helemon
14th August 2005, 02:56 PM
From FAIR by gospelstuff
I was reading the BofM and a couple of places made me think. They are below and I will add my comments in bold.
3 And he laid a tax of one fifth part of all they possessed, a fifth part of their gold and of their silver, and a fifth part of their ziff, and of their copper, and of their brass and their iron; and a fifth part of their fatlings; and also a fifth part of all their grain. (I've noticed how much tithing is preached in the church today. Pay your tithing and all your sins and troubles will go away see also Mormon 8:32)
4 And all this did he take to support himself (can we truly say anymore that we have a lay clergy?), and his wives and his concubines; and also his priests, and their wives and their concubines; thus he had changed the affairs of the kingdom.
5 For he put down all the priests that had been consecrated by his father, and consecrated new ones in their stead, such as were lifted up in the pride of their hearts. (you must have a very impressive resume to be a seventy or apostle. No more farm boys allowed)
6 Yea, and thus they were supported in their laziness, and in their idolatry, and in their whoredoms, by the taxes which king Noah (who was president of the church during this time) had put upon his people; thus did the people labor exceedingly to support iniquity.
7 Yea, and they also became idolatrous, because they were deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests (see also Hel. 13:25-27); for they did speak flattering things unto them.
8 And it came to pass that king Noah built many elegant and spacious buildings (one of the biggest things we talk about is all the churches, conferences centers etc. that are being built today. The church in 4 Nephi built many churches and their convert baptisms were enormous but they were in high stages of apostasy); and he ornamented them with fine work of wood, and of all manner of precious things, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of brass, and of ziff, and of copper (as we do today in our churches. If you walk through the new conference center you feel like your in the middle of the Roman empire with all the marble, cherry wood and various ornate decorations);
9 And he also built him a spacious palace (Pres. Hinckley's conference center), and a throne in the midst thereof (Hinckley's walnut pulpit), all of which was of fine wood and was ornamented with gold and silver and with precious things.
10 And he also caused that his workmen should work all manner of fine work within the walls of the temple, of fine wood, and of copper, and of brass.
11 And the seats which were set apart for the high priests (our conference center has a section for GA's to sit in so all in the congregation can see them. It is higher then all the other seats and surrounding the pulpit), which were above all the other seats, he did ornament with pure gold; and he caused a breastwork to be built before them (there is a small wall seperating the GA seats from the rest of the congregation), that they might rest their bodies and their arms upon while they should speak lying and vain words to his people.
12 And it came to pass that he built a tower near the temple (take your pick, conference center with gardens and trees on the top of it, church office building, Joseph Smith Memorial building etc); yea, a very high tower, even so high that he could stand upon the top thereof and overlook the land of Shilom, and also the land of Shemlon, which was possessed by the Lamanites; and he could even look over all the land round about.
13 And it came to pass that he caused many buildings to be built in the land Shilom; and he caused a great tower to be built on the hill north of the land Shilom, which had been a resort for the children of Nephi at the time they fled out of the land; and thus he did do with the riches which he obtained by the taxation of his people. (Mosiah 11:3-13)
15 Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever.
16 Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren (very much the attitude of the LDS's); and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren (Joseph Smith), which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers (pioneer ancestors); but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children (we think we are better then our ancestors even though we are truly more wicked); and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ.
17 But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved (again, very much our attitude but more LDS's should read D&C 131 in fine detail), whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away (follow the leaders even if it's wrong and we the common folk will be blessed for it) after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God.
18 And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen.
19 Now it came to pass that after Alma and his brethren and his sons had heard these prayers, they were astonished beyond all measure (Joseph and Brigham would be equally astonished at where we are at today).
20 For behold, every man did go forth and offer up these same prayers (attend any fast and testimony meeting or sacrament service in the church).
21 Now the place was called by them Rameumptom, which, being interpreted, is the holy stand (Pres. Hinckley's pulpit).
22 Now, from this stand they did offer up, every man, the selfsame prayer unto God, thanking their God that they were chosen of him, and that he did not lead them away after the tradition of their brethren, and that their hearts were not stolen away to believe in things to come, which they knew nothing about.
