Ether — Theology

Ether — Theological Claims

29 theological claims.

atom_eth_02_008

And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.

The text declares a divine covenant/warning: whoever possesses the promised land must worship God, otherwise they will be cut off from the land when His wrath is complete.

• Themes: judgment, covenant, land
• Critical Questions: cq_theological_implications_swearing_divine_4a89f8, cq_historical_claims_on_what_basis_can_the_text_claim_that_all_future_inhabitants_must_serve_the_true_and_only_god_and_how_does_this_universalizing_decree_fit_or_conflict_with_historical_pluralism

atom_eth_02_010

Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.

The text links the service of the God of the land with political freedom, defining this God as Jesus Christ as testified by the writings themselves.

• Themes: freedom, christology, land
• Critical Questions: cq_theological_implications_identifying_land_4ba600, cq_historical_claims_what_is_the_basis_for_linking_political_freedom_to_service_of_the_god_of_the_land_and_does_the_text_project_modern_ideals_of_liberty_onto_an_ancient_setting

atom_eth_03_003

thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us

The brother of Jared interprets the long exile in the wilderness as a consequence of sin, yet balances this by affirming the continued divine mercy towards them.

• Themes: punishment, mercy, wilderness
• Critical Questions: cq_verse_construct_suffering_wilderness_83dcb9, cq_historical_literary_function_wilderness_3e856f

atom_eth_03_006

I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood… Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood

The brother of Jared acknowledges that he did not know the Lord had a body of flesh and blood, and the Lord explains this revelation as a result of exceptional faith.

• Themes: incarnation, faith, knowledge
• Critical Questions: cq_revelation_flesh_blood_imply_1921ba, cq_claim_knowledge_comes_through_58314c

atom_eth_03_007

thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie… I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally

The brother of Jared declares that God cannot lie, and then the Lord reveals His messianic identity as Jesus Christ, the source of eternal life for humanity.

• Themes: truth, identity, eternal life
• Critical Questions: cq_declaration_cannot_function_rhetorical_145721, cq_theological_tensions_arise_statement_9e8913

atom_eth_03_008

Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image… this body… is the body of my spirit

The Lord affirms that humans were created in His image, explaining that the body seen by the brother of Jared is the body of His spirit, linking the human image to the nature of the divine.

• Themes: image_of_god, embodiment, creation
• Critical Questions: cq_implications_asserting_humans_created_3c904c, cq_might_passage_read_intertextual_4bce95

atom_eth_04_007

And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw

The text connects faith modeled after the brother of Jared with sanctification, making this a condition for revealing hidden visions.

• Themes: faith, sanctification, revelation
• Critical Questions: cq_passage_construct_faith_prerequisite_0b7f33, cq_ways_comparison_brother_jared_befd7c

atom_eth_04_009

But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record.

The text promises believers that they will receive manifestations of the Spirit, thereby knowing the truth and becoming witnesses to it.

• Themes: spirit, knowledge, testimony
• Critical Questions: cq_promise_believers_will_receive_31c3b4, cq_role_believer_shall_know_df80e7

atom_eth_05_006

And if it so be that they repent and come unto the Father in the name of Jesus, they shall be received into the kingdom of God.

The text links salvation to repentance and coming unto the Father in the name of Jesus, promising acceptance into the kingdom of God.

• Themes: repentance, Jesus, kingdom of God, salvation
• Critical Questions: cq_textual_authenticity_language_repentance_0d371c, cq_group_identity_promise_receiving_47718c

atom_eth_05_010

the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record

The text attributes testimony to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, making it a triune divine testimony rather than merely a human witness.

• Themes: trinity, record, testimony
• Critical Questions: cq_trinitarian_theology_formula_father_7a14ff, cq_intertextuality_ways_threefold_divine_c99db2

atom_eth_07_011

And because the people did repent of their iniquities and idolatries the Lord did spare them, and they began to prosper again in the land. And it came to pass that Shule begat sons and daughters in his old age. And there were no more wars in the days of Shule; and he remembered the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers in bringing them across the great deep into the promised land; wh…

Repentance brings salvation and prosperity, concluding Shule’s life with internal peace and a salvific memory linking the present kingdom to the crossing of the fathers into the promised land.

