minivan

LDS people believe in "exaltation" which is to become a god. I don't know why people, even within the church finds that so touchy. It's not as if we "transform" into some other race or species, it means we become so enlightened, so powerfull, and so much like or Father that we reach the same level as he is.

dude, quit ruining the lovely mood, poop-face. This is a really happy and warm story:)

update: your quote comes from a professor at Harvard. This is good, but I have found the original source, from which Bridget Samuels from Harvards Department of Linguistics took from: A book by the name of "The Ancient Near East " By Peter Roger Stuart Moorey, page 46-47: "....in 1857, the French scholar Oppert was able to give the first translation of an Akkadian text...." Hence, we know that Joseph Smith could NOT know Akkadian, seeing the BoM was published decades before.

another testament of the reality contained in the BoM.

are you saying the book it speaks of is purely metaphorical? Why then does it go on to say very specific things about the book? By the way, I think your interpretation of the chapter makes sense, but it is one out of many completely different interpretations I have heard from different mainstream christians.

I was reading Isaiah 29 today and realized it was talking very specifically about the BoM, JS, and the restoration: Verses from Isaiah 29: --------------------------------------------- 3 And I will camp against thee [Jerusalem] round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.-the destruction of Jerusalem; the reason Lehi and his family left for the America's in the 1st place. 4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. -They were brought down to the Americas, and the words of the nephites and lamanites etc etc would "speak from the ground" because their words and writtings were burried beneath the ground (BoM burried on a hillside) 6 Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring afire. -Jesus visited them in the Americas; before he came there was all of which is described above. 11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed-The sealed portion of the BoM 12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.- Joseph Smith only had a few months of formal education. 13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men -the Lord said something to this effect when He appeared to Joseph in the Grove, the dawn of the restoration. 14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.-the restoration -------------------------------------------- I was wondering what other peoples takes on the chapter were, and more importantly, what people of other faiths think about the chapter. Interesting stuff!!