Abstract: The prophet Joseph Smith was paced through a life steeped in ritual and symbolism. Notable things Joseph did or experienced under angelic guidance may be seen as ritual procedures that may require careful consideration to discern their meaning, what they symbolize, their purpose, and their importance to the restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Failure to recognize the function of ritual has resulted in much misunderstanding and criticism of Joseph. Many of his early actions and procedures were closely related to the ancient temple. They amount to an anticipation and witness of the temple and its coming restoration through him. This will be illustrated in several ways, including the manner in which Joseph received and translated the plates of the Book of Mormon, a witness of Jesus Christ.

As with many prophets of old, some of the details of sacred events in Joseph Smith’s life can be viewed as richly symbolic.1 Pondering some of these elements may enhance our appreciation of his calling and ministry. Failure to consider and more fully appreciate the function of symbolic and ritual procedures as guided by revelation and the angels has caused much criticism and lack of understanding about Joseph, his [Page 52]motivation, and purposes. An underappreciated aspect of the gospel restoration is that he received revelation or direction related to the ancient temple at an early time in his prophetic calling. Some of the sacred or symbolic events in his life involve temple-related motifs that may be seen as anticipating the restoration of the temple concept and underscore its great importance.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has passed through symbolic happenings that may be seen as a recapitulation of important events in ancient sacred history.2 Such were experienced by both Joseph Smith and the Church. Prominent for the Church is the occurrence of the visions and revelations received by many at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple in Ohio, where the “saints regarded their experiences as a continuation of the pentecostal experience recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.”3 Another compelling example is the westward gathering under Brigham Young, with the establishment of the Tabernacle, the temple, and other counterparts reminiscent of the ancient gathering of Israel.

Presented at:

2016 Temple on Mount Zion ConferenceSaturday, November 5, 2016https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/2016-temple-on-mount-zion-conference/

Conference Proceedings:

Sacred Time, Sacred Space, & Sacred Meaning at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/sacred-time-sacred-space-sacred-meaning/

Listen to an audio recording of this talk:

  Download audio recording

 

 

In the August 13 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Radio Show, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, and Kevin Christensen discuss New Testament lesson 37, “God Is Not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace” covering 1 Corinthians 14–16.

You can listen to or download the New Testament in Context segment of the August 13 broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. It will also be included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feeds/podcast). The other segments of the August 13 radio show can be accessed at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-august-13-2023.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

 

Original air date: August 13, 2023. This recording has been edited to remove commercial breaks.

The Interpreter Radio Show is a weekly discussion of matters of interest to the hosts, guests, and callers of the show. The views expressed on the Interpreter Radio Show are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Interpreter Foundation, nor should statements made on the show be construed as official doctrinal statements of the Church.

 

 

In this episode of The Interpreter Radio Show, our hosts are Bruce Webster, Robert Boylan, and Kris Frederickson. They discuss Come, Follow Me New Testament lesson 38, Richard Bushman’s statements about the source of the Book of Mormon, two recent articles in Interpreter, and the 2023 FAIR Conference. You can listen to or download the August 20th broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. These audio tracks are also included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feeds/podcast).

The “New Testament in Context” portion of this show, for the Come, Follow Me New Testament lesson 38, “Be Ye Reconciled to God” covering 2 Corinthians 1–7, will also be posted separately on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

Original air date: August 20, 2023. These recording have been edited to remove commercial breaks.

The New Testament in Context Lesson 38: “Be Ye Reconciled to God” covering 2 Corinthians 1–7

Gospel Advocacy: Richard Bushman’s statements about the source of the Bok of Mormon

Podcast: Download

Discussion: Recent

Abstract: Isaiah’s oracle in Isaiah 22 regarding a man named Eliakim employs significant and unique language regarding a “nail in a sure place.” This language is accompanied by clear connections to the ancient temple, including the bestowal of sacred clothing and authority, offering additional significant context through which to understand this phrase. Additionally, according to early leaders of the Church, this oracle may not be translated correctly into English, which has caused some confusion regarding the true meaning of the oracle’s conclusion. As such, I offer a new translation of this oracle based on intertextual clues that resolves some of the apparent issues regarding this text and further highlights the temple themes employed by Isaiah.

