Mosiah 4:9 says, "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth;..." Time is a thing given to us on this earth. Mosiah and Alma proclaim that "all things" have been created by God. So we can assume that God created time. Alma 18:28&29 also speak of creation. "...Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in heaven and in the earth? And he said: Yea, I believe that he created all things which are in the earth;..." Alma 22:10 says, "...he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and in earth."
Moroni 8:18 speaks about time, "For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity." This verse could have said that God has an unchanging purpose. Instead Moroni said that he is an "unchangeable being". How is it possible that this unchangeable being existed "from all eternity to all eternity"? Could he exist since the beginning of time? Here is the simple answer: He existed before time because he created time. He is beyond time. Time is simply one of his creations. It is proper to say that He is from all eternity to all eternity because He is the Creator of time. Mosiah 3:5 also speaks of time: "...the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay,..." Moroni 7:22 again mentions time: "For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting,..." Mormon 9:19 also mentions an unchangeable being: "And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles."
Here is a problem: How can one physically exist without time to exist? If God created all things, then what about space? Space is a thing. Can anyone physically exist without space to exist in? The Book of Mormon solves this dilemma. We already mentioned it in Alma 22:10. "And Aaron said unto him: Yea, he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and in earth..." God created time and space. A physical body requires space to exist in and time to exist in that space. God is not subject to his creation. He does not require his creation in order to exist. This is quite a remarkable solution!!
Here is another problem: How was it possible for God to attain infinite power in a finite amount of time. Mosiah 3:17,18 & 21 say that God is omnipotent - all powerful or having infinite power. Here is an example: If the distance from New York to Los Angeles was an infinite amount of miles, how long would it take to travel from one of the cities to the other. The answer is that it would take an infinite amount of time to travel an infinite of miles. However time is finite since it was created by God. There was a beginning to time when God made it. So how does one get to infinite power and infinite knowledge? The Book of Mormon tells us that God was already God before time began. As we quoted before in Moroni 8:18, "...God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity." You do not have to travel to a place if you are already there. God was already omnipotent (infinite power) and omniscient (infinite knowledge) before he created time. This is a brilliant solution!
Some people say that they cannot believe in a god that they cannot understand. This fact is stated in Mosiah 4:9. "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." An infinite mind, like the mind of God, can understand infinity. Sometimes a finite mind does not even understand what is finite. We are finite. If you are praying to an exalted, finite man-god that is understandable, then you have missed the God of the Book of Mormon. The true God is beyond our understanding. That is one reason he is God.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Brother V & Veggies and Ice Cream
If
Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash
Then
Can you think of three people that have denied themselves of ALL UNGODLINESS? We are not talking of 90%, 95% or even 99% of ungodliness. All means 100% of ungodliness. Are there three people that you can think of that qualify? Do you know three people who love God with ALL their might, mind and strength? Again, we are not talking of those who love God with 50%, 80% or even 98% of their might, mind and strength. The word ALL means 100%. If you are thinking of those three people, you can put them into Moroni 10:32. It includes an if-then statement. Keith Walker from Evidence Ministries compares this to an if-then statement about dinner: "If you finish your vegetables, then you can have some dessert.") With your three, 100%, people in mind, we can read from Moroni 10:32, "...if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you,..." When do you get the grace? You get it after denying yourself of all ungodliness and loving God with all your might, mind and strength. So who gets the needed grace? Only the three people you thought of get the grace. You may not have been able to think of anyone.
This is the verse that Brother V. used with his revelation about grace in sacrament meeting. In his grace revelation he learned that we cannot meet God half way. It is not 50 - 50. We cannot be saved by the law. It is all about grace. This is why Jesus was so hard on the pharasees. They were keeping the law and trusting in their righteous works. It was not about the law. Jesus was accused of hanging out with sinners, gluttons and drunkards. Obviously, they were the ones that realized they needed God's grace and mercy. It was easy for Brother V. to find New Testament examples of God's grace and mercy. It was harder for him to find them in the Book of Mormon. But if you water down this verse in Moroni and twist it some, you can apply it to everyone.
Free Grace
This is the verse that Brother V. used with his revelation about grace in sacrament meeting. In his grace revelation he learned that we cannot meet God half way. It is not 50 - 50. We cannot be saved by the law. It is all about grace. This is why Jesus was so hard on the pharasees. They were keeping the law and trusting in their righteous works. It was not about the law. Jesus was accused of hanging out with sinners, gluttons and drunkards. Obviously, they were the ones that realized they needed God's grace and mercy. It was easy for Brother V. to find New Testament examples of God's grace and mercy. It was harder for him to find them in the Book of Mormon. But if you water down this verse in Moroni and twist it some, you can apply it to everyone.
