Site:SS lessons/DC lesson 33

From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
< Site:SS lessons
Revision as of 03:10, 26 January 2009 by MatthewsBot (Talk | contribs)

(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search

This page allows you to see in one place all the commentary pages for the reading assignment for this Doctrine & Covenants Gospel Doctrine lesson. Click on the heading to go to a specific page. Click the edit links below to edit text on any page.


2 Kgs 2:6-10

Home > The Old Testament > Kings > 2 Kings 2-13
Previous page: 1 Kings 20-2 Kings 1                              Next Page: 2 Kings 14-17


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Historical setting[edit]

This section should be brief and explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand these chapters. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • 2 Kgs 2:9: Double portion. According to the Word Biblical Commentary, in asking for a double portion, "Elisha is asking for the status as rightful heir to the prophetic leaders's role. The phrase indicates twice as much as any other heir, not double the amount Elijah had." (Cf. Deut 21:17.)
Nachman Levine (see reference below) discusses a further meaning building on a Midrashic tradition claiming that Elijah did eight miracles whereas Elisha did sixteen. Levine argues that "Elisha's miracles not only double Elijah's but seem to parallel and multiply them in their themes, elements and language." Levine points to "keys of the womb, the grave and the rains . . . (life, death, and the sustaining of live)." For example, Elijah provided oil for a widow and her son until it rained (1 Kgs 17:13-16) whereas Elisha provided not only enough oil to sustain a widow and her multiple sons but there was also enough left over to sell (2 Kgs 4:1-7). Levine's other examples are more complex.
Note also that Elijah's drought lasts 3.5 years (1 Kgs 17:1; 18:1; Luke 4:25; James 5:17) whereas Elisha's drought lasts 7 years (2 Kgs 8:1).
See Nachman Levine's article "Twice as Much of Your Spirit: Pattern, Parallel and Paronomasia in the Miracles of Elijah and Elisha" in Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, v. 85 (1999), pp. 25-46.
  • 2 Kgs 2:11. Scholars have suggested this verse forms a center-piece to an extended chiasmus of chapters 1 and 2:
(A) 1:1-8, 16-17: Sickness and healing
(AA) 1:9-15: Challenge to prophetic calling
 (B) 2:2-6: Question about Elijah's departure
   (C) 2:7: "Sons of prophets"
     (D) 2:8: Crossing of water
       (E) 2:9: Request for spirit
         (F) 2:10: Seeing
           (G) 2:11: Departure of Elijah
         (F') 2:12: Seeing
       (E') 2:13: Taking of spirit (garment)
     (D') 2:14: Crossing of water
   (C') 2:15: "Sons of prophets"
 (B') 2:16-18: Request to confirm Elijah's departure
(AA') 2:19-22: Challenge to prophetic calling
(A') 2:23-24: Challenge
  • 2 Kgs 2:23ff: Little children. According to footnote a, "little children" is more aptly translated as "youths." Although still a graphic story if taken literally, the modern reader may be significantly less shocked understanding that the story refers to youths (perhaps delinquent teenagers?) rather than little children.
  • 2 Kgs 2:23ff: Baldy and prophetic succession. Fred Woods (see reference below) suggests that the reference to baldness here has more to do with prophetic succession than literal baldness. In Zech 13:4 and Matt 3:4 the hairy mantle of authority is referenced that Elijah had. This, coupled with various textual links to the story of Korah in Num 16:31-40, suggests that the youths in this episode are being punished for mocking (or at least questioning) Elisha's authority. The punishment of these children, then, may be viewed as a fulfillment of the warning given in Lev 26:21-22.
The story in verses 23-24 is not easy to explain. There is a good chance that we need more information or that, perhaps, we are missing some verses, so the best answer is probably "we don't really know what happened here."
However, we are not the only ones who find this passage difficult. One Jewish explanation of it is that these are young men who have been studying in an ancient school of the prophets but refuse to recognize Elisha's prophetic authority. What they say to him amounts to "Go away, you old man!" and, so, is a rejection of the priesthood. Another explanation is that these young men are mocking Elisha, daring him to be translated as Elijah had just been translated (2 Kgs 2:11). A third explanation, based on an assumed word-play in Hebrew, is that these were young men who were completely without religion and who mocked the prophet as the leader of Israel.
It is also interesting that the Talmud asserts that Elisha was later punished for using his authority in this way (Sanhedrin 46b, 47a).

