brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
Paradox; dissonance; dilemma; and opposition cannot be resolved by "exposure," only. There needs be "explanation" and "reconciliation." Things need to be "resolved." Certainly we can return to the Garden of Eden to learn this lesson from Adam and Eve, after they had partaken of forbidden fruit. In the narrative we learn something about the difference between guilt and shame. Shame has the added component with guilt, of embarrassment, of being "exposed" or "caught" red-handed, as it were:
"Adam had a spiritual body until mortality came upon him through the violation of the law under which he was living, but he also had a physical body of flesh and bones.
"... Now what is a spiritual body? It is one that is quickened by spirit and not by blood. ...
"... When Adam was in the Garden of Eden, he was not subject to death. There was no blood in his body and he could have remained there forever. This is true of all the other creations" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:7677).
There was an apparent, immediate change that happened to our First Parents and it may very well have begun at that point of contact with the "forbidden fruit." Nevertheless, it was made further apparent when the "fallen one," whom they had listened to, gave them more instructions:
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Genesis 3:
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden bin the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Certainly, their digestive systems, likewise would have been "contaminated" with that fruit and its effect would have been apparent upon expulsion. The evidence of them having partaken of the fruit must have been visually apparent.
Many have speculated that the fruit was an apple and that it got caught in Adam's throat. (Adam's apple) I don't believe that that was the case because it doesn't reoccur as a theme in the life of the Savior, whereas the Fig Tree does:
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Matthew 21:
17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
And such is the case with those things that have the "appearance" of fruit, but no "substance;" being barren - of no nutrient value.
Now back to the "pattern" that is established. Adam and Eve covered their "shame." It was more than just guilt, it included embarrassment for having lost a very virtuous appearance. The "change" affected their very countenances. It had to do with their bodies; spiritual bodies, that before, were more reflective of light, becoming "opaque" and "absorbing" of light. Their "countenances" were figuratively and literally fallen. The "fallen one" had attained his desire in acquiring company. I am sure that he mocked and condemned them for what they had lost.
While we are on the subject of "Fruit," SIN is evil fruit. I am calling upon the following scripture for pertinence on many levels. It talks about fruit, too, it identifies that there is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit, as well as between guilt and shame. We will shortly be talking about "fire," as well.
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Jacob 6:
7 For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?
8 Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?
9 Know ye not that if ye will do these things, that the power of the redemption and the resurrection, which is in Christ, will bring you to stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God?
Adam and Eve had a time of reckoning before "the bar of God." They were cast down and out, but before that happened, something very, very significant occurred:
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Genesis 3:
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Some things have escaped the "casual" reader in this instance. The Pattern reveals that as we seek to cover our nakedness by OUR own efforts, God will, also, assist in covering our nakedness. If we clothe ourselves in righteousness, God will, in return sanctify us and clothe us in more righteousness. Further, it is apparent that an "animal sacrifice" was made in order to procure the skins to make "garments" with. It was at this juncture that God taught Adam and Eve about death and what it means, along with "animal sacrifice." The animals that were sacrificed were those that were endeared to both, Adam and Eve, pets, making the lesson even more poignant and painful. The skins were not those of cows, but of "innocent" lambs. Their carcasses were burned on an altar of fire. Adam and Eve were kicked out of God's presence being clothed in the "gift" of skins and put under covenant with Priesthood authority for consecration.
In the dichotomy of practical lessons, we find the next topic to be discussed:
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Genesis 4:
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
We learn from this narrative, the following:
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The power, glory, and blessings of the priesthood could not continue with those who received ordination only as their righteousness continued, for Cain also being authorized to offer sacrifice but not offering it in righteousness, therefore he was cursed. It signifies then, that the ordinances must be kept in the very way God has appointed, otherwise their priesthood will prove a cursing instead of a blessing. (Joseph Smith, Words of Joseph Smith)
More to follow, after given time to "digest."
"I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."
brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
From the more detailed account, we gain additional information about what transpired with Cain:
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Moses 5:
16 And Adam and Eve, his wife, ceased not to call upon God. And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare Cain, and said: I have gotten a man from the Lord; wherefore he may not reject his words. But behold, Cain hearkened not, saying: Who is the Lord that I should know him?
