And So Forth
Question:
What comes to mind when you think of the phrase ‘and so forth’?
Visually speaking, I think of someone using their hand to brush something aside when they don’t have, or they don’t want to take the time, to finish a sentence. It’s like the equivalent of ‘blah, blah, blah’.
The Free Dictionary defines ‘and so forth’ this way;
‘with additional related or similar things mentioned (but not specified)’
This phrase is what I kept encountering last week when reading LDS canon. It seemed strange God wouldn’t have the time to be more specific if he went to the trouble of mandating something.
Based on historical evidences of human nature, you can just imagine what people might come up with to fill in the ‘unspecified’ sections of scripture. This, however, is exactly what the Mormon god has said through his chosen representative, Joseph Smith, Jr.
After running a word search, I found seven Mormon scriptures containing this phrase, and for the record, I ran the same search on the Bible and found none.
As Christians this shouldn’t surprise us because God has always been very specific, detailing each important commandment when He wants us to take heed. He even went over them again when He gave us Deuteronomy! My youngest daughter is a firm believer Deuteronomy is God’s love letter to us, and I have to say, I couldn’t agree more!
God loves us so much He went to the trouble to reiterate what He had already outlined just so we wouldn’t miss the details.
Now, given this is the modus operandi of God’s behavior pattern, why would He suddenly change things when Joe Smith came along in the 19th century?
Does it seem reasonable men would write God-inspired scripture (theopneustos, meaning divinely breathed) 2 Timothy 3:16, and not give detailed info on what Jehovah expected from, or for, us? This is what the Mormon Church wants people to believe by claiming their prophet’s words are directly from God.
What’s even more telling is how this is part of their canon while they control and cherry-pick the way members are to behave in any given situation. Why didn’t they give this much attention to their canon?
If you’re LDS, we encourage you to take a look at your scriptures and compare them with what God says in His word. Ask yourself if this seems reasonable and if it matches up with what your expectations are of the god you worship.
Here’s the list of what we found –
“An account of the death of Lehi. Nephi’s brethren rebel against him. The Lord warns Nephi to depart into the wilderness. His journeying in the wilderness, and so forth.”
“Wherefore, the people were desirous to retain in remembrance his name. And whoso should reign in his stead were called by the people, second Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth, according to the reigns of the kings; and thus they were called by the people, let them be of whatever name they would.”
“Now the heads of the Lamanites were shorn; and they were naked, save it were skin which was girded about their loins, and also their armor, which was girded about them, and their bows, and their arrows, and their stones, and their slings, and so forth.”
“And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death…”
“Now, in relation to this matter, it would be very difficult for one recorder to be present at all times, and to do all the business…let him be very particular and precise in taking the whole proceedings, certifying in his record that he saw with his eyes, and heard with his ears, giving the date, and names, and so forth, and the history of the whole transaction…”
“We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth. 7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.”
No comments yet.