Names, Tokens and Covenants | Alma 43-47 | Come Follow Me | The Book of Mormon: A Master Class #32

[@hennore]

So many gold nuggets from this episode! The two biggest being how we need to increase our pace when walking with Christ, and how the advesary will come a fourth time to dissuade us from that path

[@johnhiltoniii]

Yes! Thank you so much!

[@beatricesavasta6710]

Thank you for analyzing events in connection with months and seasons, so instructive, so fortifying for our testimony of the divine origin of the Book of Mormon. I love those intellectual evidence pieces that I so wish would encourage Joseph Smith's detractors to open their hearts in prayer to Heavenly Father about the truthfulness of the Restoration. We can be so blessed by your research and your time spent preparing and teaching wonderful classes. Thank you again, dear brother Hilton.

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thanks for your kind words Beatrice!

[@charlotteleean]

Thank you brother Hilton, for such wonderful teaching~for principles in the war chapters. ❤

[@naidakoelliker944]

So many good nuggets in these chapter!! Thank you!!❤❤

[@johnhiltoniii]

Yes! The war chapters are awesome!

[@jamiespiers294]

It is ok to fail. Love it. Failing and having to try again is often the best teacher.

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thanks Jamie, I appreciate your kind words!

[@gretchenr2307]

Thank you so much for this class. So much good insight. I appreciate all your podcasts and look forward to every single one.

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thanks so much Gretchen!

[@brettpinion4233]