• Themes: repentance, deliverance, memory, promised land
• Critical Questions: cq_theology_repentance_claim_repentance_38d11a, cq_memory_history_link_between_5c153b

atom_eth_08_009

they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms. … they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;

The text describes these oaths and secret alliances as supported by demonic power, aimed at keeping people in darkness and enabling murder, plunder, and lies, declaring this secret organization as abominable and wicked in the sight of God.

• Themes: evil, darkness, secret combinations
• Critical Questions: cq_demonology_theological_assumptions_underlie_ed44d8, cq_ethical_dimensions_text_portrayal_7887c7

atom_eth_08_012

whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murd…

The text links the building of these secret networks to undermining public freedom and total destruction, tracing their origin to the devil as the father of lies and the deceiver of humanity since the beginning, inciting the murder of prophets.

• Themes: freedom, deception, prophetic martyrdom
• Critical Questions: cq_1_1_how_does_linking_secret_combinations_to_the_devil_and_to_the_fall_of_adam_reframe_political_conspiracy_as_cosmic_theological_conflict, cq_1_2_what_ethical_or_rhetorical_effects_follow_from_identifying_threats_to_freedom_with_a_satanic_origin_and_prophetic_martyrdom

atom_eth_09_008

the Lord began again to take the curse from off the land, and the house of Emer did prosper exceedingly … And thus the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord

The text links the lifting of the curse with economic prosperity, then adds a theological condition: possession of the land is contingent upon it being owned for the Lord, otherwise destruction awaits when wickedness is full.

• Themes: curse, blessing, land, obedience, judgment
• Critical Questions: cq_2_1_what_does_it_mean_theologically_to_condition_land_ownership_on_possessing_the_land_unto_the_lord_and_how_does_this_shape_sovereignty, cq_2_2_how_does_the_link_between_removed_curse_and_economic_prosperity_function_as_a_historical_explanation_of_success_or_failure

atom_eth_09_012

there began to be a great dearth upon the land … there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land … when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth

The punishment manifests in drought and poisonous serpents, then salvation becomes a path of collective repentance: when the people humble themselves and cry unto the Lord, He sends rain and restores life.

• Themes: famine, serpents, repentance, rain, deliverance
• Critical Questions: cq_4_1_how_should_we_interpret_the_combination_of_famine_serpents_and_rain_as_a_causal_theology_of_natural_disaster_and_recovery, cq_4_2_what_is_the_significance_of_repentance_being_presented_as_the_condition_for_ecological_restoration_and_deliverance

atom_eth_10_010

they were exceedingly industrious, and they did buy and sell and traffic one with another, that they might get gain. And they did work in all manner of ore… And they did make all manner of tools… And they did make all manner of weapons of war… And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord. And they were in a land that was choice above all…

The text depicts a prosperous society engaged in trade, mining, and weapon-making, affirming that this prosperity is linked to the blessing of the Lord and that the land itself is chosen above all other lands.

• Themes: prosperity, blessing, chosen land

atom_eth_11_005

And they hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord, because of their wicked combinations; wherefore, there began to be wars and contentions in all the land, and also many famines and pestilences

The people rejected the voice of the Lord due to their wicked combinations, leading to wars, contentions, famines, and pestilences throughout the land.

• Themes: disobedience, judgment, social_decay
• Critical Questions: cq_7_1_how_does_the_text_connect_wicked_combinations_to_war_famine_and_pestilence_as_a_theological_cause_of_social_decay, cq_7_2_what_historical_or_rhetorical_function_is_served_by_presenting_national_crisis_as_the_direct_result_of_refusing_the_voice_of_the_lord

atom_eth_11_006

And the people began to repent of their iniquity; and inasmuch as they did the Lord did have mercy on them.

When the people begin to repent of their wickedness, the Lord responds with mercy, demonstrating a direct relationship between repentance and divine mercy.

