Moses 8:1-30

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Home > The Pearl of Great Price > Moses > Chapters 6-8 > Verses 8:1-30
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

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Relationship to Chapters 6-8. The relationship of Verses 6:26-47 to the rest of Chapters 6-8 is discussed at Chapters 6-8, and its relationship to the rest of Genesis is discussed at Genesis.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 6:26-47 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. →

Moses 8:1-12[edit]

  • Moses 8:1-12 is the Joseph Smith Translation of Gen 5:23-32. This page is not intended, however, to address Genesis. It is intended only to address the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis. It is therefore suggested that readers consult the page that does address Gen 5:23-32 before viewing this page. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that a reader should be able to find content about an original passage from Genesis on the wiki page addressing that passage.
  • Genesis 5 is a genealogical listing of ten generations from Adam and Eve down to Noah. The Joseph Smith Translation relates this data for Generations 1-7, but then interrupts it in Gen 5:22/Moses 6:26 to add over a hundred verses of narrative about Enoch. The Joseph Smith Translation then concludes the list of genealogical data for Generations 7-10 in Moses 8:1-12.

Moses 8:13-27a[edit]

  • Verses 8:13-27a are the Joseph Smith Translation of Gen 6:1-8. This page is not intended, however, to address Genesis. It is intended only to address the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis. It is therefore suggested that readers consult the page that does address Gen 6:1-8 before viewing this page. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that a reader should be able to find content about an original passage from Genesis on the wiki page addressing that passage.
  • In Genesis there is a clear break between Gen 6:1-8 and Gen 6:9-13 at the beginning of a new major section with the words "These are the generations [or descendants] of Noah." The Joseph Smith Translation, in contrast, draws a closer connection between the wickedness described in both passages in Moses 8:13-30 by omitting that phrase from Moses 8:27. In either event, these verses describe the wicked conditions that lead to the destruction of mankind and a second beginning through Noah and his family.
  • Moses 8:21: Daughters of men. It is interesting that in v. 20 only the phrase "children of men" is used, perhaps to emphasize the carnal, human nature that the wicked people Noah is preaching repentance to are embracing, whereas those same wicked people refer to themselves as "sons of God", suggesting a type of pride reminiscent of Satan's during his rebellion (there was some discussion not long ago on this about a passage in Isaiah). The reference to their wives as "daughters of men" immediately after referring to themselves as sons of God sounds derisive to me....
One possibility I'm considering right now is that the whole statement is a mockery of Noah and his sons. Verse 13 says that Noah and his sons were called the Sons of God. Verse 14 then relates that the sons of men married Noah's granddaughters.
Another thing this reminds me of is the story of Enoch and the Watchers, or angels. Within the church, this story is generally interpreted to refer not to angelic heavenly beings, but earthly beings who had a place in God's kingdom, but rebelled similar to Noah's granddaughters. This is more the gist of the Genesis account that is generally associated with the tale of the watchers. The Genesis account doesn't suggest to have taken place at the time of Enoch anyway and is very much in-line with the account here in Moses.
Nibley had a 13 part commentary on The Book of Enoch that was published in 13 installments in the Ensign between Oct. 1975 and Aug 1977. ('A Strange Thing in the Land: the Return of the Book of Enoch') Enoch is said to have gone as an emissary to these rebellious people (I've personally read at least that much from the Book of Enoch) who, though the sons of God, had apparently rejected the temple covenants and married themselves the daughters of men and shared sacred secrets with the world. They were, if I recall correctly, cursed that their posterity, both strong and famous for for great action, would perish. These Watchers, noted at the time of Enoch remind me much of these men at the time of Noah, at least in what they claim. (Are these just fathers seeing their children through rose colored glasses?) Perhaps there is a mix-up in the chronology. (I don't see the watchers mentioned in the Book of Moses at the time of Enoch.) Perhaps these are descendants or admirers of the watchers who had formed a false order in imitation of the Sons of God. Perhaps... this isn't connected like that.

Moses 8:27b-30[edit]

Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

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Prompts for further study[edit]

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  • Moses 8:21. What purpose does the contrast that the wicked make here between "sons of God" and "daughters of men" serve? Why not call themselves sons of men or their wives daughters of God?

Resources[edit]

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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.



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