Scriptural Mormonism

Monday, January 6, 2025

John A. Widtsoe on the Necessity of Latter-day Saints Seeking Knowledge from All Sciences and Subjects

Seek Knowledge of Truth in Wide Fields. Theology is not the only subject in which the Elders should be interested. They should study:

Things both in heaven—Astronomy.

And in the earth—Everything pertaining to the cultivation of the soil.

And under the earth—Mineralogy, geology, etc.

Things which have been—History, in all its branches.

Things which must shortly come to pass—Prophecies.

Things which are at home and abroad—Domestic and foreign politics.

Wars—perplexities—judgments—The signs of the times, by which the observer may know that the day of the Lord is at hand.

A knowledge of countries and kingdoms—Physical and political geography, languages, etc.

These studies, the Lord considers necessary. "That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you." God does not require all His servants to become doctors, or professors, or even profound students of these subjects, but He expects them to know enough of these things to be able to magnify their calling as His ambassadors to the world. (John A. Widtsoe, Priesthood and Church Government [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939], 55-56)

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Oecumenius (10th century) on 1 Corinthians 15:29

The following is taken from:

Oecumenius, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians (PG 118:876-77)

[After quoting 1 Cor 15:29-33:]

Greek:

Πάλιν είς τόν της άναστάσεως ήλθε λόγον, καί φησιν· Εί άνάστασις ούκ έστιν, οί βαπτιζόμεναι ύπέρ τών νεκρών, τί ποιήσουσι; τουτέστιν ώ; μή άνισταμένων. Εύδηλον γάρ ότι είς άνάστασιν νεχρών πιστεύσαντες, βαπτεζόμεθα, ώσει έλεγε · Τί ποιήσουσιν ει ύπέρ νεκρών μέν ώς άνισταμένων και πιστεύσαντες καί βαπτισθέντες, ψευσθέντες δε τής ελπίδος, και άλλο τι ευρηκότες παρά τά προσδοκτ- θέντα: Πόσα, φησίν, άδημονήσουτε καί άποκλαύσον- ται, καί τήν πίστιν τήν είς Χριστόν ώς ψευδή λο:δο- ρήσουσι; Τούτο λέγει, ο Τί ποιήσουσι;» Τουτέστιν, αυτά ποιήσουσιν άπερ είπον. Όρας που άνήγαγε τό πράγμα; - Έπει τί ποιήσουσι, φησίν, cl βαπτιζόμενοι, ώστε μή είναι διαπαντός νεκροί, και εν τψ άδη κατέχεσθαι; ο!ον, Τής άναστάσεως, φησί, μή ούσης, οί έπι τοιαύταις έλπίσι βαπτιζόμενοι, ώστε κατά θάνατον άναστήναι, τί ποιήσουσι; « Εί όλως νεχροί ούκ εγείρονται. » Εί όλως νεκροί ούκ έγείρονται, τί καί βαπτίζονται ίνα άναστώσιν; αύ- τός δε επιπληκτικώτερον, « Ύπέρ τών νεκρών,» φησίν, οξον, θος ύμείς διά της Ιδίας δόξης, αϊδίους νεκρούς άπεφήνατε, νεκρούς δε, κα τούς άλλους κα έαυτούς, καί νεκρούς αιωνίους άποφηνάμενοι, τί βαπτίζεσθε ύπέρ ύμων, τών μήκετι καθ' ύμας άνα- στησομένων, άλλ' άει νεκρών εσομένων; Έπι άλλων δε προσώπων προάγει τέν λόγον, καί ούχι έπ' αύτων εκείνων, Ινα μή πλέον καθαψάμενος, είς άπόνοιαν έκκαλέσηται. «Τί καί ήμεϊς κινδυνεύσμεν;>> Ει όλως, φησίν, άνάστασις ούκ έστι, διατί ήμεις οί άπόστολοι άει έν κινδύνοις έσμέν; τούτο λέγει, καθ' ήμέραν, τό άεί. Μεγίστη δε της άναστάσεως άπόδειξις, τό κα! τους άποστέλους δρασθαι, μέχρι θανάτου κινδυνεύον- τας. «Καθ' ήμέραν άποθνήσκω. » Τη προθυμία, καί τ πρός αύτόν έτοίμως έχειν. "Η όσον ταίς έπι- φοραίς τών θλίψεων καί πειρασμών, και τη καθημε- ρινή ελπίδι το θανάτου. «Νή τήν ύμετέραν καύχησιν.>>

English:

Once again, he comes to the matter of the resurrection and says, "If there is no resurrection, what shall those do who are baptized on behalf of the dead?" That is to say, as if they are not to rise. For it is evident that we are baptized, having believed in the resurrection of the dead. It is as though he were saying: What shall they do who, having believed and been baptized on behalf of the dead as though they will rise, are deceived of their hope and find something other than what was expected? How much, he says, will they grieve and lament, and revile the faith in Christ as false? This is what he means when he says, "What shall they do?" That is, they will do the things I have mentioned.