23 Now, after the people had all offered up thanks after this manner, they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner (that's us!!!!). (Alma 31:15-23)
I was reading the BofM and a couple of places made me think. They are below and I will add my comments in bold.
3 And he laid a tax of one fifth part of all they possessed, a fifth part of their gold and of their silver, and a fifth part of their ziff, and of their copper, and of their brass and their iron; and a fifth part of their fatlings; and also a fifth part of all their grain. (I've noticed how much tithing is preached in the church today. Pay your tithing and all your sins and troubles will go away see also Mormon 8:32)
4 And all this did he take to support himself (can we truly say anymore that we have a lay clergy?), and his wives and his concubines; and also his priests, and their wives and their concubines; thus he had changed the affairs of the kingdom.
5 For he put down all the priests that had been consecrated by his father, and consecrated new ones in their stead, such as were lifted up in the pride of their hearts. (you must have a very impressive resume to be a seventy or apostle. No more farm boys allowed)
6 Yea, and thus they were supported in their laziness, and in their idolatry, and in their whoredoms, by the taxes which king Noah (who was president of the church during this time) had put upon his people; thus did the people labor exceedingly to support iniquity.
7 Yea, and they also became idolatrous, because they were deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests (see also Hel. 13:25-27); for they did speak flattering things unto them.
8 And it came to pass that king Noah built many elegant and spacious buildings (one of the biggest things we talk about is all the churches, conferences centers etc. that are being built today. The church in 4 Nephi built many churches and their convert baptisms were enormous but they were in high stages of apostasy); and he ornamented them with fine work of wood, and of all manner of precious things, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of brass, and of ziff, and of copper (as we do today in our churches. If you walk through the new conference center you feel like your in the middle of the Roman empire with all the marble, cherry wood and various ornate decorations);
9 And he also built him a spacious palace (Pres. Hinckley's conference center), and a throne in the midst thereof (Hinckley's walnut pulpit), all of which was of fine wood and was ornamented with gold and silver and with precious things.
10 And he also caused that his workmen should work all manner of fine work within the walls of the temple, of fine wood, and of copper, and of brass.
11 And the seats which were set apart for the high priests (our conference center has a section for GA's to sit in so all in the congregation can see them. It is higher then all the other seats and surrounding the pulpit), which were above all the other seats, he did ornament with pure gold; and he caused a breastwork to be built before them (there is a small wall seperating the GA seats from the rest of the congregation), that they might rest their bodies and their arms upon while they should speak lying and vain words to his people.
12 And it came to pass that he built a tower near the temple (take your pick, conference center with gardens and trees on the top of it, church office building, Joseph Smith Memorial building etc); yea, a very high tower, even so high that he could stand upon the top thereof and overlook the land of Shilom, and also the land of Shemlon, which was possessed by the Lamanites; and he could even look over all the land round about.
13 And it came to pass that he caused many buildings to be built in the land Shilom; and he caused a great tower to be built on the hill north of the land Shilom, which had been a resort for the children of Nephi at the time they fled out of the land; and thus he did do with the riches which he obtained by the taxation of his people. (Mosiah 11:3-13)
15 Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever.
16 Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren (very much the attitude of the LDS's); and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren (Joseph Smith), which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers (pioneer ancestors); but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children (we think we are better then our ancestors even though we are truly more wicked); and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ.
17 But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved (again, very much our attitude but more LDS's should read D&C 131 in fine detail), whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away (follow the leaders even if it's wrong and we the common folk will be blessed for it) after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God.
18 And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen.
19 Now it came to pass that after Alma and his brethren and his sons had heard these prayers, they were astonished beyond all measure (Joseph and Brigham would be equally astonished at where we are at today).
20 For behold, every man did go forth and offer up these same prayers (attend any fast and testimony meeting or sacrament service in the church).
21 Now the place was called by them Rameumptom, which, being interpreted, is the holy stand (Pres. Hinckley's pulpit).
22 Now, from this stand they did offer up, every man, the selfsame prayer unto God, thanking their God that they were chosen of him, and that he did not lead them away after the tradition of their brethren, and that their hearts were not stolen away to believe in things to come, which they knew nothing about.
23 Now, after the people had all offered up thanks after this manner, they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner (that's us!!!!). (Alma 31:15-23)