LDS please don't reject GOD of BIBLE & follow the FALSE GODS of Joseph Smith? Isn't your eternity worth looking for TRUTH? "Before me NO god was formed, nor shall there be ANY after me.” (Isaiah 43:10) If Mormonism is true, then God could not make this claim, for he was just a man at one point; nor could he claim that no gods would come after him, for that is the goal of J.S. and LDS members. Isaiah 44:6 says, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is NO God." & "Is there any God besides me?.. I know not one". God is saying there is NOT an infinite amount of Gods, and there is none like Him. LDS teaches that there is. He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did" (King Follett Sermon) Either the BIBLE or LDS is FALSE. LDS CLAIMS the bible was corrupted to justify Joseph Smith's changing of the biblical, eternal God into an evolving, created god, who is not all powerful and is one of an endless number of gods. This is a PROVABLY FALSE claim. The Claim: In the BOM, the prophet Nephi has a vision the Bible was CORRUPTED and "plain and precious parts" were removed AFTER the 12 apostles and after the formation of the “great and ABOMINABLE church” (1 Nephi 13:26-29). Nephi claims this church was founded by the DEVIL (1 Nephi 14:3). So let’s objectively TEST the BIBLE v.s. BOM. LDS paid scholar Dan McClellan in 2024: "The data pretty firmly points in the OPPOSITE direction of a historical BOM" youtube short video "Is the BOM historical?" NO Nephite "reformed Egyptian" writings described by J.S. (Mormon 9:32) ever found ANYWHERE. All reputable linguists have rejected it as mythical as of 2024. Professor Charles Anthon Feb. 17, 1834 NO trace of Jewish DNA found in any Indian burial ground anywhere in the Americas from period of BOM. Thomas W. Murphy, (LDS scholar, DNA expert): “the genetic evidence shows that American Indians are NOT Jewish. The Book of Mormon is not true.” John Whitmer Historical Association Journal 2005 NO truth: Book of Abraham published with 3 drawings from an Egyptian papyrus. The book is a funerary papyrus of scenes from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. In drawings Nos. 1 & 3, Smith misidentifies everything depicted. "LDS and non-LDS Egyptologists agree that the characters on the fragments do NOT match the translation given in the book of Abraham" Quote from LDS OFFICIAL WEB PAGE NO trace of “2 million Jaredites slain” (Ether 15:2), with iron, brass, breast-plates, shields, and armor. Impossible for millions of dead warriors in metal armor to leave no trace. NO trace of the "great city Zarahemla"- impossible for a city the size of Zarahemla described in BOM (4 Nephi 8; D&C 125:3) to leave no trace. NO temple like Solomon's described in 2 Nephi 5:16 has ever been found yet biblical temple is easily seen in Jerusalem. This "temple" could not just disappear. NO cities mentioned in the BOM have ever been located (none of 38) ANYWHERE. Impossible for them to disappear unless they never existed. NO evidence: "The whole land was covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous, as it were the sand of the sea." Yet NOT ONE ever located. (Mormon 1:7) IMPOSSIBLE for (Jaredites, Nephites) & MILLIONS of people to have vanished. There is NO archaeological, anthropological, topological, linguistic, botanical or dna evidence to support the BOM. LDS anthropologist Dee Green: “first myth we need to eliminate is that BOM archaeology exists”; 20 years of research “left us empty-handed” (Green 1969 p. 77) According to the Smithsonian Institute, the following items (which, according to BOM, existed in the Americas b/w 600 B.C. & 421 A.D.) have absolutely no evidence for existing in the America's during that time: Silk-Alma 4:6, Nephi 13:7; Horses-Enos 1:21; Steel-Jarom 1:8, 2 Nephi 5:15,16; Iron-2 Nephi 5:15; Coins-Alma 11:5-19; Donkeys-Mosiah 5:14, 12:5; Cattle, Cow, and Oxen-Enos 1:21; Pigs-3 Nephi 7:8; Wheat-Mosiah 9:9 NO goats, no metal smelting furnaces, no metal armor, no steel swords, no chariot parts, no brass, no evidence of Kings in BOM Alma 18: 9-12; Mosiah 8:10 & 9:9; 1 Ne 18:25 Can we ignore the STRONG EVIDENCE AGAINST THE BOM and trust our FEELINGS as to it's truth even though it CONFLICTS with the EVIDENCE and the words of the BIBLE? NO! D&C Section 9:8-9 - tells us that if something is true it will make our "bosom burn" and we will FEEL that it is right. Maroni 10:4 says: "he will manifest the truth of it unto you" The BIBLE WARNS us against this SUBJECTIVE type of truth test. The LDS test for truth violates the Biblical test. Why? Because we have a sinful nature that can be DECEIVED. Proverbs 28:26 "He that trusts in his own (bosom) heart is a FOOL." This is why the Bible frequently urges us to STUDY and MEDITATE on God's word. