He Trusted in the Lord God of Israel

The Ebla Tablets and the Abraham Tradition

David Noel Freedman

Reflections on Mormonism: Judaeo-Christian Parallels (1978)

The Ebla tablets, discovered in 1975, mention Abram, David, Esau, Ishmael, Israel, Micaiah, Michael, and Saul. While we can’t be sure that these are the same people so named in the Bible, it is very likely. Even more astonishing it that the tablets mention together the “five cities of the plain,” listed in the same order in Genesis 14: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela. These were flourishing cities at the time of Abraham and Lot. These tablets add historical data to the Genesis account.

How Could Jerusalem, “That Great City,” Be Destroyed?

David Rolph Seely, Fred E. Woods

Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem (2004)

Nephi’s brothers rebelled against Lehi’s teaching that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Many inhabitants of Jerusalem believed that God would preserve their city, and the city was fortified and prepared for siege. The assurances of false prophets added to the incorrect belief that their city was invincible.

How Could Jerusalem, “That Great City,” Be Destroyed?

David Rolph Seely, Fred E. Woods

Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem (2004)

Nephi’s brothers rebelled against Lehi’s teaching that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Many inhabitants of Jerusalem believed that God would preserve their city, and the city was fortified and prepared for siege. The assurances of false prophets added to the incorrect belief that their city was invincible.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel Vision

Charles A. Muldowney

Ensign 32, no. 9 (Sep. 2002)

“Hezekiah’s life is a study in courage and faithfulness before the Lord in the face of extreme opposition. However, when his greatest test in life came, he faltered, leaving a tarnished legacy and laying the foundation for the eventual scattering and destruction of his people.”

Joseph Smith—Matthew: Profiting from Prophecy

George A. Horton Jr.

The Pearl of Great Price: Revelations from God (1989)

Jesus has strongly emphasized the prophecies in Matthew 24 by repeating them. Calamities will come. The Savior will return. We must prepare.

Is the Bible Reliable? A Case Study: Were King Josiah’s Reforms a Restoration from Apostasy or a Suppression of Plain and Precious Truths? (And What about Margaret Barker?)

Eric A. Eliason

BYU Studies Quarterly 60, no. 3 (2021)

The chapters 2 Kings 22 and 23 help scholars understand how the Old Testament took its shape and its main themes. The story tells that the scroll commanded eliminating all potential rival worship sites and concentrating attention on Jerusalem. Some scholars see in this a loss of older doctrines, such as God’s wife and son and a plurality of Gods. Margaret Barker’s books in particular have been enthusiastically studied by some Latter-day Saints. Was Josiah a righteous reformer, or an agenda-driven power consolidator/narrative reshaper worried about the Assyrians, or a suppressor of a religion that was more beautiful and richly populated with divine beings? Read about the dispute and how we might consider Josiah’s actions.

The Restoration as Covenant Renewal

David Rolph Seely

Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament (2005)

This article discusses the significance of covenants in the context of the restored gospel, emphasizing that they are central to understanding the relationship between God and His children. It explores the scriptural history of covenants, including their renewal during pivotal times, and highlights the Doctrine and Covenants as the document of the new and everlasting covenant. The piece also examines the biblical evidence to define covenant and covenant renewal, identifying seven elements that are consistently present in scriptural accounts.

Is the Bible Reliable? A Case Study: Were King Josiah’s Reforms a Restoration from Apostasy or a Suppression of Plain and Precious Truths? (And What about Margaret Barker?)

Eric A. Eliason

BYU Studies Quarterly 60, no. 3 (2021)

The chapters 2 Kings 22 and 23 help scholars understand how the Old Testament took its shape and its main themes. The story tells that the scroll commanded eliminating all potential rival worship sites and concentrating attention on Jerusalem. Some scholars see in this a loss of older doctrines, such as God’s wife and son and a plurality of Gods. Margaret Barker’s books in particular have been enthusiastically studied by some Latter-day Saints. Was Josiah a righteous reformer, or an agenda-driven power consolidator/narrative reshaper worried about the Assyrians, or a suppressor of a religion that was more beautiful and richly populated with divine beings? Read about the dispute and how we might consider Josiah’s actions.

Chart 115: When Is It Better for One Man to Perish Than an Entire Nation?

John W. Welch, J. Gregory Welch

Charting the Book of Mormon (1999)

Ancient Israelite law authorized the slaying of a particular man at least two other times when a whole people faced destruction. This chart compares Nephi’s situation with two similar incidents found in the Bible: the beheading of the rebel Sheba and the execution of King Jehoiakim.

The Imprisonment of Jeremiah in Its Historical Context

Kevin L. Tolley

Religious Educator 20, no. 3 (2019)

Zedekiah reigned in a time of spiritual, economic, and political turmoil. Lehi was one of many prophets during this time, including Jeremiah, Obadiah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. Zedekiah’s councils could not accept Jeremiah’s prophecies and worked to have him imprisoned. The context of the situation in Jerusalem gives insight into the early events of the Book of Mormon.

New Information about Mulek, Son of the King

Robert F. Smith, Benjamin Urrutia

Reexploring the Book of Mormon (1992)

Biblical scholarship bears out that King Zedekiah had a son named Mulek.