And I believe the literalism of the BoM and most of the Bible, also. However, I also realize there are mistakes in the Bible that even GAs have admitted to. This means we accept the stories to be true, as best as we can understand them. Yet we realize that the record is not perfect, and the day may come when we find that some of the stories are not literal events. When an event of the Bible shows up in the BoM or D&C, I use that as evidence of its actuality. Whether Joshua caused the walls to tumble down in Jericho has little to do with my faith, as my faith isn't built on whether that one particular miracle occurred or not. Rather it is on whether those ancient prophets taught truths, especially about Jesus Christ and his gospel. The scriptures aren't a lie. However, the Bible isn't perfect, either. It was written by people who constantly were in apostasy. Apostates often take the writings of dead people and twist them to fit their beliefs (just ask any average Christian today what they believe, and how the Bible supports it, and why they reject modern prophets). And yes, the scientists make mistakes too. They have some false conclusions. I realize this. I don't readily accept their theories out of hand. But I don't reject them out of hand, either, without looking at all the evidence and consider all sides closely first. The Bible suggests an earth-centric universe, and a flat earth. The scientist Galileo almost lost his life over fighting the biblicists on that one. yet who ended up right, the Bible or science? We don't think of the four corners of the earth today as meaning the literal four corners. But that's what ancient Jews believed because of the OT's writings. It was this same ideology that prevented scientific discovery for centuries, because if the bible said it (or people interpreted it in a certain way) then it had to be that way. Aren't we thankful for science in these instances. If it weren't for Columbus rejecting the flat earth theory of the Bible, then America wouldn't have been discovered and we wouldn't have had a free nation upon which the Lord could restore the gospel.... K'aya K'ama, Gerald/gary Smith gszion1 @juno.com http://www .geocities.com/rameumptom/index.html "No one is as hopelessly enslaved as the person who thinks he's free." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
JWR: Sorry, but in my book, this kind of reasoning just won't cut it. Admittedly there is symbolism in the Bible. There is symbolism in the Book of Mormon, too. But there really was a Father Lehi, and there really were Nephites and Lamanites. And it matters very much to me whether or not the God of the Old Testament parted the Red Sea, or Jesus Christ and Peter literally walked on water. If they didn't, then the scriptures are a lie, and I might just as well chuck all this religion stuff. ________________________________________________________________ Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today Only $9.95 per month! Visit www.juno.com ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
