Saving, Saving, Saved by Grace

"What must I do to inherit eternal life? What must I do to be saved?"

Though these questions may seem irrelevant to my brethren who identify as atheist, to those of us who believe in God, we recognize that there is a gulf, as it were, of difference between us and God, between what we do or even wish to do and the reunion with God that we theists aspire to.

I am a Latter-day Saint (LDS). I am Mormon. I am a Christian. Some of my fellow Christians who are not LDS ascribe to a belief that to be saved one must only profess a belief in Jesus Christ, that He is The Son of God, our Savior. The scripture that these Christian brethren often cite is in Ephesians 2:

Ephesians 2:1-10

1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4: But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6: And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus;

7: That in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God:

9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The phrases "for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves" and "not of works, lest any man should boast" seem to be very precise, "believe and by grace ye are saved". My brethren who ascribe to this view see salvation thus achieved as immediate, secured in the moment of belief professed, and irrevocable.

But What of Other Scriptural References?

The point of concern, however, is that The Bible scriptures may seem to be at odds with each other. Here are 10 New Testament passages that, though clear in and of themselves, seem to be at odds with the terms outlined in Ephesians 2.

#1: John 3:3-5

3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4: Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Here Jesus makes a statement that two requirements for entry into the kingdom of God are baptism by water and baptism by the Spirit. In fact, this is the first requirement The Lord outlines for entry into the Kingdom of God. Jesus makes the requirement universal and binding upon all.

#2: Mark 16:16
16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Here Jesus overtly names belief and baptism as necessary for salvation.

#3: James 2:19-20
19: Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well; the devils also believe, and tremble.
20: But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Here James draws the distinction between a tenet held and not observed/obeyed/practiced, as what the devils do, and one that is practiced in the works that we do. The devils have dead faith, and likewise our faith is dead if our faith is not leading us to take the steps or works God requires of us.

#4: Matthew 7:21-23

21: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22: Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23: And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This passage seems to teach that faith alone is insufficient for a person to be saved if that faith were accompanied by works of iniquity, however much the doer asserts that such dark works were wondrous. Here The Lord acknowledges the role of faith, "Lord, Lord" is a reference to prayer, to reverence, to acknowledgement, to a person's acceptance of Him, The Savior, through reverence. He, The Savior, makes it clear that the type of acknowledgement of Him that His Father will accept is the type that led those who profess His Name, The Savior's, to do the will of His Father in Heaven.

#5: Matthew 10:22

22: And ye shall be hated of all men for my names's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

In this passage Jesus states that salvation comes to those who endure to the end, which seems to be at odds with the belief in instantaneous salvation. Here The Savior makes clear that our diligence must not die off but persevere unto the end, the goal, the objective. Endure to the end is clear, for if we desire to return to our Father in Heaven, why would we cease striving to grow closer to God at any point? We would not cease striving to grow closer to God, but would continue growing closer to Him until we are reunited, and that reunion is salvation. Thus he that endureth "to the end" shall be saved.

#6: Matthew 19:16-17, 26

16: And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

26: But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Here the Savior overtly states that the keeping of the commandments is what a person must do to have eternal life. And when his own disciples expressed doubt that anyone could achieve salvation on such terms Jesus said that "with God all things are possible." So what are the steps for entering into life eternal, to that life that is union with God in His presence? The steps are the commandments of God, and thanks to this sacred record, the world has it on the highest authority, Jesus Christ Himself, that the commandments are the steps for walking into or "entering" into life eternal, our ultimate end or objective.

#7: Matthew 28:18-20

18: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;

20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This passage does not make an overt reference to "salvation" or "grace", but notice the Savior's instruction, "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Here the Savior's instruction to His apostles is that they should teach obedience to all His commandments. The Savior sent His apostles out to teach the world to keep every single commandment He had commanded them, His apostles. The point is clear, because He, Christ, was sent to bring all people to the very presence of God, if we choose to follow Him we will do what He instructs us to do, and those instructions are His commandments.

#8: Acts 15:9-11

9: And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

10: Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11: But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Here the Apostles, led by the presiding Apostle, Peter, when discussing a controversial issue, whether the Gentile converts should submit to Mosaic circumcision, states that the Gentiles converts like they, the Jews, "through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved." Peter states "shall be saved" rather than "have already been saved", thus pointing to a future point at which salvation shall come to pass for them. 

#9: Acts 15:18

18: When they heard these things, they held their peace, and gloried God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

As Peter continued his pronouncements on the issue of Gentile requirements for admission into the Gospel, he mentioned that God "also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." Often overlooked, I feel, is that repentance, not solely the act of our asking forgiveness of God, and not even our efforts to unlearn the sin and practice a Godly walk instead of it, but the actual possibility itself to repent, "be forgiven", and strive to learn Godliness instead, that is God's gift that is granted to us.

#10: Revelation 12:10-11
10: And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their own lives unto the death.

This reference is powerful in part because it describes the realization of salvation, again, as Peter intimated earlier, will be at a future time. At that future time we will see that it was by the "blood of Jesus", His grace enabled, His Atonement and Resurrection, that we overcame as well as our own testimonies (our own faith in Him) and our hatred of our own lives until death, an expression that means "we chose God's will over ours throughout our lives" thus despising our lives but loving God's.

Now, although these scriptures are only a few, they are consistent with each other in their message. If we look at them carefully we can discern what they indicate: Baptism appears to be the first requirement, though faith is critical before and after, namely, that faith that motivates them who profess The Christ to do the will of The Father. We must press forward throughout our lives because salvation has not brought about its objective, reunion with God The Father, until we have actually been reunified with Him. The commandments we were given are the steps that spiritually and ultimately physically will take us to the presence of God and eternal life with Him. Repentance will play a critical role both before baptism and after; far from being a painful burden, repentance was granted to us by God so that we might live life in His Son now, and eventually live with Him and His Son when we reenter their presence.

Grace Absent in the Old Testament?

The question often arises why grace is absent in the Old Testament especially since it is prominent in the New Testament. I put it to the reader that grace figures in prominently in the Old Testament, but whereas the New Testament translators came to use "grace" as the term for God's loving kindness or mercy, "mercy" was used in the translation of the Old Testament. In any event, the Hebrew word "khessed", often translated "mercy" is precisely the word that gets rendered "grace" in New Testament times. Here are three exemplary citations:

Exodus 20:5-6:

5: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them [idols], nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6: And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

A more transparent translation would be "And showing grace unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments."

Exodus 34:6-7
6: and the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7: Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and fourth generation.

This verse is particularly salient because in it The Lord told Moses that The Lord keeps mercy, "grace" as translated in the New Testament, forgiving iniquity, transgressions and sin, but The Lord also adds that He will not clear or absolve the guilty, that is, the unrepentant, those who persisted in rebellion.

Psalms 109:26-27

26: Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy.
27: That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.

A more transparent translation would be "save me according to thy grace."

The message of The Lord seems to be consistent, that God's grace (also translated as "mercy" in the Old Testament) is applied to those who keep His commandments. The exception seems to be what Ephesians appears to be saying, that we are saved "not by works." 

Saved by Our Own Works?

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ contains the teachings of a prophet Alma, which name, "Alma" was discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls as a once known but long since lost Hebrew male name that apparently was related to the Aramaic 'Alma 'world'. How fitting, because his message, the Prophet Alma's message, was for all the world. Alma taught that no human work can atone for sins, that there had to be an atonement, but that atonement had to be infinite and eternal. Alma emphasizes that it is not even animal sacrifice or human sacrifices (meaning "capital punishment for murder" and perhaps also "behavioral" sacrifices) that remove sins, but the sacrifice of The Son of God that removes sins. 

Alma 34:9-14

9: For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

10: For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, yea, not of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.

11: Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.

12: But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.

13: Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.

14: And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

Here Alma makes the case that there is nothing any human can do to atone for his own sins, let alone for those of another. Consequently, to remove the sins of the world, a sacrifice would have to be made, namely, The Son of God. Suffice it to say that Mormons do not believe that "our works save us" in the sense that "our works remove our sins", for the only work that removes sins is that done by The Son of God, and that great Work was accomplished by The Savior at the culmination of His earthly life.