Free GraceMormons have a better example of grace. It is baptism for the dead. The dead man or woman cannot do much. They cannot pay tithes, pray, attend church, love others, speak kind words or show empathy. They cannot even repent. They can do nothing since they are dead. When someone is baptized for them, it is simply a gift. It is not earned in any way. The worker does it for free for the dead person. This is an act of pure grace.
Brother V. had another revelation that we are not under the curse. Now we know that you only have to kill one person to be a murderer. You only have to steal once to be a thief. You only have to sin one time to be a sinner. If God is going to look into the dark motives of our heart, we are all in trouble. Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.'" When Jesus hung on the cross, he hung there in our place. We should have died on the cross for our many sins. Again the Book of Mormon does not offer this to everyone. In Alma 34, it is only for those who repent. In Alma 34:35, an individual can choose to procrastinate repentance and wind up in hell as their "final state" of existence.
Grace and freedom from the curse were two fine revelations by Brother V. in sacrament meeting.
Brother V. had another revelation that we are not under the curse. Now we know that you only have to kill one person to be a murderer. You only have to steal once to be a thief. You only have to sin one time to be a sinner. If God is going to look into the dark motives of our heart, we are all in trouble. Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.'" When Jesus hung on the cross, he hung there in our place. We should have died on the cross for our many sins. Again the Book of Mormon does not offer this to everyone. In Alma 34, it is only for those who repent. In Alma 34:35, an individual can choose to procrastinate repentance and wind up in hell as their "final state" of existence.
Grace and freedom from the curse were two fine revelations by Brother V. in sacrament meeting.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Sacrament with 2 Gospels
Yesterday's sacrament meeting had two different speakers representing two different gospels. It was a husband and wife team with two different viewpoints. The wife spoke first. She emphasized a pre-mortal life where we were the spiritual offspring of God in heaven before we came to this earth. She generously said that we are all children of God. She said that God's divinity is in our DNA. Through the many good deeds of the members present, God was being presented. His light or divinity shines through us as we are kind and loving. This self-saving gospel is found in 2 Nephi 24:12-16 where an angel tried to ascend and become "like" God. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (This passage is also found in Isaiah 14:12-16.)
In the Garden of Eden, Eve was also presented with this self-saving gospel. The serpent told her that she could be like a goddess through gaining knowledge. Genesis 3:3&4 says, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Psalm 82:6&7 says, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."
The second speaker, the husband, presented a gospel of grace. He questioned why the Jesus was so hard on the Pharisees when they were the ones who were keeping the law. This is true - Jesus was hard on them. Jesus said to the Jews in John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...." In Matthew 23:27-33, Jesus said "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" He seemed to be saying that many were getting off track with 2 Nephi 25:23: "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." He said there is no meeting God half way. He said you cannot be saved through keeping the law.
He also pointed out that Jesus was accused of hanging out with sinners too much. He said it is about grace. He said he was drawn to the New Testament Jesus and his emphasis on grace. I agree with the speaker. Jesus spent time teaching the woman at the well in John 4. She had had 5 husbands and was with a man that was not her husband. He did not tell her to get her life cleaned up and come back in 6 months to talk. He talked and taught her about worship right then and there. In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells us a story about a law-keeping Pharisee and a publican. "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." What a powerful story of God's grace?!
In Ephesians 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul wrote, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
In regard to the first speaker, the book of Mormon does not say that we are all God's children. It commands us to repent and become a child of God. Mosiah 7:24-26 says, "For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul refuted the Jews. The Jews were pushing circumcision which represented the mosaic law. In Galatians 1:8 Paul said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
May the Great God, the unchangeable being found in Moroni 8:18 draw us closer to Him through His Holy Spirit. God's grace to all.
In the Garden of Eden, Eve was also presented with this self-saving gospel. The serpent told her that she could be like a goddess through gaining knowledge. Genesis 3:3&4 says, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Psalm 82:6&7 says, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."
The second speaker, the husband, presented a gospel of grace. He questioned why the Jesus was so hard on the Pharisees when they were the ones who were keeping the law. This is true - Jesus was hard on them. Jesus said to the Jews in John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...." In Matthew 23:27-33, Jesus said "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" He seemed to be saying that many were getting off track with 2 Nephi 25:23: "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." He said there is no meeting God half way. He said you cannot be saved through keeping the law.
He also pointed out that Jesus was accused of hanging out with sinners too much. He said it is about grace. He said he was drawn to the New Testament Jesus and his emphasis on grace. I agree with the speaker. Jesus spent time teaching the woman at the well in John 4. She had had 5 husbands and was with a man that was not her husband. He did not tell her to get her life cleaned up and come back in 6 months to talk. He talked and taught her about worship right then and there. In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells us a story about a law-keeping Pharisee and a publican. "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." What a powerful story of God's grace?!
