Subject: Epiphany
I just had an epiphany!!!!!
We were reading Alma 36 as part of Family Night and suddenly it hit me: the phrase "from time to time" in the Book of Mormon is not equivalent to the current English usage where it means "occasionally." In the Book of Mormon it means "time and again," or in other words, "continually."
Check out how that changes the way these scriptures read.
Alma 36:28-29
And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.
And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship.
2 Nephi 10:22
For behold, the Lord God has led away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.
Alma 49:21
And it came to pass that the captains of the Lamanites brought up their armies before the place of entrance, and began to contend with the Nephites, to get into their place of security; but behold, they were driven back from time to time, insomuch that they were slain with an immense slaughter.
Jacob 7:5
And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.
Omni 1:17
And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had become exceedingly numerous. Nevertheless, they had had many wars and serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time; and their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand them.
1 Nephi 16:29
And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.
1 Nephi 17:45
Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder.
See, in many of these cases, an English reader will at first think it's some kind of caveat, but in reality it's a very strong emphasis that the event in question is happening over and over. I know that this interpretation is true because it makes all of these scriptures' meanings clearer.
Note BTW that Doctrine and Covenants doesn't seem to use the phrase this way--in D&C, "from time to time" seems (for the most part?) to mean the same thing as it does in English. For example:
Doctrine and Covenants 20:61
The several elders composing this church of Christ are to meet in conference once in three months, or from time to time as said conferences shall direct or appoint;
I know the Book of Mormon is true, and that Nephi and Alma and Moroni were real people!
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I just had an epiphany!!!!!
We were reading Alma 36 as part of Family Night and suddenly it hit me: the phrase "from time to time" in the Book of Mormon is not equivalent to the current English usage where it means "occasionally." In the Book of Mormon it means "time and again," or in other words, "continually."
Check out how that changes the way these scriptures read.
Alma 36:28-29
And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.
Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity.
1 Nephi 18:1And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship.
2 Nephi 10:22
For behold, the Lord God has led away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.
Alma 49:21
And it came to pass that the captains of the Lamanites brought up their armies before the place of entrance, and began to contend with the Nephites, to get into their place of security; but behold, they were driven back from time to time, insomuch that they were slain with an immense slaughter.
Jacob 7:5
And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.
Omni 1:17
And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had become exceedingly numerous. Nevertheless, they had had many wars and serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time; and their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand them.
1 Nephi 16:29
And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.
1 Nephi 17:45
Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder.
See, in many of these cases, an English reader will at first think it's some kind of caveat, but in reality it's a very strong emphasis that the event in question is happening over and over. I know that this interpretation is true because it makes all of these scriptures' meanings clearer.
Note BTW that Doctrine and Covenants doesn't seem to use the phrase this way--in D&C, "from time to time" seems (for the most part?) to mean the same thing as it does in English. For example:
Doctrine and Covenants 20:61
The several elders composing this church of Christ are to meet in conference once in three months, or from time to time as said conferences shall direct or appoint;
I know the Book of Mormon is true, and that Nephi and Alma and Moroni were real people!
If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way.
I could not love thee, dear, so much,
Loved I not Honor more.