So Do Our Personal Works Impact Our Salvation?

To be clear, our own choices and deeds, often referred to as "works" do not remove sins--only The Savior's Atonement removes sins--yet our works serve a purpose. If the Atonement of Jesus Christ wipes sins away, and if as we continue to repent we invite the Savior's cleansing power once again to wipe the newly committed sins away, then what purpose do our works serve? Our works, our personal choices and deeds, are the very steps we take to draw closer to God, step by step closer, until we have reentered His actual physical Presence. The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi illustrated this when he described baptism as only the entry into the way that leads to eternal life. 

2 Nephi 31:19-20

19: And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

20: Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Nephi's expression, "press forward" in the strait and narrow path is vivid and it forms an unmistakable image of our duty to move from the beginning of our new life in Christ to the ultimate goal, eternal life with our Father in Heaven and His Son. Grace, The Lord's loving kindness in agreeing to take upon Himself our sins, lightens the otherwise impossibly heavy burden of removing our own sins. His Atonement makes movement forward possible, that is, His Atonement made it possible for steps back to our Father in Heaven to exist, but we must receive the gift, and we must choose to apply His Atonement in our lives in order to return to God.

John the Baptist declared this very message, but his words get overlooked:

Matthew 3:4
4: ...Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

This citation is often taken to mean that we are clearing a path for our Lord to walk. That imagery is beautiful, that we would prepare the way for The Lord to reach us. Indeed that is what "preparing The way of The Lord" may mean. The words that follow that introductory statement clarify our personal duty, for each of us to "make a straight path to The Lord", which is what is meant by "make his paths straight". That is why "paths" is used here in the plural, that is, each of us must make a straight path to Him, and wherever we are in life, the steps will be the same ones, same in straightness and righteousness (faith, repentance, baptism, enduring to the end as led by The Holy Ghost to keep God's commandments). 

The Focus is on The Lord's Enabling Grace and Not on our Abilities

There is a tendency for us as humans to believe that any ability we have to overcome weakness is solely the result of personal effort. Yes, we choose to move forward, but when we ascribe the remission of sins to our adherence to God's laws, we convert what should be The Lord's enabling steps into dead works. Let me attempt to make my point: To obey God's laws is good, and essential, but to believe that our obedience removes our sins is to assume an honor reserved solely for The Son of God because it was He and He Alone who took upon Himself the sins of the world. No human work, no matter how well motivated, removes a single sin, not even repentance or baptism removes sins. These choices invite the cleansing power of the Atonement in our lives, but it is always only the Atonement of Jesus Christ that removed sin. It is through our works that we receive the Gift, but God's Gift of Mercy or Grace removed all sin. The Lord, both in the Old and New Testaments, instructed the people not to view their adherence to His laws as the act of removing sin, for that belief makes the work a dead work (a work of pride or arrogance), but to remember that it was and is His Grace, His Mercy, that removes the sin (an act of humility before God). The passage in question is in Hosea and Matthew. In Hosea I will supply the King James version then its more correct translation from the Hebrew.

Hosea 6:6 King James Version
6: For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than of burnt offerings.
From the Hebrew:
6: For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the acknowledgement of God instead of burnt offerings.

This passage is beautiful, though the King James translators unintentionally obfuscated it for us by writing "I desired mercy" rather than what the Hebrew says, "I desire mercy" and "the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" instead of "the acknowledgement of God instead of burnt offerings". When understood in clarity, this verse does not mean that God does not desire our obedience to His laws, laws which require that our will be sacrificed unto His will. What this verse says is that we should acknowledge God and His mercy/grace instead of believing that our obedience has removed sin. Again, our obedience is how we accept His gift of forgiveness into our lives and apply the gift so as to step closer to God. Our obedience is dead without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and likewise, if we assume the honor that belongs to The Son of God, we have deadened the effectiveness of our works in us even if outwardly those works are what God has asked of us. Jesus referred to this passage of Hosea in Matthew 9:13 when the Pharisees criticized Him for eating with sinners. He instructed the Pharisees to "learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." It is Jesus who has Grace, and though outwardly the Pharisees kept the law, inwardly they took the credit unto themselves. Jesus pointed out that The Lord requires our humble acknowledgement of His Grace rather than pride in our diligence, though diligence is required for us to step closer and closer to God.

Paul and Nephi Described the Same Process, But at Different Stages

The Apostle Paul's words "saved by grace, not by works" may seem at odds with what The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi taught:

2 Nephi 25:23
23: For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

Some of my fellow Christians who are not LDS get annoyed, naturally, at what seems to be an overt contradiction between The Bible and The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. However, look closely at what Nephi wrote: "after all we can do". At what point could any of us say "that is all I can do, I can do no more"? I put it to the reader that the point at which we have done all we can do is the point when we have returned to God for our final judgment. "Now hold on!" my brethren will say. "Are you saying that you get yourself to God?" No, I am saying that Christ enables every single step, but what good are those steps if I will not take each one? Christ's Atonement will not drag me into Heaven kicking and screaming, but I must choose to follow my Lord step by sometimes painful step. At the point at which I have (I truly hope) returned to God's presence, I will look back at every step that took me there and know that although I accepted God's gift, it was by the gift of His grace that I am saved.

Would it surprise you if I told you that Paul's verses in Ephesians were mistranslated? I will cite the passages rendered carefully from the Greek:

Ephesians 2:1-10

1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4: But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are being saved;)

6: And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus;

7: That in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8: For by grace are ye being saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God:

9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Paul did not write that by grace we are saved but that by grace we "are being saved". What? Yes, Paul actually was speaking of the process of Salvation, just as Nephi did centuries earlier, but whereas Nephi was speaking of the completion of Salvation, at the point of finality and completion, Paul was speaking of the process of Salvation while that long process is underway. Look carefully at what Paul writes.

1. We were dead in transgressions but were quickened and raised up in Christ, which is baptism. Paul then carefully writes "for by grace ye are being saved". We are not yet saved, not yet in God's presence, but the process of our salvation is now underway.
2. Our faith is leading us to salvation, and it is not our works that are removing our trespasses but the Grace of God that removes them, therefore no man can boast of his works (as the Pharisees were so wont to do). By grace we are being saved as we move forward from baptism.
3. Now the oft overlooked teaching, from verse 10, that as Christ's new creations via rebirth through baptism, Christ's "workmanship", we are created unto good works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them.

So, Paul described our spiritual death ending by rebirth as Christ's workmanship, a new life in which we are created unto good works that God ordained that we should walk in. Nephi described the culmination of that walk, that when we have through Christ's grace done the good works God Himself ordained that we should walk in, the very good works Christ through His grace raised us up from spiritual death to walk in, we will know that after all these good works or steps that God commanded and enabled us to do, step by painful step, it was truly by grace that we were saved, mainly because not one of those steps would have removed a single sin; only the Atonement of Jesus Christ removed sin and lifted the burden.

Now, the reader is, as always, at liberty to make of these passages what he or she will. I ask only that in your contemplation you consider that my own views aside, the citations I share are actually textual.

Leaven of Heaven

The question has been put to me, why do the LDS not use unleavened bread for the Sacrament?

The issue merits some attention. I believe that the question is not independent but part of a cluster of related matters:

Why was unleavened bread used anciently, that is, what was its significance

What Christians, if any, use it in religious worship today, and why?

Why do the Latter-day Saints not use unleavened bread?       

So why was unleavened bread used anciently? 

The Lord explained to ancient Israel that He led them out of Egypt in haste, on the heels of His taking the lives of the firstborn sons of Egypt. (Exodus 12:17,29,33,34,39)

(17) And ye shall observe unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

(29) And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

(33) And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.

(34) And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

(39) And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

Notice how the Israelites are told they shall observe this “day” forever by an ordinance.  We already may notice a couple of interesting points. First, the day of deliverance was Friday evening, the “sacrifice” of the Egyptian firstborn males certainly has its echo in the upcoming Sacrifice of Heavenly Father’s “Firstborn” Spirit Son, His Only-begotten Son in the flesh, the blood of the sacrificial lamb that spared the Israelite firstborn sons appears to be a symbol of the upcoming sacrifice of the Lamb of God, whose blood saves us from death by divine justice, the bitter herbs recall the “bitter cup” that Jesus had to ingest, and then there is the question of the unleavened bread.