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • 2 Kgs 2:23ff: The story beginning in verse 23 seems awfully savage. Is this a story that should be understood literally (which would seem to depict a God who is mean at best), or should it be understood symbolically, perhaps to show us the spiritual consequences of challenging God's anointed?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • 2 Kgs 3:17-19: Fulfilment of prophecies. See "Elisha's True Prophecy in 2 Kings 3" by Raymond Westbrook in JBL v. 124/3 (Fall 2005), pp. 530-32. Westbrook argues that the not-so-obvious fulfillment of these prophecies indeed occurs. In particular, although Kir-haraseth was not destroyed (verse 25), the walls were "smitten" by slingshots (the meaning of the Hebrew word translated "smite" allows for this meaning; see also Judg 20:18-48 where the oracle informs the Israelites twice about the tactics to be used, but only on the third occasion does the passage explicitly predict victory...).
  • 2 Kgs 5:10-14: Blind obedience? See BrianJ's blog post "Blindly Following the Prophet" for thoughts on "faithful obedience" vs. "blind obedience" (the latter suggests that there is not prior experience upon which faith is built, faith which can justify further obedience).

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: 1 Kings 20-2 Kings 1                              Next Page: 2 Kings 14-17

2 Kgs 2:11-15

Home > The Old Testament > Kings > 2 Kings 2-13
Previous page: 1 Kings 20-2 Kings 1                              Next Page: 2 Kings 14-17


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Historical setting[edit]

This section should be brief and explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand these chapters. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • 2 Kgs 2:9: Double portion. According to the Word Biblical Commentary, in asking for a double portion, "Elisha is asking for the status as rightful heir to the prophetic leaders's role. The phrase indicates twice as much as any other heir, not double the amount Elijah had." (Cf. Deut 21:17.)
Nachman Levine (see reference below) discusses a further meaning building on a Midrashic tradition claiming that Elijah did eight miracles whereas Elisha did sixteen. Levine argues that "Elisha's miracles not only double Elijah's but seem to parallel and multiply them in their themes, elements and language." Levine points to "keys of the womb, the grave and the rains . . . (life, death, and the sustaining of live)." For example, Elijah provided oil for a widow and her son until it rained (1 Kgs 17:13-16) whereas Elisha provided not only enough oil to sustain a widow and her multiple sons but there was also enough left over to sell (2 Kgs 4:1-7). Levine's other examples are more complex.
Note also that Elijah's drought lasts 3.5 years (1 Kgs 17:1; 18:1; Luke 4:25; James 5:17) whereas Elisha's drought lasts 7 years (2 Kgs 8:1).
See Nachman Levine's article "Twice as Much of Your Spirit: Pattern, Parallel and Paronomasia in the Miracles of Elijah and Elisha" in Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, v. 85 (1999), pp. 25-46.
  • 2 Kgs 2:11. Scholars have suggested this verse forms a center-piece to an extended chiasmus of chapters 1 and 2:
(A) 1:1-8, 16-17: Sickness and healing
(AA) 1:9-15: Challenge to prophetic calling
 (B) 2:2-6: Question about Elijah's departure
   (C) 2:7: "Sons of prophets"
     (D) 2:8: Crossing of water
       (E) 2:9: Request for spirit
         (F) 2:10: Seeing
           (G) 2:11: Departure of Elijah
         (F') 2:12: Seeing
       (E') 2:13: Taking of spirit (garment)
     (D') 2:14: Crossing of water
   (C') 2:15: "Sons of prophets"
 (B') 2:16-18: Request to confirm Elijah's departure
(AA') 2:19-22: Challenge to prophetic calling
(A') 2:23-24: Challenge
  • 2 Kgs 2:23ff: Little children. According to footnote a, "little children" is more aptly translated as "youths." Although still a graphic story if taken literally, the modern reader may be significantly less shocked understanding that the story refers to youths (perhaps delinquent teenagers?) rather than little children.
  • 2 Kgs 2:23ff: Baldy and prophetic succession. Fred Woods (see reference below) suggests that the reference to baldness here has more to do with prophetic succession than literal baldness. In Zech 13:4 and Matt 3:4 the hairy mantle of authority is referenced that Elijah had. This, coupled with various textual links to the story of Korah in Num 16:31-40, suggests that the youths in this episode are being punished for mocking (or at least questioning) Elisha's authority. The punishment of these children, then, may be viewed as a fulfillment of the warning given in Lev 26:21-22.
The story in verses 23-24 is not easy to explain. There is a good chance that we need more information or that, perhaps, we are missing some verses, so the best answer is probably "we don't really know what happened here."
However, we are not the only ones who find this passage difficult. One Jewish explanation of it is that these are young men who have been studying in an ancient school of the prophets but refuse to recognize Elisha's prophetic authority. What they say to him amounts to "Go away, you old man!" and, so, is a rejection of the priesthood. Another explanation is that these young men are mocking Elisha, daring him to be translated as Elijah had just been translated (2 Kgs 2:11). A third explanation, based on an assumed word-play in Hebrew, is that these were young men who were completely without religion and who mocked the prophet as the leader of Israel.
It is also interesting that the Talmud asserts that Elisha was later punished for using his authority in this way (Sanhedrin 46b, 47a).

