{"id":31104,"date":"2016-02-20T13:51:04","date_gmt":"2016-02-20T20:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=31104"},"modified":"2016-02-20T13:51:04","modified_gmt":"2016-02-20T20:51:04","slug":"bom-2-nephi-31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2016\/02\/bom-2-nephi-31.html","title":{"rendered":"BOM 2 Nephi 31"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
The Manaus Brazil Temple, situated directly adjacent to the Amazon River.
(LDS.org; click to enlarge)
So important is baptism that Latter-day Saints, in temples such as this one around the world, perform vicarious baptisms on behalf of those who have died without receiving the ordinance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s reading, 2 Nephi 31<\/a>, is a marvelously clear statement of the necessity of baptism. \u00a0I certainly can\u2019t improve on it, so I\u2019m going to quote it. \u00a0At least one or two passages, anyway \u2014 \u201cfor my soul delighteth in\u00a0plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men\u201d (verse 3):<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now, if the Lamb of God, he being\u00a0holy, should have need to be\u00a0baptized\u00a0by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be\u00a0baptized, yea, even by water!\u201d<\/strong><\/span> (verse 5)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And he said unto the children of men:\u00a0Follow\u00a0thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we\u00a0follow\u00a0Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father? \u00a0And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0(verses 10-11)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are other related passages that I could cite, but, of course, you should really just read the chapter. \u00a0Here, though, is another verse, on a distinct but related topic, that strikes me:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow\u00a0path, I would ask if all is\u00a0done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken\u00a0faith\u00a0in him,\u00a0relying\u00a0wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to\u00a0save. \u00a0Wherefore, ye must press forward with a\u00a0steadfastness\u00a0in Christ, having a perfect brightness of\u00a0hope, and a\u00a0love\u00a0of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and\u00a0endure\u00a0to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have\u00a0eternal life.<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0(verses\u00a019-20)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We ought, it seems to me, to pay very close and special attention to passages such as this, which tell us, in varying words but similar substance, \u201cif you do x<\/em>, y<\/em>, and z<\/em>, you will be exalted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Such straightforward formulae for obtaining the ultimate good, receiving the unsurpassable gift, are of immense importance.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Finally, the chapter closes with a reference to \u201cthe\u00a0Father, and . . . the Son, and . . . the Holy Ghost, which is\u00a0one God, without end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But. one might object, isn\u2019t this the language of Trinitarianism?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yes. \u00a0Of course. \u00a0It absolutely is. \u00a0And, as a matter of fact, the Book of Mormon contains stronger statements of the oneness of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost than does the New Testament.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Latter-day Saints, contrary to common accusations and the common assumptions of Mormons<\/a> themselves, believe in the Trinity. \u00a0We simply don\u2019t view the unity of its members in the same way that mainstream Christianity does. \u00a0The Nicene ontological Trinity isn\u2019t the only option on offer.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I published an article making this argument, and other related arguments, some years ago in Element<\/em>, the journal of the Society for Mormon Theology<\/a> and Philosophy. \u00a0It got very little circulation. \u00a0It will re-appear within the next few months, however, with modifications, in a publication from the Interpreter Foundation.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 Today\u2019s reading, 2 Nephi 31, is a marvelously clear statement of the necessity of baptism. \u00a0I certainly can\u2019t improve on it, so I\u2019m going to quote it. \u00a0At least one or two passages, anyway \u2014 \u201cfor my soul delighteth in\u00a0plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nBOM 2 Nephi 31<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    Today's reading, 2 Nephi 31, is a marvelously clear statement of the necessity of baptism. \u00a0I certainly can't improve on it, so I'm going to\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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