The Function of Yeast/Leaven in Bread Making

Now, unleavened bread is simply bread with no yeast, so consequently the bread does not rise. Presumably the Israelites obtained all of their ingredients for bread in Egypt itself—grain/flour, water, salt—and yeast would have been no different. However, yeast is special in two important regards: 1) A small amount of yeast will affect a large amount of dough; 2) Yeast will cause bread to rise.

The Savior addresses the issue of yeast (“yeast” and “leaven” are identical in meaning, only that “yeast” is Germanic and “leaven” is French) as a symbol, and as a symbol it could mean “false doctrine”. (Matthew 16:6,12)

(6) Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

(12) Then understood they how that he bad them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

The Savior’s teaching is interesting in more than one regard. First and foremost, that “leaven” should symbolize false doctrine or, I suppose, sin, is curious. A little sin or a little falsehood can affect the entire loaf of sourced of nutrition (a whole loaf of bread), and as we live off of bread, we would ingest much falsehood over a small allowance of sin. The other point that may get overlooked is that the Savior, interestingly enough, did not bid the apostles to beware of actual yeast. Actual yeast itself was fine, but as a symbol there was certainly such as thing as bad yeast.

Good Yeast in Opposition to Bad Yeast

We have seen how the Savior used leaven as a symbol of false doctrine, and that analogy elucidates an otherwise obscure teaching, the Parable of the Woman and the Leaven. (Matthew 13:33)

(33) Another parable spake he unto them: The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Some familiarity with the Savior's consistent use of symbols is helpful in understanding this brief yet potent parable. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a doctrine (leaven) that taken by the Church (the woman) in hidden or kneaded into three measures of grain (three witnesses) will exalt the entire membership. 

Perhaps what often gets overlooked is that it can be said that the bread of the Kingdom of Heaven had leaven, albeit the spiritual leaven that raises not the bread but the soul.

What Kind of Bread Did the Savior Use When He Instituted the Sacrament?

This topic actually goes toward answering the question, which Christians today use unleavened bread in their Sacrament. The Savior used unleavened bread as this was the bread used in the Passover. (Matthew 26:2,17,26-28,31-32)

(2) Ye know that after two days is the passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified.

(17) Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

(26) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

(27) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

(28) For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

(31) Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

(32) But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 

These passages on the Passover and the institution of the Sacrament are very familiar to Christians. There are at least two details I would draw the reader's attention to. First, that the Savior performed the Passover as He Himself had commanded in the Law given to Moses. Second, it was in the midst of the Jewish observation that Jesus instituted the most sacred ordinance known in Christianity, and He did so by taking the old emblems and exalting their significance: The deliverance would now not be from Egypt but from sin, and the blood would soon be spilled to save all mankind. 

There is one additional detail I would draw attention to: That it was also in the institution of the Sacrament that Jesus makes mention yet again of His impending Resurrection, His "rising again". 

This "Rising Again" may bear significance in the matter of "leavened" bread since Jesus declared Himself to be the Bread of Life. (John 6:35)

(35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

The symbol of bread satisfying hunger eternally and the quenching of thirst eternally, itself no doubt referring to Jesus being the "Living Waters" but also to "drinking His blood" via faith and renewal of covenants is noteworthy.

As a matter of fact, Canon Law of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church mandates the use of unleavened bread in the Eucharist (Sacrament in the LDS sense). Interestingly enough, the Greek Orthodox Church forbids unleavened bread for the Sacrament viewing the unleavened bread as tied to the Old Testament, the leavened bread as part of the New Testament.

Old Outward Practice Preserved Through Inner Commitment

It is no secret that circumcision (in the Biblical sense circumcision was the trimming of the rim of the foreskin, unlike the modern practice of the complete removal of the tissue) was part of the Law given to Moses. (Leviticus 12:3)

(3) And in the eight day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

Yet the Savior reinterpreted circumcision, the commitment to submit to God's will, even when His will would affect us intimately, solely to a commitment in one's heart, which commitment was part of the Law of Moses as well. (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6, Romans 2:29)

(16) Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

(6) And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

(29) But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

These verses demonstrate that even when The Lord had commanded the outward ordinance of circumcision, He really required the heart to be bridled and turned to Him. Later, Paul in addressing the Saints in Rome, stated that circumcision was of the heart, in the spirit, to praise God. 

You may be wondering what this practice has to do with leaven. Well, as it happens, leaven too received a reinterpretation in the Gospel of the New Covenant.  (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)

(6) Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

(7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

(8) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

What is noteworthy here is that the passover along with its unleavened bread is reinterpreted in the Gospel, and our unleavened bread is to be sincerity and truth.

Why Do The LDS Not Use Unleavened Bread For Their Sacrament?

Well, the survey of scriptural passages may have actually demonstrated that "the avoidance of leaven" was not longer a requirement for the recalling the sacrifice of the Son of God. In truth, the Eastern Orthodox Christians and many Protestants routinely use leavened bread for their Sacrament. But as to the specific question why the LDS do not, we actually have a modern revelation on the matter. (Doctrine and Covenants 27:2)

(2) For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory--remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins.

I will concede the point that this revelation, in August of 1830, may seem like a novel or arbitrary declaration to those unacquainted with it. When the scriptures are studied carefully, though, we may see in this statement absolute consistency with what the Savior said centuries earlier. We saw that He instituted the Passover for Israel to remember their deliverance from Egypt and the upcoming Sacrifice of the Son of God. We saw that unleavened bread was part of the Passover worship. We also saw that the Savior used leaven as a symbol for doctrine and warned against using false leaven or doctrine, but compared the Kingdom of Heaven as good leaven kneaded into dough so that the bread would rise. Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life, and Jesus prophesied He would rise after the Passover, and He did so as the apostles ate the unleavened bread. We also saw Paul teaching that our unleavened bread is not sincerity and truth. By analogy the Savior transformed physical circumcision of the flesh along with the spiritual circumcision of the heart into only the spiritual circumcision of the heart. The LDS have it on good authority, namely Jesus Himself, that the type of bread or type of fluid used for the sacrament are not so important, but the remembrance of His Sacrifice is what matters. So per LDS doctrine our Catholic and Orthodox as well as Protestant brethren are fine in their choices of avoiding or utilizing leaven. Not all may see eye to eye in this matter, but I would ask only that, as we consider the factors of this particular issue, we bear in mind that which is actually textual.

Parables, Trees and The Law

Parables are simple stories that are told to teach a moral, a lesson. Trees or large fruit-yielding plants or vines were favorite symbols in ancient parables. One reason is that the trees or vines had to be tended, nurtured, cared for, even pruned and dunged, in order for the husbandmen eventually to gain a yield of fruit.

Those familiar with The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ have read "the parable of the Lord of the Vineyard." In this parable a Lord and His faithful Servant, who represent Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, set about nourishing an olive tree. Despite their thorough and attentive efforts the olive tree begins to die. Together they prune the most corrupt branches and burn them, then sever the branches most promising yet unproductive of good fruit and graft them into wild olive trees. The Lord and His Servant then graft wild branches into the original tame or cultivated tree. At one point their efforts yield good fruit, but soon all branches corrupt. Finally The Lord and His Servant restore the original tame branches to their host tame tree and, with much effort, gain a yield of fruit for the season. The parable is an allegory of the scattering and subsequent gathering of the House of Israel.

My point in sharing this? I have long had an interest in parallel correspondences between The Book of Mormon and other sacred texts, in particular sacred texts that were and are relatively unknown.

Here is a little known fact: The one of the two earliest versions of the New Testament--The Codex Sinaiticus--contained extra books after The Book of Revelation, among them a rather lengthy work called "The Shepherd of Hermas." (BTW: The other early New Testament, The Codex Alexandrinus, also contained extra books.)The Shepherd of Hermas (SH) consists of visions, angelic visitations, and a parable.