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV "STUDY ... rightly dividing the word of TRUTH." Acts 17:11 "EXAMINE THE SCRIPTURES to see if what said is TRUE". 1John 4:1 says: "BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT, ... because MANY FALSE PROPHETS (J.S.) have gone out into the world." BIBLE TEST: The Dead Sea Scrolls have been dated to as early as 350 BC. One is the Great Isaiah Scroll dated to 180 BC. Do ANY ancient scrolls show Smith's "uncorrupted" version of scripture? NO! Yet they would if the scripture was later corrupted after the 12 apostles died as Smith and Nephi said. Also, if they had been corrupted, why would Jesus affirm it! “I told you EVERYTHING written about ME in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to happen.” (Luke 24:44-46) Scripture is the same today as it was 2,100+ years ago with only minor spelling and punctuation differences. Also, these scrolls are Jewish scrolls and the BOM says the Jews had the Scriptures in their "purity" and "TRUTH". 1Nephi 13:25 LDS Apologist Wayne Ham: the Isaiah scroll does not support the BOM. Dr. Sidney B. Sperry, BYU, the Dead Sea Scrolls do not help the case for the BOM. BYU Prof. Joseph F. McConkie: "Rather than Joseph Smith as Found in Ancient Manuscripts, it ought be Joseph Smith as Lost in Ancient Manuscripts.” (Religious Studies Center, 1984) Is the GOD of the LDS the same as in the BIBLE? NO! LDS Church’s 147th Conf., Gen Authority Bernard P. Brockbank said: the Christ followed by Mormons is NOT THE CHRIST followed by traditional Christianity. (Ensign, May 1977 p. 26) The new testament has not been corrupted either. See the gospel of JOHN. Smith changed it to make Jesus a created being. Research a 1900 year old papyri known as the Bodmer Papyri of the book of John. (written 160 AD, around the Apostle John's time) John 1:1 "In the BEGINNING was the WORD and the WORD was WITH God and the WORD WAS God." ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΑΙ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ ΗΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΘΕΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΟΣ ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ (look up this ancient Greek yourself on google) John 1:1 Joseph Smith mistranslation: "In the beginning was the GOSPEL preached through the Son. And the GOSPEL was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God." Smith's Jesus is no longer God in the flesh but the biblical Jesus is: "God was manifest in the flesh" 1Tim. 3:16 KJV. In order to try to make things work for LDS, J.S. added extra verses and verbiage into John 1 that were never there in any ancient texts to try to separate the idea of a trinity into 3 Gods. There are 4,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Some go back to 350 AD and ZERO support Joseph Smith's claims that the bible of today has been corrupted. Papyrus fragments exist of the New Testament dated to 175 AD and show that the new testament has NOT been "corrupted". (New Testament Docs: Are They Reliable? Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967 pp. 15-17) The manuscript and archeological evidence for the BIBLE is the GREATEST in antiquity. I pray you know the true Jesus and not Joseph Smith's exalted man from another planet who is not eternal, not all powerful, not perfect but evolving, and was polygamous. God is much greater than the humanoid of LDS and NOT just ONE OF AN ENDLESS NUMBER OF EVOLVING GODS. Jesus said ALL scripture will NOT fade away but "MANY WOLVES in sheep's clothing" will come trying to ADD to the word. Mathew 7:15 Joseph Smith changed Jesus, the Father and added you can become a GOD. It hurts my heart to see Mormons fall for Satan's lie that we can become God when there is only one eternal biblical God. God gave us critical thinking & logical reasoning for a reason, he tells us to EXAMINE and TEST what we are being taught for TRUTH. The bible withstands the truth test. Joseph Smith's version FAILS the truth test. It's your eternity, study it for yourself. God bless. LDS FALSE Apostles: "The law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." Brigham Young Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 110 "The only men who become Gods, even the sons of Gods are those that enter into polygamy." (Brigham Young) Journal of Discourses 11 p.269