17 And she again conceived and bare his brother Abel. And Abel hearkened unto the voice of the Lord. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
18 And Cain loved Satan more than God. And Satan commanded him, saying: Make an offering unto the Lord.
19 And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
20 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering;
21 But unto Cain, and to his offering, he had not respect. Now Satan knew this, and it pleased him. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Satan knew that God would not accept an offering that wasn't performed in the way that God instructed.)
22 And the Lord said unto Cain: Why art thou wroth? Why is thy countenance fallen?
23 If thou doest well, thou shalt be accepted. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and Satan desireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver thee up, and it shall be unto thee according to his desire. And thou shalt rule over him; (Cain was the firstborn in a "Telestial State" and was clothed in a mortal "garment" of flesh and blood - having a new and different "nature.") 24 For from this time forth thou shalt be the father of his lies; thou shalt be called Perdition; for thou wast also before the world.(** Significant information meriting comment, afterward.)25 And it shall be said in time to come--That these abominations were had from Cain; for he rejected the greater counsel which was had from God; and this is a cursing which I will put upon thee, except thou repent.
26 And Cain was wroth, and listened not any more to the voice of the Lord, neither to Abel, his brother, who walked in holiness before the Lord.
27 And Adam and his wife mourned before the Lord, because of Cain and his brethren.
28 And it came to pass that Cain took one of his brothers' daughters to wife, and they loved Satan more than God.
29 And Satan said unto Cain: Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou shalt die; and swear thy brethren by their heads, and by the living God, that they tell it not; for if they tell it, they shall surely die; and this that thy father may not know it; and this day I will deliver thy brother Abel into thine hands.(The initiation of "blood oaths and secrets" for power and gain.)
30 And Satan sware unto Cain that he would do according to his commands. And all these things were done in secret.
31 And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain. Wherefore Cain was called Master Mahan, and he gloried in his wickedness.
32 And Cain went into the field, and Cain talked with Abel, his brother. And it came to pass that while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him.
33 And Cain gloried in that which he had done, saying: I am free; surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands.
34 And the Lord said unto Cain: Where is Abel, thy brother? And he said: I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?
35 And the Lord said: What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood cries unto me from the ground.
36 And now thou shalt be cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand.
37 When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength. A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
38 And Cain said unto the Lord: Satan tempted me because of my brother's flocks. And I was wroth also; for his offering thou didst accept and not mine; my punishment is greater than I can bear.
39 Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the Lord, and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that he that findeth me will slay me, because of mine iniquities, for these things are not hid from the Lord.
40 And I the Lord said unto him: Whosoever slayeth thee, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And I the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.(The "Mark" was for identification. The "Curse" had already been pronounced.)
41 And Cain was shut out from the presence of the Lord, and with his wife and many of his brethren dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
And so we witness a division in the posterity of the "blood" of Adam and Eve; a righteous branch and a branch that was shut out from the presence (voice) of the Lord because they would not listen or harken, thereto. Further, it is one thing to DENY the Voice of the Lord from the direction of the Garden of Eden and quite another to DENY the Holy Ghost. The denial of such and the attentiveness given to the voice of the "fallen one," qualifies one to become a "Son" of Perdition. Cain; Perdition; the Father of Lies; or "Master Mason" was, also, responsible for the first practice of "shedding innocent blood" in order to get gain in a secretive conspiracy. Those who do such things, become his "sons." It is borne out of envy and covetousness; gaining and having what the other has and disposing of the stark, contrasting and illuminating example.
It was pointed out in scripture about the pre-mortal existence of the "spirit" being, Cain. Further "scriptural" information is needed, here, to establish another principle revealed by Paul in Athens:
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Acts 17:
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
God, Heavenly Father, does the "social engineering" to determine who, when, and where His children are born into mortality. We cannot presume to know the "why" until we are mature enough to grasp the whole picture. It is done to fulfill His purposes.
"I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."
brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
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Moses 5:
48 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech shall be seventy and seven fold;
49 For Lamech having entered into a covenant with Satan, after the manner of Cain, wherein he became Master Mahan, master of that great secret which was administered unto Cain by Satan; and Irad, the son of Enoch, having known their secret, began to reveal it unto the sons of Adam;
50 Wherefore Lamech, being angry, slew him, not like unto Cain, his brother Abel, for the sake of getting gain, but he slew him for the oath's sake.
