Sunday, July 26, 2009
The One Thing The Book of Mormon Teaches
Book of Mormon Images 1
There is definitely one thing the Book of Mormon teaches first and foremost. Everyone remembers from reading the first chapter in First Nephi that Nephi is born of goodly parents and that Lehi preached and prophesied at Jerusalem. I think there is a tendency to forget that this chapter also contain a vision, and the importance of this vision. While contemplating the imagery in this chapter I was struck by one particular image - and that image is the core teaching of the Book of Mormon.
THE ONE THING:
In the First Book of the Book of Mormon, in the First chapter of that book, the first word of the first verse is I -- as in I Nephi. In otherwords, we're starting with a big Roman numeral one.
Nephi goes on to write about making his record and then he gets to his father Lehi. Lehi prays and he has a vision of a pillar of fire upon a rock - which would look a lot like a large flaming number one.
Lehi goes back home and being overcome, throws himself on his bed and is again carried away in a vision. He sees the heavens open and sees God sitting upon his throne. For extra effect, I note that the last three letters of throne, are "one" - at least in English.
Besides seeing concourses of angels around the throne, Lehi sees "One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. " So here is the One to which all these one's point.
Lehi sees 12 others whose brightness exceeds that of the stars, following the One.
The One gives Lehi a book.
Lehi saw One, followed by 12 and chapter 1 verse 12 of this chapter says: "And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord."
So my One Thing actually has two points: First, The One Thing the Book of Mormon teaches about, is Jesus the Christ, the One who descended in the vision. Second, as with Lehi and the book given to him in the vision, those who read the Book of Mormon can be filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
There is definitely one thing the Book of Mormon teaches first and foremost. Everyone remembers from reading the first chapter in First Nephi that Nephi is born of goodly parents and that Lehi preached and prophesied at Jerusalem. I think there is a tendency to forget that this chapter also contain a vision, and the importance of this vision. While contemplating the imagery in this chapter I was struck by one particular image - and that image is the core teaching of the Book of Mormon.
THE ONE THING:
In the First Book of the Book of Mormon, in the First chapter of that book, the first word of the first verse is I -- as in I Nephi. In otherwords, we're starting with a big Roman numeral one.
Nephi goes on to write about making his record and then he gets to his father Lehi. Lehi prays and he has a vision of a pillar of fire upon a rock - which would look a lot like a large flaming number one.
Lehi goes back home and being overcome, throws himself on his bed and is again carried away in a vision. He sees the heavens open and sees God sitting upon his throne. For extra effect, I note that the last three letters of throne, are "one" - at least in English.
Besides seeing concourses of angels around the throne, Lehi sees "One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. " So here is the One to which all these one's point.
Lehi sees 12 others whose brightness exceeds that of the stars, following the One.
The One gives Lehi a book.
Lehi saw One, followed by 12 and chapter 1 verse 12 of this chapter says: "And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord."
So my One Thing actually has two points: First, The One Thing the Book of Mormon teaches about, is Jesus the Christ, the One who descended in the vision. Second, as with Lehi and the book given to him in the vision, those who read the Book of Mormon can be filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Good Grins
This guy at www.kumpster.blogspot.com claims to have my job -- but I guess he's just in a different village. I've added it to the links. The site appears to be refreshingly free of the flag of controversy (except to the extent that good cheer, faith and patriotism are controversial). I most enjoyed the bits "They walk among us" and "Tonto and the Lone Ranger." After I found a limerick in the mix, I knew I would want to go back.
