What I find interesting is that there are people trying to prove or disprove the Book of Mormon or other scripture for that matter based on the archaeological record and what has been found or not found.
These videos covered everything from horses in the Americas to where the lands referenced in the Book of Mormon really lay.
You see these two things don't directly mesh together. A testimony of the Bible, Book of Mormon or other scripture comes not from hard proof. It comes from study, faith, prayer and putting the principles to the test.
Same thing goes for some of these self help or improvement books. You see something that seems interesting and that you might want to improve. You get the book out of curiosity, and then as you read it you will either quick feel good about the material or not. Then you might have faith that if you apply the principles given in the book you can change things.
That is where the proving part comes in. The same to a certain extent is what you do with scripture.
Moroni 10: 3-4
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how amerciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and bponder it in your chearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not btrue; and if ye shall ask with a csincere heart, with dreal intent, having efaith in Christ, he will fmanifest the gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
So when the archaeologists go looking around for the place the ark landed when the flood stopped or the precise location along the river Jordan that Christ was baptized or the actual location of the narrow neck of land referenced in the Book of Mormon are they doing so due to faith and a testimony of the truthfulness of the events they are trying to prove or is it something else.
There are many well meaning people doing this research. From biblical location to those in the Americas. Are they really building a testimony based on faith, study and prayer or are they trying to go beyond that?
Will you believe less in the bible if they can not find a certain city mentioned, or the tomb where Jesus lay? For most it will not diminish they faith and testimony. For some it appears that it does or can effect things. One person tried to locate many things associated with the Book of Mormon. For some reason after a time of limited returns this person lost their testimony in the the Book of Mormon because of the lack of evidence. Kind of silly really.
To say you believe in the teachings and principles in a book which is declared to be scripture and then to turn around and say - sorry due to the fact we can not find the city Zarahemla, or Manti I'm not believing in this book any more.
46 Behold, I say unto you they are made aknown unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have bfasted
and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I
do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them
manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of crevelation which is in me.
26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a achange of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the bsong of redeeming love, I would ask, ccan ye feel so now?
See he knew of the truthfulness by way of fasting and pray and confirmation via the Holy Ghost. Not by having found the holy grail, or a hidden city or confirmation that horses existed before the Spaniards in the Americas.
also a good question is posed. Can you feel so now? That question is key. Are you still getting confirmations about the scriptures you are reading? Are you feeling the influence of the Holy Ghost in your life. If not.... why?
These two concepts are really diametrically opposed to one another. One is founded in faith, the other is founded in a lack there of. You see will you believe the Book of Mormon just because someone finds a ruined city fully preserved that has a perfect depiction of Christ descending out of the heavens and having people feel his wounds? I'm going to guess not.
So why is there so much archaeology going on that is trying to prove the things mentioned in the Book of Mormon?
For that matter why so much research into the ancient civilization in any part of the world.
Is it for understanding? Is it to prove something many are not believing?
It could very well be all of that.
You see there confirmations made by researchers and archaeologists is really just the icing on the cake. You can be turned off by a lack of icing or even badly applied icing on a cake.
The more appealing it is the more likely you will want to partake of the rest of the cake. That is when you bit into the middle or hidden portions within the cake. This too must have a certain appeal but, the taste and texture is what will win you over. Same with the scriptures. As you get beyond the icing or physical, superficial facts, locations, finding etc you will get into the meat of the subject. You will get into the principles that can really change your life. They too have to be appealing but, it is the ability to feel the spirit and see the results of those principles that will make you want to continue you on. The really good cake will even make you want to get some more... it will cause you to thirst for additional satisfaction you find there in. So so cake or that which is to piled high with frosting or lacking in quality internal ingredients will leaving you wanting for something else.
The same can be applied to Book of Mormon archaeology. If you pile it on to high they will over look the good stuff in the middle or maybe be diverted from finding the good stuff in the middle due to piles of fluff and icing. We really have to be careful with over doing the proof part for the Book of Mormon. Let us use the icing sparingly and then make sure to find the right stuff on the inside that will help keep us satisfied.
Can You Feel So Now? - Elder Quentin L. Cook
So if you want a copy of the book to read for yourself. CLICK HERE
You can put it to the test yourself.
Buaidh - NO - Bas
26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a achange of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the bsong of redeeming love, I would ask, ccan ye feel so now?
See he knew of the truthfulness by way of fasting and pray and confirmation via the Holy Ghost. Not by having found the holy grail, or a hidden city or confirmation that horses existed before the Spaniards in the Americas.
also a good question is posed. Can you feel so now? That question is key. Are you still getting confirmations about the scriptures you are reading? Are you feeling the influence of the Holy Ghost in your life. If not.... why?
These two concepts are really diametrically opposed to one another. One is founded in faith, the other is founded in a lack there of. You see will you believe the Book of Mormon just because someone finds a ruined city fully preserved that has a perfect depiction of Christ descending out of the heavens and having people feel his wounds? I'm going to guess not.
So why is there so much archaeology going on that is trying to prove the things mentioned in the Book of Mormon?
For that matter why so much research into the ancient civilization in any part of the world.
Is it for understanding? Is it to prove something many are not believing?
It could very well be all of that.
You see there confirmations made by researchers and archaeologists is really just the icing on the cake. You can be turned off by a lack of icing or even badly applied icing on a cake.
The more appealing it is the more likely you will want to partake of the rest of the cake. That is when you bit into the middle or hidden portions within the cake. This too must have a certain appeal but, the taste and texture is what will win you over. Same with the scriptures. As you get beyond the icing or physical, superficial facts, locations, finding etc you will get into the meat of the subject. You will get into the principles that can really change your life. They too have to be appealing but, it is the ability to feel the spirit and see the results of those principles that will make you want to continue you on. The really good cake will even make you want to get some more... it will cause you to thirst for additional satisfaction you find there in. So so cake or that which is to piled high with frosting or lacking in quality internal ingredients will leaving you wanting for something else.
 |
| Good balance with substance beyond the fluff |
 |
| Where is the cake? |
The same can be applied to Book of Mormon archaeology. If you pile it on to high they will over look the good stuff in the middle or maybe be diverted from finding the good stuff in the middle due to piles of fluff and icing. We really have to be careful with over doing the proof part for the Book of Mormon. Let us use the icing sparingly and then make sure to find the right stuff on the inside that will help keep us satisfied.
Can You Feel So Now? - Elder Quentin L. Cook
So if you want a copy of the book to read for yourself. CLICK HERE
You can put it to the test yourself.
Buaidh - NO - Bas
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