I wish to share a few points from The Parable of the Willow, from Similitude VIII of Section III of Hermas. In this parable there is a willow tree. Branches are removed and distributed in foot-long rods to various people. After a time the Lord of the Willow Tree along with His servants return to gather the willow rods. They discover the willow rods to be in various states ranging from full bloom with fruit all the way to withered, cleft and dead, with gradations in between. In all there are twelve categories in that range. The Lord and His servants then separate the rods and send their stewards to one of three locations. There is a Tower, surrounding walls, and then a place of ultimate separation. The first rod bearers to enter the tower are those whose rods sprouted branches and fruit, followed by those whose rods sprouted branches with no fruit, and those whose rods were green, but without branches. These enter the Tower first. The remaining rods range from partially green to entirely dead. They are then planted in a plot of land, the plot is flooded, and after a time the rods are removed. A few have healed, turned green, sprouted buds, and are allowed to enter the Tower. Others are green and can enter the area of the first walls. Yet others have rotted and cleft, so these are eventually cast out. This Parable mirrors the LDS doctrine of the Plan of Salvation with Three Degrees of Glory replete with Temple imagery (the Tower) as the destination, three categories within the Tower, a "second" chance repentence with water immersion imagery from which many qualify for entry into the Tower but others with entry into the first walls. Finally others who are rebellious are without the first walls or cast off.

However, what interests me most at this moment is the interpretation that The Lord offers of this willow tree. Similitude VIII: 22-26:

22: I said unto him, Lord, tell me what this tree denotes? For I am greatly astonished, that after so many branches have been cut off, it seems still to be whole; nor does there any thing the less of it appear to remain, which greatly amazes me.
23: He answered me, Hearken. This great tree which covers the plains and the mountains, and all the earth, is the law of God, published throughout the whole world.
24: Now this law is the Son of God, who is preached to all the ends of the earth. The people that stand under its shadow, are those which have heard his preaching, and believed.
25: The great and venerable angel which you saw, was Michael, who has the power over his people, and governs them. For he has planted the law in the hearts of those who have believed: and therefore he visits them to whom he has given the law, to see if they have kept it.
26: And he examines every one's rod; and of those, many that are weakened: for those rods are the law of the Lord. Then he discerns all those who have not kept the law, knowing the place of every one of them.

Follow the teachings:

1) The Willow is the Law of God. 
2) This Law of God is The Son of God. 
3) Everyone who received a willow rod and held onto it received The Law of God, but not all kept it via the commandments in their hearts. 

Now examine these passages from The Book of Mormon,

Third Nephi, Chapter 15:7-12

7: And because I said unto you that old things have passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come.
8: For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me.
9: Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.
10: Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me.
11: And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he said unto those twelve whom he had chosen:
12: Ye are my disciples; and ye are a a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph.

Third Nephi, Chapter 18:24

24: Therefore, hold up your light  that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up--that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed.

What we see in this passages from The Savior's ministry among His covenant people in ancient America are the following points;

1) Jesus is the Law that replaces the Law given to Moses.
2) Jesus, The Son of God, is both the Law and the Light.
3) We are to hold up the Light, meaning Jesus, referring to His works, in particular praying unto The Father as He did.

The parallels are astounding. I will round out my points with this. Third Nephi records the teaching that Jesus, The Son of God, is the Law, and Third Nephi purports to have been written after the death, resurrection, ascension to heaven, and visitation of Jesus Christ to America, the Western Hemisphere. The Shepherd of Hermas contains the teaching that Jesus, The Son of God, is the Law. The Shepherd of Hermas was written sometime between AD 70 and 140, again, after the death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven of Jesus Christ.

The reader is free to see these correspondences as random, coincidental, insignificant though interesting, or perhaps inspired or even divinely manifest. Whatever conclusion the reader takes and whatever significance the reader ascribes to these, please bear in mind one thing: They passages under scrutiny are actually textual.

One last tidbit: In Genesis Chapter 1 we read the following about the creation.

Day 1: The Light appears (Jehovah, The Son of God)
Second Day: The Firmament in the heaven is made.
Third Day: The waters are gathered, the ground emerges and dries, and the flora are planted and thrive, all under the Light of Day 1.
Fourth Day: The Sun, Moon and Stars shine through the atmosphere.
Fifth Day: The Fauna are placed and thrive on the earth.
Sixth Day: Adam and Eve begin their lives on earth.

The solar "sun" was, for the ancient Hebrews, as well as the Egyptians, a symbol of resurrection, and for the Hebrews in particular, of the coming of The Lord among men:

Malachi 4:2

2: But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings, and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Bearing in mind that the rising of the sun represents the Resurrection of the Son including His advent among men, is it not interesting that in the G enesis account, an account whose details were rearranged anciently in order to emphasize the plan of salvation, in the Genesis account the "Sun" appears at the start of the fourth day? Why is that interesting? Well, the start of the fourth day was just after the middle point in creation, or as one might put it, in the meridian of time:

Moses 5:57

Fro they would not hearken unto his voice, nor believe on his Only Begotten Son, even him whom he declared should come in the meridian of time, who was prepared from before the foundations of the world.

So is it not interesting that Joseph Smith asserts that through divine manifestation anciently it was known that the Savior would come in the meridian of time, and that is what Moses appears to have presented the world in Genesis 1? Well, it's actually textual even if you take a different view. :-)

And God Said: Let There Be a Firmament...

The Creation account at the opening of The Book of Genesis is perhaps the most familiar portion of The Bible.

I have long believed that any advantage we have in life, be it whatsoever it may, was not meant to be conserved for the purpose of self-aggrandizement, but to be shared with our brothers and sisters that they too may be strengthened, that they too may know as we know, plan as we plan, prosper as we prosper. Or that they would do better even and, returning the favor, we would all be lifted up. I believe in open-source inspiration: Let all learn, or in the least, let all encounter and make decisions based on careful consideration and consultation.

So I will proceed to share what I believe my Father in Heaven has given me to understand. I will not, rest assured, disclose any miraculous manifestations (nor do I have any in the typical sense of divine revelations, i.e. Moses on Mount Sinai or Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove). But I can read a text. I will ask the reader to consider this point: Familiarity breeds inattention to detail. When we are very familiar with something, for example, the Creation Account, our familiarity can lead us to overlook even astonishing details.

Point 1: God and The Spirit of God

In Genesis chapter 1, verses 1-2, we encounter Two Divine Beings:

(1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
(2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

I would share that the King James translators added two words to the second Deific expression such that in translation it reads "The Spirit of God". To be specific, the King James translators added the definite article the and the preposition of to indicate possession: The Spirit of God. The Hebrew reads simply "Ruakh Elohim" (remember, no capitalization in Hebrew, but I prefer to capitalize Deific titles in English). This expression, word for word, reads "Spirit God".

Consider what we are being told. Imagine that two students are standing at the end of a hall. You and I are having a conversation at the opposite end of the hallway. Then I say, "I would like to talk to that student." You reply, "Which one?" I say, "The tall one." Without saying that the other student is short or shorter I have as much as communicated that point by the way I chose to describe the other member of the pair.

Now with this point in mind, consider this: If both of these Divine Beings, "God" and "Spirit God" (translated to English as "The Spirit of God") bear the name-title "Elohim" ("Elohim" and "Ruakh Elohim"), but the second one is modified with the addition of "Spirit" ("Spirit Elohim" 'Spirit God'), the usage of the term "Spirit" with the second Elohim is as much as saying that the first Elohim is embodied. And thus Moses established the corporeality of God simply by his inspired use of the modifier "Spirit" along with "Elohim".

Point 2: God Commanded and God Obeyed

Consider what God says on Day 2 (Genesis 1:6-7):

(6) And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
(7) And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

I was so familiar with this inspired account, having been blessed to have been taught it as a child, that I had failed to realize what was going on here. When God said "Let there be a firmament...", He commanded that the firmament be made. Then we read that God "made" the firmament and "divided the waters", not that the firmament seemed to come together and the waters merely divided in response to His initial command, but that God actually went and made the firmament and divided the waters.

