http://bookofmormononline.net/blog “Shine Forth Out Of Darkness” Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:01:53 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The future is looking very bright for BookofMormonOnline.Net.  Recent events and circumstances have opened many new doors in terms of scope and involvement of others, and this website will now be going through a transitional phase.  As the additional personnel and resources that will from here on out be involved ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/prospects-for-the-future-of-bookofmormononlinenet/ The Sunday School material this week now covers the concluding segment of the small plates of Nephi. After Nephi's plentiful quotes and prophesies, and Jacob's sermons and writings, blank space in the small plates seems to have become scarce. So the writings of the subsequent authors (i.e. ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/for-a-wise-purpose/ There seems to be a general assumption among Book of Mormon readers that when the Lehites’ ship landed, the Promised land was a desolate vista void of any civilizations or indigenous people. A more careful reading of the Book of Mormon gives several clues and indications that this was ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/sherem-an-outsider/ Jacob 5 is infamously known as the longest chapter in not only the Book of Mormon, but also in all of scripture. It contains Zenos' Allegory of the Olive Trees, which was presumably included in the brass plates, and subsequently quoted by Jacob. The story can generally be ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/the-allegory-of-the-olive-trees/ Continuing along with the dissection of the gems found in Jacob 4, I find it worthwhile to analyze Jacob's words when he said: "Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/absolute-reality-absolute-truth/ One of the most poignant messages of Jacob has to do with "looking beyond the mark." He explained that: "...the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. "Wherefore, because of their blindness, which ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/looking-beyond-the-mark/ In Jacob's address to the reader of his record, he makes a statement with profound implications: "Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/the-unsearchable-mysteries-of-god/ We now move beyond the writing of Nephi, and enter the writings of Jacob, Nephi's brother, who became the next spiritual leader. The narrative of Jacob chapters 1-4, which accounts for the beginning of Jacob's ministry, can be recapped as follows: Nephi charges Jacob with the record–keeping responsibilities. Jacob works ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/seek-ye-for-the-kingdom-of-god/ In light of the fact that March is women's history month, I felt it would be appropriate to have the next installment of "lists of ten" feature ten women in the Book of Mormon. It's no secret that religious texts tend to have male centric themes, are often set ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/ten-women-in-the-book-of-mormon/ Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. The resurrection was the crowning element of Jesus' earthly ministry, and is an essential and centric feature of the Gospel. The people of the Book of Mormon, although far removed from the Holy land, were well aware ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/an-easter-message/ Our next installment in the Sunday School schedule brings us to 2 Nephi 31–33, in which Nephi, finished with quoting Isaiah and adding his own prophesies, now expounds the fundamental doctrines of Christ and leaves his prophetic witness. This segment of Nephi's writings can be outlined as follows: ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/press-forward-with-a-steadfastness-in-christ/ I have completed uploading and annotating the first 11 chapters of 2 Nephi. Since I do not plan on rendering the Isaiah chapters in plain English, the next batch will consist of 2 Nephi 25-33. That might not happen for a while, however, as I have other projects ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/plain-english-update/ In preparation to serve a mission myself I have come across a book called "Preparation Precedes Power" from a family member. It has been helpful in strengthening me and preparing me to serve the Lord on a full-time mission. As I have been reading I have realized that we can ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/a-missionary-in-us-all/ A generally well known yet little explored detail about the Book of Mormon is that it contained a sealed portion. It is conventionally understood that the Book of Mormon came packaged with some material that the Saints were obviously not prepared to receive, and as such, we can only patiently ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/the-sealed-portion/ This lesson covers 2 Nephi chapters 26-30, which contain Nephi's writings and teachings following his quotations of Isaiah. Nephi discusses a variety of of topics, including a prophesy of the coming of Christ, predictions regarding the last days, and a foreshadowing of the Gospel's restoration. Nephi also speaks of the ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/he-inviteth-all-to-come-unto-him/ As we continue reading through