LDS Sunday School OT Lesson 16

03 March

old-testament-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual-35570000The title of the lesson this week is “I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord” and the purpose is “to encourage members to submit to God’s will without hesitation”.

In light of the Church’s theory on evolving revelations and the lesson last week of following the prophet, the title of this lesson seems rather ambiguous.  How can a Mormon follow the word of God and the Mormon prophets as well?

There isn’t one single doctrine in all of Mormonism that doesn’t contradict God’s word.  Not one.  I’ve looked and looked for 50 years and I have yet to find anything.

This lesson is fraught with confusing innuendos which only serve the purpose of confusing its readers.

Near the beginning of the lesson they use Numbers chapters 22-25 when Balaam goes off to Moab at the request of Balak because Balak is terrified of the approaching Israelites and wants Balaam to curse them.  Mind you, Balak went out and found a prophet – the Bible didn’t say he was looking for a prophet of God, just a prophet.

This is one of the many clues there’s something wrong with Balak and something wrong with the Church trying to insinuate Balaam would even consider following God.  What the Church didn’t say in this lesson is that God will use whomever He will in executing His purposes, be it one of His own or otherwise.

Against the Lord’s command Balaam heads off to Moab and finds himself in a situation that none will soon forget.

What was interesting about this lesson is the experience Balaam had with the donkey. While on his way to Moab the donkey he was riding stopped three times and refused to go any further. Balaam took his frustration out on the hind end of the donkey and God opened the mouth of the donkey and chastised Balaam.

After the donkey finished chewing him out God opened his eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord with a drawn sword in his hand. Numbers 22:22-33.

Now the reason we find this interesting is because of the outrageous tales Smith told his followers. On numerous occasions he told people that an angel appeared before him with a flaming sword commanding him to perform polygamy. See Angels with Flaming Swords & Joseph Smith.  

Does this sound like anything God would do? What other examples in the Bible can we compare this with? If God is unchanging then why would this only happen to Joseph Smith and not others?

The lesson tells its students that Balaam testified to Balak about Jesus in the JST (Joseph Smith Translation – Numbers 24:10-25) and has the students going back and forth between the KJV and the JST.

What better way to keep people confused about God than to have members read a true version of the Bible alongside a false one?  It’s no wonder the Mormon people can’t concentrate or retain information on what they’ve read!  We receive e-mails from ex-Mormon Christians who talk about this all the time. I don’t say this because I think Mormons aren’t intelligent, on the contrary they’re very well educated.

However, when you’re teaching and absorbing information in this manner and you’re spiritually vulnerable to what you’re consuming, there’s going to be a problem.  I know this from my own experience as well.

How did Balaam – a diviner and false prophet – know about Jesus circa BC 1406?  Does this sound reasonable to you? The closest thing in this passage about Balaam is when the Bible mentions that he saw the tents of Israel – Numbers 24:5.

While they mentioned that Balaam sought some type of reward from Balak they never did come right out and say that Balak was a diviner.  Hmmm…I wonder why…

Ironically they ask students to ponder what rewards someone might obtain by not following God’s word and are encouraged to share their ideas aloud.  All I could think of was Joseph Smith’s fixation on having multiple wives in his harem.  He went against everything God warned him about; not only through His word but also by the strong Christian leaders God placed in Smith’s life and yet he still refused.

Like Balaam, Joseph refused to obey God and both honored and listened to false gods.

In the end the Israelites destroyed the Midianites and Balaam as well.  The irony of Smith’s end shouldn’t be missed in this one!

Reference:

LDS Sunday School OT Lesson #16

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