I can’t thank you both enough for your excellent podcasts. I lost my husband 15 years ago. I remarried 10 years ago. My new husband was not a member and had a very bad experience with a Catholic wife. I taught Gospel doctrine for eight years. Your podcasts have made it possible for me to explain Gospel principles. He was just baptized on December 30. I plan, on making your podcast part of our weekly scripture study. You’re both awesome!
Thanks so much for sharing! You have had quite a journey! I hope this podcast is something that will continue to benefit both of you in 2024 and thanks for the positivity!
Let us keep in mind that the book of Mormon exists to point people to Christ and I think we need to be careful as members to remember that we are not pointing people to a book, or to a church, or to our religion. We are to be pointing people to Christ. We are inviting people to join into the family of Christ and that is what the book of Mormon is for.
Our ultimate goal is to return to live with our Heavenly Father, and we can only do that through Jesus Christ, He is the only way back. However, God has ordained that the only to walk that path is through receiving the exalting ordinances of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ and then being true to sacred covenants made through those ordinances. Without priesthood keys and the Savior’s church, the Book of Mormon would have no place to lead us. We would be left powerless to come to the Father through His beloved Son.
As a complete and total text nerd, I (Mike) usually get excited over what is going on in the text, and, like Nephi, delight in proving to anyone who will listen about how the Restoration and the texts point us in this direction - to Jesus. Please do not misunderstand my love of the text as a replacement for my devotion to the Savior. But in my life, the text is what got me to Jesus. So I get into the text. Hence the name of the podcast.
Nathan, your point is very important. Listen, especially with the youth, how fast and perfunctory speakers say, “and I say this in the name of . . . Amen”. The speaker should seal their words in the name of the Savior, but their speed of saying it sounds like it’s just a chore that has to be done. I’m not questioning anyone’s sincerity, but wondering how that sounds to an investigator or new member. JMHO
To Stephen's point, before we got the restoration of priesthood keys and covenants, we got the Book of Mormon, so I would say the Book of Mormon leads to all of these things. God did not make a mistake in having Joseph translate this book and have it printed and ready to be used before giving him the go-ahead to establish the church. We need to be careful not to make the Book of Mormon seem secondary to everything else. I found the church because of the Book of Mormon. It was my reading of it and applying Moroni's promise that brought me to Christ and His gospel, so I would say it is the foundation of my testimony of Christ, speaking as someone who grew up on the Bible. Thanks for all you do, Mike and Bryce! I love everything you share with us!❤
Incredible content. I love how this podcast digs deep into the history and shows remarkable correspondences between contemporary biblical scholarship and LDS scriptures. It's really faith affirming for me.
So glad this popped up on my feed. I love learning with you. So deep, but so makes sense, cant wait for more. Pod casts are great cause you can do 2 things at the same time when other things need to be done, and it's easy to listen twice. You guys are the best🎉
It matters not whether the Prophet Joseph Smith used the Urim and Thumim, a Seer Stone or Hat. To me what matters is that he had humility and faith in the power and authority of Christ that enabled him to see and translate. Like Naaman who was.told to go and wash in the River Jordan 7 times to be cleansed of his leprosy. It was not the river that cleansed him but his humility in obedience and faith in the power and authority of Jesus Christ, so likewise Joseph Smith was able to translate the golden plates into what is now the Book of Mormon. Thanks again. So looking forward to studying this with you this year.
I totally agree with you, Bryce, that if the Book of Mormon is true, then the Church is true, then the current leaders are inspired. What I'm seeing in some of my adult children and others their age is that they don't believe that the current leaders are inspired. The believe in the Restoration and in the BoM. I know the best response is to exhort them too pray about it, but I'm just not sure that they will. It makes me sad because I don't know what more I could have done to teach them the Gospel
For me... Common sense asks the question if Joseph stuck his head in a hat, why did the plates have to be present? Having the plates put him in danger. Head in hat makes no sense. You stated Joseph had something to do with the translation. He had everything to do with it. Without him, it does not get done. The Lord knew the 116 pages would be lost, and Joseph had to learn what he had to learn.
Love the material! Looking forward to this year's study. Could you supply one source for when Joseph referred to the seer stone as the Urim and Thummim? Backman no longer holds to what he said in Ruff Stone Rolling regarding the translation of the BoM by the seer stone. Interesting.
It’s all detailed in the links in the description and show notes. It’s also in the gospel topics articles that every S&I teacher was instructed to know inside and out by Elder Ballard a few years ago. I (Mike) link all the historical evidence in these articles and so hopefully people have a chance to read these. Since I wasn’t there (none of us were) I don’t know how it was translated, all I have are the statements from those that were there. I believe the gospel topics essay on this subject puts me on firm ground at least as far as the church goes, but I realize people have strong opinions regarding this subject.
Perhaps the most accurate book on earth, the Book of Mormon, would have been your last choice based on what you’ve heard about it! The complexity of the interwoven stories dictated by an uneducated 23 year old should be the forefront of your thoughts as you pick it up ❤ VANA
I can’t thank you both enough for your excellent podcasts. I lost my husband 15 years ago. I remarried 10 years ago. My new husband was not a member and had a very bad experience with a Catholic wife. I taught Gospel doctrine for eight years. Your podcasts have made it possible for me to explain Gospel principles. He was just baptized on December 30. I plan, on making your podcast part of our weekly scripture study. You’re both awesome!