A unique oracle in Isaiah 22 relates that a court official named Eliakim would be given additional power and responsibility from the Lord. Although not unique in historical content, as other political or ecclesiastical figures are referred to throughout Isaiah’s corpus of prophesies, this oracle is unique in language employed by the prophet Isaiah. Quoting from the King James Version of the Bible, the Bible most familiar to English-speaking Latter-day Saints, we read the following:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and [Page 38]he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 22:20–25)1

This oracle contains specific imagery relating to the temple in addition to the referent to “a nail in a sure place.” This language regarding a nail is seldom touched upon in the scriptures, but I will argue that it, too, was understood by ancient authors to be related to the temple and appears to have been understood in a temple context by the prophet Joseph Smith and other leaders of the Church.

For instance, in December 1844, an unsigned editorial was published in the Times and Seasons simply entitled “Keys.” This editorial offered commentary on this oracle against Shebna and the prophesied rise of Eliakim to power. The editor of the Times and Seasons states that this oracle is “[t]he first important passage in the bible” relating to Priesthood keys and contains “some other very curious knowledge unexplained” by the ancient prophet.2 The apostle John Taylor was the leading editor for the Church newspaper at this time, and so it is likely that he was the principal author of this editorial.3

Regarding the final three verses of this oracle, John Taylor wrote,

“The nail fastened in a sure place,

Presented at:

2016 Temple on Mount Zion ConferenceSaturday, November 5, 2016https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/2016-temple-on-mount-zion-conference/

Conference Proceedings:

Sacred Time, Sacred Space, & Sacred Meaning at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/sacred-time-sacred-space-sacred-meaning/

Listen to an audio recording of this talk:

  Download audio recording

 

 

In the August 6 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Radio Show, our hosts Martin Tanner, Spencer Kraus, Brent Schmidt, and Hales Swift discuss New Testament lesson 36, “Ye Are the Body of Christ” covering 1 Corinthians 8-13.

You can listen to or download the New Testament in Context segment of the August 6 broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. It will also be included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feeds/podcast). The other segments of the August 6 radio show can be accessed at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-august-6-2023.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

 

Original air date: August 6, 2023. This recording has been edited to remove commercial breaks.

The Interpreter Radio Show is a weekly discussion of matters of interest to the hosts, guests, and callers of the show. The views expressed on the Interpreter Radio Show are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Interpreter Foundation, nor should statements made on the show be construed as official doctrinal statements of the Church.

 

Abstract: Nephi, in composing his psalm (2 Nephi 4:15–35), incorporates a poetic idiom from Psalm 18:10 (2 Samuel 22:11) and Psalm 104:3 to describe his participation in a form of divine travel. This experience constituted a part of the vision in which he saw “the things which [his] father saw” in the latter’s dream of the tree of life (see 1 Nephi 11:1–3; 14:29–30). Nephi’s use of this idiom becomes readily apparent when the range of meaning for the Hebrew word rûaḥ is considered. Nephi’s experience helps our understanding of other scriptural scenes where similar divine travel is described.

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Recent studies have shown that 2 Nephi 4:15–35, what Sidney B. Sperry originally identified as Nephi’s “psalm,”1 relies heavily on the language of the biblical psalms.2 In 2 Nephi 4:25, he states, “And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains.” In making this statement, Nephi poetically referred to the experience he describes in greater depth in 1 Nephi 11:1 (“I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain”) [Page 20]and 1 Nephi 14:30 (“I was carried away in the Spirit”). Nephi’s use of the phrase “upon the wings of his Spirit” reflects a poetic idiom found in Psalm 18:10/2 Samuel 22:11 and Psalm 104:3, ʿal-kanpê-rûaḥ, usually translated “upon the wings of the wind.”

The textual dependency of 2 Nephi 4:25 on Psalm 18:10/2 Samuel 22:11 and Psalm 104:3 becomes especially clear when the polysemy of Hebrew rûaḥ as both “wind” and “spirit” is considered. Moreover, when Nephi’s use of the phrase “upon the wings of his Spirit” is analyzed in the context of what Nephi experiences with “the Spirit of the Lord” in 1 Nephi 11 and in the broader contexts of theophanies and iconography in ancient Israel,