[@kenyankatalyst]

John, thank you so much for doing this masterclass. I am inspired and informed as I listen to it. May God continue to bless you as you prepare for and present this class. May he open your understanding and help you to feel the impact that this class is having throughout the world. In this session you talk about the influence that one man can have. You and your wife have had a tremendous influence on helping share the gospel and deepen our understanding of the eternal plan of happiness. Thank you! Stay strong!!

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement...I appreciate your prayers!

[@kenyankatalyst]

You are welcome!

[@virginiaevans853]

Very well done and very incite full. Thank you.

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thanks Virginia

[@brettpinion4233]

LDS please don't reject GOD of BIBLE & follow the FALSE GODS of Joseph Smith? Isn't your eternity worth looking for TRUTH? "Before me NO god was formed, nor shall there be ANY after me.” (Isaiah 43:10) If Mormonism is true, then God could not make this claim, for he was just a man at one point; nor could he claim that no gods would come after him, for that is the goal of J.S. and LDS members. Isaiah 44:6 says, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is NO God." & "Is there any God besides me?.. I know not one". God is saying there is NOT an infinite amount of Gods, and there is none like Him. LDS teaches that there is. He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did" (King Follett Sermon) Either the BIBLE or LDS is FALSE. LDS CLAIMS the bible was corrupted to justify Joseph Smith's changing of the biblical, eternal God into an evolving, created god, who is not all powerful and is one of an endless number of gods. This is a PROVABLY FALSE claim. The Claim: In the BOM, the prophet Nephi has a vision the Bible was CORRUPTED and "plain and precious parts" were removed AFTER the 12 apostles and after the formation of the “great and ABOMINABLE church” (1 Nephi 13:26-29). Nephi claims this church was founded by the DEVIL (1 Nephi 14:3). So let’s objectively TEST the BIBLE v.s. BOM. LDS paid scholar Dan McClellan in 2024: "The data pretty firmly points in the OPPOSITE direction of a historical BOM" youtube short video "Is the BOM historical?" NO Nephite "reformed Egyptian" writings described by J.S. (Mormon 9:32) ever found ANYWHERE. All reputable linguists have rejected it as mythical as of 2024. Professor Charles Anthon Feb. 17, 1834 NO trace of Jewish DNA found in any Indian burial ground anywhere in the Americas from period of BOM. Thomas W. Murphy, (LDS scholar, DNA expert): “the genetic evidence shows that American Indians are NOT Jewish. The Book of Mormon is not true.” John Whitmer Historical Association Journal 2005 NO truth: Book of Abraham published with 3 drawings from an Egyptian papyrus. The book is a funerary papyrus of scenes from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. In drawings Nos. 1 & 3, Smith misidentifies everything depicted. "LDS and non-LDS Egyptologists agree that the characters on the fragments do NOT match the translation given in the book of Abraham" Quote from LDS OFFICIAL WEB PAGE NO trace of “2 million Jaredites slain” (Ether 15:2), with iron, brass, breast-plates, shields, and armor. Impossible for millions of dead warriors in metal armor to leave no trace. NO trace of the "great city Zarahemla"- impossible for a city the size of Zarahemla described in BOM (4 Nephi 8; D&C 125:3) to leave no trace. NO temple like Solomon's described in 2 Nephi 5:16 has ever been found yet biblical temple is easily seen in Jerusalem. This "temple" could not just disappear. NO cities mentioned in the BOM have ever been located (none of 38) ANYWHERE. Impossible for them to disappear unless they never existed. NO evidence: "The whole land was covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous, as it were the sand of the sea." Yet NOT ONE ever located. (Mormon 1:7) IMPOSSIBLE for (Jaredites, Nephites) & MILLIONS of people to have vanished. There is NO archaeological, anthropological, topological, linguistic, botanical or dna evidence to support the BOM. LDS anthropologist Dee Green: “first myth we need to eliminate is that BOM archaeology exists”; 20 years of research “left us empty-handed” (Green 1969 p. 77) According to the Smithsonian Institute, the following items (which, according to BOM, existed in the Americas b/w 600 B.C. & 421 A.D.) have absolutely no evidence for existing in the America's during that time: Silk-Alma 4:6, Nephi 13:7; Horses-Enos 1:21; Steel-Jarom 1:8, 2 Nephi 5:15,16; Iron-2 Nephi 5:15; Coins-Alma 11:5-19; Donkeys-Mosiah 5:14, 12:5; Cattle, Cow, and Oxen-Enos 1:21; Pigs-3 Nephi 7:8; Wheat-Mosiah 9:9 NO goats, no metal smelting furnaces, no metal armor, no steel swords, no chariot parts, no brass, no evidence of Kings in BOM Alma 18: 9-12; Mosiah 8:10 & 9:9; 1 Ne 18:25 Can we ignore the STRONG EVIDENCE AGAINST THE BOM and trust our FEELINGS as to it's truth even though it CONFLICTS with the EVIDENCE and the words of the BIBLE? NO! D&C Section 9:8-9 - tells us that if something is true it will make our "bosom burn" and we will FEEL that it is right. Maroni 10:4 says: "he will manifest the truth of it unto you" The BIBLE WARNS us against this SUBJECTIVE type of truth test. The LDS test for truth violates the Biblical test. Why? Because we have a sinful nature that can be DECEIVED. Proverbs 28:26 "He that trusts in his own (bosom) heart is a FOOL." This is why the Bible frequently urges us to STUDY and MEDITATE on God's word. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV "STUDY ... rightly dividing the word of TRUTH." Acts 17:11 "EXAMINE THE SCRIPTURES to see if what said is TRUE". 1John 4:1 says: "BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT, ... because MANY FALSE PROPHETS (J.S.) have gone out into the world." BIBLE TEST: The Dead Sea Scrolls have been dated to as early as 350 BC. One is the Great Isaiah Scroll dated to 180 BC. Do ANY ancient scrolls show Smith's "uncorrupted" version of scripture? NO! Yet they would if the scripture was later corrupted after the 12 apostles died as Smith and Nephi said. Also, if they had been corrupted, why would Jesus affirm it! “I told you EVERYTHING written about ME in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to happen.” (Luke 24:44-46) Scripture is the same today as it was 2,100+ years ago with only minor spelling and punctuation differences. Also, these scrolls are Jewish scrolls and the BOM says the Jews had the Scriptures in their "purity" and "TRUTH". 1Nephi 13:25 LDS Apologist Wayne Ham: the Isaiah scroll does not support the BOM. Dr. Sidney B. Sperry, BYU, the Dead Sea Scrolls do not help the case for the BOM. BYU Prof. Joseph F. McConkie: "Rather than Joseph Smith as Found in Ancient Manuscripts, it ought be Joseph Smith as Lost in Ancient Manuscripts.” (Religious Studies Center, 1984) Is the GOD of the LDS the same as in the BIBLE? NO! LDS Church’s 147th Conf., Gen Authority Bernard P. Brockbank said: the Christ followed by Mormons is NOT THE CHRIST followed by traditional Christianity. (Ensign, May 1977 p. 26) The new testament has not been corrupted either. See the gospel of JOHN. Smith changed it to make Jesus a created being. Research a 1900 year old papyri known as the Bodmer Papyri of the book of John. (written 160 AD, around the Apostle John's time) John 1:1 "In the BEGINNING was the WORD and the WORD was WITH God and the WORD WAS God." ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΑΙ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ ΗΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΘΕΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΟΣ ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ (look up this ancient Greek yourself on google) John 1:1 Joseph Smith mistranslation: "In the beginning was the GOSPEL preached through the Son. And the GOSPEL was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God." Smith's Jesus is no longer God in the flesh but the biblical Jesus is: "God was manifest in the flesh" 1Tim. 3:16 KJV. In order to try to make things work for LDS, J.S. added extra verses and verbiage into John 1 that were never there in any ancient texts to try to separate the idea of a trinity into 3 Gods. There are 4,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Some go back to 350 AD and ZERO support Joseph Smith's claims that the bible of today has been corrupted. Papyrus fragments exist of the New Testament dated to 175 AD and show that the new testament has NOT been "corrupted". (New Testament Docs: Are They Reliable? Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967 pp. 15-17) The manuscript and archeological evidence for the BIBLE is the GREATEST in antiquity. I pray you know the true Jesus and not Joseph Smith's exalted man from another planet who is not eternal, not all powerful, not perfect but evolving, and was polygamous. God is much greater than the humanoid of LDS and NOT just ONE OF AN ENDLESS NUMBER OF EVOLVING GODS. Jesus said ALL scripture will NOT fade away but "MANY WOLVES in sheep's clothing" will come trying to ADD to the word. Mathew 7:15 Joseph Smith changed Jesus, the Father and added you can become a GOD. It hurts my heart to see Mormons fall for Satan's lie that we can become God when there is only one eternal biblical God. God gave us critical thinking & logical reasoning for a reason, he tells us to EXAMINE and TEST what we are being taught for TRUTH. The bible withstands the truth test. Joseph Smith's version FAILS the truth test. It's your eternity, study it for yourself. God bless. LDS FALSE Apostles: "The law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." Brigham Young Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 110 "The only men who become Gods, even the sons of Gods are those that enter into polygamy." (Brigham Young) Journal of Discourses 11 p.269

