Very insightful. This is all elaborated upon in Brother Givens' contribution to the Maxwell Institute's wonderful "Brief Theological Introduction" series, for which he authored the book on 2 Nephi. Highly recommended!
Enjoyed this analysis. Kristor Standahl said the B. of M. was most striking as a pre-Christian Christology, but it was also a blending of Hebrew group salvation and Christian personal salvation--as you note. It is a book for our day too because it raises the global or cosmic question of God's 'field of interest.' The underlying soteriological and epistemological question for Nephi expanded from 'why me', to 'why us' to the tension between 'why not everyone' and 'what if everyone': Why does the 'Parental' God of all humanity pick and choose among his children to reveal truth so sporadically and differently. I Nephi 17 is Nephi's classic theodicy: 'well, the Canaanites had to be bad guys for God to kill them, right?' Answer: He cares for all of his children but the righteous are favored. But how can people be righteous if they don't have the gospel? 'There are only two churches' helps ease this aporia reducing the human test that matters to Matthew 25 (when did we know Thee?)--following the universally given Spirit of Christ (Lamb of God 'church' members) which leads to serving the needy, and following the dark spirit (G&A 'church' members) which leads to harming by neglecting others. Still there is no discussion of pre-mortality or the spirit world where 'fairness' is assured. Still a sovereign all powerful, fore-knowing God seems to be getting his way and helping some more than others from the outset . . . hmm. Later (2 Ne 29, Alma 29, 3 Ne 15) this subject is expanded well beyond Israel. we are told there are indeed 'other sheep' and 'still other sheep' but where they are is left unclear. They might be the guys sitting next to us a McDonalds or on countless worlds coming and going . . . the yearning of the faithful to make God seem fair goes on. A know-all God is usually the weak reading for this. I prefer Gods who are leaders doing their best most of the time--living with aporia in eternity.
Very insightful. This is all elaborated upon in Brother Givens' contribution to the Maxwell Institute's wonderful "Brief Theological Introduction" series, for which he authored the book on 2 Nephi. Highly recommended!
Enjoyed this analysis. Kristor Standahl said the B. of M. was most striking as a pre-Christian Christology, but it was also a blending of Hebrew group salvation and Christian personal salvation--as you note. It is a book for our day too because it raises the global or cosmic question of God's 'field of interest.' The underlying soteriological and epistemological question for Nephi expanded from 'why me', to 'why us' to the tension between 'why not everyone' and 'what if everyone': Why does the 'Parental' God of all humanity pick and choose among his children to reveal truth so sporadically and differently. I Nephi 17 is Nephi's classic theodicy: 'well, the Canaanites had to be bad guys for God to kill them, right?' Answer: He cares for all of his children but the righteous are favored. But how can people be righteous if they don't have the gospel? 'There are only two churches' helps ease this aporia reducing the human test that matters to Matthew 25 (when did we know Thee?)--following the universally given Spirit of Christ (Lamb of God 'church' members) which leads to serving the needy, and following the dark spirit (G&A 'church' members) which leads to harming by neglecting others. Still there is no discussion of pre-mortality or the spirit world where 'fairness' is assured. Still a sovereign all powerful, fore-knowing God seems to be getting his way and helping some more than others from the outset . . . hmm. Later (2 Ne 29, Alma 29, 3 Ne 15) this subject is expanded well beyond Israel. we are told there are indeed 'other sheep' and 'still other sheep' but where they are is left unclear. They might be the guys sitting next to us a McDonalds or on countless worlds coming and going . . . the yearning of the faithful to make God seem fair goes on. A know-all God is usually the weak reading for this. I prefer Gods who are leaders doing their best most of the time--living with aporia in eternity.