Ezra-Nehemiah: The Remnant Returns
The story of Abraham continues with the narrative of Lot and the destruction of Sodom. The ambiguity of the characters and conversations makes interpreting events difficult. Abraham models appropriate hospitality while Lot imitates it. Ben offers a potential historical reading of the Sodom account that might help explain the strange sequence of events. What was the explicit sin of Sodom as opposed to the traditional view? Did God really command Abraham to sacrifice his son? Christopher brings in additional versions of the story from other traditions. Studying these additional versions and the story of Abraham in The Pearl of Great Price opens up a new interpretation. Might we be reading both too much and too little into this story? ...
Shiloh and Ben discuss the instructions given from Joseph Smith to the Church concerning how to deal with angels, the physical nature of God, the state of the earth during the millennium, and other end-of-days prophecies. The “revelation” on polygamy pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, written by Joseph directly to Emma, merits a bit of historical context. Polygamy is never an easy discussion, and there is still currently a lot of pain and trauma silently endured by Church members concerning these narratives and doctrines. The Church still believes in and continues to practice polygamy today. As one church leader once told Shiloh: “The church still believes in and practices polygamy, but they just practice it one wife at a time”. These doctrines, beliefs, and practices still impact Church members’ identities and views of eternity today, and not always in positive ways. ...
Ben and Shiloh conclude talking about the Jaredite nation, as they spend time discussing several topics concerning faith, belief, charity, and reconciliation. Moroni, who is abridging the Jaredite text, laments that he was not powerful in writing like unto the brother of Jared, and he worries that the Gentiles (i.e., us) will not receive or believe his record because of his weakness in writing. Moroni's interpretation of the Lord's words on charity worry him that the Gentiles will not have sufficient charity. The Lord's response to both of Moroni's concerns demonstrate the kindness, love, and compassion that the Lord has with all of his children. The Lord reproves Moroni in such a way that lifts not only Moroni's burden but the burden of the modern-day Gentiles. Fools may mock, yes, until they empty and enter into the Divine existential conversation of the Beatitudes where they will be comforted and inherit the earth. We often read of and see God's "wrath" in terms of our natural man's perception of physical destruction, yet we see throughout the Jaredite narrative the same merciful and self-sacrificial God revealing himself as he did to the Jews and the Nephites. It is the natural man's willful perception to see an angry, violent, and vengeful God, yet Jesus Christ continues to reveal himself as the advocate with the Father, the Healer, and Divine archetype of He who mourns with those that mourn. ...
