Episode 108: 2 Kings 17-25

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. ...

Christopher and Ben return to the previous week’s reading to touch on some themes from the Garden of Eden: trees, cherubim, and the flaming sword. The genealogy put forward in Genesis 5 presents more questions than answers about ante-diluvian longevity. The Book of Enoch as recorded in our canonized Book of Moses is but one of many Books of Enoch that have come to light over the centuries. The narratives and themes it presents are both unique to the Latter-day Saint tradition and similar to other apocryphal texts. What pearls of meaning do we find in the story of Enoch, his travels, his calling as a prophet, and his sermon on the baptism of “Adam”? Once again, we are invited to consider ourselves as Adam and Eve. ...

The Latter-day Saint tradition has canonized five different creation accounts. Despite intriguing differences, each of them can function liturgically—as does the temple account in temple worship. Christopher and Ben discuss all four creation accounts as descriptions of the dedication of the cosmos to God’s purposes rather than accounts of material origins. The teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the manner of dedicating a temple in antiquity fit well with this understanding of creation accounts. In discussing these creation accounts, Ben and Christopher lay a foundation for a discussion of humanity’s place in the cosmos and God’s purposes for humanity in the next episode. ...