Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
An ancient idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33, as well as a demonic attack in Lancashire

An ancient idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33, as well as a demonic attack in Lancashire

Last updated on: September 2, 2022 at 4:55 pm by Dan Peterson

An ancient idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33, as well as a demonic attack in Lancashire 2022-09-02T16:55:13-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The temple in Laie, Oahu, Hawaii, adjacent to the Hawaii campus of Brigham Young University, where Matthew Bowen teaches (LDS Media Library)

It’s Friday, so yet another new article has appeared in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship:

““But That Thou Wouldst Clear My Way Before Me”: A Note on the Personal and Emotional Rendering of an Ancient Idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33,” written by Matthew L. Bowen

Abstract: The biblical Hebrew collocation pinnâ derek or pannû derek (cf. Egyptian Ἰr wꜣ.t [n]), often rendered “prepare the way” or “prepare a way” in English, is an evident stylistic feature of Nephi’s writings. The most basic meaning of this idiom is “clear my way,” which is how it is rendered in 2 Nephi 4:33. Zenos’s use of “prepare the way” (Jacob 5:61, 64) in the context of “clear[ing] away” bad branches also reflects this most basic meaning.

And I shouldn’t overlook this item, which went up on 31 July:

Interpreter Radio Show — July 31, 2022

In the 31 July 2022 installment of the Interpreter Radio Show, Terry Hutchinson and Martin Tanner took the lead. The first hour of the show featured as a guest the prolific Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, a vice president of the Interpreter Foundation, discussing his new book on Freemasonry and the Origins of the Latter-day Saint Temple Ordinances. The second hour, the segment devoted to the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum, had guest Kerry Muhlestein discussing the Hebrew biblical book of Isaiah (“Come, Follow Me” lesson #37 [Isaiah 1–12]). The 31 July 2022 broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show has now been delivered from the bondage of commercial and other interruptions, archived, and made available to you conveniently and at absolutely no charge. And there is even more glorious news! The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard every single Sunday evening of the year from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640. And, if that doesn’t work out for you, you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

My wife took this photograph just the other day of the house at the corner of Fox Street and St. Wilfrid Street in Preston, Lancashire, England. It’s astonishing to me that the building still stands. It’s abandoned, though, and I hope that somebody will step in to make sure that it’s preserved and not demolished.

In connection with our recent trip to the United Kingdom, and particularly to Preston, Lancashire — and because we’re moving into our Six Days in August film project (for which I interviewed James Allen about three or four weeks ago) — I recently re-read the important 1992 volume by James B. Allen, Ronald K. Esplin, and David J. Whittaker entitled Men with a Mission: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the British Isles, 1837-1841. Here’s an intriguing episode that’s recounted in the book:

Even while the elders felt blessed by the power of God, they were also keenly aware of the powers of darkness arrayed against them. One encounter came the night before their first baptisms. The two apostles occupied a tiny room on the top floor of a Saint Wilfred Street lodging house, and Elders Goodson, Russell, Snyder, and Richards occupied the floor below. The missionaries knew that Isaac Russell had long been troubled by what he thought were devils, though Heber Kimball, at least, did not fully believe all Russell had said about his difficulties. Tormented again during the early morning of Sunday, July 30, Russell went upstairs and awakened Elders Kimball and Hyde, asking for a blessing. Heber stood up and Orson sat on the bed while the two apostles laid their hands on Russell, prayed, and rebuked the spirits. As Heber later wrote:

While thus engaged, I was struck with great force by some invisible power and fell senseless on the floor as if I had been shot, and the first thing that I recollected was, that I was supported by Brothers Hyde and Russell, who were beseeching a throne of grace in my behalf. They then laid me on the bed, but my agony was so great that I could not endure, and I was obliged to get out, and fell on my knees and began to pray. I then sat on the bed and could distinctly see the evil spirits, who foamed and gnashed their teeth upon us. We gazed upon them about an hour and a half, and I shall never forget the horror and malignity depicted on the countenances of these foul spirits, and any attempt to paint the scene which then presented itself, or portray the malice and enmity depicted in their countenances would be vain.

I perspired exceedingly, and my clothes were as wet as if I had been taken out of the river. I felt exquisite pain, and was in the greatest distress for some time. However, I learned by it the power of the adversary, his enmity against the servants of God and got some understanding of the invisible world.

Any doubts Heber had about the reality of Isaac Russell’s confrontations with the powers of darkness were erased. Joseph Fielding, who also had doubted some of Russell’s claims, was not present, but after he heard of the experience, he summarized in his diary the lessons of the night:

Upon the whole we got considerable Instruction from the Maneuvers of the Devil. The Spirit of the Devil produces Confusion, Disorder and Misery; the Spirit of God produces Calmness, Order and Happiness. If we never before knew that there were evil Spirits, we did now. We also knew how [to] feel for dear Bro. Russel.

It was only natural for Heber to conclude in his diary that “it seames that the devels an determined to distroy us and prevent the truth from being declared in England.” When Joseph Smith later heard of it he rejoiced for, he said, “I then knew that the work of God had taken root in that land.”

I guess that one lesson that we might draw from such stories is this: Opposition to the Church doesn’t prove it true. But a lack of opposition might prove it either false or completely ineffective, or both.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Jeffrey Mark Bradshaw

Previous Post

September 1, 2022

"What You Didn’t Hear About the LGBT Pamphlet at BYU"

Next Post

September 3, 2022 At IANDS

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I told my daughter-in-law to uncover a man's feet and lie down at the threshing floor. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Rebekah Naomi Ruth Bathsheba