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • 2 Kgs 2:23ff: The story beginning in verse 23 seems awfully savage. Is this a story that should be understood literally (which would seem to depict a God who is mean at best), or should it be understood symbolically, perhaps to show us the spiritual consequences of challenging God's anointed?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • 2 Kgs 3:17-19: Fulfilment of prophecies. See "Elisha's True Prophecy in 2 Kings 3" by Raymond Westbrook in JBL v. 124/3 (Fall 2005), pp. 530-32. Westbrook argues that the not-so-obvious fulfillment of these prophecies indeed occurs. In particular, although Kir-haraseth was not destroyed (verse 25), the walls were "smitten" by slingshots (the meaning of the Hebrew word translated "smite" allows for this meaning; see also Judg 20:18-48 where the oracle informs the Israelites twice about the tactics to be used, but only on the third occasion does the passage explicitly predict victory...).
  • 2 Kgs 5:10-14: Blind obedience? See BrianJ's blog post "Blindly Following the Prophet" for thoughts on "faithful obedience" vs. "blind obedience" (the latter suggests that there is not prior experience upon which faith is built, faith which can justify further obedience).

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: 1 Kings 20-2 Kings 1                              Next Page: 2 Kings 14-17

Jacob 1:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Jacob > Chapter 1
Previous page: Jacob                      Next page: Chapters 2-3


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Jacob. The relationship of Chapter 1 to the rest of Jacob is discussed at Jacob.

Story. Chapter 1 consists of ____ major sections:

