Book of Mormon Questions
Last night, the cold front moved in. We woke to a couple inches of snow on the ground and a few trillion more tiny snowflakes steadily falling. The world is white, and COLD! The electronic sign in front of the boys' school said it was 9 degrees when I dropped them off at school this morning. Brrrrr! Luckily, we all had coats, hats, scarves and mittens to help us keep warm.
This morning, I was thinking some more about Zeniff and his people in the Book of Mormon. I realized that I still have some questions that weren't answered during Institute yesterday (because there wasn't a good opportunity to ask). I don't know if anyone can give a decisive answer on them until we have opportunity to talk to the people involved themselves, but I though I'd put them out here in case any of my readers have any ideas about them.
1. Why would a righteous king pass the kingdom on to a wicked son? Zeniff was a righteous guy. Under his leadership, the Nephites fought their battles "in the strength of the Lord". Zeniff protected them and cared for them. Noah, his son, was greedy and selfish, thinking more about accumulating riches and "partying" than he did about caring for the people. Did Zeniff not know his son well enough to have an idea of what kind of king he would be? Was Noah just really good at hiding his true nature? Or was Zeniff in denial, hoping that with responsibility, Noah would become a better person? Was Noah Zeniff's only son? Was there was no one else to whom he could entrust the kingdom?
2. Abinadi taught the people, but the people didn't like the things he was saying about their wickedness and needing to repent. (It was pointed out in institute yesterday that Abinadi was blunt and straightforward, a huge contrast from Noah's vain and flattering words.) King Noah was angry with Abinadi and sought to kill him, and so Abinadi "hid" for two years. My question is, where did Abinadi hide? Was he still somewhere in the town hiding in a basement somewhere? Was he living by himself out in the wilderness in a cave or something? Did he move to a Lamanite town for a while?
3. After hiding for two years, Abinadi came among them in disguise and began prophesying again. What is the first thing he says? "Thus has the Lord commanded me, saying--Abinadi, go and prophesy unto this my people..."(Mosiah 12:1) If Abinadi went through all that effort to disguise himself so he wouldn't be recognized, why would one of the first things out of his mouth be his own name? What is the point of disguising himself, if he is just going to go out and announce who he is? Was the disguise just to get into the city so he could preach, and once he was inside, the disguise was no longer needed?
4. How many copies of the brass plates were in circulation among the Nephites in 148 B.C.? There were the original plates that Nephi and his brothers took from Laban in 600 B.C. It is obvious from Abinadi's words that he had access to a copy (since he is very familiar with the ten commandments and he quotes the entire 53rd chapter of Isaiah). Were the scriptures mass produced among the people? Were they all meticulously carved on metal plates, or did they write on hides and make scrolls for the entire record, or just pieces of it? Zeniff and his people must have taken copies of the record with them. (I doubt King Mosiah, father of King Benjamin, would have allowed this group to take the original with them when they decided to go back to Lehi-Nephi.) Did each family have their own copy of the record? Would each family have to make their own copy, or was there a "scripture guild" that would make copies of the scriptures for sale?
5. Noah put down (I hope that just means retired and not killed) the priests his father had consecrated, and then consecrated new ones, proud and lazy ones, in their stead. I assume that means that they went through the washing, clothing and anointing rituals according to the law of Moses. (See BD: Priests) These priests are supposed to be chosen by God. Would God really have chosen these proud and lazy men to be priests? Was the consecration to the priesthood completely valid if it was done by and to unrighteous men, without God's approval? Alma was one of these priests who was consecrated by King Noah. He repented of his sins, and then began teaching, baptizing and ordaining other priests - "having authority from God"(Mosiah 18:18). Did he receive the authority from God through his consecration at the hands of the wicked King Noah? Did his repentance and change of heart make the previous consecration more valid? Or was there another (unmentioned) event in his life that granted him that authority?
6. After King Noah was put to death, the people who had killed him were about to return to the land of Nephi when they met Gideon and his men. Gideon's men told them what had happened to their wives and children, and the people told Gideon's men how they had slain the king, and then comes an interesting line in Mosiah 19:24, "And it came to pass that after they had ended the ceremony, that they returned to the land of Nephi..." What ceremony was that? Was simply exchanging information regarded as a ceremony? What all did this ceremony involve? Did they set up a tent and smoke a peace pipe? Did they begin and end with prayer? What other random ceremonies did these people have?
