The Book of Ether Chapter 12 Critique
Setting: The prophet Ether
exhorts the people to believe in God—Moroni recounts the wonders and
marvels done by faith—Faith enabled the brother of Jared to see
Christ—The Lord gives men weakness that they may be humble—The brother
of Jared moved Mount Zerin by faith—Faith, hope, and charity are
essential to salvation—Moroni saw Jesus face to face.
Verses 1-5: And it came to pass
that the days of Ether were in the days of Coriantumr; and Coriantumr
was king over all the land. And Ether was a prophet of the Lord;
wherefore Ether came forth in the days of Coriantumr, and began to
prophesy unto the people, for he could not be restrained because of the
Spirit of the Lord which was in him. For he did cry from the morning,
even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe
in God unto repentance lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them
that by faith all things are fulfilled— Wherefore, whoso believeth in
God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the
right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the
souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always
abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. And it came to pass
that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people,
which they did not believe, because they saw them not.
Note: Pagan Pre-Columbian prophecies came from calendars.
Mesoamerican calendars are the calendrical systems devised and used by
the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica. Besides keeping time,
Mesoamerican calendars were also used in religious observances and
social rituals, such as for divination. The existence of Mesoamerican
calendars is known as early as ca. 500 BCE, with the essentials already
appearing fully defined and functional. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verse 6: And now, I, Moroni,
would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the
world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore,
dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after
the trial of your faith.
Note: Sidney Rigdon plagiarized the Holy Bible.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1.
Verse 7: For it was by faith
that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from
the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had
faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him,
for he showed himself not unto the world.
Note: Jesus Christ showed Himself while the disciples lacked faith.
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which
Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him;
but some doubted. Matthew 28:16-17.
Verse 8: But because of the
faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the
name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be
partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things
which they have not seen.
Note: Jesus Christ will show Himself to non-believers for judgment.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall
from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the
sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes
of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:29-30.
Verse 9: Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.
Note: It is through faith in Jesus Christ that Christians have hope.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by
faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God. Romans 5:1-2.
Verses 10-12: Behold it was by
faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God.
Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his
Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it
hath been fulfilled. For if there be no faith among the children of men
God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself
until after their faith.
Note: God is not dependent upon faith for His plan to be enacted.
“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. When
Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe,
the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘I am the God of your
fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
And Moses trembled and dared not look. ‘Then the Lord said to him,
“Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy
ground. I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in
Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them.
And now come, I will send you to Egypt.”’ Acts 7:30-34.
Verses 13-22: Behold, it was
the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the
earth. Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the
change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with
the Holy Ghost. Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren
which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites. Yea, and even all
they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were
before Christ and also those who were after. And it was by faith that
the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of
death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith. And
neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith;
wherefore they first believed in the Son of God. And there were many
whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who
could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes
the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were
glad. And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the
brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put
forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of
Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he
had obtained by faith. And after the brother of Jared had beheld the
finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared
had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his
sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be
kept without the veil. And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained
the promise that these things should come unto their brethren through
the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus
Christ.
Note: The Christian faith was not revealed until Jesus Christ arrived.
But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith
in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith
came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which
would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring
us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has
come, we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:22-25.
Verses 23-25: And I said unto
him: Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our
weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by
faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing; for thou hast made
all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost
which thou hast given them; And thou hast made us that we could write
but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast
not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou
madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art,
unto the overpowering of man to read them. Thou hast also made our
words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore,
when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the
placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our
words.
Note: Early pagan Mesoamerican writing had no organization.
The Olmec flourished in the Gulf Coast region of Mexico, ca. 1250–400
BCE. The evidence for this writing system is based solely on the text
on the Cascajal Block. The block holds a total of 62 glyphs, some of
which resemble plants such as maize and pineapple, or animals such as
insects and fish. Many of the symbols are more abstract boxes or blobs.
The symbols on the Cascajal block are unlike those of any other writing
system in Mesoamerica, such as in Mayan languages or Isthmian, another
extinct Mesoamerican script. The Cascajal block is also unusual because
the symbols apparently run in horizontal rows and "there is no strong
evidence of overall organization. The sequences appear to be conceived
as independent units of information". All other known Mesoamerican
scripts typically use vertical rows. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verses 26-28: And when I had
said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall
mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no
advantage of your weakness; And if men come unto me I will show unto
them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble;
and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before
me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then
will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will show
unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith,
hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness.
Note: God never spoke to pagan Pre-Columbian natives.
Sacrifice was a religious activity in Maya culture, involving either
the killing of animals or the bloodletting by members of the community,
in rituals superintended by priests. Sacrifice has been a feature of
almost all pre-modern societies at some stage of their development and
for broadly the same reason: to propitiate or fulfill a perceived
obligation towards the gods. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verses 29-31: And I, Moroni,
having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy
righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children
of men according to their faith; For the brother of Jared said unto the
mountain Zerin, Remove—and it was removed. And if he had not had faith
it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith.
For thus didst thou manifest thyself unto thy disciples; for after they
had faith, and did speak in thy name, thou didst show thyself unto them
in great power.
Note: The Christian faith was not revealed until Jesus Christ arrived.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God,
through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. Romans
3:21-22.
Verses 32-35: And I also
remember that thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house for man,
yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a
more excellent hope; wherefore man must hope, or he cannot receive an
inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared. And again, I
remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto
the laying down of thy life for the world, that thou mightest take it
again to prepare a place for the children of men. And now I know that
this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity;
wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place
which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father. Wherefore, I
know by this thing which thou hast said, that if the Gentiles have not
charity, because of our weakness, that thou wilt prove them, and take
away their talent, yea, even that which they have received, and give
unto them who shall have more abundantly.
Note: Pre-Columbian natives were polytheistic pagans.
The Nahua people such as the Aztecs, Chichimecs and the Toltecs
believed that the heavens were constructed and separated into 13
levels. Each level had from one to many Lords (gods) living in and
ruling them. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verses 36-37: And it came to
pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles
grace, that they might have charity. And it came to pass that the Lord
said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou
hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean. And
because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong, even
unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the
mansions of my Father.
Note: All Pre-Columbian natives were Gentiles and not Jews.
Analyses of genetics among Native American and Siberian populations
have been used to argue for early isolation of founding populations on
Beringia and for later, more rapid migration from Siberia through
Beringia into the New World. The microsatellite diversity and
distributions of the Y lineage specific to South America indicates that
certain Amerindian populations have been isolated since the initial
colonization of the region. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verses 38-41: And now I,
Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren
whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ,
where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your
blood. And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath
talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility,
even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these
things; And only a few have I written, because of my weakness in
writing. And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the
prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father,
and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth
record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.
Note: Jesus Christ was unknown in pagan Pre-Columbian America.
The Mayas engaged in a large number of festivals and rituals on fixed
days of the year, many of which involved animal sacrifices and all of
which seem to have involved blood letting. The ubiquity of this
practice is a unique aspect of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture, and
is now believed to have originated with the Olmecs, the region's first
civilization. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
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