Nephi's quotations of Isaiah, we reach a point in 2 Nephi 19 where we see a common refrain: "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." These words come in the context of the Lord ’s anger at Israel’s ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/his-hand-is-stretched-out-still/ In Nephi's quotation of Isaiah's writings, we come across a passage that is often understood in terms of the pre-existence and the war in heaven: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/who-or-what-is-lucifer/ After Jacob's Sermon, Nephi carries on with the religious teaching in the land of Nephi. He proceeds to open up the brass plates and quote extensively from the writings of Isaiah, saying, "I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/my-soul-delighteth-in-the-words-of-isaiah/ Stewardship over the Promised Land is a common theme throughout the Book of Mormon. The Lord assures the Lehites as well as the Jaredites that the Promised Land would be a place of inheritance, and would enjoy divine providence if the people remained mindful of God and his commandments. ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/lands-of-promise/ Lesson 8 covers 2 Nephi chapters 6-10, which of course includes the oft quoted and very significant 2 Nephi 9, which contains very a very powerful discussion of the atonement of Christ, the universal resurrection, and the final judgment. Many casual readers of these chapters will glance at the Book ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/o-how-great-the-goodness-of-our-god/ Continuing in the series of "lists of ten," this post identifies ten miracles recorded in the Book of Mormon. Again, this is not to say that there are only ten miracles on record, but rather is an arbitrary sampling of some that I, for whatever reason, found to be ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/ten-miracles/ We often hear of the great journey of the Lehites through the wilderness before they set sail on the ocean. But seldom do we explore the travels of the Jaredites with the same level of depth. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the Lehites departed from a ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/jaredite-barges/ Before the information age, text and writings were intrinsically attached to the medium upon which they were written or printed. Now, text takes on a much more intangible and ethereal nature, and allows such features as instant transferability, searchability, database indexibility, and duplicability. This website serves as evidence of the ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/historical-book-of-mormon-facsimiles/ Our Sunday School readings in 2 Nephi chapters 3-5 continue with the words, of Lehi, go forward with the response and writings of Nephi, and give us the last glimpse of a narrative story that we will have until the book of Jacob. Here is an overview ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/i-know-in-whom-i-have-trusted/ The use of the word "church" in the Book of Mormon is a bit anachronistic. The word does not appear in the Old Testament, but (in most cases) its use in the Book of Mormon is either in the context of a prophecy, or in reference to a proto-Christian ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/the-great-and-abominable-church/ Our study of the Book of Mormon now shifts away from the narrative of the Lehites' travels and moves toward and exploration of the doctrine and teachings that were presented early on in their colonization of the New World. 2 Nephi chapters 1 and 2 contain the beginnings of ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/free-to-choose-liberty-and-eternal-life/ I have been noticing lately an increasing impatience with the less than fair attitudes of the teenagers with whom I work. I run the Teen Center at the local YWCA Family Center, a shelter for families experiencing a homeless situation because of housing or job crisis. Invariably the teens that ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/because-of-loving-kindness/ As we look at the Book of Mormon, we generally look at the spiritual importance of its existence in our lives, for example how can we apply it and liken it to our selves in our own lives? I once had an excellent teacher who taught about the "physical importance" or ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/the-small-plates-of-nephi-in-our-lives/ This week's reading covers the chapters that chronicle the Lehite travels, whereas up until now, events have taken place at or between the city of Jerusalem and the Valley of Lemuel, which is reportedly near the red sea. Chapters 16-18 of 1st Nephi can be outlined in the following ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/hearken-to-the-truth-and-give-heed-unto-it/ One of the most common scriptures used by antagonists to support the idea of a closed scriptural cannon is from the final chapter of the New Testament, Revelation 22, where in verse 18, John the Revelator warns that "if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/nephis-vision-and-the-apocalypse/ One challenge in producing a plain-English version of the Book of Mormon is dealing with terms that are both nonstandard and ambiguous. One such term is “seed,” which, with a few obvious exceptions, means “progeny” throughout 1 Nephi, not "the ripened ovule of a plant". That usage of ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/the-seed-of-nephi-and-his-brothers/ Last week's lesson dealt with the vision of the Tree of Life, which covered text in 1 Nephi 8 as well as text from the beginning of Nephi's vision. This lesson covers the remainder of the contents of Nephi's vision. After Lehi tells of his dream, Nephi "was ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/carried-away-in-the-spirit/ In my latest reading of Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life, I found something I'd never seen before. We often talk about the symbolism of the iron rod, the great and spacious building, the tree, and the fountain of living waters. We tend to skim over the ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/lehis-wasteland/ Today commemorates the life, mission and message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The latter half of the 20th century saw some tremendously significant changes in terms of attitudes and outlooks about people and society. Dr. King was certainly at the forefront of the movement, and was instrumental ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/all-are-alike-unto-god/ The vision of the tree of life is first major symbolic narrative sequence found in the Book of Mormon. Sometime after Lehi's sons return from their second trip back to Jerusalem (this time to get Ishmael's family,) Lehi recounts what he had seen in a dream. In ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/vision-of-the-tree-of-life/ This is the first in a series of "lists of ten" posts that identify and analyze ten similar elements found in the Book of Mormon. These lists will not be "top ten" lists, or even "the ten" lists, but simply lists with a common theme that arbitrarily identify ten ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/ten-spiritual-conversions/ Back in 2005, when President Hinckley issued his challenge to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year, there was some discussion in the Bloggernacle about whether a version of the Book of Mormon existed in plain English. Well it turns out that versions do exist, ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/plain-english-book-of-mormon-wiki/ The Sunday School lesson for this week is entitled "All Things According To His Will". One question that I wanted to ask was why Laman and Lemuel continue to rebel and defy the Lord even after all the spiritual experiences that they went through. Let's look at the first one: 1 ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/all-things-according-to-his-will/ Following the standard four-year rotation program, this year's Sunday School lessons center around the Book of Mormon. One of the goals of this blog is to provide both preparatory and follow-up blog posts related to the week's lesson. Of course, because every ward has slightly different scheduling protocols ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/sunday-school-curriculum-2008/ The new year comes hand in hand with new year's resolutions. Sometimes resolutions are setups for failure, other times they are catalysts for success and progression. Almost universally, resolutions are some form of commitment; often times they are a form of recommitment. The ideas of committing ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/resolutions-and-renewals/ Little is known about the calendar used by the Nephites, but it is clear that they did classify their history based on years, months, and days. It is perhaps plausible that like many other agricultural societies, they used the lunar calendar (Coriantumr's stay in Zarahemla was reportedly "nine moons.") ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/new-years-eve/ During the Christmas season, it is not uncommon to hear religious people bemoan the “over commercialization” of Christmas and implore others to remember the “true meaning.” The implication seems to be a call for more nativity scenes, less Santa; more “O Holy Night,” less “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.” Additional perspective ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/reason-vs-season/ One issue that often causes difficulty for readers of the Book of Mormon is the fact that several passages describe things that are out of context and chronology relative to its surrounding text. The prime example of this are the Words of Mormon (dated 385 A.D.), which are framed ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/narrative-continuity/ As mentioned previously, there are multiple ways that this website can be explored. For those new to BookofMormonOnline.Net (which is most of you) I would like to outline in a bit more detail how a visitor might begin his or her study. High-Level Overview For those seeking an general understanding about ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/a-beginners-guide/ Welcome to all new visitors! BookofMormonOnline.Net is a revolutionary new exposition of the Book of Mormon with the object of presenting its full text in the most accessible form possible. Containing every single verse of the Book of Mormon, BookofMormonOnline.net breaks up the text into contextually analogous reader-friendly segments arranged ... http://bookofmormononline.net/blog/welcome-to-the-book-of-mormon-online/