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapter 1 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Jacob 1:5: Anxiety. The words great anxiety are surprisingly strong and we may wonder if anxiety at the time the Book of Mormon was translated had less edge than it does today. In fact though Webster's 1828 dictionary definition seems to be just as harsh:
concern or solicitude respecting some event, future or uncertain, which disturbs the mind, and keeps it in a state of painful uneasin[ess]. it expresses more than uneasiness or disturbance, and even more than trouble or solicitude. it usually springs from fear or serious apprehension of evil, and involves a suspense respecting an event, and often, a perplexity of mind, to know how to shape our conduct.
  • Jacob 1:7. The text "that they might enter into his rest, lest be any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness" is an allusion to Ps 95:8-11:
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
The meaning suggested by this use of the Old Testament seems to reflect the way that Jacob views the current condition of the Nephites. Shortly after arriving in the New World, the Nephites were forced into the wilderness (2_Ne_5:1-5). This use of the notion of the "rest" of God is also found in Deut 25:19:
Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
The implication of this and the following narrative suggests that Jacob in his sermon which he is about to deliver is telling the people that they will not be able to return to the land of their inheritance under the present course of their behavior. And even while it talks of the Messianic Christ figure, the implication doesn't seem to move beyond a temporal salvation into the rest of God as a future state of the righteous (as it does in the New Testament).
  • Jacob 1:11. This practice is also described in the Book of Jasher 24:20-21, when Benmalich, son of Abimelech, becomes known as Abimelech himself.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Jacob 1:1: Why are these plates described as "small"?
  • Jacob 1:2: Why is Jacob commanded only to write "a few of the things...considered to be most precious"? What are the limitations on writing in these plates? Is the writing limited by the size of the plates or is there some other consideration?
  • Jacob 1:2: Why is Jacob commanded not touch "save it were lightly" the history of the community?
  • Jacob 1:2: What do we know about "this people which are called the people of Nephi"? Who are they? Are they only members of Lehi's original party, or are there others included in the group now? Why are they called the "people of Nephi"?
  • Jacob 1:3: Why does Nephi command Jacob to maintain this spiritual record within his lineage? What might that indicate about hereditary social roles among the community? Are Jacob's descendants expected to hold the same priestly position within the community as held by Jacob? What might this tell us about the organization of early Nephite society?
  • Jacob 1:4: Jacob says that he has been instructed to record the dominant and important parts (heads) of any sacred revelation, preaching, prophecy, etc...He states at the end of the verse that he should do this for the sake of his people (Nephites, I assume) and for Christ's sake. Why does he say that this should be done for Christ's sake, when the Nephites would be the principle beneficiaries of the recorded prophecies?
  • Jacob 1:4: Jacob is commanded to write only "a few" things on these plates (v.2), yet he is also commanded to write "as much as it were possible" about them. How are we to reconcile these commands? What do they mean and what does that tell us about how these teachings were to be valued and recorded?
  • Jacob 1:4: How much sacred preaching, revelation, and prophesying is ultimately recorded in these small plates? How well did Jacob's descendants fulfill this commandment?
  • Jacob 1:4: What does it mean to "touch upon" sacred things?
  • Jacob 1:4: What does Nephi mean when he tells Jacob to record these things "for Christ's sake"? In what ways might recording these things be for or in behalf of Christ?
  • Jacob 1:4: How might these records be recorded "for the sake" of the people?
  • Jacob 1:4: What is Nephi saying about the community when he refers to it as "our" people? Why doesn't he just say "our family" or "our descendants" or "our seed"? Is this an acknowledgement that there are more lineages incorporated into the community than just the original Lehites?
  • Jacob 1:5: Why are Nephi and Jacob so anxious about their people?
  • Jacob 1:5: What does anxiety mean in the context of this verse? Is a similar anxiety found in other scriptural accounts where revelation is received?
  • Jacob 1:5: Why do Nephi and presumably Jacob have so much anxiety about the future of their people? Is their anxiety for the possible downfall of their people the source of the vision that Nephi recorded about his posterity, or is the vision itself the source of the anxiety?
  • Jacob 1:5: Isn't anxiety an expression of fear? If so, how do we reconcile that fear with the faith mentioned here? Was it that faith led to Nephi's original vision, which then brought fear because of what it showed about the future of his posterity?
  • Jacob 1:5: Does this anxiety about the future of the people at some point become almost a self-fulfilling prophecy? What is the role of anxiety or fear in motivating spiritual teaching and preaching? Can preaching motivated by fear or anxiety ever transcend that fear?
  • Jacob 1:8: Jacob says that he and his people would to God that all would view Christ's death, suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world. How do we do this?
  • Jacob 1:9: Why doesn't Jacob give us the name of the man who is anointed king? Why don't we know the name of any of the kings until the time of the first Mosiah?
  • Jacob 1:10: Who has Nephi had to fight off by wielding the sword of Laban?
  • Jacob 1:10: As far as we can tell, metal weapons were very rare in the Americas during the early Book of Mormon period. How might the sword of Laban, and perhaps other swords fashioned after it, have changed the power dynamics in an area where obsidian and bone weapons may have been prevalent?
  • Jacob 1:10: What is the significance of the sword of Laban in Nephite history?
  • Jacob 1:10: Could this sword of Laban have been "double-edged," both protecting the early Nephites, while legitimizing military conflict in a society that would ultimately both live and die by the sword?
  • Jacob 1:11: Jacob tells us that the kings are named Nephi, but we never hear about another King Nephi. The next king that we hear anything about is not named Nephi, but Mosiah. Why is that? What happened to this practice of naming the kings Nephi? Why does Jacob tell us this bit of information, if it never comes up again in the narrative?
  • Jacob 1:11: What has changed by the time of Mosiah and Benjamin that they now go by their own names, instead of being called Nephi? What does that say about their society? What does it say about their connection to the fathers? Does it change when Mosiah leads some people out of the normal Nephite society, and especially when they join with the people of Zarahemla?
  • Jacob 1:11: If this change does happen when Mosiah leaves, at what point can this new group justify calling itself Nephites, and what happened to the group they broke off from?
  • Jacob 1:15: Was the sin of the Nephites that they had many wives and concubines, or just that they wanted many wives and concubines?
  • Jacob 1:15: Does this verse suggest that it was wrong for David to either desire or have many wives and concubines? If so, how do we reconcile that with D&C 132:38. (It doesn't seem like Jacob is referring specifically to Bathseba when he says "wicked practices, such as like unto David ... desiring many wives and concubines.")
  • Jacob 1:17: What does it mean that Jacob obtained an errand from the Lord? How does one obtain such an errand?
  • Jacob 1:17: Why does Jacob tell us that he taught these things at the temple? What does the location of his teaching add to our understanding of his sermon on chastity and consecration of wealth for the poor?
  • Jacob 1:19: Where does Jacob draw on the imagery of blood on garments (cf. Ex 29:21, Lev. 6:25-27, 8:30)? Does the fact that Jacob's sermon was delivered in the temple have any relevance to this imagery?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Jacob                      Next page: Chapters 2-3

