Every One Which Sought the Lord

In class and on this blog we have seen repeatedly that the religion of the patriarchs is the religion of meeting God.  This same religion continues into the Mosaic period, at least as recounted in Exodus.  Anyone of the camp of Israel can seek the Lord; they do it in the tabernacle, which is named in Hebrew 'ohel mo'ed.  This is sometimes translated as the Tent of the Congregation, but can also be read the Tent of Meeting.  Meeting whom?  Meeting God.

Exodus 33 also provides us an image that is echoed in Benjamin's speech (and which I think is more relevant comparison than Lot and Sodom).

The Reformers and the Rest

From today's lesson:

I Am Gabriel

The angel who brings the news to Zacharias is the Melchizedek priest -- he has come from the presence of God and he bears the name Gabriel = El Gibbor, the mighty God.

Was the giving of curses as signs a special power of the Melchizedek priest?  I am reminded of Abinadi and Alma.  Maybe this is how we should read Isaiah 10-14, as a curse/sign from the rightful and righteous Melchizedek priest.

Save They Took Upon Them the Name of Christ

Read this verse carefully.  The clear implication is that the Nephites didn't take the name of Christ upon them at baptism, but that the taking of the name was a second step.  Moroni assures us that (in his day, presumably), the church only accepted new members who were serious; not only were they baptized, but they also took upon them the name of Christ (a covenant action that King Benjamin administered to his people at the temple).

The Prophets Mourned

How do these prophets appear and withdraw?  What's going on here?

Alma and Abinadi tell us the answer.  The ordinary MO of the visionary men is to operate as an underground movement.

He Could Show Unto Him All Things

The end of the brother of Jared's initiatory experience on Mount Shelem is as provocative as the rest has been.  He is given the Urim and Thummim, which the Lord connects both with the translation of unknown languages and also with a vision of all the inhabitants the earth has ever had.

This jibes with Ammon's description of the UT to Limhi: they can translate, and "by them shall all things be revealed."  It suggests that the Jaredites, like the Nephites, made oracular use of the UT.

It also solidly roots the giving and use of the UT in the temple.

We Did Pitch Our Tents Round About

Mormon's description of the Nephites camping around Cumorah is curiously reminiscent of the description of Benjamin's people camped to listen to him: a temple / hill, with "tents [a]round about."

Why would this be?  Is this Mormon writing about his own death in temple terms, like Enos did?  Is he setting up Cumorah as a temple-like place, because he's going to make it the repository of the records?

A Church of Christ

The disciples form "a church of Christ in all the lands round about."  Previously, the word "church" has seemed to mean a "congregation," rather than a doctrinally-distinct denomination.  Should we read this as meaning that the disciples formed a church in each of the lands round about?

The Multitude Did Disperse

The people, having been through the covenant ordinance, return to their homes.  This echoes our account of the other great temple gathering of the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin's speech.