So I ask, "Did God command Himself?" God spoke a command, but was He speaking to Himself and commanding Himself to do something? I think not. God certainly did "speak", but to Whom? Well, we are told to Whom. Here I would defer to the Hebrew term: "Elohim" said "Let there be a firmament..." and "Elohim" went and "made" the firmament and "divided" the waters.

As it happens, God the Father bears the Hebrew name-title Elohim, which literally means 'Gods' or 'Deities', and literally at a minimum 3 Gods or 3 Deities. But His Firstborn Son also bears the same name-title, Elohim. The inspired usage of this most holy name does not end there as God, Elohim, calls all of His angel children "Elohim" collectively, and even all of us embodied angel children (mortal humans) does God call "Elohim" collectively as well. Consider the following passages that demonstrate this usage in Hebrew:

Psalm 82:1,6,8
(1) Elohim (The Premortal Son of Elohim) standeth in the congregations (or "churches") of El (singular of "God", specifically referring to The Father); He judgeth among the Elohim ("Gods", that is, "angels").
(6) I have said, Ye are Elohim ("Gods", that is, "mortal humans"); and all of you are children of the most High.
(8) Arise, O Elohim ("God", The Son, that is, "Rise from the Dead, O Elohim", referring to Christ's rising on the Third Day), judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

John 1:1-2
(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with The God, and the Word was a God.
(2) This Same was in the beginning with The God.

Genesis 20:17
So Abraham prayed unto The Elohim ("The Father" is also referred to as "The Elohim"): and an Elohim ("The Premortal Son" is referred to simply as "Elohim") healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare.

With this in mind, what do we have in Genesis 1:6-7? We have God, "Elohim", The Father, commanding God, "Elohim", The Premortal Son, to create, and The Son does the will of The Father. This pattern is repeated throughout the Creation: (Genesis 1:14,16,17, 20,21,24-27)

(14) And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament
(16) And Elohim made two great lights...
(17) And Elohim set them in the firmament of the heaven...

(20) And Elohim said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life...
(21) And Elohim created great whales, and every living creature that moveth...

(24) And Elohim said, Let the earth bring earth bring forth the living creature after his kind...
(25) And Elohim made the beast of the earth after his kind...

(26) And Elohim said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...
(27) So Elohim created man in His image, in the image of Elohim created He him; male and female created He them.

I wish to draw the reader to the creation of man. Elohim, The Father, the Same who has been presiding over the great work of creation says, and now it is clearer than ever, to Elohim, His Firstborn Son, the Same who from His mortal birth on has been known to the world as Jesus Christ: Let "us" make man. Inasmuch as we are God's children, it is evident that for this final act of creation, God The Father Himself would create mankind, albeit with the assistance of His Son.

In the King James we read "So God created man in His own image..." The word "own" was added by the translators, but I believe that there may have been no need to add this modifier, and that the addition is slightly misleading. Elohim, God, created man in His image, in the image of His Firstborn Son, and His Firstborn Son was in the image of The Father. The addition of the word "own" misdirects the reader's understanding, namely, that God The Father did create man in His image, but that The Father had already created His Son in His image, and man was likewise made in the Firstborn Son's image.

Now, I realize that some, perhaps all, may see this latter point, or all of my points, as James' fanciful speculation. My fellow Latter-day Saints have The Book of Moses to compare Genesis 1:27. So how was the same passage rendered by the prophet Joseph Smith when by revelation he restored Genesis to its fuller, ancient but long-lost version? (Moses 2:27)

(27) And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them.

Ever since my mission I had been aware that in Genesis The Father had addressed The Son about their creating man, "Let us make man in our image...", but I had not seen the clear antecedents in that selfsame chapter, namely, that God had not commanded Himself to create and then complied with His own command, but that God, Elohim, The Father, had commanded God, Elohim, His Son, to create, and each time The Son complied, God saw that "it was good."

Point 3: Hebrew Matthew and Elohim or The Son of God

This next point is controversial, but there is some evidence to suggest that The Gospel According to Matthew was originally written in Hebrew. Ancient Christian scholars mention a Hebrew Matthew, but if there had been such a document, it was lost long ago. But as it happens, Rabbis had preserved The Gospel According to Matthew in Hebrew. Not all scholars agree, but I personally (and I am not alone) see one such document called "Shem Tov" after the Rabbi who was found to possess it, as a vestige of the Hebrew Matthew. I will compare our Gospel According to Matthew to the Shem Tov Hebrew Matthew:

Matthew 1:23
KJV: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
ST: Behold, the young maiden is conceiving and shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel, that is, with us is Elohim.

Matthew 3:3
KJV: For this is he that was spoken of, by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
ST: To fulfill what was said by Isaiah, the prophet: A voice of one crying in the desert prepare the way of Jehovah, make straight in the wilderness a path for our Elohim.

Matthew 4:3-4,6-7
KJV: And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee...
ST: The tempter drew near and said unto him: If thou art Son of Elohim (no article "the" with "Son"), say that these stones should turn into bread. Jesus answered and said unto him: It is written: Not by bread alone... And said unto him: If thou art Elohim, jump down, for it is written, He hath commanded his angels regarding thee...

Now some scholars have read these passages and many others and have reached the conclusion that Shem Tov, or some predecessor, translated Matthew to Hebrew himself, and made careless or deliberate mistakes. What these scholars were unaware of is that in the Hebrew of the patriarchs and prophets, "Elohim" was a name-title referring to The Father or to The Premortal Son, and the context made it clear who was who, as when Elohim (The Father) commanded and Elohim (The Premortal Son) obeyed.

I see in Shem Tov not a deliberate distortion but the preservation of the oldest Biblical usage of the Deific title "Elohim" as "The Son". I suggest that when Matthew was translated from its original Hebrew to Greek and Aramaic, in each instance for audiences somewhat or entirely unfamiliar with the older usage of "Elohim" as "The Premortal Son" (in addition to "Elohim" as "The Father"), the translators added the words "the Son of" to "God" in order to avoid confusion: If thou art Elohim...: If thou art the Son of God...

Point 4: The Book of Mormon Preserves the Oldest Pre-Babylonian Usage of "Elohim" as both The Father and The Son, Albeit Via English Translation as "God"/"A God"

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, preserves the oldest usage of "Elohim" as "The Father" and "Elohim" as "The Premortal Son". Without familiarity with this usage, certain passages seem obscure. I would direct the reader to examine the following passages, though they are only a few of many such passages:

Mosiah 15:1

(1) And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God [*Elohim, "The Son"] himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.

Alma 30:37-40
(37) And then Alma said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God ["an Elohim", "The Premortal Son"]?
(38) And he answered, Nay.
(39) Now Alma said unto him: Will ye deny again that there is a God ["an Elohim", "The Premortal Son"], and also deny the Christ ["The Son of God" as He shall be known in mortality]? For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God ["an Elohim", "The Premortal Son"], and also that Christ shall come.
(40) And now what evidence have ye that there is no God ["Elohim", "The Premortal Son"], or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.

Alma 30:53
(53) But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form an an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God ["an Elohim", "The Premortal Son"]. And he said unto me: There is no God ["Elohim", "The Premortal Son"].

Point 5: A Book of Mormon Correlation, By Joseph Smith

I have examined the Biblical usage of "Elohim" as "The Father" and "Elohim" as "The Premortal Son of God". I would place one more point for consideration. That Joseph Smith dictated The Book of Mormon in several lengthy sessions is incontrovertible fact. The debate lies not in whether he dictated it, but in what the source of the dictation was. However, after The Book of Mormon was published, Joseph Smith, now with the benefit of a printed text, typeset by the printer, made corrections, mostly in punctuation and sometimes spelling. Many of these corrections reversed errors the printer had made when copying the handwritten Book of Mormon and creating the typeset version. In other instances Joseph Smith made changes to passages that were clear in the underlying Hebrew, read straightforward enough in English translation, however, given, for example, the modern understanding of the term "God", a misunderstanding could arise. Take these two passages in The Book of Mormon, 1830 edition:

1 Nephi 11:18
(1830) And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of God ["Elohim", "The Son"], after the manner of the flesh.
(JS Clarification) And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God.