Jacob 1:16-19

Home > The Book of Mormon > Jacob > Chapter 1
Previous page: Jacob                      Next page: Chapters 2-3


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Jacob. The relationship of Chapter 1 to the rest of Jacob is discussed at Jacob.

Story. Chapter 1 consists of ____ major sections:

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapter 1 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Jacob 1:5: Anxiety. The words great anxiety are surprisingly strong and we may wonder if anxiety at the time the Book of Mormon was translated had less edge than it does today. In fact though Webster's 1828 dictionary definition seems to be just as harsh:
concern or solicitude respecting some event, future or uncertain, which disturbs the mind, and keeps it in a state of painful uneasin[ess]. it expresses more than uneasiness or disturbance, and even more than trouble or solicitude. it usually springs from fear or serious apprehension of evil, and involves a suspense respecting an event, and often, a perplexity of mind, to know how to shape our conduct.
  • Jacob 1:7. The text "that they might enter into his rest, lest be any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness" is an allusion to Ps 95:8-11:
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
The meaning suggested by this use of the Old Testament seems to reflect the way that Jacob views the current condition of the Nephites. Shortly after arriving in the New World, the Nephites were forced into the wilderness (2_Ne_5:1-5). This use of the notion of the "rest" of God is also found in Deut 25:19:
Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
The implication of this and the following narrative suggests that Jacob in his sermon which he is about to deliver is telling the people that they will not be able to return to the land of their inheritance under the present course of their behavior. And even while it talks of the Messianic Christ figure, the implication doesn't seem to move beyond a temporal salvation into the rest of God as a future state of the righteous (as it does in the New Testament).
  • Jacob 1:11. This practice is also described in the Book of Jasher 24:20-21, when Benmalich, son of Abimelech, becomes known as Abimelech himself.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Jacob 1:1: Why are these plates described as "small"?
  • Jacob 1:2: Why is Jacob commanded only to write "a few of the things...considered to be most precious"? What are the limitations on writing in these plates? Is the writing limited by the size of the plates or is there some other consideration?
  • Jacob 1:2: Why is Jacob commanded not touch "save it were lightly" the history of the community?
  • Jacob 1:2: What do we know about "this people which are called the people of Nephi"? Who are they? Are they only members of Lehi's original party, or are there others included in the group now? Why are they called the "people of Nephi"?
  • Jacob 1:3: Why does Nephi command Jacob to maintain this spiritual record within his lineage? What might that indicate about hereditary social roles among the community? Are Jacob's descendants expected to hold the same priestly position within the community as held by Jacob? What might this tell us about the organization of early Nephite society?
  • Jacob 1:4: Jacob says that he has been instructed to record the dominant and important parts (heads) of any sacred revelation, preaching, prophecy, etc...He states at the end of the verse that he should do this for the sake of his people (Nephites, I assume) and for Christ's sake. Why does he say that this should be done for Christ's sake, when the Nephites would be the principle beneficiaries of the recorded prophecies?
  • Jacob 1:4: Jacob is commanded to write only "a few" things on these plates (v.2), yet he is also commanded to write "as much as it were possible" about them. How are we to reconcile these commands? What do they mean and what does that tell us about how these teachings were to be valued and recorded?
  • Jacob 1:4: How much sacred preaching, revelation, and prophesying is ultimately recorded in these small plates? How well did Jacob's descendants fulfill this commandment?
  • Jacob 1:4: What does it mean to "touch upon" sacred things?
  • Jacob 1:4: What does Nephi mean when he tells Jacob to record these things "for Christ's sake"? In what ways might recording these things be for or in behalf of Christ?
  • Jacob 1:4: How might these records be recorded "for the sake" of the people?
