Blogging Through the Book of Mormon

3:1-4 - Coming into chapter 3, we find Paul again explaining apologetically why he can’t personally visit the people. I honestly could not figure out why Paul was always saying, “I really want to come visit but I can’t and here’s why…” until I heard LTJ say something on his lecture that was basically explaining that we get these letters from Paul to these groups of people but writing letters was Paul absolute least favored method of communication. He preferred to meet people in person, face to face. This was 100% the way that he wanted to conduct his business in the gospel. When he couldn’t do that, he would send someone he knew and trusted to visit them, and finally when he couldn’t send someone, he would write a letter. He didn’t like doing it but would when he had to, that’s why so much precious real estate is taken up by his explanations for letters instead of visits. Paul decided that he was fine alone in Athens and sent Timothy to the people in Thessalonica “to establish you, a...

Just as a side note, I am starting a 30 day online class that is going to take several hours of my day to complete. Because I paid for it and hopefully will be getting some really great stuff out of it, I'm going to make completing that days portion priority over a blog post everyday. I'm really sad about it, but this is really important to me so I might be a little bit MIA for the next month. Also work has been crazy busy for the last month or so and in combination with that and my project, this blog hasn't been getting the attention that I wish I could give it. Here's to hoping for the best. 2:5-6 - Paul continues to note that he and his companions brought the gospel to the people of Thessalonica without the use of "flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness… Not of men sought we glory… when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ." IN the lecture series by Luke Timothy Johnson, he said something to the effect of "preac...

In the time that I’ve been working on other things, I’ve been very fortunate to come across something that has really helped me understand the ancient world in which Paul was operating. One thing that makes studying the Book of Mormon a bit more difficult is that the number of theological scholars are smaller and they all consist of LDS members. But when you get to studying the Bible, our research can be drawn from not only LDS scholars but the Christian world at large, and the Jewish world is included when we get to the Old Testament. I was really struggling with Paul but I thought that I was the only one and that everyone else “got it,” so I looked up “Apostle Paul” on Overdrive, which is a library sharing media app. I came across a lecture series by a theologian names Luke Timothy Johnson that is absolutely incredible. He was able to put into words a lot of the issues that I have with understanding Paul and also helped me understand more about why the concept of Jesus as Messiah was...

1:1-4 - The epistle begins with Paul, “Silvanus” who is Silas, and “Timotheus” who is Timothy announcing themselves and wishing the audience grace” and “peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” It must have been refreshing for Paul to have a group of converted saints who thrived in the gospel after he left them, especially considering that he had to leave because of a violent mob of leadership of an opposing religion. I bet when he left under the threat of violence, he was worried that the opposition would be too strong for new converts to resist. Paul gives “thanks to God always for you all,” and remembers their faith, love and patience, “knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.” The article on this chapter from gospeldoctrine.com says, “Almost in passing, Paul gives us an interesting version of the ‘faith, hope, and charity’ theme. He reminds us that individual faith takes work, that hope requires patience, and that charity is really a labor of love. Indeed, ...