[@janstallings4013]

Wow! The escalator analogy was eye-opening. Along with the Nephite and Lamanite preparation for war. “What worked in the past will not be enough in the future”. Made me think j of what our wonderful prophet is asking us to do..which will help us increase our pace “on the escalator”. i.e spend more time in the temple, increase your spiritual capacity, refine your ability to Hear Him, turn your heart, mind, and soul increasingly to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I love your Master class. I learn so much each week. Thank you!

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thanks so much Jan!

[@michelleolson645]

I LOVE your podcast so much!!! Thank you, thank you for your amazing instruction and insights and for your profound object lessons (eg gojng up the escalator and how we have to increase our speed to not be dragged down) and including quotes from our Prophet and Apostles to further illustrate the truths you are sharing. I share these things with my kids, and am so grateful for them!!!

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thanks so much Michelle...I'm really happy you're enjoying these videos and sharing them with others!

[@michelleolson645]

@@johnhiltoniii you bet! I’m a firm believer that good things need to be shared!

[@barbaracraig7983]

I’m probably struggling harder now, with more complex, long term problems, than I ever have in my life! A lot is conspiring against me and the solutions are going to perhaps be years in coming. I can’t tell you how my heart took courage in hearing their opening words for this lesson. Your words are an answer to my prayers! Well, not an “answer“ precisely, but what I need to hear to keep trusting in the Lord. THANK YOU 🙏🏻 ❤

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your feelings...I am praying for you. You can press forward with Jesus Christ!

[@prairiedaugherty4910]

Your ‘parable of the escalator’ is very applicable. What a great way to put Elder Eyering‘s quote about increasing our efforts into an our long term memories. I also so appreciate how many wishes you have granted by recommending me so many great bonus resources!

[@johnhiltoniii]

Ah, thank you!

[@dinocollins720]

I had heard about the warfare in the BoM taking place during the dry season; however, I had never seen those graphs. That is absolutely fascinating! Some powerful evidence of the truth of the BoM! Thanks for sharing!

[@johnhiltoniii]

It's pretty awesome...but don't base your testimony of the Book of Mormon on it! ;)

[@nancyadamson1184]

I love your lessons! Thanks so much for you time! ❤

[@dinocollins720]

Bro Hilton! I recently uncovered some cool insights from my personal study. You’re my guy so I was super excited to run it by you and also since I utilized wordcruncher. Sorry this is long, so don’t read if you’re busy haha. So one of my favorite scripture individuals is Gideon. He pops up over and over doing incredible things without all the praise and glory. It occurred to me to learn the meaning of his name. I found “Gideon” (Hebrew: גדעון) means “one who cuts down,” "feller," "hewer," “cutter off,” or even "cut off hand.” This made a lot of sense because we are first introduced to Gideon attempting to “cut down” King Noah and finally as he is “cut down” by Nehor. So I went back to study every reference of Gideon in the BoM. I was absolutely shocked at what I found. A synonym of to “cut down” or “hew down” is to “slay” or “slay with the sword.” This word or phrase is repeated over and over and over in association with Gideon and his narrative. I think we are seeing a Hebraic wordplay on his name. The evidence is stark. Every time his name is used the word “slay” is also used in some form in the exact same verse or the previous/subsequent verse. In all these cases you could replace “slay” with “cut down.” First Gideon is introduced “he drew his sword, and swore in his wrath that he would slay (cut down) the king” (Mosiah 19:4), but the Laminites attack “and began to slay them (cut them down)” (Mosiah 19:10). There are more references to Gideon as the Lamanites “slay” woman and children and later when the people “slay” King Noah. Gideon appears again in chapter 20 in order to prevent the Lamanites from “slaying” the people because of the wicked priests’ kidnappings. In Mosiah 22 Gideon proposes a plan to the king to “2 deliver themselves out of bondage (cutting down) by the sword.” In Alma 1 Gideon contends with Nehor who “9 drew his sword and began to smite him (cut him)… therefore Gideon was slain (cut down) by the sword.” But that’s not it. Alma 2 “1 Amlici… he being after the order of the man that slew (cut down) Gideon by the sword” gathers an army and the “18 Nephites… slew (cut down) the Amlicites with great slaughter, that they began to flee before them.” We read the named that area “20 the valley of Gideon, the valley being called after that Gideon who was slain (cut down) by the hand of Nehor with the sword.” Later, each time this land is mentioned “slaying “ is also mentioned Alma 6 “7 Alma… went over upon the east of the river Sidon, into the valley of Gideon, there having been a city built, which was called the city of Gideon, which was in the valley that was called Gideon, being called after the man who was slain (cut down) by the hand of Nehor with the sword.” Finally, in Helaman 13, besides Zarahemla, the city Gideon is the only city mentioned which Christ condemned because they “slew” the prophets. This just scratches the surface. I’ve been using wordcruncher to uncover more insights. I counted the amount of times “slay” is used in its various forms in Gideon’s chapters Mosiah 19 = 9, 20 = 5, Alma 1 = 3, 2 = 16 and slay or similar words are used in Mosiah 22, Alma 6, Helaman 13. Also, I think there is interpretation precedent; it seems that the Hebrew word “qatal” can mean both “to slay” and “to cut.”

