Have you every noticed how words and ideas are interconnected in the scriptures?
For example, in Lehi’s famous vision he sees a tree of life that bears beautiful, white fruit that fills one with joy upon being consumed. In 1 Ne. 11:25, we learn that the tree of life symbolises the love of God. Nevertheless, Nephi never reveals what the fruit of the tree of life symbolises. If the fruit brings great joy and makes the eater of it want to share it with others, then we would want to know what it symbolises.
While Nephi never reveals what it symbolises, by comparing two scriptures, we can determine what brings us so much joy.
Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (1 Ne. 15:36)
And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (D&C 14:7)
By comparing these two verses, we can determine that the fruit of the tree of life is eternal life. Eternal life is the fruit of the love of God and is the source of our joy.
Here are some other scriptures that illustrate perfectly the interconnectivity of ideas in the scriptures.
For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)
The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. (D&C 93:36)
For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. (D&C 84:45)
And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God. (1 Ne. 11:25)
By following such connections, we have determined that the iron rod not only stands for the word of God, but it also represents light, truth, intelligence, the Spirit of Jesus, the glory of God and bringing to pass our eternal life and immortality.
How cool is that?
…About as cool as basing your life on the conceit of a 19th century pedophile (two of his thirty wives were fourteen, two years before the average age of menses in early 19th century) named J. Smith, whose turgid novel “The Book of Mormon” continues to cause Mormons heartburn with its pretense of historicity and claims of Hebrew origins of the American Indian, steel and armor-clad pre-Columbian warriors, and horses as tapirs…not to mention God’s requirement for Masonic handshakes and 10% of your income in order to achieve the highest rung of the Mormon Multi-Level Marketing scheme, otherwise known as the Celestial Kingdom.
Here I thought that when “Our Thoughts” had emerged from the ashes, I had scared all the trolls away. My faith in the existence of trolls has now been strengthened. I have a testimony that trolls exist and they exist on Our Thoughts.
How typical of an anti-Mormon to come here and post some regurgitated fantasticism complete unrelated to the post to which it is attached. How cowardly it is to make such wild claims and not even have the courage to print one’s name.
It is comments like this that give me concern that too many Christians do not place their faith in Christ; rather their faith is placed in being right.
How terribly sad and unfortunate. I hope one day, Anonymous, that you will come to accept Jesus as your Saviour and that your heart will be completely turned to his cause.
Let me try this again. You enable comments, so expect them. If you don’t like mine, censor me.
You quote the BofM, and the D&C, and I point out that both are the product of a man on par with David Koresh and Jim Jones. Joseph has to hold the flaming sword over Emma to get her to swallow the polygamy game, and these sections of the D&C – your referenced text – remain as scripture. When you speak of the word of God, and reference the D&C, a self-serving document from men such as these, forgive me but my blood boils.
The BofM’s role as either fiction, divinely inspired fiction, semi-non-fiction, or actual historical record is germane to your post on
God’s plan.
I maintain the BofM is fiction based on the unfolding of history (DNA, archaeology, anachronisms,116 lost pages, plagiarism of KJV, Smith’s attempt to sell the copyright, seer stones placed in hats, disappearing golden plates) and have a difficult time associating it with the word of God.
Kim,
If there is any way to rid the site of unwarranted comments that do not address the topic we should use it.
Good post and when we have the opportunity to discuss the Saviour’s Gospel without the invasion of de vere’s ilk I would like to continue the scripture chain.
Yes, I am with Larry!
Please Kim, we don’t need people like that polluting this site. Opinions are one thing, but when they can’t be respectful (or educated) then they have no place. I would like to continue this scripture discussion too.
Mr. De Vere, the Troll,
I do not understand why you took the opportunity to repeat yourself. But you should know that all you have done is solidified the fact that you are not a true Christian. You have simply showcased to the world that it is far more important to be right than it is to be Christian.
Again, I hope someday you will turn to Christ and and your heart will truly be converted to His gospel.
early in the 19th century and even earlier actually, people did not live to any ripe old age, or wait to marry till they were in the 30’s and 40’s like today. People got married early. One of my grandmothers was married 2 days after her 13th birthday to my grandfather who was 16. They lived to raise 13 children (although 1 died at birth). It was just the way it was in those days. Nobody thought that anyone was a pedophile because that happened. It wasn’t some dark secret in some hole that happened with the threat of “don’t you tell anyone this happen or I will kill your family”. It just was a part of life and history.
Had it not happened, my father would not have been born, I would not have been born, my 5 kids would not have been born and none of my 11 1/3 granchildren would have been born. What a sad sad life that would be.
“David Koresh and Jim Jones.”
Wow. I thought I’d seen inflammatorily inaccurate rhetoric, but this takes the cake :)
Just where are the hundreds Joseph Smith poisoned to death, or didn’t allow outside of his compound?
Ben S.
“Just where are the hundreds Joseph Smith poisoned to death, or didn’t allow outside of his compound?”
-ever hear of the Danites, Joseph’s “Avenging Angels,” the Journal of Discourse’s teachings of blood-atonement, attempted political assassinations, the murders of “gentiles,” the Missouri wars, all culminating in BY’s Mountain Meadows Massacre, where 120 men, women, and children were brutally slaughtered in cold blood?
Mormonism’s origins were bloody, partly in response to persecution, but ending up as a doctrine run amok, practiced by fanatics.
As for secretly marrying 14 year olds, when Joe was already married to Emma, and secretly married to dozens of others(“polyandry”),you can’t pass this off as the historical norm. Joe’s perversions were one of the reasons they were persecuted in the first place.
I have interrupted your scripture reading – my point, and I’ll sign off for good here, is that your source texts, in my opinion, should not be referenced as the Word of God, or the teachings of Christ.