Having a of godliness, but the power thereof: from such turn away.
Magicians, Astrologers, Sorcerers, Chaldeans
Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
I close my eyes and see the wrath of King Nebuchadnezzar in his throne room. He sits on his golden throne until the group of men in front of him, cowering, prostrate before him and beg the king to realize he’s asking the impossible! The king has faced “impossible” before and expects possibilities.
Enraged at their ineffectiveness, he stands and gives the ultimatum. He has a kingdom full of supposed , and the astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans. They could not reveal his dream and said no one could. For their inabilities, all the wise men in the kingdom would die.
Their audience complete, they are waved out of the room by the king who returns to his wrack his mind to uncover the troubling, veiled visions in his head upon his bed.
The king issued the decree to kill the kingdom’s , astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans.
The , astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans schooled in their arts, the experts of a nation, bemoan their obvious fate.
The death decree reached Daniel. Impossibly, Daniel declared that through the God of heaven’s power, he could reveal the dream. He asked the king for a day and promised an interpretation. He ran to his friends and together they prayed for the revelation that would preserve their lives.
Then was the revealed unto Daniel in a night . Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for and might are his:
And he changeth the and the : he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth unto the wise, and to them that know understanding:
He the deep and secret things: he what is in the darkness, and the dwelleth with him.
I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
Laman, Lemuel, and Sam
Lehi, full of the Holy Ghost, called his family together to hear his latest vision, a long, detailed journey to a tree of life. He explains the dream and the consequences of various family members’ choices. His sons, left to wonder about his vision’s meaning(s), approach the dilemma uniquely—Nephi prayed to ask the Lord what the vision meant and his brothers did not.
When Nephi returned to camp, he saw his brothers disputing about Lehi’s vision. Nephi acknowledged that the info was hard to understand unless you ask the Lord about it. Yet Laman, the oldest son who proclaimed himself the family’s rightful leader and teacher, did not look to the Lord.
Nephi ignored them for a minute until he received enough strength to talk to them. What were they disputing about?
And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the , and also concerning the Gentiles.
And I said unto them: Have ye of the Lord?
And they said unto me: have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.
Rather than ask the Lord they did not serve, they preferred to conjecture with logic. As such, they never came to the knowledge of the truth.
Nephi reminded them that they could access the Lord and began to explain parts of the vision. How did he know what the vision meant? The same way his father Lehi did.
And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a , and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the who should come—I, Nephi, was also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the , which is the of God unto those who diligently seek him, as well in times of as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men. …
For he that diligently shall find; and the of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the , as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the of the Lord is one eternal round.
Is Knowledge of the Truth Possible for Everyone?
Why were Daniel and Nephi able to do the impossible? Were they “extra-special” necessarily? What knowledge enabled them to experience these miracles?
They were young men when these events occurred in their lives. Yet even at their younger age, they knew what Mormon promised his congregation and all readers of the Book of Mormon. They knew that
As surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will unto every good thing; wherefore he the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.
And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have ceased to minister unto the children of men. …
And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with and great glory at the last , that they are true, and if they are true has the day of miracles ceased?
Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?
Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of , and all is vain.
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According to Mormon, unbelief is the main prohibition to divine truth. Laman and Lemuel did not believe the Lord would speak to them. The Chaldeans thought the task was impossible. Through all their learning and effort, they never came to a knowledge of the truth.
Daniel and Nephi had a relationship with the God of heaven who hears and answers prayers. They believed. The miracles came. They came to a knowledge of the truth.
And is of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.
This is a great lesson! I think as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, too often we think that if we are on the path, we are doing ok. But if we really want to learn and grow, we need to keep inquiring of the Lord. Thanks for teaching me so much, friend.
That’ s a great point, Becky! I’m grateful that the Lord keeps responding as we keep inquiring!!