|
Gospel Essentials Class Notes April 22, 2001 Click Here to Listen to this class: Part 1 of 1 (58 minutes) |
|
|
Gospel Essentials Class Notes April 22 2001 First
chapter of Ether. After the brother of Jared views
God, who says he will come to the earth as Jesus Christ, he is told that
two of the stones touched will become a tool to translate. Whoever looks through will be seer. What is a
seer? Mosiah
5:74 And whosoever is
commanded to look in them, the same is called seer. Mosiah
5:76 And the king said,
that a seer is greater than a prophet. Mosiah
5:77 And Ammon said, that
a seer is a revelator, and a prophet also; and a gift which is
greater, can no man have, except he should possess the power of God,
which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God. Mosiah
5:78 But a seer
can know of things which have past, and also of things which are to
come; The
Interpreters were given to whom???
(Brother of Jared) When did
this occur? (over 2000 years before Christ). We call
these the Urim and Thummim. Definition
is interesting: Urim and Thummim is the transliteration of two Hebrew words meaning,
respectively, "light(s)" and "wholeness(es)" or
"perfection(s)." While it is usually assumed that the -im
ending on both words represents the Hebrew masculine plural suffix,
other explanations are possible. Critics say
‘How can the Urim & Thimmim be in America when it was mentioned in
Ezra?’ 1.
First,
the words ‘Urim & Thimmim’ were alluded to, but not held in hand
by Ezra 2.
This
‘interpretters’ was not something that came with the House of Israel
to begin with. 3.
Reminder,
when did Brother of Jared live? Before
even Abraham was alive. 4.
Two
stones were touched (Ether 1:88, 93, 99) and reserved for the purpose of
staying with the record, because it was written in was not understood by
anyone else in the world—by God’s design. (Ether 1:89) 5.
An
interpreter (i.e. Urim & Thimmim) available to the House of Israel,
had to be obtained afterwards by some other prophet in the House of
Israel. The
critics’ claim has no bearing, is not even germane to this discussion
(typical of critics’ comments) Incidentally,
the Book of Mormon never uses the name Urim & Thummim to describe
the interpreters. This
isn’t ascribed until latter-day revelation in the Doctrine and
Covenants. Instances of
Urim and Thummim: I
Samuel 28:6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither
by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Exodus
28:30 And thou shalt put
in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they
shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord; and Aaron
shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before
the Lord continually. Leviticus
8:8 And he put the
breastplate upon him; also he put in the breastplate the Urim and
the Thummim. Ezra
2:63 And the Tirshatha
said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till
there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim. Nehemiah
7:65 And the Tirshatha
said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till
there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. Does Ezra
mention that they HAD the Urim and Thummim? No, but prophesies that they
would have the greatest spiritual blessings until a priest stood with
Urim and Thummim—this is a metaphor for saying ‘until the House of
Israel finally understands the Old Testament’ --what is to be understood?
That is all pointed toward Jesus Christ. ___ When will
the rest of the Book of Mormon
come forth? Not in the days
of wickedness of the Gentiles. What is the
prophesy to the Gentiles? Ether
1:31 And now we can
behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of
promise, and whatsoever nation shall possess it, shall serve God, or
they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall come upon
them. Ether
1:32 And the fullness of
his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity; for
behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore
he that doth possess it shall serve God, or shall be swept off; for it
is the everlasting decree of God. Ether
1:33 And it is not until
the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are
swept off. Ether
1:34 And this cometh unto
you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God, that ye may
repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness come,
that ye may not bring down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you, as
the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done. Ether
1:35 Behold, this is a
choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it, shall be free from
bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if
they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ who hath
been manifested by the things which we have written. The Gentiles
would come to this land. Gentiles
are two groups: 1.
Covenant 2.
Non-Covenant Which ones,
in God’s eyes, are more wicked. Those
who live in sin without knowledge, or those who have knowledge and
reject it? What was the
pattern we’ve seen in the Book of Mormon? Did destruction come to the land
because of the wickedness of the unrighteous, or the righteous who
turned to sin. Therefore,
is it reasonable that this is the time that the plates should now, this
year, as some poeple are claiming?