In Ephesians 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul wrote, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
In regard to the first speaker, the book of Mormon does not say that we are all God's children. It commands us to repent and become a child of God. Mosiah 7:24-26 says, "For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul refuted the Jews. The Jews were pushing circumcision which represented the mosaic law. In Galatians 1:8 Paul said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
May the Great God, the unchangeable being found in Moroni 8:18 draw us closer to Him through His Holy Spirit. God's grace to all.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Problems with Garments
So you are watching TV with your hubby and the Victoria Secret commercial comes on. This is a bit of a problem. The garments you feel secure wearing cannot compete with the fancy, cute underwear in the commercial. The wife next door has a variety of cute outfits she wears but the garments limit a person to the more modest selections. While the church commands you to wear one thing, the typical hubby would probably choose something more appealing to look at. On the other hand, if one spouse is wearing the garments more often than the other, there is the judgemental aspect to deal with: "Why are you not wearing the garments."
Has a High Priest ever been commanded to not wear the garments? This command if found in Leviticus 16:23: "And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:" In the next verse, he was to wash and put his own clothes back on. I think this passage is highly significant. Aaron, the high priest, was to take off the holy garments and leave them there when he went out of the holy place. So Aaron dressed two ways. He wore the priestly garments in the holy place and he wore his own garments when he was not in the holy place. Ezekiel 44:19 again tells us, "And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments."
There are bigger questions here, however. Are you going to trust in some garments to protect you or are you going to depend on God's protection? If the power of God cannot protect you, what can a hundred garments do? Are you going to depend on a baptism to save you or on Jesus work on the cross. Yes baptism is a commandment. But if Jesus death is not enough what can a thousand gallons of water do? Are you going to focus on a temple for celestial salvation or focus on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "...let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;..." Mosiah 3:17 says, "...there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."
So back to the dilemma. Do you wear the garments to please the church or the cute outfit to please your hubby? The marriage relationship has been designed, instituted and ordained by God. Are you working to strengthen what God has designed?
What if you are a yes and yes person - need to please the church and the hubby? Here is a 4 step plan. 1) Communicate with your spouse. 2) Come to an agreement. 3) Follow the agreement. 4) If there is discontent or a judgemental attitude, repeat steps 1-3. A happy marriage is a good thing.
Has a High Priest ever been commanded to not wear the garments? This command if found in Leviticus 16:23: "And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:" In the next verse, he was to wash and put his own clothes back on. I think this passage is highly significant. Aaron, the high priest, was to take off the holy garments and leave them there when he went out of the holy place. So Aaron dressed two ways. He wore the priestly garments in the holy place and he wore his own garments when he was not in the holy place. Ezekiel 44:19 again tells us, "And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments."
There are bigger questions here, however. Are you going to trust in some garments to protect you or are you going to depend on God's protection? If the power of God cannot protect you, what can a hundred garments do? Are you going to depend on a baptism to save you or on Jesus work on the cross. Yes baptism is a commandment. But if Jesus death is not enough what can a thousand gallons of water do? Are you going to focus on a temple for celestial salvation or focus on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "...let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;..." Mosiah 3:17 says, "...there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."
So back to the dilemma. Do you wear the garments to please the church or the cute outfit to please your hubby? The marriage relationship has been designed, instituted and ordained by God. Are you working to strengthen what God has designed?
What if you are a yes and yes person - need to please the church and the hubby? Here is a 4 step plan. 1) Communicate with your spouse. 2) Come to an agreement. 3) Follow the agreement. 4) If there is discontent or a judgemental attitude, repeat steps 1-3. A happy marriage is a good thing.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Joseph's Hat Trick
How did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon? The Mormon church has published some articles called Gospel Topic Essay (https://www.lds.org/topics/book-of-mormon-translation). In their article called Book Of Mormon Translation under the subheading The Mechanics of Translation, they state, "Some accounts indicate that Joseph studied the characters on the plates. Most of the accounts speak of Joseph's use of the Urim and Thummim (Either the interpreters or the seer stone), and many accounts refer to his use of a single stone. According to these accounts, Joseph placed the interpreters or the seer stone in a hat, pressed his face into the hat to block out extraneous light, and read aloud the English words that appeared on the instrument."
Oliver Cowdery, a principal scribe, testified that Joseph Smith found "two transparent stones, resembling glass, set in silver bows." He said that Joseph Smith used these stones for translation work.
The article also includes Emma Smith's explanation. She said Joseph was, "sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us." She said the golden plates "often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen table cloth." When she was asked if Joseph dictated from the Bible or a manuscript "she flatly denied those possibilities:" She said, "He had neither manuscript nor book to read from." She told her son, "...your father would dictate to me for hour after hour; and when returning after meals, or after interruptions, he would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him."
Martin Harris was also a scribe for Joseph Smith according to this article. "Harris later related that as Joseph used the seer stone to translate, sentences appeared. Joseph read those sentences aloud, and after penning the words, Harris would say, 'Written.'" Harris said Joseph "possessed a seer stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone."