1 Nephi 11:32
(1830) And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the everlasting God ["Elohim", "The Son"] was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.
(JS Clarification) And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world: and I saw and bear record.

Conclusion

Before His birth in the flesh, our Savior Jesus Christ already lived, He was the Firstborn Son of God in the spirit, and He did the will of His Father in all things. He was blessed to carry the same name-title as His Father, "Elohim", and the Old Testament and Book of Mormon prophets used the sacred name-title Elohim to refer to either The Father or The Son. After the death of the Apostles the usage evolved such that "Elohim" came to be seen exclusively as "The Father", even though the Old Testament Hebrew texts testify of The Son of God from Genesis chapter 1 on. If the reader ponders this point and applies heart and mind to turn this issue to God, the reader will see The Old Testament as "The First Testament of The Premortal Jesus Christ." The reader will also see that although Joseph Smith may have been completely unaware of the ancient usage of "Elohim", at least when The Book of Mormon was published, the presence of this most sacred Hebraism throughout The Book of Mormon merits attention. Clearly, the reader is at liberty to draw different conclusions, but hopefully even the skeptical reader will consider this: everything I have shared here today is actually textual.

One last point: In Genesis chapter 1 God says "it is good" eight times in response to His Son's acts of creation. The Son of God is described as performing 10 tasks to fulfill His Father's role. I put it to the reader that 8 is the number of "covenant" (Jews circumcised at the age of 8 days, and baptism was performed no sooner than the age of 8), and 10 refers to the commandments of God ("The Ten Commandments", "The Ten Beatitudes"). Leaving aside the possible significations of the numbers of these occurrences, certainly the stand out feature is God The Father calling all the actions of His Son to fulfill His will "good". Look now at what The Book of Mormon prophet wrote about the words the prophet Nephi recorded: (2 Nephi 32:10)

And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.

Indeed. We should all do good exactly how Christ did on earth, exactly how "God" (The Son) did prior to His birth on earth.

Have a blessed Sabbath, The Lord's Day.

The Lord's Day: The Seventh or The First Day?

The question often arises, which day the Sabbath for Christians is. If we were to answer this question based solely on practice, then the answer would be "either the seventh day of the week or the first day, depending on the Christian Church." Certainly Christians were distinguished from the first century AD on by their observance of a Sunday Sabbath, but many Jewish Christians adhered or returned to a Saturday Sabbath (along with other aspects of the Mosaic Law), and in recent centuries many Christians have come to believe that the Sabbath should have remained on the Seventh day of the week. A careful examination of the issue is warranted.

Point 1: The Light of Day One vs. The Lights on the Fourth Day

The Book of Genesis records the Creation of the earth and its atmosphere, "heaven", in six periods called days. Genesis, chapter 1:3-5, begins the creative periods:

And God said, Let there be Light [Hebrew "'Or"]:
and there was Light.
And God saw the Light, that it was good:
and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the Light day,
and the darkness He called night.
And the evening and the morning were Day One.

Now the Hebrew language has a word for "first", but what is used here in Genesis 1:5 is "Day One" rather than the phrase "first day". All other days have ordinal numbers, "second day", "third day", "fourth day", etc. In English "Day One" is simply a synonym for "First Day". The same relationship is true in Hebrew, although the Hebrew construction allows for another understanding that is not admitted by the English construction. In Hebrew "Day One" can also be understood as "Day of (the) One". In order to convey a possessive relationship in English "of" would have to be employed. In Hebrew the two words are simply juxtaposed and the first noun is understood as belonging to the second, hence "Day of (the) One" is an allowable reading.

It should be noted that the "Light" of Day One is special. This "Light" ["'Or"] is separated from the darkness, and God sees the Light alone, not the darkness, as "good". In the narrative of Genesis 1, "Light" ["'Or"] appears on Day One, but the sun, moon and stars shine through the atmosphere for the first time on the Fourth Day. It should be noted that although in English the same word is employed for both types of light with the only difference being singular vs. plural, light : lights, in Hebrew the two types of light are denoted by different words: (Genesis 1:14)

And God said,
Let there be lights [moroth] in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night:
and let them be for signs,
and for seasons,
and for days,
and for years.

Scholars often point out what they deem to be an inherent incongruity in the Genesis narrative. On the third day all manner of plant life is made to grow, yet the sun, the primary source of nourishment for plant life, does not appear until the fourth day. However, there is a deeper teaching here, namely, that all plant life did enjoy the benefits of illumination, though that illumination came from a "Light" source powerful enough to separate Day from Night. That Light that lit the world from Day One on was "'Or". On the Fourth Day the normal illuminating function was carried by the sun, moon and stars, collectively referred to by the plural noun "moroth". As a side note, Genesis 1:3-5 may very well be the origin of the expression "Light of the World". As another side note, the Egyptians believed that the night represented death, and the new day represented resurrection. The same symbolism was later employed by the Israelites.

The prophet Isaiah foretold the day that the Prince of Peace would make His appearance in Galilee. (Isaiah 9:2)

(2) The people that walked in darkness have seen a great Light [Hebrew 'Or]: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the Light ['Or] shined.

It is noteworthy that even Isaiah, in describing the Advent of the Prince of Peace on earth, calls Him the Light, "'Or", the very same Light that appeared on Day One of Creation. This relationship between Genesis 1:3-5 and Isaiah is somewhat lost in translation, again, because in English "Light" [from the Hebrew 'Or] is identical to "light" [from the Hebrew "moroth"].

Point 2: The Seventh Day Commemorating The Completion of God's Work

As the Genesis narrative continues we see God "resting" on the Seventh Day. (Genesis 2:1-3)

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished,
and all the host of them.
And on the seventh day God ended His works which He had made;
and He rested on the Seventh Day from all His works which He had made.
And God blessed the Seventh Day,
and sanctified it: because in it He had rested from all His works
which God created and made.

First of all, translations usually read that God "ended his work". The Hebrew text, however, reads "works", and thus I see no need to deviate from the text.

The Book of Genesis is silent as to what significance in practice the Seventh Day had for early worship among the sons of Adam. Presumably the early Saints worshiped God on the Seventh Day, at least, I am willing to suppose that this may have been the case. But in point of fact, the first overt references to separating this day, the Seventh Day, from the rest of the days of the week, in order to use this day for expressing one's devotion to God, comes with the Law given to Moses. (Exodus 20:8,11)

Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy works:
But the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of  the LORD thy God:
in it thou shalt not do any work...
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea
and all that in them is,
and rested the Seventh Day;
wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath Day,
and hallowed it.

It is interesting to note that God completed His works in six days and rested the following day. God also acknowledges that man is engaged in his own works, labors, and man will rest on the seventh day, not from having completed his works, but in honor of God's completing the creation of the earth and atmosphere and filling the earth with flora, fauna and the human family of (initially the great patriarch and matriarch) Adam and Eve. It is noteworthy that the Mosaic Sabbath was to celebrate God's completion of the creation of the world.

Point 3: Who Exactly Was Under the Law to Observe the Sabbath?

One often overlooked detail is that God commanded Israel to keep the Sabbath day, Israel and Israel alone: (Exodus 31:12-17)

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying,
Verily my sign between me and you throughout your generations;
that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore;
for it is holy unto you:
every one that denieth it shall surely be put to death:
for whosoever doeth any work therein,
that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Six days may work be done;
but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest,
holy to the LORD:
whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day,
he shall surely be put to death.
Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath,
to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations,
for an eternal covenant.
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever:
for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth,
and on the seventh day He stopped, and breathed.

Here we see that the Lord commanded the children of Israel to keep the Sabbath Day, the Lord stated that the seventh day commemorated His resting just after His six days of works, and the Lord added that Sabbath Day observance is a perpetual covenant. The sign between the Lord and Israel is that Israel would mark the Day that the Lord stopped or completed the creation of this earth/atmosphere and "breathed".

An often overlooked detail in the issue of Sabbath Day observance is that it was Jesus Christ who created this earth, its atmosphere, and filled them with life, and Jesus assisted His Father in preparing the world for Adam and Eve. (John 1:3)

(3) All things were made by him;
and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Seventh Day was, in essence, the day to commemorate Jesus Christ's completion of His great pre-mortal mission, that of creating this earth and making it inhabitable for humanity.

