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GOSPEL DOCTRINE BOOK OF MORMON
Supplements for LDS Sunday School Courses for the Book of Mormon
(Including Information for Preparing Gospel Doctrine Lessons in Hebrew)

 by Daniel Rona

Lesson Number 8 - "O How Great the Goodness of Our God" (2 Nephi 6-10)

6:2 Jacob is consecrated by his brother - Jesus is our Eldest Brother - He sets us apart, consecrates us to the Father and becomes our King and Protector.

Hebrew: consecrated - M'kdesh - Herem?

"HEREM means banned or set apart. The term is applied in various ways: 1) Articles consecrated to God were sacred, irrevocably, and in the highest degree. They could not be redeemed or put to any other use and were forbidden, herem, to the community. 2) An idolatrous Israelite was herem. He and all his possessions were to be destroyed. The idolatrous enemy was also to be destroyed, as they were a threat to the purity of the Israelite's faith. The intention of herem was to protect Israel against the influence of a debased way of life. ". . . lest they lead you into doing all the abhorrent things they have done for their gods . . ." (Deuteronomy 20:18). During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua always issued proclamations inviting the nations to choose peace and abandon idolatry. Jericho refused and was destroyed. The Gibeonites, fearing the same fate, chose peace, gave up idolatry and became servants, the "hewers of wood and drawers of water" for the sanctuary (see also Gibeon). 3) Herem is also the word used for excommunication, the separation of individuals or a group as punishment for forbidden behavior. Ezra the scribe, one of the leaders who restored communal life in desolate Judea when the exiles returned from Babylon (about 450 B.C.E.) was among the first to use this herem. It was invoked as a punishment to force obedience to communal authorities and was used most by Ezra to root out intermarriage. Niddui (a lighter type of herem) consisted of isolating the offender from the community which then held him in enforced contempt for a period of not less than thirty days. He had to live in confinement with only his family; no outsider could greet him, eat or drink with him. He could not be included in a minyan (quorum) often men required for prayer. Niddui was announced by the rabbinical court. The more severe herem was proclaimed in the synagogue, either before the open Ark or while holding a Torah scroll. The shofar was sounded and a warning was issued, with a plea for the welfare of the faithful. All those present held candles which they put out after the excommunication was declared. (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

"Kiddushin is a legal act of acquisition of the bride by the groom: by handing over an object of value (usually a simple ring) to the bride in the presence of two witnesses and reciting the formula, "Behold you are consecrated unto me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel," the groom signifies his intent to reserve the bride exclusively to himself, and by accepting the ring the bride signifies her consent." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

"The most famous Nazirites in Jewish history -- Samson and Samuel --- were consecrated as such by their parents from the moment of their conception, with the intention that they remain Nazirites all their lives." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

6:10-11 The scattering and gathering of Israel are models of repentance and forgiveness. The contrast of Israel and the Gentiles is another model of repentance. To the Jews, nowadays, there is a new concept of "Righteous Gentiles." There is a beginning of the concept of being "saved" by Gentiles.

Hebrew: scattering, gathering, diaspora

"MIGRATION wandering from place to place, has been one of the major components of Jewish history, for since the time of the Patriarchs the "wandering Jew" has suffered from a lack of territory, government, and defense. Major Jewish migrations in search of favorable living conditions and in flight from harassment, persecution and expulsion, include the Exodus from Egypt, the Babylonian exile, Jewish settlement outside Erez Israel during the Second Temple period, the dispersion under the Roman and Near Eastern empires after the destruction of the Second Temple. The scattering of Jews throughout the Christian and Islamic states, culminating in the expulsion from the Iberian peninsula in 1492 and their settlement in the New World since the early stages of the European colonization, a process that greatly accelerated in the latter half of the 19th century. Throughout the period of the Diaspora, small numbers of Jews made their way back to Erez Israel, the land promised them in covenant with their God." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Words that represent the Savior: Hebrew:

Deliver - 2 Nephi 6:17, 7:2

Redeem - 2 Nephi 7:2

Comfort, comforteth - 2 Nephi 8:3, 12

Light - 2 Nephi 8:4

Judgement, judge - 2 Nephi 8:4-5

Salvation - 2 Nephi 8:5-6

The words are about "ATONEMENT."

". . . the two confessions Ashamnu and Al-Het were introduced into the prayers for the Day of Atonement which is a special occasion for repentance and forgiveness. However, even when a sinner has done all these things, his repentance is still not final until he has been exposed to the same temptation and withstood it. Of course he should not deliberately put himself on that spot again.

Repentance in Hebrew is known as teshuvah, which literally means "return," and signifies a return to God."

"An opportunity for salvation would be given Israel by their merciful God: "Turn to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with lamentation" (Joel 2:12). Repentance will bring forgiveness and the Lord will turn His terrible wrath on the exilers of His people and the plunderers of His Temple:" (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

In the New Testament we read that Jesus' life was about 12,053 days long. Yet, there is only an account of 31 of those days. What did the writers choose to report? Maybe, much like the Book of Mormon prophets, they wrote "a hundredth part."

"And a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, which now began to be numerous, cannot be written upon these plates; but many of their proceedings are written upon the larger plates, and their wars, and their contentions, and the reigns of their kings." (Jacob 3:13)

"Wherefore, I chose these things, to finish my record upon them, which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people." (Words Of Mormon 1:5)

"But behold, a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of temples, and of synagogues and their sanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work." (Helaman 3:14)

"And there had many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous; nevertheless, they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of what was done among so many people in the space of twenty and five years;" (3 Nephi 5:8)

A mathematic review of the events of Jesus' life gives us a key to understanding the purpose of the scriptures, namely, teaching us the atonement.

