And So It Begins! Is the Church preparing the Members?

[_Daheshist]

You claim no history book would be written to convince people Jesus is the Christ? Many have. Many novels have. Ben Hur. Paradise Lost. Lists go on. Many "pseudo" histories were written, you can find them in the Pseudopigrapha, a collection of perhaps over 100 books, written by early Christians, all NOT history, trying to convince the reader that Jesus is the Messiah/Christ.

A history book wouldn't be written to convince people Jesus is the Christ seems to be the context in this case. Therefore nothing begins as is the claim.

[Guest]

You claim no history book would be written to convince people Jesus is the Christ?

Not that would be found in a public school as is the norm, no. But there is no context in the article you referenced that would suggest that the Church does not believe it's own historical claims about the Book of Mormon.

[_Daheshist]

There is no evidence many things in the Bible happened as written. Men are not made from clay, and women don't come from ribs. I don't know how you can say that the story of Job is literal, since the conversations Job had with others is in rhyme! It's obviously a parable. May be based upon some historical person, but the book rhymes in Hebrew! It is an ancient poem!

Also...the evidence against the Book of Mormon being history is DEVASTATING. I mean...100 per cent of evidence is against it. DNA. Lanugages. Cultures. Archaeology. Ethnology. Animals. Plants. Everything is against it.

I interpreted the statement from the Ensign as more of an ackknowledgement that the Book of Mormon is not a history book in the same way that the Bible is not a history book. It is primarily, as you stated on another thread, a second testimony of Christ.

That is the way I took it too. The stories related in the Book of Mormon did actually happen, just as the stories related in the Bible did actually happen, but it isn't the primary purpose of either the Book of Mormon or the Bible to relate the history of either the Jews or the Nephites, respectively.

[_Brackite]

With the DNA evidence recently coming out against the historicity of the Book of Mormon, it will be better for the members of the LDS Church to accept the Book of Mormon as an allegory.

[_bcspace]

May be (Is) based upon some historical person

Seems to be how the Church views it. After all, the official doctrine on the rib story is that it's figurative.

[_Drifting]

May be (Is) based upon some historical person

Seems to be how the Church views it. After all, the official doctrine on the rib story is that it's figurative.

That isn't the way it's portrayed in either scripture or endowment.
Please can you reference the official doctrine of the rib story being figurative not literal?

[_bcspace]

Seems to be how the Church views it. After all, the official doctrine on the rib story is that it's figurative.

That isn't the way it's portrayed in either scripture or endowment.

Why would that matter? If we don't know what the figure means, why not portray it the way it is instead of guessing?

Please can you reference the official doctrine of the rib story being figurative not literal?

Yes. For example:

(3-12) Genesis 3:20 . “She Was the Mother of All Living”

“Scant knowledge is available to us of Eve (the wife of Adam) and her achievements in pre-existence and in mortality. Without question she was like unto her mighty husband, Adam, in intelligence and in devotion to righteousness, during both her first and second estates of existence. She was placed on earth in the same manner as was Adam, the Mosaic account of the Lord creating her from Adam’s rib being merely figurative. ( Moses 3:20–25 .)

Old Testament Institute manual Chapter 3, The Fall

[_Drifting]

Yes. For example:

(3-12) Genesis 3:20 . “She Was the Mother of All Living”

“Scant knowledge is available to us of Eve (the wife of Adam) and her achievements in pre-existence and in mortality. Without question she was like unto her mighty husband, Adam, in intelligence and in devotion to righteousness, during both her first and second estates of existence. She was placed on earth in the same manner as was Adam, the Mosaic account of the Lord creating her from Adam’s rib being merely figurative. ( Moses 3:20–25 .)

Old Testament Institute manual Chapter 3, The Fall

Thanks bcspace.
You have proven that the LDS Church doesn't take the Bible literally!
Do you think the Book of Mormon could be figurative as well?

[_Daheshist]

I was taught as a young Mormon in the late 1970s early 1980s, that Adam was made from clay from this Earth, and a rib was taken from Adam and God made Eve with it. I was NOT taught the following:

(3-12) Genesis 3:20 . “She Was the Mother of All Living”

“Scant knowledge is available to us of Eve (the wife of Adam) and her achievements in pre-existence and in mortality. Without question she was like unto her mighty husband, Adam, in intelligence and in devotion to righteousness, during both her first and second estates of existence. She was placed on earth in the same manner as was Adam, the Mosaic account of the Lord creating her from Adam’s rib being merely figurative. ( Moses 3:20–25 .)

Old Testament Institute manual Chapter 3, The Fall


THE CHURCH IS CHANGING ITS DOCTRINE!!!!

[_Drifting]

I was taught as a young Mormon in the late 1970s early 1980s, that Adam was made from clay from this Earth, and a rib was taken from Adam and God made Eve with it. I was NOT taught the following:

(3-12) Genesis 3:20 . “She Was the Mother of All Living”

“Scant knowledge is available to us of Eve (the wife of Adam) and her achievements in pre-existence and in mortality. Without question she was like unto her mighty husband, Adam, in intelligence and in devotion to righteousness, during both her first and second estates of existence. She was placed on earth in the same manner as was Adam, the Mosaic account of the Lord creating her from Adam’s rib being merely figurative. ( Moses 3:20–25 .)

Old Testament Institute manual Chapter 3, The Fall


THE CHURCH IS CHANGING ITS DOCTRINE!!!!

Daheshist,

I think it shows that the Church is shifting away from believing the Bible as 'literal'.
At some point Adam and Eve may turn out to have been 'figurative' in totality.