3 Ne 19:31-36
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Book of Mormon > Third Nephi > Chapter 19
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Contents |
Questions
- In verse 14 it says that the children spoke to their fathers greater things than Jesus had revealed? What does it mean to say that one revelation is greater than another? What is the scale on which such judgements are made? Take two truths that have been revealed to us, celestial marriage and the doctrine of repentance--what would it mean to say that one of them is greater?
Lexical notes
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Exegesis
Comparing verse 14 to 3 Ne 19:34
In verse 14 we are told that the children spoke unto their fathers greater things than Jesus had revealed unto the people. Compare this to 3 Nephi 19:34 where we are told that the words Jesus prayed were "so great and marvelous ... that they cannot be written neither can they be uttered by man." How can the children reveal greater things than Jesus did, if what Jesus spoke is so great that it cannot be spoken by man?
This seems like a contradiction if we assume that man here include all people (as it often does in the scriptures) and that what the children revealed is being judged on the same scale as the words Jesus prayed. Essentially then there are two ways to explain away what could appear as a contradiction:
- We could interpret the word man as not applying in the context of 19:34 to children. In this way think that the things Jesus spoke could not be spoken by man, but they could be spoken, and even greater things could be spoken, by children.
- We can draw a distinction between "revealing" and "praying." This could be done in different ways depending on how we interpret each word. For example, we might interpret the great words Jesus prayed as carrying with them a spiritual presence that made it impossible for others to pray as Jesus did. Then we migh interpret the things the children spoke to their fathers as revealing greater truths than Jesus had revealed. Essentially then Jesus words are being judged as greater on one scale and the things the children revealed are greater on a different scale of revealed truths.
Related links
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