|
“All
Things Denote
There Is a God”
Alma 30–31
|
Lesson
27
Summary |
Scripture
Summary: |
Korihor, the antichrist, ridicules
Christ, the atonement, and the spirit of prophecy—He teaches that there
is no God, no fall of man, no penalty for sin, and no Christ—Alma
testifies that Christ shall come and that all things denote there is a God—Korihor
demands a sign and is struck dumb—The devil had appeared to Korihor as an
angel and taught him what to say—He is trodden down and dies. [About 74
B.C.] |
| Alma heads a
mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites—The Zoramites deny Christ,
believe in a false concept of election, and worship with set prayers—The
missionaries are filled with the Holy Spirit—Their afflictions are
swallowed up in the joy of Christ. [About 74 B.C.] |
Supplemental
Holy Land
and Jewish
insights:
|
Death, Mourning and Burial: In Judaism,
the procedure surrounding death requires an immediate preparation of the body
which includes washing, completely immersing and anointing of the dead. There
are three periods of mourning. The immediate mourning after death is called
Shiva. It is derived from the word for seven continues for seven days. However,
there is no mourning on the Sabbath day during Shiva – that’s the Lord’s
day. Another period of mourning continues on for a month. There is also an
annual remembrance of death called Yarzeit.
|
A Sheet, a Candle and Empty Water
Vessels:
"When a person dies, the
body is covered with a sheet and a lighted candle placed at the
head. There is an ancient custom to cover all the mirrors in the
house and to pour out any water that was in containers or vessels
at the time of death . . . it has been suggested that it was a way
to tell the neighbors that a death had occurred without having to
say the actual words. In strictly Orthodox circles it is customary
for men to stay with the body from the time of death until the
funeral and recite the Book of Psalms. This is a sign of respect
to the deceased." "The mourning is suspended for the
Sabbath and should a major festival occur during the week, it
stops the shivah altogether." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Sacrament Symbolism of Death and Resurrection: There
is a certain symbolism to covering the dead with a white sheet. The
emblems of the sacrament are covered with a white sheet in
remembrance of the Lord’s death and resurrection. The pouring out
of water can also be seen as symbolic of "living water"
being removed. I think that the mourning suspended on the Sabbath
could be construed as symbolism – the mourners are to turn to the
Lord so they can reflect on the His death and resurrection.
Shiva – Seven Days of Mourning:
"Shivah . . . is the Hebrew
for ‘seven’ and refers to the seven-day period of mourning
which starts immediately after the funeral. All those required to
mourn stay indoors (normally at the house of the deceased) for the
week. They sit on low stools or on the floor and may not wear
shoes made of leather. At the funeral, the relatives perform the
rite of keri'ah, which is making a tear in the lapel of
their outer garments. During the week of shivah they wear
the torn clothes. A very ancient custom is for neighbors and
friends to prepare the first meal for the mourners on their return
from the funeral." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Continued Remembrance:
"After the shivah, a
modified period of mourning continues till the thirtieth (Hebrew: sheloshim)
day after death. During this period the mourner should not
attend places of entertainment or participate in social
gatherings. A mourner may not marry during the sheloshim. When
mourning for parents many of these laws apply for the whole year
after death, and a son recites the Kaddish at the daily
services for the whole year." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Annual Recognition:
"Yahrzeit . . . is a
Yiddish word which comes from the German meaning ‘year-time’
or anniversary. Among Ashkenazi Jews it has come to refer
exclusively to the anniversary of the death of a relative for whom
one was required to mourn. The anniversary is according to the
Hebrew date of death, and so in the secular calendar it will be on
different dates each year. Very pious people observe a fast on the
yahrzeit of parents and it is the general custom that a
candle or light is kindled for the whole day, and that a mourner
who is able to, leads the daily services on that day. Sons recite
the Kaddish prayer on the yahrzeit of parents."
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Other Mourning Remembrances:
There are other occasions of mourning that include remembrance of
the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem as well as experiencing
blasphemy.
"Tish’ah be-av [is] (the
ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, usually falling within the
first week of August) is the traditional day of mourning for the
destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem. It is the culmination of
the three weeks of mourning that start on the 17th of Tammuz. On
Tish'ah be-Av in the year 586 B.C.E., the Babylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar stormed the great Temple built by Solomon, turned
its marbled columns and gilded rooms into a useless pile of rubble
and exiled Jerusalem's inhabitants." ". . . the code of
Jewish law, tells us that whoever hears blasphemy in any language
from a Jew must tear his garment as if he were in mourning." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Jews Attitude on Missionary Activity:
To many Jews, Christian missionary work among the Jews is considered
blasphemy and even anti Semitic. There is a certain Rabbi Goldstein
in Jerusalem who counteracts this activity by conducting seminars
and lectures to refute missionaries and Christian polemics.
"Throughout history Jews
have often been called on to defend their faith against non
believers in public debates known as disputations or polemics.
Often these disputations were conducted in friendly atmospheres of
mutual respect, but all too often these debates took on aspects of
bitterness." "In the Greco-Roman era, pagan polytheism
challenged Jewish monotheism. The Mishnah records that pagans
asked the Jewish elders in Rome: if God does not desire idolatry,
why does He not destroy it? The Jews answered: If men had
worshiped objects unnecessary for the cosmos He would have
destroyed those objects, but they worship the sun and moon and the
stars and the planets. Should He destroy His world because of
fools?" (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Religious Rights in Israel:
There are two legal systems, secular and religious so that religious
people of some major religions in Israel can take disputes or legal
processes to their own judges. The British set up this system before
the State of Israel was formed. There are several different
religious courts throughout Israel. They include the Orthodox Jews,
Moslems, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Catholics, Syrian Orthodox and
the Bahai’s. The Bahai religious courts are the only ones
established after the State of Israel was recognized.
Is There an Anti-Proselytizing Law in Israel?
It is also important to know that there is NO law in Israel
prohibiting proselytizing. An anti missionary society has tried to
pass such an anti proselytizing law in Israel but has failed every
attempt. The closest thing they managed to bring through the Israeli
Knesset is a law prohibiting bribing people to change their
religion. (Latter-day Saints don’t pay people to become members.
They charge them!) On the other hand, although there are Christian
missionaries in Israel, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints does not engage in any proselytizing in Israel. It is their
choice. The agreement signed by President Howard W. Hunter and added
as an addendum to the lease of property where the BYU Jerusalem
Center stands, clearly states that the Church will not engage in
missionary activity if it is against the laws of Israel.
"Give Me a Sign!"
The freedom of religion in the Book of Mormon account shows that
Korihor became so wrapped up in his polemics that he believed the
misinformation he was teaching. Much like the Pharisees in the days
of Jesus, he wanted to be given a sign.
"Then certain of the
scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would
see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil
and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no
sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas . . ."
(Matthew 12:38-39)
A High Place Compare to The Spirit:
The Zoramites were so wrapped up in their misinformation that they
praised God that they were "better" than others. The
Rameumtom they built means a high place. A high place in Hebrew can
be called a ramah. Note the similarity of the word ramah and "rama-umptom."
Alma and his companions praised God for the joy they experienced in
a humble way. Their time of joy was filled with the spirit of the
Holy Ghost.
www.HolyLandsRevealed.com
|
|