of those guys who not only prays on behalf of his people, but goes out and warns them about the consequences of their actions. Which is something I hesitate to do even with people I know well.
I wonder about the relationship between tact and truth sometimes. Where is the line between being polite and letting evil take hold in this world and meddling? Or being judgmental? One of my best friends is pregnant out of wedlock and is marrying the father in a few days. Not a week ago, she never wanted to see or speak to him (the father) ever again, because their relationship was never a healthy one, and she was frankly relieved when it ended. But for a number of reasons, which have been explained to me, but which I still don't entirely understand, she has made the choice to marry the guy and raise the child with him.
That is not the decision I would make. The Church provides for multiple options when it comes to unwed mothers, but I would say the general consensus is adoption over a shotgun wedding. In short, I'm saddened by her decision. But heck, I'm not her. She says she feels good about it. Who am I to discern the source of her warm fuzzy feelings? They could be from God for all I know. And I'm certainly not going to tell her how I feel about her decision once she's made it. But do I have an obligation to? Or would if under any weird theoretical circumstances?
Back to the Book of Mormon. How did Lehi do it? He has a fantastic vision of God, Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles. He feels the spirit with such force that he is physically overcome. Of course anyone righteous enough to have an experience like that would be dying to share it. But what role does pragmatism play? Does it in the least?
Perhaps that is what made me a sub-par missionary. I was never told this by anyone, but I always felt that I was too shy to be one of the powerhouses among the Hungarian elders and sisters. I was never the type to walk up to someone on the street and invite them to be baptized. I always felt that much of what we do as missionaries is pretty rude. Granted, if the Spirit touches someone's heart and they let the two frumpy girls standing at the gate into their house, results are often quite good. And I never avoided the truth when questions were asked.
Lady in lesson: So you mean my christening doesn't count as a real baptism?
Me: I'm sorry. No.
If something is true, it's true. You can't lie about it when you're asked. But I never would have in a million years walked up to a woman with three kids and no wedding ring and said, "I have seen your abominations, and they shall bring upon you the judgment of God." I would never physically take away a stranger's cigarette either, although I heard legends of other missionaries who did.
So when it says that Lehi, "went forth among the people" to "prophesy and ... declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard" did he stand on a street corner with a football helmet and a big sign that read some verse from Isaiah? Did he street contact?
"Hi, my name is Lehi and I'm a representative of the Church of the Lamb. I'm here to tell you that if you don't repent of your iniquities immediately, Jerusalem will be destroyed. Is there a more convenient time when we could meet at your home and discuss these things? Can I at least give you this parchment?"
There is also the distinct possibility that he went among the people as Christ did, serving them and teaching them basic principles using examples from their lives, helping them understand and apply the commandments. Part of me says "probably not" because that method really works, and the people rejected Lehi. But on the other hand, they rejected Christ too.
Nephi says that in the next few chapters, he will show us how the tender mercies of the Lord play a role in the lives of His chosen people. Which is odd because, thinking ahead, the next few events in their lives don't seem that tender to me. More like tough. And trials. I wish I could make trial into an adjective somehow, but I just can't. Anyhow, stay tuned.
Introduction
I am a huge fan of Slate regular David Plotz's Blogging the Bible project in which he, as an affectionate but only semi-practicing Jew, reads the Old Testament straight through from start to finish, sans academic or other commentary, and commented on it. It was always funny, often insightful, and I thought, a very worthy project.
Now I'm not claiming to be as awesome as David Plotz. Not by a long shot. But I think I am in a good spot to take this project from an LDS perspective for the following reasons.
1. I am a practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with no current grudges or axes to grind that I know of.
2. I like to write.
3. I have lots of crazy ideas.
4. I am able to differentiate between ELISA's crazy ideas and official doctrine of the Church.
So, I don't think this is going to be any big thing, but I need some better motivation to study the Book of Mormon, in depth, every day. So here we go ...
Now I'm not claiming to be as awesome as David Plotz. Not by a long shot. But I think I am in a good spot to take this project from an LDS perspective for the following reasons.
1. I am a practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with no current grudges or axes to grind that I know of.
2. I like to write.
3. I have lots of crazy ideas.
4. I am able to differentiate between ELISA's crazy ideas and official doctrine of the Church.
So, I don't think this is going to be any big thing, but I need some better motivation to study the Book of Mormon, in depth, every day. So here we go ...
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