I read this interesting exchange between the Israelites, Moses, and the Lord this morning on my scripture study. It involved at heart what I would call a "democratic" rebellion against Moses as the representative of the Lord, and it had some pretty harsh consequences (I just include excerpts here, but a few people get swallowed... Continue Reading →
Daniel as an example of righteous defiance
Next, I chose to turn to a later story in the Bible, the story of Daniel in Babylon. Daniel and his fellows, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, were taken into the king's court during the Babylonian captivity. the Israelite nation was invaded, a puppet king installed, and its people forced to move from their homeland in... Continue Reading →
Lessons from 1 Samuel: A Man after My Own Heart
One thing I have learned recently that has helped me in my scripture study is the realization that the Bible (as well as the Book of Mormon) isn't a single book to be read from cover to cover, but rather a library of individual books. There are multiple genres of literature, and each book must... Continue Reading →
The Zeniff motif: On not being a spiritual snob
Mosiah 10-18 documents the preaching of the prophet Abinadi, his rejection by King Noah and his priests, the acceptance of the gospel by Alma, and Alma's preaching and baptizing in the wilderness. One reason we like this story is there is a clear bad guy. King Noah was terribly wicked (you can tell because of... Continue Reading →