The Book of Ether Chapter 3 Critique
Setting: The
brother of Jared sees the finger of the Lord as He touches sixteen
stones—Christ shows His spirit body to the brother of Jared—Those who
have a perfect knowledge cannot be kept from within the
veil—Interpreters are provided to bring the Jaredite record to light.
Verse 1:
And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the
vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount,
which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height,
and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white
and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his
hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying:
Note: Glass did not exist in the Far East at this time.
Archaeological
evidence suggests that the first true glass was made in coastal north
Syria, Mesopotamia or ancient Egypt. The earliest known glass objects,
of the mid third millennium BCE, were beads, perhaps initially created
as accidental by-products of metal-working (slags) or during the
production of faience, a pre-glass vitreous material made by a process
similar to glazing. In ancient China, glassmaking seems to have a late
start, compared to ceramics and metal work. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verse 2:
O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods.
Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his
weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in
the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall
our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou
hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee
we may receive according to our desires.
Note: The fictional brother of Jared forgot the promise of God.
It
shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall
be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between
Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall
never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. Genesis 9:14-15.
Verse 3:
Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast
driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the
wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look
upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and
suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in
darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.
Note: Smelting of ores did not occur for another 1,000 years.
In
Ancient Egypt, somewhere between the Third Intermediate Period and 23rd
Dynasty (ca. 1100–750 BC), there are indications of iron working.
Significantly though, no evidence for the smelting of iron from ore has
been attested to Egypt in any (pre-modern) period. There is a further
possibility of iron smelting and working in West Africa by 1200 BC.
Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verses 4-5:
And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever
thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord,
with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in
darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we
have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show
forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.
Note: God is consistent with His dealings with mankind.
“And
you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil
of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn
continually.” Exodus 27:20.
Verses 6-8: And
it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words,
behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by
one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the
brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the
finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared
fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear. And the Lord
saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord
said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen? And he saith unto the Lord:
I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for
I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.
Note: God the Father is Spirit who does not have a body.
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24.
Note: The LDS church is considered a non-Christian cult.
Verses 9-12: And
the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I
shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me
with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not
have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this? And he answered: Nay;
Lord, show thyself unto me. And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou
the words which I shall speak? And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that
thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.
Note: The Son of God has been manifested to mankind.
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. John 1:18.
Note: The LDS church is considered a non-Christian cult.
Verse 13:
And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto
him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from
the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I
show myself unto you.
Note: Mankind approached God through animal sacrifice before Jesus Christ.
Then
Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of
every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And the
Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will
never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination
of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every
living thing as I have done. Genesis 8:20-21.
Verse 14:
Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to
redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the
Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they
who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my
daughters.
Note: Jesus Christ is not the Father and the Son.
Then
Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son
can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever
He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the
Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show
Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father
raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to
whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all
judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor
the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who
sent Him. John 5:19-23.
Note: The LDS church is considered a non-Christian cult.
Verses 15-17:
And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never
has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created
after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning
after mine own image. Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the
body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit;
and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto
my people in the flesh. And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a
full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth
me to say that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even
after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed
himself unto the Nephites.
Note: Mankind is a lesser trinity of the Christian God.
Now
may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your
whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Note: The body is not the spirit and the LDS church is considered a non-Christian cult.
Verse 18: And
he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all
this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many
great works which the Lord had showed unto him.
Note: Servants of God minister to the Lord not visa versa.
But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. 1 Samuel 2:18.
Verses 19-20:
And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from
beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when
he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the
Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept
from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto
him.
Note: Perfect knowledge will not happen while in a sinful body.
For
now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in
part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 1 Corinthians
13:12.
Verses 21-22: And
it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold,
thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go
forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my
name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye
have seen and heard, and show it to no man. And behold, when ye shall
come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one
can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they
cannot be read.
Note: Writing did not exist in the Far East at this time.
It
is generally agreed that true writing of language (not only numbers)
was invented independently in at least two places: Mesopotamia
(specifically, ancient Sumer) around 3200 BC and Mesoamerica around 600
BC. Several Mesoamerican scripts are known, the oldest being from the
Olmec or Zapotec of Mexico. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verses 23-28:
And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal
them up also with the things which ye shall write. For behold, the
language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause
in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men
these things which ye shall write. And when the Lord had said these
words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the
earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them
not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth. For he had said
unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could
show unto him all things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the
Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord
could show him all things. And the Lord said unto him: Write these
things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto
the children of men. And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him
that he should seal up the two stones which he had received, and show
them not, until the Lord should show them unto the children of men.
Note: Writing did not exist in the Far East at this time.
Old
Chinese, also called Archaic Chinese in older works, is the form of
Chinese spoken from the beginning of written records (around 1200 BC)
until the 3rd century BC. The earliest examples of Chinese are
divinatory inscriptions on oracle bones from the late Shang dynasty.
Bronze inscriptions became plentiful during the following Zhou dynasty.
Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
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