• Themes: repentance, mercy, divine_response
• Critical Questions: cq_how_does_the_text_construct_a_causal_link_between_repentance_and_divine_mercy_and_what_theological_assumptions_underlie_that_link, cq_does_this_formula_function_more_as_a_moral_exhortation_than_as_a_historical_explanation_of_collective_fortune

atom_eth_12_002

And Ether was a prophet of the Lord; wherefore Ether came forth in the days of Coriantumr, and began to prophesy unto the people, for he could not be restrained because of the Spirit of the Lord which was in him.

The text defines Ether as a prophet of the Lord, depicting his public emergence and the beginning of his prophesying to the people as a direct result of the work of the Spirit of the Lord within him.

• Themes: prophecy, spirit, calling
• Critical Questions: cq_how_does_the_claim_that_ether_could_not_be_restrained_by_human_forces_due_to_the_spirit_of_the_lord_establish_prophetic_authority, cq_is_the_description_of_ether_sudden_public_prophesying_a_narrative_strategy_to_legitimate_his_message_before_any_content_is_even_reported

atom_eth_12_005

But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.

Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.

The text links human faith with the appearance of Christ to the world and the glorification of the Father, presenting this appearance as a means for others to partake of the heavenly gift through hope and faith.

• Themes: heavenly_gift, hope, faith, glory
• Critical Questions: cq_how_does_the_text_connect_the_appearance_of_christ_to_human_faith_and_does_this_imply_that_divine_revelation_is_conditioned_by_belief, cq_in_what_way_does_this_passage_repurpose_new_testament_language_about_hope_and_heavenly_gifts_to_support_book_of_mormon_authority

atom_eth_12_006

Behold it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God.

Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.

For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.

The text presents faith as a condition for the calling of the ancients within the holy order, as well as the basis for giving the law of Moses, then declares that miracles and divine appearances depend on the presence of faith among humanity.

• Themes: holy_order, law_of_moses, miracles, faith
• Critical Questions: cq_what_does_it_mean_to_say_that_the_law_of_moses_was_given_by_faith_and_how_does_this_reframe_jewish_law_within_a_christian_salvation_history, cq_does_the_claim_that_miracles_and_divine_action_depend_on_human_faith_function_as_a_theological_explanation_or_as_a_rhetorical_response_to_the_absence_of_visible_signs

atom_eth_12_010

And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves…

The Lord responds to Moroni’s concern that mockery will turn to mourning, affirming that grace is sufficient for the meek, and that weakness itself is a divine means for humility and transformation into strength, linking faith, hope, and love to the source of righteousness.

• Themes: grace, weakness, humility, righteousness
• Critical Questions: cq_how_does_the_paradox_that_weakness_is_given_by_god_to_produce_humility_and_strength_compare_with_pauls_theology_of_power_in_weakness, cq_what_is_the_ethical_implication_of_associating_divine_grace_with_meekness_and_suffering_does_the_text_risk_sanctifying_human_vulnerability

atom_eth_12_012

And I also remember that thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house for man, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a more excellent hope; wherefore man must hope, or he cannot receive an inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared.

And again, I remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world, …

The text describes a house and mansions prepared by the Father for humanity, making hope a condition for receiving the inheritance, then defines Christ’s love for the world as an active love leading to worthiness in those mansions.

• Themes: inheritance, hope, charity, mansions
• Critical Questions: cq_how_does_the_text_link_hope_to_inheritance_and_what_theological_assumptions_underlie_this_condition, cq_is_the_language_of_mansions_and_a_more_excellent_hope_a_direct_borrowing_from_johannine_or_other_christian_traditions

atom_eth_13_002

the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof; And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.

The text describes the land as chosen for the Lord, intended for its inhabitants to worship Him, linking it to the site of the New Jerusalem that will come down from heaven.

