splashboy Posted September 18, 2009 Report Posted September 18, 2009 Just looking for new and interesting stuff in the relating to our LDS world. Any neat stories of people, volunteer groups, etc.? Quote
Just_A_Guy Posted September 18, 2009 Report Posted September 18, 2009 Have you checked out Mormon Times, Splashboy? Quote
splashboy Posted September 18, 2009 Author Report Posted September 18, 2009 Yes, I'm linked to many of the LDS news sites. I was wondering if anyone knew of good newsworthy things that weren't published already. I like these smiley things. Quote
NeuroTypical Posted September 18, 2009 Report Posted September 18, 2009 This thread here is turning out to be a pretty neat story about someone... Quote
skippy740 Posted September 18, 2009 Report Posted September 18, 2009 Here was something interesting that my mom emailed me this morning. Unknown if this is really true or not, so take it like it is. > > > > > > This > > came from a Stake Relief Society President in > > Utah > > > > A Muslim translates Book of Mormon back to Egyptian > > and is converted > > --Reflections of Sami Hanna as recorded by Elder Russell M. > > Nelson, apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of > > Latter-day Saints. > > My neighbor, Sami Hanna, is a native Egyptian. He is an > > academic scholar who moved into our neighborhood to > > accept an assignment with the university as a > > specialist in Middle Eastern Studies and the Semitic > > group of languages such as Arabic, Abyssinian, > > Hebrew, Aramaic, and Assyrian. > > > > > > Being a newcomer into our community, he felt the > > Mormons were a bit of a curiosity. Upon > > learning the name Mormon came from our belief that the Book > > of Mormon is divine scripture, he was intrigued by the > > existence of the Book of Mormon. He had erroneously > > thought this was American > > literature. When he was told that the Book of Mormon was > > translated from the ancient Egyptian or modified Hebrew > > type of hieroglyphic into the English language by the > > prophet Joseph Smith, he became even more engrossed, > > for this was his native language and he knows much > > about the other Semitic languages as well as the > > modern languages. > > > > > > So challenged was he by this book that he embarked on the > > project of translating the Book of Mormon from > > English to Arabic. This translation was different from > > other translators, for this was to be a translation > > back to the original language of the book. To make > > a long story short, the process of this translation > > became the process of his conversion; for he soon knew > > the Book of Mormon to be a divine document even though > > he knew virtually nothing of the organization of the > > Church or of its programs. His conversion came purely > > from the linguistics of the book which he found could > > not have been composed by an American, no matter how > > gifted. > > > > > > Some of these observations I think will be of interest to > > you, as they were to me, for they clarify some of the > > unique aspects of the book. > > > > > > 1. Jarom 2: "It musts needs be..." This > > expression, odd and awkward in English, is excellent > > Arabic grammar. Elsewhere in the book the use of the > > compound verbs "did eat", "did go", > > "did smile" again awkward and rarely used in > > English, are classical and correct grammar in the > > Semitic languages. > > > > > > 2. Omni 18: "Zarahemla gave a genealogy of his > > fathers, according to his memory. Brother Hanna > > indicates that this is a typical custom of his Semitic > > forebearers to recite their genealogy from memory. > > > > 3. Words of Mormon 17: Reference is made here as in other > > parts of the Book of Mormon, to the > > "stiffneckedness" of his people. > > Brother Hanna perceives that this word would be a very > > unusual word for an American youth, Joseph Smith, to > > use. An American would likely prefer an adjective such > > as stubborn or inflexible. But the custom in the Arabic > > language is to use just such a descriptive > > adjective. Stiffnecked is an adjective they use > > in describing an obstinate person. > > > > > > 4. Mosiah 11:8 "King Noah built many elegant and > > spacious buildings and ornamented them with fine work > > and precious things, including ziff." Have you > > ever wondered about the meaning of the word > > "ziff" referred to in this scripture? This > > word, although in the Book of Mormon, is not contained > > in dictionaries of the English language. Yet it > > translates freely back into the Arabic language, for ziff > > is a special kind of curved sword somewhat like a > > scimitar which is carried in a sheath and often used > > for ornamentation as well as for more practical > > purposes. The discovery of the word "ziff" in > > the > > Book of Mormon really excited my neighbor, Brother Hanna. > > > > > > 5. Alma 63:11 Reference is made to Helaman, son of Helaman. > > Why did not Joseph Smith interpret this as Helaman, > > Jr., which would have been more logical for him, > > bearing the same name as his father, Joseph, and being > > named Joseph Smith, Jr. In Arabic , Brother > > Hanna explains, there is no word junior" to cover > > this circumstance. Their custom is to use the > > terminology Joseph, son of Joseph; Helaman, son of > > Helaman, etc. > > > > > > 6. Helaman 1:3 Here reference is made to the contending for > > the judgment seat. Brother Hanna observes that the use > > of the term "judgment seat" would be quite > > strange to an American who might have used a more > > familiar noun such as governor, president, or > > ruler. Yet, in Arabic custom, the place of power rests > > in the judgment seat and whoever occupies that seat, is > > the authority and power. The authority goes with the > > seat and not with the office or the person. So, this, > > in the Semitic languages, connotes the meaning exactly. > > > > 7 Helaman 3:14 In this verse, there are a total of eighteen > > "ands." Reviewers of the Book of Mormon > > have, on occasion, been critical of the grammar in such > > a passage where the use of the word "and" > > seems so repetitious. Yet Brother Hanna explains that > > each of the "ands" in this verse is > > absolutely essential to the meaning, when this verse is > > expressed in Arabic, for the omission of any " > > and" would nullify the meaning words. > > > > > > 8. Helaman 3:18-19 Have you wondered why the Book of Mormon > > cites a numbering system such as this? Do we say > > "forty and six, forty and seven, forty and > > eight?" No! Joseph Smith's natural > > interpretation would; more appropriately have been > > forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight without the ands". > > Brother Hanna excitedly observes that the use of > > "and" in forty and six" is precisely correct > > Arabic. Remember they number, as well as read, from > > right to left and recite their numbers with the > > "and" to separate the columns. > > > > Well, I have just cited a few of these examples. There are > > many more! As Latter-day Saint leaders, we are aware of > > the Semitic origin of the Book of Mormon. The fact that > > an Arabic scholar such as this sees a beautiful > > internal consistency in the Prophet Joseph Smith's > > translation of the book, is of great interest. The > > Prophet Joseph did not merely render an interpretation, > > but a word for word translati on from the Egyptian type > > of hieroglyphic into the English language. Brother > > Hanna said the Book of Mormon simply flowed back into > > the Arabic language. Quote
Moksha Posted September 19, 2009 Report Posted September 19, 2009 General Conference is right around the corner and perhaps another LDS.net get together. Quote
Snow Posted September 19, 2009 Report Posted September 19, 2009 Yes, I'm linked to many of the LDS news sites. I was wondering if anyone knew of good newsworthy things that weren't published already. I like these smiley things.Yes - I'm LDS and I've been promised total consciousness on my deathbed... so at least I've got that going for me. Quote
jadams_4040 Posted September 19, 2009 Report Posted September 19, 2009 Just looking for new and interesting stuff in the relating to our LDS world. Any neat stories of people, volunteer groups, etc.? Yes i have a wonderfull member story to share; and that story is that me and my wife, daughter and son in law all got conferance tickets for sunday morning!! whhooo Hoooo!:) {I know this isnt excatly what you were looking for; but its good news for us!}. Quote
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