  • Jacob 1:4: What is Nephi saying about the community when he refers to it as "our" people? Why doesn't he just say "our family" or "our descendants" or "our seed"? Is this an acknowledgement that there are more lineages incorporated into the community than just the original Lehites?
  • Jacob 1:5: Why are Nephi and Jacob so anxious about their people?
  • Jacob 1:5: What does anxiety mean in the context of this verse? Is a similar anxiety found in other scriptural accounts where revelation is received?
  • Jacob 1:5: Why do Nephi and presumably Jacob have so much anxiety about the future of their people? Is their anxiety for the possible downfall of their people the source of the vision that Nephi recorded about his posterity, or is the vision itself the source of the anxiety?
  • Jacob 1:5: Isn't anxiety an expression of fear? If so, how do we reconcile that fear with the faith mentioned here? Was it that faith led to Nephi's original vision, which then brought fear because of what it showed about the future of his posterity?
  • Jacob 1:5: Does this anxiety about the future of the people at some point become almost a self-fulfilling prophecy? What is the role of anxiety or fear in motivating spiritual teaching and preaching? Can preaching motivated by fear or anxiety ever transcend that fear?
  • Jacob 1:8: Jacob says that he and his people would to God that all would view Christ's death, suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world. How do we do this?
  • Jacob 1:9: Why doesn't Jacob give us the name of the man who is anointed king? Why don't we know the name of any of the kings until the time of the first Mosiah?
  • Jacob 1:10: Who has Nephi had to fight off by wielding the sword of Laban?
  • Jacob 1:10: As far as we can tell, metal weapons were very rare in the Americas during the early Book of Mormon period. How might the sword of Laban, and perhaps other swords fashioned after it, have changed the power dynamics in an area where obsidian and bone weapons may have been prevalent?
  • Jacob 1:10: What is the significance of the sword of Laban in Nephite history?
  • Jacob 1:10: Could this sword of Laban have been "double-edged," both protecting the early Nephites, while legitimizing military conflict in a society that would ultimately both live and die by the sword?
  • Jacob 1:11: Jacob tells us that the kings are named Nephi, but we never hear about another King Nephi. The next king that we hear anything about is not named Nephi, but Mosiah. Why is that? What happened to this practice of naming the kings Nephi? Why does Jacob tell us this bit of information, if it never comes up again in the narrative?
  • Jacob 1:11: What has changed by the time of Mosiah and Benjamin that they now go by their own names, instead of being called Nephi? What does that say about their society? What does it say about their connection to the fathers? Does it change when Mosiah leads some people out of the normal Nephite society, and especially when they join with the people of Zarahemla?
  • Jacob 1:11: If this change does happen when Mosiah leaves, at what point can this new group justify calling itself Nephites, and what happened to the group they broke off from?
  • Jacob 1:15: Was the sin of the Nephites that they had many wives and concubines, or just that they wanted many wives and concubines?
  • Jacob 1:15: Does this verse suggest that it was wrong for David to either desire or have many wives and concubines? If so, how do we reconcile that with D&C 132:38. (It doesn't seem like Jacob is referring specifically to Bathseba when he says "wicked practices, such as like unto David ... desiring many wives and concubines.")
  • Jacob 1:17: What does it mean that Jacob obtained an errand from the Lord? How does one obtain such an errand?
  • Jacob 1:17: Why does Jacob tell us that he taught these things at the temple? What does the location of his teaching add to our understanding of his sermon on chastity and consecration of wealth for the poor?
  • Jacob 1:19: Where does Jacob draw on the imagery of blood on garments (cf. Ex 29:21, Lev. 6:25-27, 8:30)? Does the fact that Jacob's sermon was delivered in the temple have any relevance to this imagery?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Jacob                      Next page: Chapters 2-3

D&C 107:21-25

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 107 > Verses 107:21-32
Previous page: Verses 107:1-20                      Next page: Verses 107:33-39