• Themes: chosen land, worship, new jerusalem
• Critical Questions: cq_on_what_basis_does_the_text_claim_that_the_land_is_set_apart_for_universal_service_to_god_and_how_does_this_support_a_sacralized_geography, cq_how_does_the_identification_of_the_new_jerusalem_with_a_specific_landscape_interact_with_biblical_eschaotology_and_american_exceptionalism

atom_eth_13_004

the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem… the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance

The text links the exodus of the remnant of Joseph’s seed from Jerusalem with a divine promise that this land will be built for them as an inheritance, along with the restoration of a holy city upon it.

• Themes: inheritance, remnant, house of joseph
• Critical Questions: cq_how_does_the_claim_that_a_remnant_of_joseph_was_brought_from_jerusalem_function_as_an_origin_story_for_land_rights_and_collective_identity, cq_what_historical_or_textual_evidence_is_invoked_or_suppressed_by_the_assertion_that_this_land_was_the_inheritance_of_josephs_house

atom_eth_13_005

there shall be a new heaven and a new earth… blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb

The vision transitions to a comprehensive cosmic renewal, then links dwelling in the New Jerusalem with purity and salvation associated with the blood of the Lamb.

• Themes: new heaven, new earth, blood of the lamb
• Critical Questions: cq_how_does_the_image_of_white_garments_through_the_blood_of_the_lamb_mediate_between_apocalyptic_purity_and_substitutionary_atonement, cq_does_the_promise_of_a_new_heaven_and_new_earth_reinforce_or_challenge_the_texts_claim_to_be_continuous_with_biblical_eschaotology

atom_eth_14_001

And now there began to be a great curse upon all the land because of the iniquity of the people

The text describes the onset of a great curse affecting the entire land as a direct result of the people’s corruption, linking moral decay to the deterioration of daily life.

• Themes: curse, iniquity, judgment
• Critical Questions: cq_atom0_textual_authenticity_how_does_the_language_of_a_landwide_curse_relate_to_ancient_near_eastern_or_biblical_patterns_of_collective_judgment_and_is_it_best_read_as_historical_memory_or_literary_theology, cq_atom0_ethical_how_does_linking_social_morality_to_environmental_or_national_calamity_shape_the_texts_view_of_collective_responsibility_and_divine_punishment

atom_eth_15_002

He saw that there had been slain by the sword already nearly two millions of his people, and he began to sorrow in his heart; yea, there had been slain two millions of mighty men, and also their wives and their children.

He began to repent of the evil which he had done; he began to remember the words which had been spoken by the mouth of all the prophets, and he saw them that they were fulfilled …

Coriantumr witnesses the scale of the slaughter among his people, grieves, and partially repents, interpreting what is happening as a complete fulfillment of the words spoken by the previous prophets.

• Themes: judgment, repentance, prophecy, destruction
• Critical Questions: cq_atom3_narrative_strategy_why_does_the_text_emphasize_the_scale_of_carnage_before_reporting_coriantumrs_repentance_and_how_does_that_sequence_shape_reader_emotion_and_moral_judgment, cq_atom3_theological_what_is_the_significance_of_partial_repentance_after_mass_destruction_does_the_text_present_repentance_as_sincere_conversion_or_as_too_late_to_matter

atom_eth_15_009

And it came to pass that Coriantumr wrote again an epistle unto Shiz, desiring that he would not come again to battle, but that he would take the kingdom, and spare the lives of the people.

And behold, the Spirit of the Lord had ceased striving with them, and Satan had full power over the hearts of the people; for they were given up unto the hardness of their hearts, and the blindness of their mi…

Coriantumr repeats his attempt to halt the conflict through a new letter, but the narrative explains the continuation of war by stating that the Spirit of the Lord had ceased striving with them and that Satan had full power over their hearts.

• Themes: spirit, satan, hardness of heart, judgment
• Critical Questions: cq_atom4_theological_how_does_the_claim_that_the_spirit_of_the_lord_had_ceased_striving_with_them_interact_with_the_idea_of_human_free_will_and_divine_responsibility_for_escalating_violence, cq_atom4_narrative_strategy_what_is_the_function_of_invoking_satan_full_power_over_hearts_at_this_point_in_the_story_does_it_explain_behavior_or_foreclose_alternative_historical_causes