Jesus' 1^st 30 years = 18 events

1^st year ministry = 18 events

2^nd year ministry = 27 events

3^rd year ministry = 150 events, 75 occurred in the last days/hours/moments

Look for meaning of all other events by focusing on him, his atonement. Even his names have meaning, a way of explaining the atonement. Look at the attached list of the Lord's names.

9:4 Resurrection in Judaism is a forgotten principle.

"Jewish theology, as opposed to Jewish philosophy, has no clear doctrine on the relationship between body and soul. Some Talmudic rabbis did not consider views on such a purely theoretical subject important; rather, they focused their interest on the practical question of the resurrection of the body, and God's future judgment. Other sages did speculate on the subject."

"The whole subject of afterlife is not explicitly stated in the Bible and many scholars are of the opinion that belief in afterlife was adopted by Jews during the Babylonian exile after the destruction of the First Temple when they came into contact with eastern religions such as Zoroastrianism. Traditional believers claim that there are "hints" to future life in the Torah, such as the verse "Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song" (Exodus 15:1). The Hebrew word for "sang" is in the future tense and the sages took this to mean that Moses and the Israelites will sing in the future, that is, in the world to come."

"The unity of the Jewish nation was considered an historic and spiritual concept, in addition to being a social reality. All generations of Jews (including converts to Judaism) were viewed as having been present at Mount Sinai and sharing in the responsibilities of the covenant with God. Likewise, the righteous of all generations will be reunited at the time of the resurrection of the dead during the messianic period. This concept of community and shared fate is referred to often in the Talmud with the terms kelal Yisrael and keneset Yisrael." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Look how Ezekiel, in chapter 37, teaches the concept of resurrection and gathering in the same metaphors. The following is an excerpt from the 1999 Gospel Doctrine Supplements on the Internet, (Daniel Rona).

"Another powerful metaphor in the scriptures is the word "ruah." As mentioned in previous lessons, the word ruah means wind, breath and spirit. Ruah Elohim is the spirit or breath of God.

"Flesh is the term used in the Bible to distinguish mortal man from God. The Hebrew word for flesh, basar, is contrasted with the Divine Spirit, ru'ah, with which man is temporarily endowed. Thus: "My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for that he is also flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years" (Genesis 6:3). The Talmud and Midrash refer to man as basar va-dam ("flesh and blood") to indicate his mortality as against the eternity of God."

"Ruah ha-Kodesh (holy spirit) is often used as a synonym for prophecy. However, according to some rabbis, unlike prophecy, there are some types of ruah ha-kodesh which also can be attained by doing good deeds."

"The Talmudic rabbis thought the body to be separable, in a sense, from the soul. God breathed the soul into the body of Adam (Genesis 2:7)." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

"Ezekiel spoke of breath and of wind bring life into a dead skeleton. As the sticks (ETZ-emot) of the body are clothed again with flesh and come alive again, so shall the stick (ETZ) of Judah, the dead skeleton of a once true and living religion come together with the stick of Joseph, embodying the true religion and with the "breath" of the Lord, his spirit - a resurrection - a new life begins again. That new life will include a new sanctuary of the Lord.

". . . and the bones came together, bone to his bone . . . the sinews and the flesh came up upon them . . . and the breath came into them, and they lived . . . Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel . . . And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. . . . Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side . . . And I will make them one nation . . . Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore." (Ezekiel 37)

The term "Presence of God" is used in Judaism, yet the reality of God and His presence have also been forgotten or obscured.

Hebrew: Presence of God

"The exact nature of this afterlife is the subject of great discussion in classical Jewish sources. All agree that after death the soul continues to live. The souls of the righteous enter paradise, or Gan Eden (Garden of Eden) as it is generally called. In that state "there is no eating or drinking... no envy, hatred or competition but only this: that the righteous sit with crowns on their heads and delight in the splendor of God's presence" (Talmud). The souls of the wicked enter hell, or Gehinnom, as it is known, where they undergo purification before they too can enter paradise. The general view is that the stay in Gehinnom is not longer than 11 months and can only be permanent in the case of exceedingly wicked persons." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

At a Bar Mitzvah celebration, some time ago, I observed a grandfather keeping his Bar Mitzvah grandson from retrieving the Torah Scroll out of the "Ark" until he had first knocked. The boy questioned the procedure, the only explanation grandfather would give was that inside represented the "Presence of God," His "Word," and it was only polite to knock before entering. Inside were Torah scrolls draped with beautiful cloths or enclosed in beautiful containers.

9:14 Wicked shall have a perfect knowledge of guilt, uncleanness, and nakedness.

Righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of enjoyment, righteousness, being clothed with purity, the robe of righteousness.

10:3 Consider the name of "Christ" and the perception that ALL the Jews are the more wicked part.

"Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ--for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name--should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him--for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God."

Hebrew: Christ, Maschiach

Key words in the following verses: Hebrew:

10:6 Scattered

10:8 Gathered (Land of Zion)

10:9 Promises to Gentiles

10:10 Promised land for the Gentiles - no Kings

10:16 Those who fight against Zion . . .

10:20 Don't need to cast down our heads

10:23 You are free to choose . . .