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 107. The relationship of Verses 107:21-32 to the rest of Section 107 is discussed at D&C 107.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 107:21-32 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 107:21-32: Beyond characterizing the priesthoods in general. Beginning with verse 21, this revelation radically altered the saints' understanding of the priesthood, systematizing and organizing it so that it might function as a form of government, in addition to its "cultic" role, dwelt upon in the previous verses. Each verse that follows in this revelation is worth very careful consideration: each has had a major impact on the structure of the Church, as well as on the understanding of the priesthood.
The setting is significant. 1835 marks the establishment of church government--an incredibly controversial moment in LDS history now and then ("apostasy" from the Church's organization--as opposed to apostasy from the Church's moral standards or from the contents of a particular revelation--might well be said to center on this very moment of institutionalization, both in Joseph's day and even now). The same year also marks the supersecion of the "Book of Commandments" by the "Doctrine and Covenants," the latter text radically altering the former--most obviously in focus and function, but also in actual wording. More still, 1835 is also marked by the acceleration of the work on the Kirtland House of the Lord, with its accompanying emphasis on priesthood. Though this revelation comes early in the year, all of these events form a sort of aura around it.
Perhaps still more significant is the immediate textual setting: what follows not only marks a sort of "departure" from previous revelations on the priesthood, it makes a "departure"--as it were--from the characterization of the priesthood offered in the previous twenty verses! But this very fact ensures that what follows is not, strictly speaking, a departure. Rather, something is being added--by the Lord, it must be remembered--to the priesthood ("added" might be the best word to be used here: the governmental structure of the priesthood does not appear to be "eternal"; cf. D&C 84:29-30, D&C 107:5). Government for the Church, in other words, is a duty the Lord decided to assign to the priesthood (which, in and of itself, was not of governmental function). All these details, it should be hoped, establish the absolute importance of what begins with verse 21.
  • D&C 107:21. So radical a shift in the role of the priesthood begins with two vital words: "Of necessity...."
  • D&C 107:22. This verse marks the first instance of the word "quorum" in scripture. Besides its numerous appearances in the following verses, it only shows up elsewhere in D&C 124:62 and 117ff. The institutional importance of a word so seldomly used in scripture suggests that these two revelations are vital for understanding the role and development of the structure of the priesthood in terms of government. (If a broad characterization of section 107 as over and against section 124 is justified: section 107 deals with the introduction and grounding of quorums, while section 124 basically only mentions quorums because the revelation provides names for some specific positions in those quorums. In other words, section 107 is "theoretical," whereas section 124 is "practical." However, it should not be missed how much the "practicality" of section 124 establishes the vitality of more "theoretical" section 107: the institutional importance of the quorums of the priesthood is not a late phenomenon, but something that developed rather quickly--within the lifetime of the prophet Joseph.
It is vital to note that in this passage (as it extends through to verse 37), however, the quorums that are discussed are only the quorums that govern the Church in the broadest sense. The word "quorum," then, appears to have been understood in its more "official" sense. In fact, by 1835, the less official senses of the word were mostly obselete (see the OED entry on "quorum"), and the 1828 Webster's dictionary lists only meanings that bear on official practices (all implying, interestingly, a situation of judgment or justice). The establishment at work in these verses is not, it must be understood, the establishment of the hierarchical quorums of the priesthood. Rather, it is the establishment of a governing system of quorums/councils who have the authority to conduct the business of the entire Church. Verse 32 is perhaps the clearest confirmation of this point: these several quorums (apparently meaning only the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Quorum of the Seventy) "constitute the spiritual authorities of the church." In short, this first instance of "quorums" in scripture is an establishment, not of the quorums of the priesthood, but of the quorums of general authorities in the several and balancing levels of authority. Hence when, later in the revelation, the Lord discusses the "quorums" of the priests, teachers, and deacons, He never uses the term "quorum" at all (see verses 85-90, a series of verses quoted there from an otherwise unpublished revelation of November 1831). (It might be noted further that even in D&C 124, there is never mention of a quorum in the Aaronic Priesthood. Though there is some discussion there of the quorum of the elders, the wording is complex, and this might be only a reference to the quorum of the seventy. The implication seems to be that, at least at first, quorums were only a question of the High Priesthood.)

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 107:23. What does it mean to be a witness of the name of Christ?
  • D&C 107:23. What does it mean to be a special witness of that name?
  • D&C 107:23. Which authorities are special witnesses of Christ?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 107:1-20                      Next page: Verses 107:33-39

For efficiency this page is pulled from a cached copy. The cache should update about once a day. If you'd like to see the most up to date version, refresh the cache by clicking here.