It is a popular notion that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon from golden plates. According to this church article, he translated mostly by looking at some stones in a hat.
Oliver Cowdery, a principal scribe, testified that Joseph Smith found "two transparent stones, resembling glass, set in silver bows." He said that Joseph Smith used these stones for translation work.
The article also includes Emma Smith's explanation. She said Joseph was, "sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us." She said the golden plates "often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen table cloth." When she was asked if Joseph dictated from the Bible or a manuscript "she flatly denied those possibilities:" She said, "He had neither manuscript nor book to read from." She told her son, "...your father would dictate to me for hour after hour; and when returning after meals, or after interruptions, he would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him."
Martin Harris was also a scribe for Joseph Smith according to this article. "Harris later related that as Joseph used the seer stone to translate, sentences appeared. Joseph read those sentences aloud, and after penning the words, Harris would say, 'Written.'" Harris said Joseph "possessed a seer stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone."
It is a popular notion that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon from golden plates. According to this church article, he translated mostly by looking at some stones in a hat.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Animalistic Priesthood holders
Animalism is a "preoccupation with or motivation by sensual, physical, or carnal appetites rather than moral, spiritual, or intellectual forces" according to Dictionary.com. This describes two priesthood holders in 1 Samuel named Hophni and Phinehas. The were sons of the high priest Eli. 1 Samuel 2:12-17 details their behavior:
"12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.
"12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.
13 And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord."
Not only did these priests harass and bully the people they also took advantage of women. 1 Samuel 2:22 says, "Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." These men were animalistic, following their carnal appetites.
At the same time the Bible tells us a wonderful story about a random woman named Hannah from the tribe of Ephriam. Her husband had two wives. Her sister wife, Peninnah had children but Hannah had none. Peninnah continually harassed her to tears for having no children. She was completely miserable. 1 Samuel 10-17 describes her desperation:
"10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.
16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad."
God answered her prayer and she gave birth to a boy. She named him Samuel. Her family was not of the tribe of Levi. Her husband was not a descendant of Aaron. They were not involved with the priesthood work but she did give her son to God. He lived and worked at the sanctuary with the priests. Though we forget the story of the priests Hophni and Phinehas, we all remember the story of Samuel. He grew up to become a great prophet and leader in Israel. He anointed Israel's first two kings, Saul and David. Please read this interesting story of Hannah, Samuel, Eli, Hophni and Phinehas in the first four chapters of 1 Samuel.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Prophet of 1,000 wives!
"Supposing that I have a wife or a dozen of them, and she should say, "You cannot be exalted without me," and suppose they all should say so, what of that?...Suppose that I lose the whole of them before I go into the spirit world, but that I have been a good, faithful man all the days of my life, and lived my religion, and had favour with God, and was kind to them, do you think I will be destitute there. No, the Lord says there are more there than there are here. They have been increasing there; they increase there a great deal faster than we do here,...
In the spirit world there is an increase of males and females, there are millions of them, and if I am faithful all the time, and continue right along with brother Brigham, we will go to brother Joseph and say, 'Here we are brother Joseph; we are here ourselves are we not, with none of the property we possessed in our probationary state, not even the rings on our fingers: 'He will say to us, 'come along, my boys, we will give you a good suit of clothes. Where are your wives?' 'They are back yonder; they would not follow us.' 'Never mind,' says Joseph, 'Here are thousands, have all you want.'"
Brigham Young walked this back some by limiting a man to 999 wives.
"I met with the Quorum and Presidency in the temple....President Woodruff then spoke '...In searching out my genealogy I found about four hundred of my female kindred who were never married. I asked Pres. Young what I should do with them. He said for me to have them sealed to me unless there were more that 999 of them.' The doctrine startled me, but I had it done,..." Daily Journal of Abraham H. Cannon, April 5, 1894, Vol. 18, pp 66-67
Brigham Young stated, "We are complained of for having more wives than one. I don't begin to have a many as I shall have by and by, nor you either, if you are faithful." (Journal of discourses, vol. 8, page 222)
George Q. Cannon "...remarked that people wondered how many wives and children I had. He may inform them, that I shall have wives and children by the million, and glory, and riches and power and dominion, and kingdom after kingdom, and reign triumphantly." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, page 178)
The great prophet Moses gave a commandment about kings, "Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away;..." (Deuteronomy 17:17)
King Solomon had a thousand women! Although he was the wisest man on earth, 1 Kings 11:3-4 tells us, "And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father." Because of this God promised to take the Israelite kingdom away from him and give it to one of his servants. (1 Kings 11:11)
The Old Testament has a number of stories of disaster and heartache resulting from polygamy. Let us go back to the beginning. After God made Eve and presented her to Adam, he said, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) He didn't say a thousand flesh but rather one flesh.
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