Do you see where he leads the matter? For what, he says, shall those who are baptized do, that they may not remain dead forever and be held in Hades? It is as though he were saying: If there is no resurrection, what shall those who are baptized in such hope, as though to rise after death, do? "If the dead are not raised at all." If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized so that they may rise?

He himself, with greater emphasis, says, "On behalf of the dead," as though to rebuke: Since you, by your own reasoning, have declared the dead to be eternally deceased, and the others as well as yourselves to be dead and eternally so, why are you baptized on your behalf, when you yourselves will no longer rise, but will remain forever dead?

He advances the argument with reference to other persons and not directly to themselves, so as not to provoke greater despair by reproaching them further. "Why do we also face danger?" If there is no resurrection, he says, why are we apostles constantly in danger? This is what he means by "every day," always. The greatest proof of the resurrection is that the apostles themselves act, risking their lives even to death. "I die every day," he says, showing his readiness and willingness for it—either in the face of afflictions and trials or in the daily expectation of death.

"By your boasting." This is an oath affirming his argument.

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Sunday, January 5, 2025

Scriptural Mormonism Podcast Episode 67: Jacob Mayberry on the BITE Model

Episode 67: Jacob Mayberry on the BITE Model

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Marcus B. Nash on "The New and Everlasting Covenant"

The new and everlasting covenant “is the sum total of all gospel covenants and obligations” given anciently and again restored to the earth in these latter days. This is explained in Doctrine and Covenants 66:2: “Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old.” Because the covenant has been restored in the last dispensation of time, it is “new,” and because it spans all eternity, it is “everlasting.”

In the scriptures the Lord speaks of both “the” new and everlasting covenant and “a” new and everlasting covenant. For example, in Doctrine and Covenants 22:1, He refers to baptism as “a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning.” In Doctrine and Covenants 132:4, He likewise refers to eternal marriage as “a new and an everlasting covenant.” When He speaks of “a” new and everlasting covenant, He is speaking of one of the many covenants encompassed by His gospel.

When the Lord speaks generally of “the” new and everlasting covenant, He is speaking of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which embraces all ordinances and covenants necessary for the salvation and exaltation of mankind. Neither baptism nor eternal marriage is “the” new and everlasting covenant; rather, they are each parts of the whole. (Marcus B. Nash, “The New and Everlasting Covenant,” Ensign [December 2015])

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S. H. Leeder on a Coptic Tradition From the Fourth Century Regarding the Efficacy of Proxy Baptism

There is a Coptic story of the fourth century (which might have come from a village to-day) illustrating not only the importance attached to baptism, but also the infinite hope these Eastern people have in the mercy of God. A certain man living remote from the world had a little daughter, who died before she could be baptized. Her father distributed among the poor the portion that came to her; and he never ceased to make entreaty to God on behalf of his daughter because she had departed without being baptized. As he prayed one day, he heard a voice, which said, "Have no sorrow; I have baptized thy daughter"; but he lacked faith. And the voice spake again, saying, "Uncover her grave, and thou wilt find she is no longer there." And he did so, and he found her not, for she had de- parted, and had been laid with the believers. (S. H. Leeder, Modern Sons of the Pharaoh: A Study of the Manners and Customs of the Copts of Egypt [London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1918], 101)

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St. Bruno of Cologne on 1 Corinthians 15:29

The following is taken from St. Bruno of Cologne (d. 1101), Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians (PL 153:208-9)

Latin:

Ita tamen subjectus, ut sit æqualis, scilicet, ut Christus sit Deus in omnibus, id est in singulis creaturis : et ita in omnibus quod omnia singulis, id est perfecta beatitudo, perfecta gloria, et pax superans etiam omne hominis desiderium. Revertitur ut probet resurrectionem mortuorum dicens : Mors per Christum destruetur, et homines tunc resurgent : alioquin, id est si dicas non esse resurrectionem mortuorum, quid facient ills qui baptisantur pro mortuis ? Tangit hic reprobum morem quorumdam, qui, audito quod resurrectio fatura esset eorum qui baptizarentur, cum essent baptizati, iterum loco infidelis patris jam mortui baptizabant se : ut sic pater vel mater salvarentur in resurrectione. Et hoc adducit ad verecundiam Corinthiorum : quia si illi perversi tantam fidem de resurrectione habebant, quanto magis Corinthii deberent resurrectionem credere ? Littera sic est : Quid facient illi qui baptizantur pro mortuis spe resurgendi, si omnino mortui non resurgunt ? Ut quid etiam baptizantur pro illis justificandis : cum nec illi justificentur ? Si enim justificarentur a peccatis et resurgerent. Vel aliter sic : Alioquin, id est si resurrectio non est, quid facient illi qui baptizantur pro mortuis operibus, id est pro peccatis, quæ mortem operantur? Baptizantur dico spe resur- rectionis. Et quid facient, si omnino mortui non resurgunt ! Ut quid etiam baptizantur pro illis, id est, ut justificentur a peccatis ? Vel aliter : Alioquin si non resurgunt mortui, quid facient illi qui bapti- zantur pro se mortuis, id est mortificandis peccato !: Vel pro se mortificatis per peccatum Deo. Cætera sicut dicta sunt. Iterum si resurrectio mortuorum uon est, ut quid etiam nos apostoli periclitamur omni kora : Non enim finem habent tribulationes nostræ, quas gaudemus pati spe futura resurrectionis.