51 For, from the days of Cain, there was a secret combination, and their works were in the dark, and they knew every man his brother. (Sodomy; Homosexuality)
52 Wherefore the Lord cursed Lamech, and his house, and all them that had covenanted with Satan; for they kept not the commandments of God, and it displeased God, and he ministered not unto them, and their works were abominations, and began to spread among all the sons of men. And it was among the sons of men.
53 And among the daughters of men these things were not spoken, because that Lamech had spoken the secret unto his wives, and they rebelled against him, and declared these things abroad, and had not compassion;
54 Wherefore Lamech was despised, and cast out, and came not among the sons of men, lest he should die.
55 And thus the works of darkness began to prevail among all the sons of men.
56 And God cursed the earth with a sore curse, and was angry with the wicked, with all the sons of men whom he had made;
57 For they would not hearken unto his voice, nor believe on his Only Begotten Son, even him whom he declared should come in the meridian of time, who was prepared from before the foundation of the world.
I cannot even begin to state how abominable this act is in the eyes of the Lord. It is a perversion of nature and an act of domination. We must continue the narrative to arrive at a new beginning and, too, to recognize our plight, today.
"I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."
brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
Because of the fallen nature of man, the Gospel began to be preached . . . as we continue the narrative:
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Moses 5:
58 And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost.
59 And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and the Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof; and thus it was. Amen.
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Moses 6:
15 And the children of amen were numerous upon all the face of the land. And in those days Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed; and a man's hand was against his own brother, in administering death, because of secret works, seeking for power.
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Moses 7:
6 And again the Lord said unto me: Look; and I looked towards the north, and I beheld the people of Canaan, which dwelt in tents.
7 And the Lord said unto me: Prophesy; and I prophesied, saying: Behold the people of Canaan, which are numerous, shall go forth in battle array against the people of Shum, and shall slay them that they shall utterly be destroyed; and the people of Canaan shall divide themselves in the land, and the land shall be barren and unfruitful, and none other people shall dwell there but the people of Canaan;
8 For behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever;and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people.
At this juncture, it is important to understand that the "Mark" put on Cain was NOT that of "blackness." This happened as a result of climate and diet affecting skin pigmentation.
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Moses 7:
22 And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them.
"I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."
brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
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Moses 7:
35 Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also.
36 Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren.
37 But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?
38 But behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them.
39 And that which I have chosen hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in torment;
40 Wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, yea, and all the workmanship of mine hands.
41 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook.
42 And Enoch also saw Noah, and his family; that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation;
43 Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up.
44 And as Enoch saw this, he had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens: I will refuse to be comforted; but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look.
45 And it came to pass that Enoch looked; and from Noah, he beheld all the families of the earth; and he cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the day of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the Righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified and have eternal life?
46 And the Lord said: It shall be in the meridian of time, in the days of wickedness and vengeance.
47 And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me.
48 And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?
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Joseph Smith -- Matthew 1:
41 But as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man;
42 For it shall be with them, as it was in the days which were before the flood; for until the day that Noah entered into the ark they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage;
43 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
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Noah
"The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith many things in relation to the ancient prophets and the keys which they held. In a discourse on the Priesthood July 2, 1839, the Prophet made known what the Lord had revealed to him in relation to the missions of the ancient prophets and seers. In the course of his remarks he said this:
"'... Noah, who is Gabriel; he stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given the dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and then in heaven. ... ' [Smith, Teachings, pp. 15758.]
"Luke reveals the coming of the angel Gabriel to Zacharias to inform him that his wife would bear a son. He also appeared to Mary and announced the birth of our Lord and Savior.
"Gabriel then is Noah according to this revelation." (Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 3:13841.)
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"Noah, who built the ark, was one of God's greatest servants, chosen before he was born as were others of the prophets. He was no eccentric, as many have supposed. Neither was he a mythical figure created only in legend. Noah was real. ...
"Let no one downgrade the life and mission of this great prophet. Noah was so near perfect in his day that he literally walked and talked with God. ...