Thanks so much for sharing! You have had quite a journey! I hope this podcast is something that will continue to benefit both of you in 2024 and thanks for the positivity!
As always your podcast is top notch. I have butterfly feelings in my tummy as we start the study of the Book of mormon.
The Book of Mormon is powerful.
Thank you so much for this wonderful podcast.
Let us keep in mind that the book of Mormon exists to point people to Christ and I think we need to be careful as members to remember that we are not pointing people to a book, or to a church, or to our religion. We are to be pointing people to Christ. We are inviting people to join into the family of Christ and that is what the book of Mormon is for.
Amen! A focus on this one key point would do so much for our missionary efforts and the culture of the church.
Our ultimate goal is to return to live with our Heavenly Father, and we can only do that through Jesus Christ, He is the only way back. However, God has ordained that the only to walk that path is through receiving the exalting ordinances of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ and then being true to sacred covenants made through those ordinances. Without priesthood keys and the Savior’s church, the Book of Mormon would have no place to lead us. We would be left powerless to come to the Father through His beloved Son.
As a complete and total text nerd, I (Mike) usually get excited over what is going on in the text, and, like Nephi, delight in proving to anyone who will listen about how the Restoration and the texts point us in this direction - to Jesus. Please do not misunderstand my love of the text as a replacement for my devotion to the Savior. But in my life, the text is what got me to Jesus. So I get into the text. Hence the name of the podcast.
Nathan, your point is very important. Listen, especially with the youth, how fast and perfunctory speakers say, “and I say this in the name of . . . Amen”. The speaker should seal their words in the name of the Savior, but their speed of saying it sounds like it’s just a chore that has to be done. I’m not questioning anyone’s sincerity, but wondering how that sounds to an investigator or new member. JMHO
To Stephen's point, before we got the restoration of priesthood keys and covenants, we got the Book of Mormon, so I would say the Book of Mormon leads to all of these things. God did not make a mistake in having Joseph translate this book and have it printed and ready to be used before giving him the go-ahead to establish the church. We need to be careful not to make the Book of Mormon seem secondary to everything else. I found the church because of the Book of Mormon. It was my reading of it and applying Moroni's promise that brought me to Christ and His gospel, so I would say it is the foundation of my testimony of Christ, speaking as someone who grew up on the Bible. Thanks for all you do, Mike and Bryce! I love everything you share with us!❤
Incredible content. I love how this podcast digs deep into the history and shows remarkable correspondences between contemporary biblical scholarship and LDS scriptures. It's really faith affirming for me.
Thanks! That means so much!
Just as awesome and the first one on the Book of Mormon!!!! Thank you!❤❤
Thanks for listening!
So glad this popped up on my feed. I love learning with you. So deep, but so makes sense, cant wait for more. Pod casts are great cause you can do 2 things at the same time when other things need to be done, and it's easy to listen twice. You guys are the best🎉
Welcome aboard!
It matters not whether the Prophet Joseph Smith used the Urim and Thumim, a Seer Stone or Hat. To me what matters is that he had humility and faith in the power and authority of Christ that enabled him to see and translate. Like Naaman who was.told to go and wash in the River Jordan 7 times to be cleansed of his leprosy. It was not the river that cleansed him but his humility in obedience and faith in the power and authority of Jesus Christ, so likewise Joseph Smith was able to translate the golden plates into what is now the Book of Mormon.
Thanks again. So looking forward to studying this with you this year.
I totally agree with you, Bryce, that if the Book of Mormon is true, then the Church is true, then the current leaders are inspired. What I'm seeing in some of my adult children and others their age is that they don't believe that the current leaders are inspired. The believe in the Restoration and in the BoM. I know the best response is to exhort them too pray about it, but I'm just not sure that they will. It makes me sad because I don't know what more I could have done to teach them the Gospel
For me... Common sense asks the question if Joseph stuck his head in a hat, why did the plates have to be present? Having the plates put him in danger. Head in hat makes no sense. You stated Joseph had something to do with the translation. He had everything to do with it. Without him, it does not get done. The Lord knew the 116 pages would be lost, and Joseph had to learn what he had to learn.
Love the material! Looking forward to this year's study. Could you supply one source for when Joseph referred to the seer stone as the Urim and Thummim? Backman no longer holds to what he said in Ruff Stone Rolling regarding the translation of the BoM by the seer stone. Interesting.
It’s all detailed in the links in the description and show notes. It’s also in the gospel topics articles that every S&I teacher was instructed to know inside and out by Elder Ballard a few years ago. I (Mike) link all the historical evidence in these articles and so hopefully people have a chance to read these. Since I wasn’t there (none of us were) I don’t know how it was translated, all I have are the statements from those that were there. I believe the gospel topics essay on this subject puts me on firm ground at least as far as the church goes, but I realize people have strong opinions regarding this subject.
Perhaps the most accurate book on earth, the Book of Mormon, would have been your last choice based on what you’ve heard about it! The complexity of the interwoven stories dictated by an uneducated 23 year old should be the forefront of your thoughts as you pick it up ❤ VANA
Excuse me, Bushman