1 Kings 12-22 Elijah
Shiloh and Ben begin a preliminary discussion to contextualize the war chapters. They explore the observations for the Lord's stated means of deliverance in Mosiah 7:33, the Lord's standard for "justified" self-defense and warfare in D&C 98, and what it means to go beyond what is merely justified into the realms of what is counted as "righteousness." In Alma 43:47 it states "the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed." Yet, in this seeming universal command to take up arms to spill the blood of brother's or sister's life in defense of our families, we see righteous examples counter to the popular interpretation of this commandment in the fires of Ammonihah and with the Anti Nephi Lehis. Ben and Shiloh explore a more consistent interpretation of this scripture justifying "bloodshed" where the women and children of Ammonihah and of the Anti Nephi Lehis are not just outliers and seeming contradictions but are the very archetypal witnesses of this commandment. ...
Ben and Shiloh explore the theme the millenarianism in the early church. Apocalyptic language and literature are highly symbolic and rarely, if ever, to be taken literally. Prior to the imagery of apocalypticism, the Lord gracious informs us that He is our “advocate with the Father” (D&C 29:5, emphasis added), thereby informing us their common intentions, goals, and purpose for our benefit. Jesus Christ will come in his “power and great glory,” and we pause to reflect again on Alma 9:24 that offers evidence to what that “glory” entails: grace, equity, truth, patience, mercy, long-suffering, and quick to hear the cries of his people. Are the images of destruction really as we have deemed? Or is there room for us to see God and His purposes differently (i.e., repent) in the last days? Maybe God is eventually as violent as we have always thought He is… But, then again… Maybe not. ...
Ben and Shiloh discuss how God pours through the pages of modern revelation even while sometimes awkwardly through the voice of those who receive and dictate the revelation. During this time in Church history, Joseph Smith and others had been compiling the revelations together to print them in the Book of Commandments. As the time approached to write the preface for the Book of Commandments, there was some disagreement among the early leaders of the Church as to who should write it. A few brethren did not like the language Joseph used. These brethren were then challenged to write a preface and revelation of their own that they thought surpassed Joseph. It didn’t go well, and Joseph’s preface stood (see our first podcast of the year—Episode 32—for more insights into the subtle intricacies of Section 1: The Preface and in what it means for the Book of Commandments). While much of Joseph’s own vernacular, idioms, and popular phrases entered into much of the early revelations, and while we see much in the Doctrine and Covenants (as well as scripture in general) of how the Lord spoke directly to the needs of the early Saints in their own time and understanding (which is quite different than our own), it is up to us to glean and interpret what God’s meaning is for us today through these scriptures by the companionship and voice of the Holy Spirit. ...
