jdj55611@ihuxk.UUCP (09/15/83)
As part of his `case against the Book of Mormon,' Jon White cited the following `proof': >Now for a few embarrassing contradictions found in Mormon literature. Joseph >Smith sought to justify his womanizing ways by claiming that polygamy was >decreed by divine revelation. In Doctrines and Covenants he wrote about some >of the characters described in Genesis: >"God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did >she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many people... >Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye >shall be saved." (Section 132, Verses 34 and 32.) >The Book of Mormon, on the other hand, categorically states: >"Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall not any man >among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; for I, >the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women." (Jacob 2:26-28.) I certainly am not the one who is embarrassed by this apparent contradiction. If Jon would have bothered to check out the sources for his allegation, he would have found that the verse he quoted in Jacob continues: "...Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed he the land for their sakes. For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things." (Jacob 2:29-30) As given above, the commandment on monogamy was for the people of that time in Book of Mormon history. In verse 30, the Lord indicates that it is by his commandment that his people do or do not engage in this practice. Chastity can be defined as `purity of intent;' it is upon this criterion that the Lord judges his people with respect to the practice of plural marriage. Again quoting White's article: >There is also an interesting discrepancy between two of the books within the >Book of Mormon. (White later corrected to the Pearl of Great Price) >In Moses 2:1, it is stated: >"I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I >created these things; yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth >upon which thou standest." >The Book of Abraham, on the other hand, repudiates this monotheistic view >by stating: >"And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And THEY went down at the beginning, >and THEY, that is the GODS, organized and formed the heavens and the earth." >(Abraham 4:1.) >Maybe one of the Mormons out there can tell us which account of the creation >is correct. Since Jon considers himself a `religious skeptic' I don't know if any response to this challange is adequate in his view. A companion passage to the one cited in Moses is found in Hebrews 1:1-2 (yes, Latter-Day Saints believe the Bible to be the word of God): "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds..." This scripture reflects the same idea as given in Moses; God created the earth through his Son Jesus Christ. The account of the creation in Genesis also provides a point of reference in chapter 2 verses 26 and 27: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... So God created man in his own likeness, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Here God is speaking in the plural `let US ... in OUR image' followed by the creative act in singular `in HIS own likeness.' El, as the Hebrew word for God or Divine Being, is used in various Hebrew word combinations to identify Deity and to reveal particular things about him. Thus El Elyon means the Highest God, the possessor or Creator of heaven and earth (Gen. 14:19); El Shaddai signifies God Almighty (Gen 17:1) El Elohe Yisrael is the God of Israel. (Gen. 33:20) Elohim is the plural of the Caananite El or the Hebrew Eloah; consequently, its literal meaning is Gods; though it is used as the exalted name-title of God the Eternal Father, a usage that connotes his supremacy and omnipotence, he being God above all Gods. God (Elohim) created the world through Jesus Christ. ( Am I getting repetitious? ) I liken this to a religious event in the LDS Church in which a child is given a name and a blessing. A number of priesthood holders take the infant in their arms and, with one acting a spokesman, give the name and pronounce the blessing. Who gave the blessing? It was done by the collective authority of those who participated yet it was voiced by an individual. I submit that it is equally correct to say that the spokesman gave the blessing as it is the group. The question of God vs. Gods is a doctrinal issue rather than a contradiction and as such is outside the realm of this debate. J. D. Jensen ihuxk!jdj55611 BTL Naperville IL