Episode 133: D&C 34 – Section 50
We address the controversy we accidentally started in episode 130, D&C section 46 (oops!). So, should we start a Comments Section discussion at the start of each episode? Email me, let me know at comments@mybookofmormonpodcast.com.
Section 50: Joseph lets us all know that everyone needs to calm down with the revelations and spiritual phenomena. False spirits aren’t good, y’all, you need to stick with the true spirits that come from God, and Joseph is here to tell us how.
Drink count – 14, or about two beers
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Show dedicated to Jason, with his podcastriarchal blessing at the end.
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Read along with us at joelakuhn.com/dc-compare
My Book of Mormon 
November 6, 2016 at 7:51 am
Marie and Bryce, you just call out my name, and you know, wherever I am, I’ll come running, to provide arcane citations again.
Who was the guy who moved a mountain? In Matthew 17:20, Jesus promised his disciples that if they had faith like a grain of mustard seed, they could command a mountain to move out of its place. Though no one in history has subsequently made good on that promise (except the occasional person who moved a metaphorical mountain, which I say doesn’t count), Joseph Smith’s works give us two literal mountain movers – the Brother of Jared (Ether 12:30), and Enoch (Moses 7:13).
But if there was one Book of Mormon character who was explicitly endowed with omnipotence, that would be Nephi, son of Helaman, who was given power from God to “seal” things on earth and have them sealed in heaven (Helaman 10). Though God specifically told Nephi he could command a mountain to be made smooth, Nephi seems to have used his ability merely to cause a massive drought, kill some people, and motivate repentance among the survivors. (The author of 1 Kings chapter 17 has not sued for copyright infringement as of yet, either because the Bible is in the public domain, or because the dude’s been long dead.)
Nephi’s son, also named Nephi, performed more constructive miracles, like raising his brother from the dead, and teaching the gospel with such power that people simply could not disbelieve him, even though that fact completely pissed them off. Of this Nephi, the Book of Mormon says, “he truly did many miracles in the name of Jesus; and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity” (3 Nephi 8:1).
That’s the exact same idea we got here in D&C 50, which solves two problems for the church: 1) It provides an excuse for why God doesn’t give us all the cool miracles the scriptures promise, which is that we’re just too sinful; 2) It encourages people, when they don’t get promised blessings, to think the problem is with themselves, and be in a constant state of inadequacy and self-reproach, which will make them feel they need the church, and behave accordingly.
November 7, 2016 at 8:39 pm
Thank you, Duke, for your willingness to enlighten me and all the other listeners with your “arcane citations.” For me you are the best General Authority My BOM could have.
November 6, 2016 at 1:55 pm
Yes Marie, please correct your mistakes. I’m not Mormon, just fascinated by various Christian denominations, and I think it’s only fair to Mormons that when you say something that isn’t true you correct it publicly.
November 6, 2016 at 9:58 pm
I hear ya! There’s usually a little conversation that happens here on the site, or via email just with me. It hadn’t occurred to me until this particular issue arose that duh, not everyone is in my brain and reading the personal email I get.
November 8, 2016 at 11:30 pm
Please post updates or corrections or stuff, I really would love to hear it in context.
May 31, 2017 at 4:07 am
Methodist ex-child here and I also know the house on the rock/sand song!! Who knew it was so nondenominational!