Why did Mormon write? And why are Mormon’s life experiences relevant to understanding the Book of Mormon?
Read more at my article “Mormon 1-9. I Write that Ye Might Believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
3 Nephi 17-19. Christ’s Visit to the Americas
Christ’s visit to the Americas marks the climax of the Book of Mormon when we would expect the greatest of epiphanies, the most illuminating of revelations and the most marvelous of mysteries to be unfolded. Truly, great epiphanies were displayed as Christ descended from heaven or when the angels came down and ministered to the children. Revelation did pour forth and mysteries were indeed expounded. But upon closer examination we recognize that it was the revelation of the simple truths of the gospel accompanied by clear explanation that comprised the mysteries of the kingdom. Our endeavor today as we study these chapters will be to highlight and explore a few simple principles of the gospel that Christ taught during his American ministry, namely prayer and sacrament.
Read the rest of my article “3 Nephi 17-19. Christ’s Visit to the Americas” on Interpreter.
Mosiah 4-6: Children of Christ
“Covenant making and keeping are the life blood of spiritual living. Covenants teach us of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, covenants inspire us to keep the commandments in the name of Christ, and the cords of covenants loose us from the bands of death and hell, sealing us to the everlasting Father and those that we love. The speech of prophet-king Benjamin is one of the most memorable covenant-making scenes in all of scripture.”
Read more at: http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/mosiah-4-6-children-of-christ/
Easter and the ‘At-One-Ment’
“On his path to completing the Atonement, in the final week of his life, Christ experienced the highs and lows of worldly and spiritual glory….In the Easter season, if we are to honor the Atonement, we too must strive to create oneness in our families, churches and communities.”
Deseret News article written for the Easter season with my wife Lisa Rampton Halverson.
New Article. Luke 4-6 and Matthew 10: Faithfully Responding to God’s Call
My new article on Interpreter has been posted: “Luke 4-6 and Matthew 10: Faithfully Responding to God’s Call.”
“Early chapters of the Gospels share various aspects of Jesus Christ’s divine mission: Messianic prophecies, glorious birth, precocious youth, exemplary baptism and the spread of gospel truths. Christ was not to be alone in his mission, however, except in his suffering. So we turn to the events surrounding Christ’s public proclamation of his mission, the call of the Twelve Apostles, and the preparation they received to follow in his footsteps. What we will see in these chapters is that Christ taught his apostles by example how to be true disciples engaged in the work of righteousness.”
Read more at “Luke 4-6 and Matthew 10: Faithfully Responding to God’s Call.”
The First Mention of Christ in the Book of Mormon
I taught a Book of Mormon class at Brigham Young University summer 2012. During one of the classes, we had this teaching moment. I explained that the Book of Mormon focuses on Jesus Christ. Indeed, “Christ” is mentioned more than 300 times in the Book of Mormon.
Dr. Halverson, “Where is the first use of the name “Christ” in the Book of Mormon?”
Students, after some searching, “2 Nephi 10:3.”
Dr. Halverson, “If Christ is the central figure of the Book of Mormon, why isn’t the name “Christ” used until 78 pages in to the Book of Mormon? We are nearly 15% through the Book of Mormon and this is the first time that the name “Christ” is used! Why?”
Students, practicing careful reading, “Because Jacob explains ‘for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name.'”
Dr. Halverson, “OK, great. But why didn’t Jacob know Christ’s name before that time?”
Students, stumped by the question, “We don’t know.”
Dr. Halverson, “The word “Christ” is Greek. The same term in Hebrew is “Messiah” which Jacob and Nephi use on a number of occasions.”
Students, “Ohh, Nephi and Jacob didn’t know Greek. They would not have used a Greek word to talk about Him when they came from a Hebrew speaking culture. They would have used other names for Him from their own language and culture.”
Dr. Halverson, “Exactly. That is why the phrase “Lamb of God” is so often used by Nephi. He didn’t know Christ’s name in Greek and so Nephi used a title from his Hebrew background that referred to Jesus Christ. It wasn’t until Nephi’s brother Jacob reveals the name “Christ” that suddenly the phrase “Lamb of God” falls out of use (used 25 times before Jacob’s revelation and only 6 times afterwards) and “Christ” becomes one of the primary terms used to name Him.”