[@johnhiltoniii]

Wow, this is really awesome! I don't know Hebrew so I can't comment on that part, but it would be really interesting to see if the word "slay" appears more with Gideon than any other individual in the Book of Mormon. I tried to use the neighborhood report in WC to look that up this morning, but the results were skewed because it also included Gideon from the OT. We may have to talk to the WC people to see how to do the neighborhood report on just the Book of Mormon. I love that you're seriously studying the Book of Mormon and finding great new insights!!

[@dinocollins720]

@@johnhiltoniii Wow thank you brother Hilton for reading all that and even diving in further yourself. I can’t tell you how much it means to me. That’s a fantastic idea as well. I did look into the Gideon of the Bible and found a lot of parallels, language, and narratives (both Gideons cutting down kings, both Gideons delivering people with a plan at night, etc). Anyway, I’d love to isolate the BoM Gideon and do more word count analysis. I’ve tried to do a number of reports on word cruncher for Gideon, but I’m still learning the software so I’ve only been able to do pretty basic analysis so far. I’ll keep using it and find out more.

[@dinocollins720]

@@johnhiltoniii update, I played around with word cruncher quite a bit. One interesting result I found was to use the neighborhood report. Some of the words most commonly associated with “Gideon” seem to be “slew” and “slain.” If you filter for within around 5 words and if you combine “slew” and “slain” together they would be the most associated word with the word Gideon. And looking at word families within 10 words before and 10 words after “Gideon” is pretty shocking too

[@tammy9147]

Study time was the best part of my day🌻

[@johnhiltoniii]

This makes me so happy!

[@marilynjensen8096]

“It’s okay to fail.” Thank you for your words on that topic.

[@johnhiltoniii]

You're s welcome!

[@GodsTenderMercies]

I love searching for principles in the war chapters. Great job!

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thanks, these chapters are amazing!

[@brettpinion4233]