"Few men in any age were as great as Noah. In many respects he was like Adam, the first man. Both had served as ministering angels in the presence of God even after their mortal experience. Adam was Michael, the archangel, but Noah was Gabriel, one of those nearest to God. Of all the hosts of heaven, he was chosen to open the Christian era by announcing to Mary that she would become the mother of the Savior, Jesus Christ. He even designated the name by which the Redeemer should be known here on earth, saying He would be the Son of God. ...
"... The Lord decreed that [the earth would be cleansed] by water, a worldwide deluge. Therefore, from among his premortal spirit children, God chose another great individual--His third in line, Gabriel--to resume the propagation of mankind following the flood." (Mark E. Petersen, Noah and the Flood [1982], 14.)
Noah had inherited the "garment" or "covering of skins" that Adam and Eve received in the Garden of Eden prior to their expulsion. We have received a "peculiar" account in the "Record" about an incident that happened after Noah, his wife and children, with their wives, left the Ark after the flood had receded:
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Genesis 9:2027
20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
26 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Without further information, many are left to speculate about the significance of this event. What did it mean that Noah was "uncovered within his tent?" What does it mean to "see the nakedness of your father?" How did Noah know what Ham had done if Ham only looked upon the nakedness of his father? Why did the youngest son of Ham, Canaan get cursed instead of Ham?
The next couple of links reveal what has been surmised from the account from "secular" scholars:
We shall in our next installment review what actually took place.
It is very apparent that this was a very significant event that altered the ensuing course of events for Canaan and his posterity . . . .
Shem, who was not the "eldest" of Noah's sons, received the "birthright" blessing through whose loins, the House of Israel would have birth. Japheth, who WAS the eldest son, through whose loins would come the "Gentile Nations," received the blessing of "adoption" into the House of Shem. Ham, who was Noah's "youngest son," just like Canaan was his, did not receive a "Patriarchal Blessing" like the other two, but, instead, caused his youngest son to be cursed. Ham had three other sons who are not mentioned in this incident and who did not receive the "servitude curse," they were: Cush, Mizraim, and Phut. Through Cush would come the great hunter, Nimrod, who would be involved in the establishment of the "Tower of Babel."
"I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."
brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
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The Stolen Garment
by Hugh Nibley
Nimrod claimed his kingship on the ground of victory over his enemies; his priesthood, however, he claimed by virtue of possessing "the garment of Adam." The legends of the Jews assure us that it was by virtue of owning this garment that Nimrod was able to claim power to rule over the whole earth, and that he sat in his tower while men came and worshiped him. The Apocryphal writers, Jewish and Christian, have a good deal to say about this garment. To quote one of them: "the garments of skin which God made for Adam and his wife, when they went out of the garden, were given . . . after the death of Adam . . . to Enoch"; hence they passed to Methusaleh, and then to Noah, from whom Ham stole them as the people were leaving the ark. Ham's grandson Nimrod obtained them from his father Cush. As for the legitimate inheritance of this clothing, a very old fragment recently discovered says that Michael "disrobed Enoch of his earthly garments, and put on him his angelic clothing," taking him into the presence of God. This garment of Enoch was supposed to be the very garment of skins that John the Baptist wore, called by the early Christians "the garment of Elias." An Arabic "Life of John the Baptist" says that Gabriel brought it to John from heaven as "the garment of Elijah"; "it went back," says John Chrysostom, "to the beginning of the world, to the times before which Adam required covering. Thus it was the symbol of repentance." Others believed it was the same garment that Herod and later the Romans put under lock and key when they wished to prevent the people from putting it on a candidate of their own choice, and tell how the Jews tried to seize the garment by force and put it on John the Baptist, thus making him, instead of Herod, their high priest. Whatever its origin, the wearing of a garment of repentance, symbolic of life of man in his fallen state, was known to the most ancient Christians and practiced by certain ultra-conservative cults down to modern times.