English :

"Nevertheless, He is subject in such a way as to be equal, namely, so that Christ is God in all things—that is, in each individual creature—and so in all things that all are in each, that is, perfect beatitude, perfect glory, and peace surpassing even all human desire.

He returns to demonstrate the resurrection of the dead, saying: Death will be destroyed through Christ, and men will then rise again. Otherwise—that is, if you say there is no resurrection of the dead—what will they do who are baptized for the dead? Here, he touches on the reprehensible custom of certain people who, having heard that the resurrection would happen for those who were baptized, would, after being baptized themselves, have themselves baptized again in the place of an already deceased unbelieving father. In this way, they hoped the father or mother might be saved in the resurrection. He mentions this to shame the Corinthians, because if even those misguided individuals had such great faith in the resurrection, how much more should the Corinthians believe in the resurrection?

The text is as follows: ‘What will they do who are baptized for the dead in the hope of rising again if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead to justify them, since the dead cannot be justified? If they were justified from their sins, they would rise again.’ Or, another interpretation is as follows: ‘Otherwise—that is, if there is no resurrection—what will they do who are baptized for dead works, that is, for sins which bring death? I say they are baptized in hope of the resurrection. And what will they do if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for them—that is, so that they may be justified from sins?’ Or yet another interpretation: ‘Otherwise, if the dead do not rise, what will they do who are baptized for themselves, being dead—that is, to mortify sin? Or for themselves, having been mortified by sin, to God? The rest is as it has been stated.’

Again, if there is no resurrection of the dead, why also are we, the apostles, constantly in danger every hour? For our tribulations, which we gladly endure in hope of the future resurrection, are unceasing."

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Alfred Plummer, J. Reiling and J. L. Swellengrebel on Luke 2:22 and the Referents to "Their" (αυτων)

τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν. “Of their purification.” The Jewish law (Lev. 12.) did not include the child in the purification. This fact, and the feeling that least of all could Jesus need purifying, produced the corrupt reading αὐτῆς, followed in AV.

No uncial and perhaps only one cursive (76) supports the reading αὐτῆς, which spread from the Complutensian Polyglott Bible (1514) to a number of editions. It is a remarkable instance of a reading which had almost no authority becoming widely adopted. It now has the support of Syr-Sin. The Complutensian insertion of διηρθρώθη after ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ in 1:64 was less successful, although that has the support of two cursives (140, 251). D here has the strange reading αὐτοῦ, which looks like a slip rather than a correction. No one would alter αὐτῶν to αὐτοῦ. The Vulgate also has purgationis ejus, but some Lat. MSS. have eorum. The αὐτῆς might come from LXX of Lev. 12:6, ὅταν ἀναπληρωθῶσιν αἱ ἡμέραι καθάρσεως αὐτῆς. Note that Lk. uses καθαρισμός and not κάθαρσις, which is a medical term for menstruation, and which Gentile readers might misunderstand.

The meaning of αὐτῶν is not clear. Edersheim and Van Hengel interpret it of the Jews; Godet, Meyer, and Weiss of Mary and Joseph. The latter is justified by the context: “When the days of their purification were fulfilled … they brought Him.” Contact with an unclean person involved uncleanness. Purification after childbirth seems to have been closely connected with purification after menstruation; the rites were similar. Herzog, PRE. art. Reinigungen. After the birth of a son the mother was unclean for seven days, then remained at home for thirty-three days, and on the fortieth day after the birth made her offerings. (Alfred Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to S. Luke [London: T&T Clark International, 1896], 63)

katharismos (also 5:14) ‘purification’, i.e. the restoration of ritual cleanness; according to the law of Moses a woman remained unclean for forty days after the birth of a male child. During this period she was forbidden to touch any sacred thing or to enter the temple. Ritual cleanness was restored by a burnt offering and a sin offering (cp. Lev. 12:1–8). autōn ‘of them’, i.e. ‘their’ may refer to Joseph and Mary (cp. Plummer); to Jesus and Mary (cp. Lagrange), or to the three of them (cp. Grundmann), preferably the first.(J. Reiling and J. L. Swellengrebel, A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke [UBS Handbook Series; New York: United Bible Societies, 1993], 124-25)

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