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“I
Speak unto You
If Ye Were Present”
Mormon 7-9
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Lesson
44
Summary |
Scripture
Summary: |
Mormon invites the Lamanites of the latter days to believe in Christ, accept his gospel, and be saved—All who believe the Bible will also believe the Book of
Mormon. [About A.D. 385] |
The Lamanites seek out and destroy the Nephites—The Book of Mormon shall come forth by the power of God—Woes pronounced upon
those who breathe out wrath and strife against the work of the Lord—The Nephite record shall come forth in a day of wickedness, degeneracy, and apostasy. [Between A.D. 400 and 421]
Moroni calls upon those who do not believe in Christ to repent—He proclaims a God of miracles, who gives revelations and pours out gifts and signs upon the faithful—Miracles cease because of
unbelief—Signs follow those who believe—Men are exhorted to be wise and keep the commandments. [Between A.D. 400 and 421] |
Supplemental
Holy Land
and Jewish
insights:
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Do You Understand Your Identity? Mormon reminds us to understand our identity as part of the House of Israel, a chosen family representing God to all others on
this globe. To do so, we must constantly turn toward Him. Again, in Hebrew "turn" also means repent. Repentance brings us back to Father in Heaven. His firstborn son has provided us a
spiritual atonement - providing we repent - and a physical atonement, the resurrection - even if we don’t repent.
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Unlocking Memories: The heavenly closeness through true repentance unlocks a memory of what we knew before our mortality. It provides a closer
connection to our earthly forefathers in understanding their teachings and examples. Moroni deposited records of his father so that later generations can make a family connection that can
inspire a closer bond with God. He also counsels us to read and search the words of the Israelite prophet, Isaiah.
Most Quoted:
"Fully one-third of the writings of Isaiah are found in the Book of Mormon, making Isaiah the most frequently quoted biblical book there. Twenty-two of
the sixty-six chapters of Isaiah are quoted in whole or in part in the Book of Mormon (a total of 433 of Isaiah's 1,292 verses). Book of Mormon prophets and writers typically selected those
chapters highlighting God's covenant relationships and his promises to Israel, the role and calling of the messiah, and prophecies concerning the last days. These themes are prevalent in
contemporary LDS theology as well (A of F 3, 4, 9, 10)." (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.1, BIBLE)
Lessons of History Repeat Themselves: Notice the parallels that Mormon and Moroni make about their people to what
Isaiah says of his people . . . and how they apply today. In our present age of wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and pollution we see an immense thievery of time, talent and temporal
goods. In this season of robbers we find that wickedness and wars are greatly motivated by money. At an eternal cost as we lose our identity, our covenants evaporate in smoke.
"And he that shall breathe out wrath and strifes against the work of the Lord . . . and the Lord will not remember his covenant which he hath made unto
the house of Israel--the same is in danger to be hewn down and cast into the fire; (Mormon 8:21)
Miracles: Moshe Dayan once was asked, "Do you believe in miracles?" He answered, "No, I just count
on them!"
"Extraordinary phenomena that seem to fall outside the pattern of normal, explainable occurrences are frequently referred to in English as
miracles." "Later thinkers, for whom ‘the natural order’ had an existence independent of God, were troubled by the question whether biblical miracles were ‘natural’ or ‘supernatural,’
but the Bible makes no such distinction and never questions God's ability to do anything, by any means." "It is this thought which is vocalized in the thanksgiving prayer which is
part of the daily Amidah: ‘We thank You for Your miracles which are daily with us, and for Your wonders and benefits, which are wrought at all times, evening, morning and night.’"
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Rejecting Miracles:
"The rabbis rejected, however, the belief in ‘miracle performers’ as bearers of religious truth. Once the Torah had been revealed to man, it was no
longer ‘in heaven.’ It could not be altered by extraordinary means, but only by a natural process of development which was purely in the hands of ordinary human beings. And although the
rabbis emphasized the miraculous aspect of the story of Hanukkah, they generally believed that by their time the age of miracles had ceased, since only in biblical times were people ‘willing
to sacrifice themselves for the sanctification of the Name of God.’" (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Explaining Miracles:
"In the Middle Ages, the biblical miracles posed a great problem for Jewish philosophers. They could not be explained in terms of contemporary science
and they flew in the face of the philosophers' strong belief in the existence of an unchanging order to the universe. As a solution, many of the medieval philosophers adopted the Talmudic
position outlined above which attempted to ‘naturalize’ the miracles by seeing them as having been woven into the order of nature from the very beginning; their miraculous nature stemmed
from the fact that they were expressed at the key moment in history when they were most needed." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Justifying Miracles:
"In modern times, some people have attempted to offer scientific explanations for several of the biblical miracles, such as the parting of the Red Sea.
Others have ‘relativized’ them by viewing them as natural occurrences which were recorded as if extraordinary and supernatural, because of the crucial role they played at the particular
time." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Clear Identity: Moroni, Mormon’s son, concludes his testimony with a humble apology of his earthly limitations, yet that Man of God knows who he
is, his identity is clear. He calls us to repent and accept the Miracle of the Son of God.
www.IsraelRevealed.com
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