Incidentally the story of the stolen garment as told by the old rabbis, including the great Eleazer, calls for an entirely different rendering of the strange story in Genesis 9 from the version in our King James Bible. They seemed to think that the cerwath of Genesis 9:22 did not mean "nakedness" at all, but should be given its primary root meaning of "skin covering." Read thus, we are to understand that Ham took the garment of his father while he was sleeping and showed it to his brethren, Shem and Japheth, who took a pattern or copy of it (salmah) or else a woven garment like it (simlah) which they put upon their own shoulders, returning the skin garment to their father. Upon awaking, Noah recognized the priesthood of two sons but cursed the son who tried to rob him of his garment. By an extremely common type of substitution, the simlah of Genesis 9:23 could very easily stand for an original tsimlah, a copy, imitation, pattern, or by an equally common type of transposition for Salmah, a garment or mantle, as in Micah 2:8. Even as it stands simlah means only a woven garment and can hardly refer to the original skin article. This is, apparently, the source of the widespread legend that Ham stole the garment of Noah and claimed to possess the priesthood by virtue of his illegal insignia. Ham's descendants, Cush and Nimrod--both Africans, though Nimrod in his wandering moved to Asia--made the same claim. It is interesting that according to certain ancient scriptures which the Latter-day Saints claim have been restored by revelation in our own age, Pharaoh (who represents the Afro-Asian line of Cush-Nimrod) was blessed as to the kingship but cursed as to the priesthood, and he offered Abraham the privilege of wearing his own royal insignia in hope that Abraham would return the compliment by allowing Pharaoh to wear his priestly ones (Abraham 1:26-27). According to a very old tradition, Pharaoh coveted the priesthood of Moses exactly as his ancestor Nimrod did that of Abraham, and it was said that the Pharaohs of Egypt dressed in a skin garment "to show that their origin was older than time itself."
According to the Talmud, Nimrod's "great success in hunting was due to the fact that he wore the coat of skin which God made for Adam and Eve." There is a tradition that Nimrod, becoming jealous of the rival hunter Esau (so much for chronology!), lay in ambush for him but was defeated by Esau, who cut off his head and "took the valuable garments of Nimrod, . . . with which Nimrod prevailed over the whole land (or earth!), and he ran and concealed them in his house." These garments, says the report, were nothing less than the birthright which Esau later sold to Jacob.
Two significant conclusions come from all this: (1) that any historical reconstruction of what actually happened is out of the question, what has come down to us being a mass of conflicting legends and reports, and (2) that these conflicting legends and reports nevertheless agree on certain main points, that they are very old, and were considered by the most learned Jews to present matters of great importance, whose significance escaped later ages. The priests and kings of antiquity certainly wore such garments, and the skin garment was often imitated in woven materials; in fact, the skin garment was itself held to be a substitute for a still older garment made of the leaves of the ficus religiosus.
Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol.5, Part.2, Ch.1, pp. 169-171
One of these "garments" can be further traced to those which were presented to Jacob as proof of Joseph's pretended "demise." Implications can be made, as well, to the "mantle" which Elijah passed to Elisha. The "Jewish" tallith represents such a "mantle."
That odd story is the account of Ham disrobing his father and stealing the "garment" that he had been wearing.
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Therefore, although Ham himself had the right to the priesthood, Canaan, his son, did not. Ham had married Egyptus, a descendant of Cain (Abraham 1:2124), and so his sons were denied the priesthood.
19 As it was with Noah so shall it be with thee; but through thy ministry my name shall be known in the earth forever, for I am thy God.
20 Behold, Potiphar's Hill was in the land of Ur, of Chaldea. And the Lord broke down the altar of Elkenah, and of the gods of the land, and utterly destroyed them, and smote the priest that he died; and there was great mourning in Chaldea, and also in the court of Pharaoh; which Pharaoh signifies king by royal blood.
21 Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham, and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth.
22 From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land.
23 The land of Egypt being first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of Ham, and the daughter of Egyptus, which in the Chaldean signifies Egypt, which signifies that which is forbidden;
24 When this woman discovered the land it was under water, who afterward settled her sons in it; and thus, from Ham, sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land.
25 Now the first government of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham, and it was after the manner of the government of Ham, which was patriarchal.
26 Pharaoh, being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood.
27 Now, Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah, through Ham, therefore my father was led away by their idolatry;
"I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."
brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
In the "Dispensation of the Meridian of Time," a child was born of a virgin, who in the coming day shall be celebrated with regard to His miraculous birth. It was He who had the ability and authority to loosen this precedent that had been established for years with respect to the Priesthood. In giving an account of whom He had chosen to be His "special witnesses," that which was notable about them was, also, included.
