A Study of Latter-Day Saint Theology and Doctrine
(NOTE: This is a rewrite of one my first posts. I was never really happy with it, so I decided to give it another pass. The previous entry has been deleted.) In the Latter-Day Saint canon, there is perhaps no document more controversial than D&C 132. While the Book of Abraham is believed to be... Continue Reading →
"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was... Continue Reading →
“No other psalm has in research evoked so many hypotheses and discussions as Psalm 110.... We should at once emphasize that both in questions of textual criticism and in history-of-religions problems the last word has not yet been spoken.”— Hans-Joachim Kraus New Testament writers quote Psalm 110 more than any other psalm. (And one of... Continue Reading →
In LDS theology, Ezekiel's Valley of Dry Bones prophecy points to the Bible and the Book of Mormon. For review, the prophecy reads, "Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For... Continue Reading →
For the uninitiated, Multiple Mortal Probation (MMP) is similar to the concept of reincarnation. It suggests that we find ourselves in endless cycles of creation, living and dying over and over, learning and progressing, ascending the ladder step-by-step until we eventually "get it right." By "get it right," I presume we become "sanctified" and qualify... Continue Reading →
I think we have the impression that prophets sit down and dictate or write down their revelations straight from the mouth or mind of God. They are channels to the divine. God's ventriloquist dummies, if you will. I suppose that sometimes could be the case, but more often than not, "revelation," or what we call... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago I had a Facebook discussion with two individuals resolute in their belief that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon via "Urim and Thummim" and insisted Joseph was consistent in using the term from the beginning of the church. As one might expect, there's considerable difficulty with that claim. It didn't... Continue Reading →
It's interesting to go back and reread things with a new perspective and see what I might have missed the first time or ten--especially with Joseph Smith's revelations. It's now pretty easy to recognize when Joseph draws on on the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament in constructing his revelations. D&C 45 is another revelation... Continue Reading →
“And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.” (1 Nephi 11:13) The Birth of Jesus is the most well-known birth story in all... Continue Reading →
"You don't need me to tell you that human civilization is very, very old." So began Yale professor Christine Hayes' introduction to the Hebrew Bible course. She's right, of course. The earth, and humanity, has been around a lot longer than 4,000 B.C., a date traditionally accepted by orthodox Christians and, unsurprisingly, Joseph Smith, as... Continue Reading →
BOOK OF MORMONISM 