Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: hall@vice.ico.tek.com (Hal Lillywhite) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The Mormon Religion Message-ID: Date: 30 Aug 90 06:31:03 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR. Lines: 27 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article vice!zephyr.ens.tek.com!uw-beaver!milton!ogicse!mintaka!snorkelwacker!usc!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!porthos.rutgers.edu!christian timh@linus.uucp (Tim Hoogasian) writes: >In article wcsa@cbnewsc.att.com writes: >>nineth verses state: "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed >>that I wuld give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to >>ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in >>your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, ..." >eh? since when has God been in the business of deliberately making it >difficult to come to Him and understanding His Word? What was the >purpose of Christ's parables, except that they were object lessons that >simple folk could understand? To attribute to God that He wants to Try again. See Luke 8:10. Jesus himself said that he used parables so some would not understand. However, even here you miss the mark. The requirement that Joseph Smith do a bit of work while translating was not because God made it difficult (indeed, God removed much of the difficulty) but because the the task was difficult by nature. God simply asked him to to his part to the best of his ability. Divine help was available to overcome the (large) gaps in that ability. Hal Lillywhite "When a man demands proof, you can be sure hall@vice.ICO.TEK.COM that proof is the last thing he really wants." Hugh Nibley