God the Father was the One who commanded, but it was Jesus Christ who came and performed the works of creation according to the will of The Father. Now, bearing in mind the great purpose of the Seventh Day Sabbath (to commemorate God's, that is, Jesus' completion of His works), notice what Isaiah says shall be said in that day, a future day of revelation that will follow a period in which The LORD had hid his face and not spoken to mankind (Isaiah 12:1-6):

(1) And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
(2) Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
(3) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
(4) And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
(5) Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
(6) Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

Notice the often overlooked detail, that in that day we shall speak of the things The Lord has done, for Jehovah has become our salvation. If God, Jesus, completed his work on the sixth day, how is it that in a future day we would sing and declare of what Jehovah, Jesus, has done as He has become our salvation? Isaiah is clear, namely, that it is because The Holy One of Israel will have been in our midst, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Messiah was to come and do great works of salvation among the children of men, namely atone for the sins of the world and rise from the dead, and in that day we would commemorate the things He had just done.

Point 4: The First and The Seventh Days Bear Relationship in Worship

The Law was given to Moses after The Lord used Moses as His servant to deliver His people from 430 years in Egypt, a lengthy time that had seen the Israelites prosper and then be denied rights and property, ultimately being reduced to slavery.

In the Law of Moses or "The Law given to Moses" a celebration of Israel's deliverance out of Egypt was prescribed.

(11) And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.
(12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
(14) And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
(15) Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
(16) And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

The Passover thus was to be initiated by an holy convocation on the first day as well as concluded with an holy convocation on the seventh day. Though this factor may be legitimately seen simply as the collective convening and concluding of the celebration, it is interesting that the covenant people were to celebrate collectively on the first and seventh days, as if to demonstrate the significance of these days for worship.

Fifth Point: Jeremiah Points to a New Covenant and Isaiah Speaks of Rejected Sabbaths

Jeremiah was not just a great Old Testament prophet, he was the prophet who had the unenviable task of presiding over the apostasy and subsequent captivity of Judah. Notice what Jeremiah had to say of the rebellions of the House of Israel (at that time the defunct Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the soon to be captive nation) in Jeremiah 31:31-36:

(31) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
(32) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
(33) But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(34) And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
(35) Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for Light ['Or] of His day [or "for Light by Day"], and the decreeth the moon and of the stars for Light ['Or] of night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:
(36) If those decrees depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.

The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a day when The Lord would establish a new covenant with the House of Israel, and The Lord said that He was the One who had given the sun, moon and stars for Light ['Or]. Notice the departure from the word "moroth" which was the term used in Genesis to describe the physical luminaries of the sun, moon and stars. Here the sun, moon and stars are given to shine for the Light as a symbol of the Lord's decrees. Jeremiah pointed out that The Lord stated that if Israel would depart from those decrees of His, Israel would cease to be a nation. Do take notice that when The Lord mentioned "day" He said that the sun was given for Light ['Or] of His Day. Follow the logic: If The Lord has a Light ['Or] of His Day, and that Light ['Or] was known to have appeared on Day One, that would imply that Day One has the significance of being The Lord's Day. More on this point will follow.

The prophet Isaiah records The Lord rejecting the worship including Sabbaths of apostate Israel:

(11) To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
(12) When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
(13) Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
(14) Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

The most immediate application of this passage is that it is the vain observance of the Lord's ordinances is displeasing to Him. It is curious that The Lord would do away with the Sabbaths (and other ordinances) as a response to Israel's disobedience.

Sixth Point: The Son of God Rose on the First Day.

It is a matter of common knowledge to Christians that the Son of God was crucified on a Friday, the sixth day, just before the Jewish Sabbath, and early on the morning of Sunday, the First day, Day One, He rose from the dead. (Matthew 28:1-6)

(1) In the end of the sabbath, as it is began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
(2) And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
(3) His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
(4) And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
(5) And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
(6) He is not here: for His is risen, as He said, Come, see the place where The Lord lay.

Who lay in the sepulchre only to rise on Sunday morning, the third day after His crucifixion? The Lord did. Notice that detail that often gets overlooked, namely, that it was The Lord who rose on that day.

Just prior to The Savior's death the Apostle John recorded the Savior uttering the following words as He agonized on the cross: (John 19:30)

(30) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished:
And he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost,

The significance of this utterance is seldom considered: "It is finished." When was the last time Deity had ever declared a work to be finished or ended? It was in reference to the works of creation which God had done in six days, during six creative "days" of work: "And on the seventh day God ended his works which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." And notice the parallel: God ended His works of creation on the sixth day then "rested" during the entire seventh day. Consequently the seventh day became the Hebrew Sabbath, the day to remember that God rested on this day. Jesus, The Lord, finished His great work of the Atonement on the Sixth Day, Friday by "giving up the ghost", "breathing out", then Jesus rested in Paradise during the entire Seventh Day. This demonstrates the great culmination of the Mosaic Sabbath, namely, that the Sabbath not only commemorated God's completion of the creation, the Sabbath also pointed to the day that the Creator, The Christ, would rest in Paradise. Finally Christ rose on the first day of the week thus breaking the bands of death on Sunday. It was thus on the first day of the week that the Sun of Righteousness rose with healing in His wings. (Malachi 4:2)

(2) But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Jeremiah stated, though the affirmation is usually lost in translation, that the LORD gave the Sun for Light ['Or] of His Day. After Jesus's death on the cross and His rest in Paradise fulfilled the very object and aspirations of the Mosaic Law, Jesus rose as the Sun rises, in Resurrection.

The Mosaic Law, replete with animal sacrifices of unblemished male firstborns, all done for "atonement" of sins, saw its great climax when The Son of God was sacrificed for sin and laid to rest in a grave, to rest on the Seventh Day. The Savior's Resurrection was now the heralding of the New Covenant and Jeremiah prophesied would come with the Sun being given for Light of His, The Lord's, Day, as you will see shortly.

Notice that not only did The Lord rise from the dead on the First Day, it was on the First Day, Sunday, that He appeared to His Apostles, and that Sunday became the day of gathering for the Apostles: (John 20:1,19,26)

(1) The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
(19) Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
(26) And after eight days [in Middle Eastern reckoning "after 8 days", but in Western European reckoning "in seven days/one week later"] again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Thus the Resurrected Lord fulfilled the prophecy that the Son of God would rise from the dead as He, the Light of the world, arose. The Lord then made His first two appearances to His disciples in two separate gatherings that both took place on the first day of the week.

The pattern continued, that is, of gathering together on the First Day: (Acts 20:7)

(7) And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

Notice that it was on the first day of the week that the disciples were meeting together to break bread. This practice, that of holding the sacrament on the first day of the week, is very significant. Why? Because the sacrament represents the sacrifice of the body and blood of the Son of God for the remission of sins  in the New Covenant: (Matthew 26:26-28)

(26) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
(27) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
(28) For this is my blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Now, the King James reads "this is my blood of the new testament", but the Greek source text reads, "this is my blood of the new covenant." This is fulfillment of the prophecy in Jeremiah that a new covenant would be instituted. Again, this development is significant because the Saturday Sabbath was instituted with the Law given to Moses; now that The Lord who declared Himself to be The Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8) instituted the New Covenant, a New Sabbath followed suit. Notice the parallels: The Lord gave the Mosaic Law after leading Israel out of bondage in Egypt. Now The Lord gave the New Covenant after delivering Israel and indeed the whole world from sin. It is important to remember that the law of the Sabbath has not been revoked, but the purpose of it, which had been to remember the completion of the Lord's work, advanced from the Creation alone to the great act of Redemption, in particular the Resurrection.