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Matthew 10:
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphæus, and Lebbæus, whose surname was Thaddæus;
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
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Mark 3:
13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of athunder:
18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphæus, and Thaddæus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
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Luke 6:
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
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Acts 1:
10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
The traditional meaning of Simon's surname is that of "The Zealot." Not much is known about him, however, he WAS a Canaanite which for that time was an unusual thing - as well as the Savior's choice for a publican to be among his "chosen."
"I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."
brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
Skin pigmentation has been linked to diet and exposure - which thing pertains to where we choose to live and the types of things that we eat or expose ourselves to because of where we are, consider the following: (Such things can qualify as the "traditions of our fathers.")
As an example, consider the "Victorian Age" where those of "Royalty" had a reduced amount of sunlight, resulting in their skin being very pale and anemic looking. This was considered a "mark" of significance . . . uh, yeah . . . not getting enough sun.
Having such understanding, we can now view the "principles" at work in such change:
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2 Nephi 5:
20 Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence.
21 And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.
22 And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.
23 And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. And the Lord spake it, and it was done.
24 And because of their cursing which was upon them they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey.(One has to wonder, being that they were "idle," if they cooked the meat or ate it raw.)
25 And the Lord God said unto me: They shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to astir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction.
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Alma 3:
5 Now the heads of the Lamanites were shorn; and they were naked, save it were skin which was girded about their loins, and also their armor, which was girded about them, and their bows, and their arrows, and their stones, and their slings, and so forth.
6 And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men.
7 And their brethren sought to destroy them, therefore they were cursed; and the Lord God set a mark upon them, yea, upon Laman and Lemuel, and also the sons of Ishmael, and Ishmaelitish women.
8 And this was done that their seed might be distinguished from the seed of their brethren, that thereby the Lord God might preserve his people, that they might not mix and believe in incorrect traditions which would prove their destruction.
9 And it came to pass that whosoever did mingle his seed with that of the Lamanites did bring the same curse upon his seed.
10 Therefore, whosoever suffered himself to be led away by the Lamanites was called under that head, and there was a mark set upon him.
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Alma 3:
13 Now we will return again to the Amlicites, for they also had a mark set upon them; yea, they set the mark upon themselves, yea, even a mark of red upon their foreheads.
14 Thus the word of God is fulfilled, for these are the words which he said to Nephi: Behold, the Lamanites have I cursed, and I will set a mark on them that they and their seed may be separated from thee and thy seed, from this time henceforth and forever, except they repent of their wickedness and turn to me that I may have mercy upon them.
15 And again: I will set a mark upon him that mingleth his seed with thy brethren, that they may be cursed also.
16 And again: I will set a mark upon him that fighteth against thee and thy seed.
17 And again, I say he that departeth from thee shall no more be called thy seed; and I will bless thee, and whomsoever shall be called thy seed, henceforth and forever; and these were the promises of the Lord unto Nephi and to his seed.
18 Now the Amlicites knew not that they were fulfilling the words of God when they began to mark themselves in their foreheads; nevertheless they had come out in open rebellion against God; therefore it was expedient that the curse should fall upon them.
19 Now I would that ye should see that they brought upon themselves the curse; and even so doth every man that is cursed bring upon himself his own condemnation.
Did the "red man" become "red" because of prolonged exposure to the sun?
We have established that God is the "Social Engineer" who decides where, when and to whom His children are to be born. Further, we have learned that Heavenly Father give unto us "weaknesses" from the onset; that our progression is "tailored" to suit or particular needs and personality according to HIS infinite wisdom; that by "OVERCOMING" our weaknesses, we are made strong and "fit" for the Kingdom. Ours is but to TRUST in Him that He knows what He is doing:
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2 Nephi 26:
32 And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish.
33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.
"I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."
brrgilbert Messages: 282 Registered: December 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho
Senior Member
God, at various times and in various places, has raised up Prophets to proclaim His purposes. For many of these, it has come at the price of great sacrifice . . . even their own deaths. Such was the case of Joseph Smith and, too, Martin Luther King Jr. who, both, received their commission for "Restoration."
I, too, have a dream and that is that enmity will cease between the various Religious denominations and that we will all unite in the brotherhood of humanity to cut short the desolation of abominations in righteousness.
"I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."
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