So those are my questions. Do you have any thoughts on them? Are there other questions that you would add?
This morning, I was thinking some more about Zeniff and his people in the Book of Mormon. I realized that I still have some questions that weren't answered during Institute yesterday (because there wasn't a good opportunity to ask). I don't know if anyone can give a decisive answer on them until we have opportunity to talk to the people involved themselves, but I though I'd put them out here in case any of my readers have any ideas about them.
1. Why would a righteous king pass the kingdom on to a wicked son? Zeniff was a righteous guy. Under his leadership, the Nephites fought their battles "in the strength of the Lord". Zeniff protected them and cared for them. Noah, his son, was greedy and selfish, thinking more about accumulating riches and "partying" than he did about caring for the people. Did Zeniff not know his son well enough to have an idea of what kind of king he would be? Was Noah just really good at hiding his true nature? Or was Zeniff in denial, hoping that with responsibility, Noah would become a better person? Was Noah Zeniff's only son? Was there was no one else to whom he could entrust the kingdom?
2. Abinadi taught the people, but the people didn't like the things he was saying about their wickedness and needing to repent. (It was pointed out in institute yesterday that Abinadi was blunt and straightforward, a huge contrast from Noah's vain and flattering words.) King Noah was angry with Abinadi and sought to kill him, and so Abinadi "hid" for two years. My question is, where did Abinadi hide? Was he still somewhere in the town hiding in a basement somewhere? Was he living by himself out in the wilderness in a cave or something? Did he move to a Lamanite town for a while?
3. After hiding for two years, Abinadi came among them in disguise and began prophesying again. What is the first thing he says? "Thus has the Lord commanded me, saying--Abinadi, go and prophesy unto this my people..."(Mosiah 12:1) If Abinadi went through all that effort to disguise himself so he wouldn't be recognized, why would one of the first things out of his mouth be his own name? What is the point of disguising himself, if he is just going to go out and announce who he is? Was the disguise just to get into the city so he could preach, and once he was inside, the disguise was no longer needed?
4. How many copies of the brass plates were in circulation among the Nephites in 148 B.C.? There were the original plates that Nephi and his brothers took from Laban in 600 B.C. It is obvious from Abinadi's words that he had access to a copy (since he is very familiar with the ten commandments and he quotes the entire 53rd chapter of Isaiah). Were the scriptures mass produced among the people? Were they all meticulously carved on metal plates, or did they write on hides and make scrolls for the entire record, or just pieces of it? Zeniff and his people must have taken copies of the record with them. (I doubt King Mosiah, father of King Benjamin, would have allowed this group to take the original with them when they decided to go back to Lehi-Nephi.) Did each family have their own copy of the record? Would each family have to make their own copy, or was there a "scripture guild" that would make copies of the scriptures for sale?5. Noah put down (I hope that just means retired and not killed) the priests his father had consecrated, and then consecrated new ones, proud and lazy ones, in their stead. I assume that means that they went through the washing, clothing and anointing rituals according to the law of Moses. (See BD: Priests) These priests are supposed to be chosen by God. Would God really have chosen these proud and lazy men to be priests? Was the consecration to the priesthood completely valid if it was done by and to unrighteous men, without God's approval? Alma was one of these priests who was consecrated by King Noah. He repented of his sins, and then began teaching, baptizing and ordaining other priests - "having authority from God"(Mosiah 18:18). Did he receive the authority from God through his consecration at the hands of the wicked King Noah? Did his repentance and change of heart make the previous consecration more valid? Or was there another (unmentioned) event in his life that granted him that authority?
6. After King Noah was put to death, the people who had killed him were about to return to the land of Nephi when they met Gideon and his men. Gideon's men told them what had happened to their wives and children, and the people told Gideon's men how they had slain the king, and then comes an interesting line in Mosiah 19:24, "And it came to pass that after they had ended the ceremony, that they returned to the land of Nephi..." What ceremony was that? Was simply exchanging information regarded as a ceremony? What all did this ceremony involve? Did they set up a tent and smoke a peace pipe? Did they begin and end with prayer? What other random ceremonies did these people have?
So those are my questions. Do you have any thoughts on them? Are there other questions that you would add?
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