More riding, a busy day, and more thoughts on the Book of Mormon

I spent the day at work training our other student, and it's always harder to do AND teach than to just do it yourself, but it was rewarding when light bulbs kept going off over his head and he responded to being taught with great questions. He served in the Air Force and was stationed at Hurlburt Field in Ft. Walton Beach, I think just before Danny was. So we talked.

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Got home and rode 23 miles for a total of 2,248.

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Read some more in Joseph's testimony about the Book of Mormon and here goes:

“Again, he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spoken—for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled—I should not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that I knew the place again when I visited it.”

I had some pretty clear thoughts when I read this. If we think of the breastplate and the Urim and Thummim as symbols of Christ and his atonement, then why should we not show them to the world? To everyone we know? Aren’t we commanded to spread the gospel to everyone? Yes, as a church, we are. As a people, we do. And it will go forth to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. But as an individual, there is no way I can do this. But I can’t even share the gospel with everyone I come in contact with, nor am I commanded to. True, I should be an example and “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). But I don’t need to walk up to all my friends and shout it out. I become a fanatic that way. Instead, I pray about whom I should share the gospel with and then the Lord shows me who it is. Like the Urim, Thummim, and breastplate, the Lord would show Joseph to whom he should show them. It’s the same as casting one’s pearls before swine. Too many people think of this as giving the gospel to dirty, filthy, spiritually unworthy people. And, true, under the Law of Moses, swine were unclean. But today, it’s different. It’s the “other white meat”, actually, and is pretty healthy. But….swine still do not appreciate the pearls. They will trample them under their feet and you will have lost a valuable treasure. So, we reserve the gospel for those whom the Lord commands us to share it.

Second, revelation by the power of the Holy Ghost is so powerful and clear and unequivocal that you recognize it and never forget it. That’s why we are held accountable for testimony given by the Holy Ghost and why the unpardonable sin is…well…unpardonable. It can’t be denied that you have one. You just have to reject it. So with the vision Joseph received of the place where the plates lay. It was not by the power of man or by his physical eyes, but by the power of the Spirit of God so he would not be mistaken or get lost. See?

“After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so, until the room was again left dark, except just around him, when instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended until he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance.”

What can I say? It’s either a long way to Heaven and he traveled by folding space and time, or it’s right here, just “sideways” and he folded space and time. I don’t know, but I want to do it, someday. I’ll travel the universe and see it all. Like on a long motorcycle journey. An epic adventure. The gospel is the Ultimate Adventure.

“I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside. He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation…”

Repetition is the key to memory…

“…which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he had done before.”

Repeat, add. This is like scripture mastery, or memorizing missionary discussions. As to “this generation”, this was in 1823. The Civil War started in 1861, easily “in this generation”. The Lord said of the American Civil War, “Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls…” (DC 87:1)

AND

“I prophesy, in the name of the Lord God, that the commencement of the difficulties which will cause much bloodshed previous to the coming of the Son of Man will be in South Carolina.” (DC 130:12)

“By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard. But what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before…”

Second repetition…

“…and added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father’s family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of building His kingdom; otherwise I could not get them.”

Mormon 8:14 (but it’s Moroni speaking):

“And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless.”

Solid gold of no worth? Sure, to the world, but the Lord would never let them out of his protection, so they could never be cashed in. Truly the plates were of absolutely no worth. It’s like calling the Mona Lisa priceless and worthless. You can’t buy it, and if you stole it, you could never sell it. You can’t even sell forgeries as the real thing. Nobody would buy them. You can buy copies as long as you truthfully identify them as copies. And they are as beautiful as she was.

The gold plates are priceless and worthless. But the “copies” of it, the Book of Mormon today, is truly of great worth.

“After this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night.”

Third time’s a charm. And how time flies when you’re having fun! Ok, I’m an anal geek about some things and so here goes. I checked the US Naval Observatory sun rise and set time for September 23-24, 1823 for Palmyra, NY and found that the sun set there on September 23, at exactly 6:08 pm. Given them all being very poor dirt farmers, and having worked until the very last ray of light left, I figure bedtime was about 9 pm. They could not afford to burn candles very long, either. And sunrise the next morning was at exactly 5:56 am. And the cock probably crowed about 5:30 when the light started. So that is about 8 hours of sleep a night. Not bad. But he didn’t sleep a wink. Had to be exhausted the next day, as we shall see next time. I know how he feels, because I just stayed up 34 hours straight, and was extremely loopy when Loni left and I barely said goodbye to her. And I was on caffeine to stay awake. Joseph was not, and had to be just beside himself with sleepiness.