Hemidakota

Remember, what is lost can be had via the spirit if you have that desire to know the truth. I will say, the plates are not Laban but belong to Lehi's father. Through Hebrew traditions of the fathers, the father would in his last days pass down the family records to his oldest son. Somehow, don't know what really transpired, but Laban obtained the plates. I do believe that Laban and Lehi were related by blood [Josephite] though. How would Lehi know where Laban house was and what he had.

Smiley, what is your theological background?

"in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established" (Ether 5:4) Joseph Smith and the Angel Moroni - rehersing the same material - how many time? lol Even Jesus the Christ gives three ascending injunctions to the Nephite people gathered at the temple in Bountiful:

The tribe of Joseph was still in Egypt during this timeframe. The biggest trade in Egypt at that time was metalsmithers. Something I had learn from a old professor who now passed on. Josephites, I would call them, in their own business trade had a special written language that helped to pass messages among each other without the threat of the Egyptian ruling class in keeping their own religion alive among themselves. Perhaps, reformed Egyptian writing only known to them. Noting the plates, you will find, Lehi carried extra plates with him. Being of wealth, I suspect his father or Lehi was one of them. This was a lucrative business during that time.

Something to ponder over. Remember, Daniel prayed three times a day towards the Temple, while serving in exhile in Babylon. Richard Rust wrote a paper for FARM but in hay days [i think it was 1994] had done some research in some striking parallels and uses of repetition within the Book of Mormon. You will found that number seems to pop up everway in the BOM. However, something that surprise me is his wisdom in capturing these things as the knocking at the veil to our approach to Deity:

Here are some resemblance of what we do know from past writings concerning the veil knocking: Then we have something about the Cathoic Church that most are not aware of that is done by the papacy:

This is why our culture 'up bringing' as men, should be always be that helping hand for our beloved companions. IMHO, I could not fill my closest and choices friend [wife] shoes on a daily basis. I had serve in the Marines and been in battle. I had face death several times in my life. I have heard, seen, and been given much in this probation but nothing compares to her demanding daily grind. I do look up to her as a comfort and indeed a blessing to my life.Just 'believe' in yourself as you communicate to Heavenly Father. However, don't be surprise, when someone does answer.

Thanks for the insight.

"From the house [roof] tops the gospel will spread across the world..."

Tom, I guess I need to stop posting....your eyes are too OPENED. LOL

We have our daily ritual kneeler between morning, lunch, and bedtime. The ones I love the most is the constant silent communication ones through-out the day.

Beside Gwen answer, why is seminary a depression? Curious.... Yes, you are physically beaten and perhaps emotionally drained. At times, I do see my own children with the same issue. A great example is my fourth daughter. My running daughter goes to early morning seminar, then to HS, next 1hr 30min of track training, comes home do house chores, then homework, then family time. Last bedtime.

Being a former Catholic, take the last with a measure of serenity.

If the Jews missed the 'mark', then I guess I must of smack the mark dead center since I seen it....lol

It is these curious topics that makes us look deeper into our study of the scriptures. Someone mentioned Professor Nibley. Well, he commented on this very subject:

Skalenfehl, as stated, I was right. Read the bold statement below: Compare this with references too: John 19:34-37, Palms 22:16, Zechariah 12:10, Revelation 1:7

Let me look...thanks.

Alma chapter 11 for me describes two plans. The 'Plan of Salvation', which the Savior to redeem fallen mankind from their conditions of sinfulness on conditions of faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, reception of the Holy Ghost, and continued obedience to Gospel principles and ordinances received. Now, redeeming one in sin would go against this plan and would destroy agency and accountability. Plan of Lucifer. Lucifer stated, he would save them all, essentially a redemption proposal that all men and women would be saved in their sins.

Exactly.

Though, I wish the Coughing Virus intelligences will subside quickly and honor my wishes as the god of this body. [Humor] I wholeheartedly agree Xhenli and Tom, one of our learning mortal principles that I had learned over time that meaningful and sincere prayers is a tool to communicate with Deity. Over time, our language begins to change as two people are conversing in openness. Over time, our tuning ear receptors no more hear just feel the spirit but hear the whispers of the Spirit. Over-time our prayers from time-to-time will part the thin veil. “Come to Christ!” That axiom brings great swelling in my chest, as tears flow down my cheek of the out pouring of FATHERS and Christs love in my last days of probation. I am reminded of Nephi as he try to converse that we must pray and gain knowledge for ourselves the Holy Ghost. 2 Nephi 32:1 thru 7, it reads:

What is interesting about verse 6, Professor Hugh Nibley has traced the origins of this atonement imagery to a Semitic word in the Bible is usually translated "atonement." Professor Nibley finds one of the primary meanings of this term to be encircling or surrounding. This means that the embrace imagery in the Book of Mormon is a continuation or variant of a Near Eastern way of speaking. Notable interest for those testimony builders as the BOM is a truly a work of GOD. The Book of Mormon also uses the figure of being encircled to show the consequences of following Satan, a reverse play, on the embrace by the Savior. Instead of an "embrace of love", Satan waits to "encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction" (Alma 12:6; see also Alma 5:7, 9). In 2 Nephi 1, language about the "awful chains [of hell] by which ye are bound" (1:13) is contrasted with the faithful's being "encircled about eternally in the arms of his love" (1:15). Alma and the sons of Mosiah, at first, are set forth as examples of those "encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell" (Alma 5:7). But they were set free through the Atonement. Through their missionary labors, others who "were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction" (Alma 26:15) accepted the invitation of Christ's extended arms of mercy: "He has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love" (Alma 26:15). Reference: John L. Sorenson

I have two more taxes still due today [daughter and son]...good luck to all who left it still last minute like me. LOL

The patriarch is correct. As long they are law consenting adults, age has no relevance to a temple marriage [LDS Point of view]. We really don’t know the true age [futile to place time on spiritual being] of the spirit versus the mortal time frame we are born into. So, what does it really matter?

There is miss conception that the Jewish leadership [King, priests] during Christ's ministry did not recognized Jesus Christ. That is not the case according to the Prophet Joseph Smith: For them, they put the very Christ to 'open shame' as Joseph mentioned. Even Roman puppet king during the timeframe knew that He was the very Christ as prophesied and had every male child executed.

That was a strange thing to say by CG [Catholic Girl] since it is quite evident that the Prophet was a witness of the Godhead and was instructed.