Have the Gentiles ‘come clean?’ If it only took one righteous
gentile to fulfill this, then the plates would’ve returned decades
ago—my maternal grandfather was a righteous man—never told a lie in
his life. Wouldn’t this
qualify? No. This refers to a time after the
gentiles of the covenant are confronted with their wickedness, repent,
and are forgiven. (3 Nephi 10:1) Scripture
is almost always dealing with the actions of the covenant people. ___ What is
the spiritual destiny of those who contend against the word of God (ether 1:102) What is
the promise for those who do not fight against it, but believe and obey
it
(Ether 1:105) And how
can we know that they are of God (because they persuade to do good, to follow Jesus) Ether 1:106 Have the
gentiles ‘come clean’? yet?? ___ When will
Revelations of John be unfolded to our understanding? When the House of Israel calls on God (in the name of Jesus). Ether 1:113, 1 Nephi 3:238-253 Greater
Things Spoken of to come forth: Helaman
5:83 And the angel said
unto me that many shall see greater things than these, to the
intent that they might believe that these signs and these wonders should
come to pass, upon all the face of this land; to the intent that there
should be no cause for unbelief among the children of men; 3
Nephi 12:3 And when they shall
have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to
try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these
things, then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. 3
Nephi 12:4 And if it so be that
they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things
be withheld from them, unto their condemnation. Mormon
4:14 And whoso receiveth
this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which
are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these. Ether
1:98 Behold, I have
written upon these plates the very things which the Brother of Jared
saw; and there never was greater things made manifest, than that
which was made manifest unto the Brother of Jared; wherefore, the Lord
hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. Ether
1:102 And he that will
contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that
shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I shew
no greater things, saith Jesus Christ, for I am he who speaketh; Ether
1:109 Come unto me, O ye
Gentiles, and I will shew unto you the greater things, the
knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. What is
the principle behind how God establishes His word? Ether
2:3 And in the mouth of
three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of
three, and this work, in the which shall be shewn forth the power of
God, and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy
Ghost beareth record; and all this shall stand as a testimony against
the world, at the last day. Matthew
18:16 But if he will not
hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two
or three witnesses every word may be established. II
Corinthians 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or
three witnesses shall every word be established. I
Timothy 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three
witnesses. A type and shadow given in Moses day… Hebrews
10:28 He that despised
Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses; The
prophets of the Jaredites 2
Nephi 11:124 For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the
prophets, and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because of your
iniquity. How were
the prophets received in the Jaredite's day? Sometimes
welcomed, usually rejected. Welcomed… Ether
3:61 And also in the
reign of Shule there came prophets among the people, who were sent from
the Lord, prophesying that the wickedness and idolatry of the people was
bringing a curse upon the land, and they should be destroyed, if they
did not repent. Ether
3:62 And it came to pass
that the people did revile against the prophets, and did mock them. Ether
3:63 And it came to pass
that King Shule did execute judgment against all those who did revile
against the prophets; and he did execute a law throughout all the land,
which gave power unto the prophets that they should go whithersoever
they would; and by this cause the people were brought unto repentance. Ether
3:64 And because the
people did repent of their iniquities and idolatries, the Lord did spare
them, and they began to prosper again in the land. Rejected… Ether
4:94 And it came to pass
that the brother of Shiblom caused that all the prophets who
prophesied of the destruction of the people, should be put to death; Isn’t this a type for today? Ether
4:95 And there was great
calamity in all the land, for they had testified that a greater curse
should come upon the land, and also upon the people, and that there
should be a great destruction among them, such an one as never had been
upon the face of the earth; Ether
4:96 And their bones
should become as heaps of earth upon the face of the land, except they
should repent of their wickedness. Isn’t
this a pattern for our moral lives—we get caught in sin, a friend or
parent confronts us with it FOR OUR OWN GOOD, and what is the
response—we emotionally ‘kill’ them, by shutting them off,
rejecting their words. Ether
4:112 And in the days of
Coriantor there also came many prophets, and prophesied of great and
marvelous things, and cried repentance unto the people, and except they
should repent, the Lord God would execute judgment against them to their
utter destruction; Ether
4:113 And that the Lord
God would send or bring forth another people to possess the land, by his
power, after the manner which he brought their fathers. Ether
4:114 And they did
reject all the words of the prophets, because of their secret
society and wicked abominations. If we
therefore believe, how should we respond (repentance and baptism,
enduring to the end) Ether 1:115, 116.
|
|