Steven Harper is a treasure. His testimony and measured, reasoned approach resonates deeply with me. I thank God for people like him who confirm and give voice to my convictions.
Dr. Steven Harper is one of the most highly educated, in a western sense, as well as a most erudite and sophisticated scholar of ancient (and modern) scripture that there is anywhere. Yet his faith and humility make him a unique individual on the world stage of a teacher of his wisdom and knowledge.
Always am uplifted listening to brother Harper. I have my own testimony of the Book of Mormon. I believe it truly is a second witness of Jesus Christ. Thank you 😊
What a blessing having access to such wonderful speakers, from a member of a small Group of maybe 10 here in South Western Australia. Thank you Bro Harper
I love the clarity and modern scholarship you add to the Book of Mormon and it's purpose of existence. It definitely stands unique as a Second Witness that Jesus Christ truly is the God of the whole Earth and all who exist herein.
I had the same experience, though the words did come to my mind. Not like when I was in the 2nd grade and "someone" shouted STOP! at me, that kept me from running out into the street behind my dad's FuryIII and getting run over by a car, but they were the words. "Bryon, you don't need to ask. You already know it is true."
Bro. Harper, I can't think of an educator that has had a more powerful influence on me that you. Your common, unembellished testimony is compelling. I believe exactly as you do. To me, the BofM defines a way of living that is both legitimate and elegant. If the scriptures can't deliver that, they are worthless. But they do deliver exactly what is promised. They're sure a lot better than the morally bereft psychobabble of secular religion.
I really can imagine Nephi telling his younger brother Jacob about understanding of his father Lehis vision and then saying LOOK Look her it is all over Isaiah lets write this down in the second record now that I am old and my hands full of arthritis
Am I the only one experiencing brief gaps in Harper's speech -- sometimes at critical parts? Does anyone know where this can be heard fully intact? I agree with his conclusions about how Joseph Smith cannot seriously be considered to have written the Book of Mormon.
Jesus is the Christ. I'm grateful to know more what that phrase means. Also - Nephi seeing the nativity, I never thought of it that way. Thanks for posting Dr. Harper. The history of the witnesses, and the fact Joseph couldn't have done it is very compelling to me also. I don't believe any one person could have done it. I think more explanation is needed on the dark skin comments in the Book of Mormon. It has nothing to do with the color of epidermis. Its talking like "your worthless hides" or your "hides will be spotted" when you return to God. You will be filthy still. Reading scripture erroneously will lead you to think goats and being left handed are bad also. Dark skin, or cursed skin is reference to sin. The ancients could have used to better analogy, but they weren't obsessed with skin color like we are. Dark skin in scripture almost never refers to the color of epidermis. I disagree with Harper that the Nephites were racists. Nephites thought they were better than others because they had the gospel. For all we know the Nephites had a darker epidermis than the Lamanites. Let us not forget the Nephites and Lamanites had the same parents, its reason enough to think they had similar skin color. More reason is that their wives were also of the same family (Ismael). So there kids would also have similar skin color. I know we have to throw Zorom into the mix, but if you read Jacob 3, you can see Nephites were mixing with the natives when they came to the Americas. Jacob tells them not to have multiple wives, well...they are only into the second generation, there couldn't have been that many women in order to have multiple wives. They were taking wives from the natives they found. If those natives were dark skinned, very possible Nephites had darker epidermis than the Lamanites in the early generations. After many generations of mixing, I doubt one group could be distinguished from the other based on skin color.
Very interesting point about the Christology. Will be an interesting book to look forward to reading. It’s interesting that the Creator sent Torah practicing Jews away from Jerusalem along with proper priesthood authority in Zoram and then revealed to Lehi and Nephi his chesed. Jesus Christ is the embodiment and completion of chesed. The critics greatest challenge is they refuse to bow themselves beneath the rod of a covenant relationship with their Creator and become beholden to the Creators will. They have convinced themselves that a simple declaration that a creedal interpretation of the Christ provides exaltation ignoring James council that “even the devils do the same.” It appears that the Kabbalahistic teaching of Fathers chesed is the greatest message of the christology found in the text. How Joseph Smith “made this up” and presented it in a way a Hebrew audience would culturally understand it mystifies me and flies right over the heads of most if not all western and especially modern western religious trained scholars and critics. Which are folks who have the the spiritual gift of discernment as they know deep within themselves that chesed is far from something they want to commit themselves to. But then the natural man has always been an enemy to God.
What "new interpretation" is he referring to? Why are we not able to hear the questions to which Harper is responding. This video is not up to the caliber that is deserved by an interviewee like Harper. Please consider reissuing without the sound gaps and including the questions asked.
Who cares about MarkTwain. Not everyone has read his books. The Book of Moron has changed lives of millions of people here and the other life. The Book of Mormon is true.
I'm a latter-day saint and I do not believe Jesus is a created being. This is a gross misrepresentation of LDS beliefs, which ironically, believe all people are uncreated.
@@onceuponareset-ho7fg No, I do not. Whatever one may believe this isn't something we teach or is central in anyway. Nevertheless, the answer is no, personally.
@@jeffhagen9840 No? Then you are not in the same camp as current Mormon teachers. To quote: "Furthermore, Mormons teach that Heavenly Father subsequently had other spirit children. We ourselves are thought to be spirit children of Father God and Mother God. As such, Mormons refer to Jesus as our “Elder brother.” As the official LDS teacher’s manual Gospel Principles explains, “We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Father said, ‘Whom shall I send?’ (Abraham 3:27). Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, ‘Here am I, send me’” (emphasis added). Finally, it stands to reason that if Jesus is the first spirit child conceived and begotten by Heavenly Father; and if Heavenly Father and Mother subsequently conceived other spirit children, including Satan, then Jesus and Satan logically are spirit brothers. While LDS spokespersons sometimes obfuscate this fundamental Mormon teaching, apostles of the Mormon Church and current official LDS publications clearly affirm it. As explained by the Mormon publication Ensign, “On first hearing, the doc- trine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some-especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers.”
