Ramblings of a boy that listened to the ramblings of a traditional mormon girl...

So the other night I was at institute and one of the "typical mormon" girls in class said somethings that made me start to wonder and remember things from my mission. These are my thoughts.

Wait... Smallville... I will be right back...

Ok, 1st thought:

Back early in my mission in Japan, I remember sharing the Book of Mormon with people telling them how the Book of Mormon was a companion to the Bible. Because what I had learned growing up in the church, I would say also things like, "it helps us more distincly understand the difference between God the Father and Jesus Christ." It would be very common for members to use Mosiah Chapter 15 verses 2-4 as a reference saying, "see it makes it easy to understand." Well the same thing was brought up in institute and a girl had used this as an explanation. Well, back in my mission, I would share this also...

Until one day on my mission, I read it over and over and over again and realized that it was actually confusing to me. After that point, in my explanations of the Book of Mormon I explained it as a companion to the Bible and I didn't use it as an explanation between God the Father and Jesus Christ, cause well I couldn't use it to "so easily" explain the distinction. In the wording of the Father and the Son, it is no different then the Bible. (Now after having read this paragraph, it is not to be misconstrued that this is the only thing I said about the BOM. It is only in this aspect that i changed. I discussed many other explanations of the Book of Mormon.)

Now what I also am going to say next may "offend" some people but it is true. There has been some changes in the Book of Mormon. Now the changes I am refering to is the changes in the previous link under the sub heading of "God or Son of God". There have been several times where changes were made to make it more clear which "being" was being spoken of. Many critics of the church like to criticize this point saying that Joseph Smith obviously didn't have a clear view of the trinity that we as mormon's today hold (as in a God the Father and Jesus Christ being two seperate beings) and as such the Book of Mormon was changed.

Now my thought about this is as such. I think in religious wording, maybe he didn't. If you look at Joseph Smith's life, he grew up with the Bible. Now I know that a lot of members like to think differently, but in the process of translation, I believe the Bible played a significant part. I am not saying the BOM (Book of Mormon) was copied from the Bible. I am saying that there was some influence of the Bible in the translation. Joseph Smith's perception of relgious things stems from mainly the Bible. Yes, I believe he received revelation, but, like all of us when trying to receive revelation, some of things had to be thought out on his own. So when he thought, obviously the Bible played a large part. So when it comes to parts where it talks about God the Father and Jesus Christ, it is obviously going to come out some what like the Bible.

Now there is one HUGE thing that makes a difference though. From his own personal experience, Joseph Smith DOES have a greater understanding of the fact that God the Father and Jesus Christ are TWO seperate beings. He doesn't need the Bible in helping him translate that part. That is what makes us understand and believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ are two seperate beings. Not necessarily by the discriptions in the BOM, but by a testimony. The BOM comes into play by helping us understand our Savior more and the importance of his life and sacrifice.

That's all I got to say about that.

Now 2nd:

"The Wrath of God" in the Old Testament.

It was funny, many people in Japan would always bring up the thought that how could the God of Christianity be so destructive and angry, like he was in the Old Testament. (Here are a list of scriptures with the term God and Wrath in it, now understand this is not all stories) Once again in institute, somebody brought up the terminology "the wrath of God" and "God's anger". Now, I don't know about y'all, but I like the term "God of love" better.

Now before I get into this, please understand that I believe that God is powerful. I believe all the "typical" beliefs about God and then some. But (and these are my thoughts mingled with beliefs) I think that maybe somewhere in between the idea of a God of wrath and a God a love, we get "Lost in Translation" (you ought to see this movie. Very good. Nothing spiritual about it though, unless you call the same kind of feeling that I get when I watch Braveheart and William Wallace yells "Freedom!!!!" spiritual).

Here are my thoughts. I think that back then, the world they lived in only really consisted of God as being the source of things that happen out of the ordinary. Now, back then, the things that happened out of the ordinary would be like weather, famine's, large masses of locust's, and plagues. They had no other way to explain it besides the fact that God had his hand in the situation. Now I am not denying that God could of had his hand in these situations but not as being the one who "causes" these things to happen but more or less, lets them happen.

I mean if you look at it today we have a lot of better of understanding of the weather, because of that we also understand famines. Large mass of bugs and other creepy things is not wierd to us anymore. We know certain things make them migrate in large groups. We even have the "killer bee's" that move in migration patterns. Plagues are all around us. If you think about it, AIDS is a plague. The new scary Bird Flu is a plague. Back in the olden days, there was the black PLAGUE. But now because of science, we don't see it as much as the wrath of God. WHAT HAPPENED TO US????

Nothing, I think. Well, I mean we have taken away from the idea of God's presence more and more, but as for what's happening in the world, I don't think much has changed. For example, everyone knows the story of Noah and the Ark. Now I would liken it to a make believe story about a man that lived in New Orleans all his life. This man did not know if there was anything outside of New Orleans. He was a humble man. A lot of the people around him were bad people. One day this man received revelation or feeling that he should buy a boat and get ready to leave New Orleans. Well he did what the feeling told him to. Then Katrina hit new orleans. To this man this man world was flooded. Do to science, we think that God did not send this Hurricane but that because weather happens like this it happened. So to him, the world flooded and he had a feeling he should leave.

Noah was a prophet of God at that time on the earth. I believe that and I don't doubt that the Lord warned Noah. I think by natural means (which God created in the beginning of time) the flood happened. Now to me also (this is bob's thought only) the whole world wasn't flooded. Just the world that Noah knew.

And I think the same thought's goes for a large part of the Old Testament and that is why we don't see the wrath of God as much these days. To us, through science, they're explainable. But back then, everything out of the ordinary was God.

Now if you remember, not all the "wrath" instances are from natural things. Many wars were won based upon the wrath of God. This is my thought. God gave us commandments and guidelines that we may live healthy constructive good lives. When we don't follow those lines, we basically destroy ourselves. God could be disappointed in us, but he is not just going to destroy his own children. To me I think these instances of the wrath of God, were because it was the consequences of these people's actions. I am trying to think of examples, but I am getting very tired. Basically it's like this. Bad people in some great and mighty town get drunk cause they like to party because they have gone away from the commandments God gave them, small army comes and destroy's them. Hoorah for ISRAEL!

Now I hope I am making some sense. If not, I am sorry. Ask and I will clarify more. I am getting very tired. But please understand, this is not my thought for everything in the Bible. I do believe in the power of God. There is some instances where I think God's hand had a part in, but as for all the destroying and wrath, most of it was just unexplainable to the people back then so to them obviously it was God.

Now as for the talking ass and flying axe? I have no clue. Maybe one too many sips from them old bottles of wine, eh?

Alright. This is my religious post for the time. Make comment. Get sleep. Nice bed.