Is Joseph Smith glorified?

[_madeleine]

Metaphor

Example: My family and I were so cold during the winter our furnace malfunctioned; we were icicles!

I love this latest defense of Mormon teachings. God is a metaphor. Explains so much. lol.

[_Simon Belmont]

I love this latest defense of Mormon teachings. God is a metaphor. Explains so much. lol.

Huh?

God is not a metaphor.

An icicle is not a metaphor.

They can be used in metaphors, though.

"Jimmy Page is the god of rock!" Is Jimmy Page really a god? Of course not.

"My family and I were icicles the winter our furnace malfunctioned!" Were we all literally icicles? Of course not.

This technique in writing is called a metaphor.

Let's see if you can pick out the metaphor in the following statement by Brigham Young:

He is the man through whom God has spoken and revealed some of the most glorious principles that every were revealed to the children of men; yet I would not like to call him a saviour, though in a certain capacity he was a God to us [...]

[_madeleine]

Maybe the first vision is metaphor, and, the word of wisdom too.

[_Nevo]

I love this latest defense of Mormon teachings. God is a metaphor. Explains so much. lol.

Here's a Catholic teaching for you:

"The LORD answered Moses: See! I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet." (Exodus 7:1, New American Bible Revised Edition)

Is this a metaphor?

[_madeleine]

No.

Please read the footnote from the same Bible.

It is descriptive of the mission that has been given to Moses. In Catholic terms, a gift, of the Holy Spirit. A charism.

One more edit!

Mystical in meaning, not metaphorical.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mystical

[_Nevo]

No.

Please read the footnote from the same Bible.

It is descriptive of the mission that has been given to Moses. In Catholic terms, a gift, of the Holy Spirit. A charism.

One more edit!

Mystical in meaning, not metaphorical.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mystical

Actually, the footnote indicates a metaphorical rather than a mystical meaning: "Just as God spoke to Moses, so Moses will speak to Aaron, who will be a 'prophet' to Pharaoh."

Brigham Young's statement that "in a certain capacity [Joseph Smith] was a God to us, and is to the nations of the earth, and will continue to be" was an allusion to Exodus 7:1. His meaning, then, was that Joseph Smith was "a god to" the Latter-day Saints and the nations of the world in the same way that Moses was "a god to" Aaron and Pharoah—that is to say, metaphorically, by virtue of his role as God's representative.

[_madeleine]

Actually, being Catholic, I have been taught how to understand Scripture as the Catholic Church teaches it. So, I'm telling you there Nevo, God gave to Moses a gift. It is very clear to me, and also described in the footnotes.

But, LDS read things so literally. Even asserting things are metaphors with an effort to put things in a literal sense.

Peace.

[_madeleine]

I have made thee a god--"made," that is, set, appointed; "a god"; that is, he was to act in this business as God's representative, to act and speak in His name and to perform things beyond the ordinary course of nature. (Bible commentary here.)

"(a) I have given you power and authority to speak in my name and to execute my judgments on him. " (Bible commentary here.)

"I have made thee a god to Pharaoh;
not a god by nature, but made so; he was so by commission and office, clothed with power and authority from God to act under him in all things he should direct; not for ever, as angels are gods, but for a time; not in an ordinary way, as magistrates are gods, but in an extraordinary manner; and not to any other but to Pharaoh, being an ambassador of God to him, and as in his room and stead to, rule over him, though so great a monarch; to command him what he should do, and control him when he did wrong, and punish him for his disobedience, and inflict such plagues upon him, and do such miracles before him, as no mere man of himself, and none but God can do; and even exercise the power of life and death, as in the slaying of the firstborn, that Pharaoh should stand in as much fear of him, as if he was a deity, and apply to him to remove the plagues upon him, as if he was one" (Bible commentary here.)

"I have made thee a god to Pharaoh - That is, my representative in this affair, as magistrates are called gods, because they are God's vicegerents. He was authorized to speak and act in God's name, and endued with a divine power, to do that which is above the ordinary course of nature." (Bible commentary here.)

That's just four examples, incidentally, all Protestant, so we (Catholic and Protestant) are in agreement here.

Peace.

[_Simon Belmont]

Actually, being Catholic, I have been taught how to understand Scripture as the Catholic Church teaches it. So, I'm telling you there Nevo, God gave to Moses a gift. It is very clear to me, and also described in the footnotes.

But, LDS read things so literally. Even asserting things are metaphors with an effort to put things in a literal sense.

Peace.

Oh well then, read this:

Actually, being LDS, I have been taught how to understand Scripture as the LDS Church teaches it. So, I'm telling you there madeleine, God gave to Joseph Smith a gift. It is very clear to me.

[_Equality]

[

Actually, being LDS, I have been taught how to understand Scripture as the LDS Church teaches it. So, I'm telling you there madeleine, God gave to Joseph Smith a gift. It is very clear to me.

Oh, I see. Helen Mar Kimball was a birthday present. Everything makes a lot more sense now.