http://www.pbs.org/mormons/interviews/holland.html <—Holland PBS Interview
The Book of Mormon, says Critics, is a made up Book of Fiction created Joseph Smith as a hoax as he pulled the wool over our eyes. I can’t see it that way. I see the Book of Mormon as deep and full of spiritual insights. I see the Book of Mormon teaching to multiple levels and today we talk about one of those. Joseph was a young man and he was one person and yet the Book of Mormon seems to be a mix of immature naive writers and deep wise experienced ones. Today we discuss how The Book of Mormon is complex and how it parts of it are contained teachings that seem to speak very much to Fowler’s Stage 5. Hope you enjoy
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When you talked about being a little skeptical of young Nephi’s writing, I almost crashed my car because I was yelling in agreement at the speakers and jumping up and down in my seat. The young Nephi contrasts so well with the older Nephi in that regard. Young Nephi is so obsessed with the rules, and his large stature, and hilariously, during the scene with drunken Laban, Nephi takes a few verses to describe how rad and awesome Laban’s sword was, saying “And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.”
Just like young men today might ogle over some high end car or other piece of tech. I just find it so real and so telling about Nephi’s state of mind at the time. Fast forward to the psalm of Nephi that you read and you’re right – it’s a completely different person. It’s a man who truly understands the gospel.
I used to agree with you about Laman and Lemuel getting an unfair reputation because of Nephi’s perspective, but the incident where Laman and Lemuel were beating on Nephi and the angel came changed my mind, and I’m surprised you didn’t mention it.
After the angel tells them that the Lord will deliver Laban into their hands and then departs, the VERY NEXT VERSE has Laman and Lemuel murmuring again, asking “How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?”
I guess it’s possible that Nephi made that up, or condensed time for the sake of clarity, but if it is at all accurate, it’s pretty damning for those two. I mean seriously, how screwed up do you have to be to literally see an angel, and hear the angel say that the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands and then moments later complain that the Lord won’t be able to do that because Laban “can command fifty.” I mean seriously. If not for that, I’d probably agree that they were treated unfairly by Nephi.
What do you think about that?
I don’t think he made it up, But I can see any normal person “murmmuring” the way they did. “How shall we ever get past Laban? seems like the position any of us would take. Thanks for the comments and thanks for listening!