Noah

[Traveler]

Text can be accurate without being complete. As far as it being factual, I don't think that was ever the intent.

We learned the facts before we came here. We knew all the facts. We learned all the facts until we could learn no more facts. With all those facts there was a choice made. We all made the correct choice given all the facts. Now, this life is not a test of the facts. It is a test to see how faithful we are in trusting in the Lord, do we do what we said we would while we are tied down by the flesh, not having all the facts and access to them like we did before? That is the test of this life. There is no need for God to provide us with all the facts again to repeat the test we already took and passed. This is a test to reveal the true desires of the heart not just the logical answer to a question like taking a math exam. Do we have a propensity to understand the spiritual intent of the lesson and rely on spiritual insight to understand it as opposed to our own learning or the learning of man?

Just because we don't know how it was done or can't show how it was done doesn't make it impossible. How do we know God didn't provide Noah, for example, with the DNA sequence of every creature in the world, one male and one female and a device that would implant the DNA into precursor cells that could be delivered to the right locations around the world after the flood. How much space would that zip drive take? I don't know, cause I just made that up. We don't have all the facts.

I don't think it matters what the mechanism was, it only matters that we don't lose faith in God and His purposes even if we don't totally understand his method. The way to come to grips with that is knowing that it was never intended that we have all the understanding while here. It would defeat the purpose of this life if we had all the understanding.

I personally believe that the worse possible scenario would involve a G-d that would deliberately provide dialog through his most inspired and trusted believers that has no possible basis in reality of what actually took place.

I would rather believe that I misunderstand sacred scripture or that sacred scripture has been altered; than try to deal with or have faith in a G-d that lies (deliberately misdirects by providing partial or incomplete truths).

The Traveler

[Seminarysnoozer]

I personally believe that the worse possible scenario would involve a G-d that would deliberately provide dialog through his most inspired and trusted believers that has no possible basis in reality of what actually took place.

I would rather believe that I misunderstand sacred scripture or that sacred scripture has been altered; than try to deal with or have faith in a G-d that lies (deliberately misdirects by providing partial or incomplete truths).

The Traveler

Matthew 13; " 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."

D&C 20: " 14 And those who receive it in faith, and work righteousness, shall receive a crown of eternal life;

15 But those who harden their hearts in unbelief, and reject it, it shall turn to their own condemnation—"

The purpose of the written word is to give to those that have through the spirit and to also be a source of condemnation to those who don't receive it in faith. Scripture is written, in part, to force a decision between belief and unbelief. It has to be written in such a way that it requires faith to accept, at least some of it.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Seminarysnoozer

[mnn727]

The purpose of the written word is to give to those that have through the spirit and to also be a source of condemnation to those who don't receive it in faith. Scripture is written, in part, to force a decision between belief and unbelief. It has to be written in such a way that it requires faith to accept, at least some of it.

That's kind of like telling your kids "Because I said so"

 

I think we bend over backwards sometimes to believe things just because they are in an ancient record called 'The Bible'

I think we really need to acknowledge that the Book of Genesis was a primitive peoples way of explaining things they had no explanation for. It was an oral history handed down for 2000 years or so before it was written down.

I look at much of the Old Testament as allegory and faith promoting story. I learn the lessons available with out having to believe they are historical and accurate.

[Seminarysnoozer]

That's kind of like telling your kids "Because I said so"

 

I think we bend over backwards sometimes to believe things just because they are in an ancient record called 'The Bible'

I think we really need to acknowledge that the Book of Genesis was a primitive peoples way of explaining things they had no explanation for. It was an oral history handed down for 2000 years or so before it was written down.

I look at much of the Old Testament as allegory and faith promoting story. I learn the lessons available with out having to believe they are historical and accurate.

The difference, though, is that in order for one to hear the "because I said so", one has to be spiritually in-tune.  That becomes the test, whether we maintain that spiritual discernment or do we rely on the understanding of man to explain things.  The degree to which we can understand the concepts on a spiritual level is a reflection of how well we are passing the test.  Most people, unfortunately, don't even hear the "because I said so" because they pass off the stories as made up history and then fail to ponder them at a spiritual level.

 

Matthew 13; " 15 For this people’s ^aheart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their ^beyes they have ^cclosed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should ^dheal them.

 16 But blessed are your ^aeyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear."

 

If one reads the stories at a secular level or takes it as a historical text, I think that causes the "heart to wax gross and ears dull of hearing and eyes closed."  I agree, we shouldn't even be asking if they are historically accurate, then we have already given up the possibility of "understanding with their heart."

 

This is why one of my pet peeves in Sunday School is when the teacher gives the lesson like a history lesson; this is what happened, then this, then this...

[Lakumi]

I donno how else I am supposed to take something someone says is true.

 

I was always raised that these were stories meant to teach a lesson, not true history. When I was young I would imagine it being in alter dimensions (I watched a lot of Outer Limits and Bible shows as a kid- a strange mix)