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HIDDEN
LDS/JEWISH INSIGHTS #22
Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Supplement by Daniel Rona
Weekly E-mail Reminder
<< HAVE YE RECEIVED
HIS IMAGE IN YOUR COUNTENANCES? >>
Mosiah 29; Alma 1-4
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(1.) WHAT IS BELIEVING
BLOOD?
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The mighty change that Alma speaks of is a result of individual
effort as well as the "believing blood" that flows through
generations. ". . . It identifies those who developed in pre-existence the
talent to recognize the truth and to desire righteousness." (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.38 - p.39)
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(2.) CHOSEN FOR WHAT?
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"Israel
the chosen seed . . . the only nation since Abraham that had worshiped Jehovah .
. . but sadly: `They are not all Israel, which are of Israel' (Rom. 9:6), and
only those who turn to their God and accept him as the Promised Messiah shall
inherit with the chosen seed either in time or in eternity." (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, Vol.4, p.332)
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(3.) SPIRITUAL CHANGE
REACHES THE GENETIC LEVEL:
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Jewish families have a genetic imprint that
identifies them not only as part of the original people of Israel, but
specifically those who once carried priesthood responsibilities. Note the
excerpts from the following article that appeared in the Jerusalem Post as well
as the New York Times.
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(4.) PRIESTLY GENES FROM
FATHER TO SON:
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"In an unusual marriage of science and religion,
researchers have found biological evidence in support of an ancient belief . . .
distinctive genetic traits, suggesting . . . Jewish priests . . . . . . . these
men have the Y chromosome of Aaron . . . the study suggests that a
3,000-year-old oral tradition was correct . . . there are at least 350,000
priests around the world today with that same chromosome . . . the study also
supports the idea that the priesthood was established before the world Jewish
population split into two major groups 1,000 years ago, as a result of
migrations.
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(5.) JEWS' DESIRE TO
AUTHENTICATE PRIESTHOOD:
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"Dr. Hammer said he did not know whether the
chromosome testing used in the study would be of interest to anyone other than
scientists. But, he said, `I do know someone named Cohen who said he'd be
interested, in having the test, just to find out if he was really a
priest."
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(6.) WILL PRIESTLY
LEADERSHIP BE RESTORED?
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"`Whether the religious community would accept
that as grounds for exclusion is not an issue I'd want to get into. It's for the
rabbis to debate.' `It would also concern me if we began to look backwards,' he
said, `romanticizing the hereditary model of priestly leadership. Do we want a
hereditary leadership pattern in the Jewish community? We haven't had that in
2,000 years.'" (Denise Grady, The New York Times, Tuesday, January 7, 1997)
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(7.) WHAT IF MORMON'S MIGHTY
CHANGE WAS ALSO GENETIC?
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Now, combine the ability to make a genetic
identification with the mighty spiritual change that Alma speaks of and wonder
how mighty it is. Does it change you completely, "whole-istically?"
How exciting it would be for the same genetic study to be made on Latter-day
Saints who have been given the priesthood. Mormons claim a blood descendancy
from the biblical tribes of Israel and function in restored priestly Temple
rites. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
(8.) ARE YOU CHOSEN?
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"We
are the chosen people, the elect of God, those in whose veins flows believing
blood. Abraham is our father. We are the children of the prophets and have been
born in the house of Israel. Isaac and Jacob are our forebears. We are the
children of the covenant God made with Abraham, that Abraham's seed should have
the right to the gospel and the priesthood and eternal life. There is no
blessing ever offered to the ancients that is not ours to obtain. `If God be for
us who can be against us! Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?'
(Romans 8:31, 33.)" (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of
Faith, p.40) The latter- day Temples hold the sacred secrets of what was, what
is and what will be. Could part of the secret of the mighty change be seen in
LDS genetics, in that our blood would be changed - cleansed?
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