Jo Shmoe

In religious studies class this past Monday we spoke about the Book of Mormon and how to understand it. This religion I believe seems like others that we have studied in the past. It is a religion that was established to answer questions for a certain group of people. These answers help the group of people to understand the world in a view that all can agree with. In this case, I believe that the book of Mormon speaks out to Americans in the New World. The answer that it gave, through a system of symbols, was a suitable explanation for why Americans should have taken the New World and done away with the residents that were there before hand.

In the Third Book of Nephi in the Book of Mormon it affirms the coming of Jesus Christ and the word that he spread onto the house of Israel and most importantly to the people of Nephi. In the twenty second chapter it portrays and gives Jesus ‘explanation for why there would be Gentiles in the new world. This account was written so that it would seem to have been written at the time, however it mysteriously seems to facilitate an understanding for why Americans, who are Mormon, have been placed in the New World. A part of the Third Book of Nephi that stood out to me was,

“For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them. But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.”

The reason that this excerpt stood out to me was because it pertains, to what I believe, is the beginning of Mormonism in the New World. Joseph Smith is known as the official translator of the tablets that were found in upstate New York. It seems all to conventional that this segment would have been said by Jesus. This excerpt helps justify Joseph Smith in his translations and findings. So when the Book of Mormon was received by Americans it allowed reasoning for why the tablets would be found in the New World and also secured Joseph Smith in the hands of Jesus. Maybe I’m looking to into the whole excerpt but its seems kind of peculiar.