Seventh Point: A Lost New Testament Book and Historical Writings Confirm the Sunday Sabbath

The average Christian and layman, for that matter, is unaware that the oldest versions of The New Testament had additional books. The Codex Sinaiticus, created between AD 330-380 may very well be the oldest New Testament, and it had books after The Book of Revelation. Now, I say that the Codex Sinaiticus had "additional" books, mainly because these books were removed from subsequent copies of The New Testament, but I should rather write that our New Testaments lack the complete repertoire that had originally been there in the earliest Codices (Sinaiticus and Alexandrinus). My point in raising this issue is not to open a debate on the merits of the early decision to remove these books. I would, however, draw the reader's attention to The Epistle of Barnabas, believed to have been written by the Apostle Barnabas. He, Barnabas, treated the issue of the Sunday Sabbath with Apostolic authority: (Epistle of Barnabas 12:9-10)

(9) Lastly, he [referring to "The Lord"] saith unto them: Your new moons and your sabbaths I cannot bear them. Consider what he means by it; the sabbaths, says he, which ye now keep are not acceptable unto me, but those which I have made; when resting from all things I shall begin the eighth day, that is, the beginning of the other world.
(10) For which cause we observe the eighth day with gladness, in which Jesus rose from the dead; and having manifested himself to his disciples, ascended into heaven.

Here we have an Apostle of The Lord declaring that the "eighth" day was Sabbath of The Lord after His resurrection. Moreover, it is here, in this deleted New Testament epistle that an Apostle recorded The Lord declaring the "eighth day", (Sunday-1, Monday-2, Tuesday-3, Wednesday-4, Thursday-5, Friday-6, Saturday-7, Sunday-8) to be His Sabbath. I have on occasion heard people ask, "Where in The Bible does The Lord ever declare Sunday to be His Sabbath?" Well, in the oldest New Testament canon, The Lord made this bold declaration of the "eighth" day being His Sabbath, and an Apostle affirmed their Apostolic obedience to this decree. It should be noted that for the ancient Hebrews the number 8 denoted covenants, in particular the covenant of baptism. (1 Peter 3:20-21)

(20) Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of The God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, where few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
(21) The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now doth save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ;
(22) Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of The God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Notice that the figure of "eight" not only signified God's saving of the faithful few in Noah's Ark, but also our baptisms which symbolize the Resurrection. As pointed out in The Epistle of Barnabas, "eight" was the symbol of the Day of Resurrection.

But there is yet another record of early date, this time one that was never included in The New Testament canon, although many early Christians revered it as scripture. Ignatius, an early church father believed to have been a close associate of the Apostles, wrote an epistle to the Saints living in Magnesia. In chapter 3:1-3 Ignatius treated the issue of The Lord's Day:

(1) Be not deceived with strange doctrines; nor with old fables which are unprofitable. For if we still continue to live according to the Jewish law, we do confess ourselves not to have received grace. For even the most holy prophets lived according to Christ Jesus.
(2) And for this cause were they persecuted, being inspired by his grace, to convince the unbelievers and disobedient that there is one God who has manifested himself by Jesus Christ his son; who is his eternal word, not coming forth from silence, who in all things pleased him that sent him.
(3) Wherefore if they who were brought up in these ancient laws came nevertheless to the newness of hope: no longer observing sabbaths, but keeping the Lord's day in which also our life is sprung up by him, and through his death, whom yet some deny.

Now, lest anyone be too quick to discount the citations from The Epistle of Barnabas and The Epistle to the Magnesians, we may do well to take notice of a little known detail. In the Law of Moses The Lord commanded feast days as well. One of these feasts was The Feast of Tabernacles. This feast day was unique not only because it involved every family sitting in its own booth, oriented toward the Temple, but because this feast day had two Sabbath Days, one on the "first day" and another on the "eighth day" of the feasts: (Leviticus 23:39)

(39) Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eight day shall be a sabbath.

Thus there may be yet another precedent for a Sunday Sabbath inasmuch as the Two Sabbaths of the Feast of Tabernacles were on its first and eighth days which may have symbolic reference to the coming first/eighth day Sabbath of the New Covenant.

Eighth Point: The Book of Mormon Marks The Death of the Savior as the Point of Fulfillment of the Mosaic Law.

After the Savior pronounced the words "It is finished" and gave up the ghost, He went to Paradise, the abode of the righteous dead, just as He said He would (Luke 23:43):

(43) And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

It was from there, Paradise, that Jesus spoke to the more righteous Nephites, those who had been spared the prophesied destructions that would follow His death: (3 Nephi 9:15-19)

(15) Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me: and in me hath the Father glorified his name.
(16) I came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled.
(17) And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled.
(18) I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
(19) And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

Notice how these two witnesses are so complimentary to each other? On the Cross, on Friday, The Lord, while suffering for the sins of the world stated, "It is finished", and then rested in Paradise. This act was the culmination of the Law of Moses. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, restores another great teaching and confirmation of what we can deduce from The New Testament: The Death of Jesus not only marked the culmination of The Law of Moses, it marked the fulfillment of that Law.

As the Nephites (The Lord's covenant people among the ancient Amerindians) did not totally understand the expression that the Law of Moses was fulfilled, The Savior clarified this matter when, after His ascension into heaven, He visited the Nephites: (3 Nephi 15:4-9)

(4) Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses.
(5) Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfill the law; therefore it hath an end.
(6) Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled.
(7) And because I said unto you that old things have passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come.
(8) for behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me.
(9) Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.

Thus we see clearly that The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses when He died on the cross and that He offered a new Law, a New Covenant, when He rose from the dead. Notice also the deep harmony between The Book of Mormon witness and that of The Bible: In The Book of Mormon Jesus said "I am the Law and the Light", and I presume that the Hebrew word He used for "Light" was "Or", that Light that dawned on Day of One; that Light that rose with Healing in His wings.

Ninth Point: The Sabbath Accepted by The Lord to Be a Day of Revelation.

The prophet Isaiah taught the great importance of the fast. This passage often receives much attention among the Latter-day Saints. But are we aware that Isaiah connected the fast to Sabbath-day observance? (Isaiah 58: 5-14) This point is critically important because to that people whose Sabbath Day is accepted of The Lord, He would reveal Himself, and that people would experience much restoration.

(5) Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to The LORD?
(6) Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
(7) Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him: and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
(8) Then shall thy Light ['Or] break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
(9) Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the didst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
(10) And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy Light ['Or] rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday.
(11) And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
(12) And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
(13) if thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable: and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
(14) Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

The Lord, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, promises great blessings of the personal revelation of The Lord, of hearing His voice and being led by Him in imagery not accidentally mirroring the way The Lord delivered Israel from Egypt. The Lord says that the Light, "'Or" shall dawn upon this people who fast as He prescribed. Then The Lord clarifies that this fast observance is linked to Sabbath-day observance. This day if acceptable to The Lord will be met with incredible restoration of what was had anciently and great soaring in the high places of the earth, which is doubtless a reference to the Temple.

Now, after the Resurrection of The Savior a new term for the day of worship arose, but the term was not without great precedent in the Law of Moses: The Lord's Day. We saw earlier how the apocryphal Epistle to the Magnesians, identified The Lord's Day as the first day of the week. There are numerous other ancient references to Sunday as The Lord's Day. Notice, though, that The New Testament book, The Book of Revelation, was received on The Lord's Day: (Revelation 1:10-11)

(10) I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
(11) Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Certainly the revelation that John received on The Lord's Day very much concurs with Isaiah's description of the blessings for fasting and sabbath day observance are.

Tenth Point: The Matter of Which Day, Saturday or Sunday, Was Resolved by The Lord via Modern Revelation.

But ultimately how will the matter of which day is The Lord's Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday, be resolved? I put it to the reader, not by studying the Word of God alone, but from hearing from Him. On 7 August, 1831, the prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation directly from The Lord. This became Section 59 of The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Notice the language of The Lord and how amazingly it concurs with what He said anciently: (D&C 59: 3-4, 9-14)

(3) Yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength.
(4) And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time--they that are faithful and diligent before me.
(9) And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;
(10) For verily this day is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;
(11) Nevertheless, thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;
(12) But remember that on this, the Lord's day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.
(13) And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or in other words, that thy joy may be full.
(14) Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer.

It is a matter of historical record that 7 August 1831 fell on a Sunday. Thus we have The Lord's own declaration that Sunday is The Lord's Day, His day of rest.

The reader is, obviously, at liberty to reach such conclusions as concur with their own reason and judgment. However, I ask only one thing: That the reader remember that what I have shared is actually textual.