The story of Joseph in Egypt is found in texts outside the Bible. Not only do we see it woven deeply into the Book of Mormon narrative, but the account in the Qur’an adds fascinating details. Comparing and contrasting these narratives, Ben and Christopher develop the central point of the story: forgiveness. Despite all that has happened to him, Joseph finally sees God’s influence in bringing about the salvation of his family from famine. Even if not every single thing that happens to Joseph is specifically orchestrated by God, Joseph’s willingness to forgive his brothers is ultimately the mechanism by which God works the miracle of reuniting and saving his family from destruction, keeping his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Shiloh and Ben talk about the law and light of Christ. We often think of “law” as a list of rules and standards, but does D&C 88 offer us a new insight into the nature of God’s law that isn’t commonly addressed? In what possible ways does understanding that the “light of Christ”—which is in and through all things”—is the law by which all things are governed” change the way that we view the law? Here in D&C 88 we also have a rather rare short description of the nature of God that describes God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and a type of panentheism that we don’t commonly equate to an embodied God. Is it possible that the parable in D&C 88 also offers a glimpse into a universalist understanding of God where the various “degrees of light” often metaphysically equated to the three degrees of glory has more to do with our perception of those glories than of the metaphysical nature of those glories? ...
Ben and Christopher undertake a discussion of section 76, known as “The Vision”. The content and implications of this section can be intimidating. D&C 76 delves into the narrative of life after death and the concept of the degrees of glory. They discuss various ways we can understand and contextualize this doctrine. Is this a strictly metaphysical reality that we will experience after death? Or is there something to be said for an eternal-now epistemic experience as it relates to varying degrees of glory? What does this vision tell us about the nature of salvation and our destiny as children of a supremely loving God? ...
Ben and Shiloh open up an anticipated discussion of John the Baptist’s appearance to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. As Moroni’s thematic message to Joseph set the narrative and stage for what the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (as was discussed in Episode 34), John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus Christ who prepared the minds and hearts of the people to receive him. John the Baptist’s message, especially as contained in Luke 3, is often underutilized in understanding the radical shift the people required to recognizing the true Messiah. Until this time, the people had been expecting a violent, militaristic, and forceful leader to deliver them from their physical captors — the Romans — and to lead them to prosperity and prominence as a great national leader as a new King David. The Messiah that the Jews found in Jesus Christ was nothing at all like what their society anticipated, and the Messiah who will come again will not be anything at all like our own society anticipates. Christ’s forerunner has returned, and it is important for us to begin to ponder what this means. Oliver Cowdery, it very much seems, was able to taste the essence of what this means as expressed by his written testimony at the end of Joseph Smith – History. ...