LDS please don't reject GOD of BIBLE & follow the FALSE GODS of Joseph Smith? Isn't your eternity worth looking for TRUTH? "Before me NO god was formed, nor shall there be ANY after me.” (Isaiah 43:10) If Mormonism is true, then God could not make this claim, for he was just a man at one point; nor could he claim that no gods would come after him, for that is the goal of J.S. and LDS members. Isaiah 44:6 says, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is NO God." & "Is there any God besides me?.. I know not one". God is saying there is NOT an infinite amount of Gods, and there is none like Him. LDS teaches that there is. He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did" (King Follett Sermon) Either the BIBLE or LDS is FALSE. LDS CLAIMS the bible was corrupted to justify Joseph Smith's changing of the biblical, eternal God into an evolving, created god, who is not all powerful and is one of an endless number of gods. This is a PROVABLY FALSE claim. The Claim: In the BOM, the prophet Nephi has a vision the Bible was CORRUPTED and "plain and precious parts" were removed AFTER the 12 apostles and after the formation of the “great and ABOMINABLE church” (1 Nephi 13:26-29). Nephi claims this church was founded by the DEVIL (1 Nephi 14:3). So let’s objectively TEST the BIBLE v.s. BOM. LDS paid scholar Dan McClellan in 2024: "The data pretty firmly points in the OPPOSITE direction of a historical BOM" youtube short video "Is the BOM historical?" NO Nephite "reformed Egyptian" writings described by J.S. (Mormon 9:32) ever found ANYWHERE. All reputable linguists have rejected it as mythical as of 2024. Professor Charles Anthon Feb. 17, 1834 NO trace of Jewish DNA found in any Indian burial ground anywhere in the Americas from period of BOM. Thomas W. Murphy, (LDS scholar, DNA expert): “the genetic evidence shows that American Indians are NOT Jewish. The Book of Mormon is not true.” John Whitmer Historical Association Journal 2005 NO truth: Book of Abraham published with 3 drawings from an Egyptian papyrus. The book is a funerary papyrus of scenes from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. In drawings Nos. 1 & 3, Smith misidentifies everything depicted. "LDS and non-LDS Egyptologists agree that the characters on the fragments do NOT match the translation given in the book of Abraham" Quote from LDS OFFICIAL WEB PAGE NO trace of “2 million Jaredites slain” (Ether 15:2), with iron, brass, breast-plates, shields, and armor. Impossible for millions of dead warriors in metal armor to leave no trace. NO trace of the "great city Zarahemla"- impossible for a city the size of Zarahemla described in BOM (4 Nephi 8; D&C 125:3) to leave no trace. NO temple like Solomon's described in 2 Nephi 5:16 has ever been found yet biblical temple is easily seen in Jerusalem. This "temple" could not just disappear. NO cities mentioned in the BOM have ever been located (none of 38) ANYWHERE. Impossible for them to disappear unless they never existed. NO evidence: "The whole land was covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous, as it were the sand of the sea." Yet NOT ONE ever located. (Mormon 1:7) IMPOSSIBLE for (Jaredites, Nephites) & MILLIONS of people to have vanished. There is NO archaeological, anthropological, topological, linguistic, botanical or dna evidence to support the BOM. LDS anthropologist Dee Green: “first myth we need to eliminate is that BOM archaeology exists”; 20 years of research “left us empty-handed” (Green 1969 p. 77) According to the Smithsonian Institute, the following items (which, according to BOM, existed in the Americas b/w 600 B.C. & 421 A.D.) have absolutely no evidence for existing in the America's during that time: Silk-Alma 4:6, Nephi 13:7; Horses-Enos 1:21; Steel-Jarom 1:8, 2 Nephi 5:15,16; Iron-2 Nephi 5:15; Coins-Alma 11:5-19; Donkeys-Mosiah 5:14, 12:5; Cattle, Cow, and Oxen-Enos 1:21; Pigs-3 Nephi 7:8; Wheat-Mosiah 9:9 NO goats, no metal smelting furnaces, no metal armor, no steel swords, no chariot parts, no brass, no evidence of Kings in BOM Alma 18: 9-12; Mosiah 8:10 & 9:9; 1 Ne 18:25 Can we ignore the STRONG EVIDENCE AGAINST THE BOM and trust our FEELINGS as to it's truth even though it CONFLICTS with the EVIDENCE and the words of the BIBLE? NO! D&C Section 9:8-9 - tells us that if something is true it will make our "bosom burn" and we will FEEL that it is right. Maroni 10:4 says: "he will manifest the truth of it unto you" The BIBLE WARNS us against this SUBJECTIVE type of truth test. The LDS test for truth violates the Biblical test. Why? Because we have a sinful nature that can be DECEIVED. Proverbs 28:26 "He that trusts in his own (bosom) heart is a FOOL." This is why the Bible frequently urges us to STUDY and MEDITATE on God's word. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV "STUDY ... rightly dividing the word of TRUTH." Acts 17:11 "EXAMINE THE SCRIPTURES to see if what said is TRUE". 1John 4:1 says: "BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT, ... because MANY FALSE PROPHETS (J.S.) have gone out into the world." BIBLE TEST: The Dead Sea Scrolls have been dated to as early as 350 BC. One is the Great Isaiah Scroll dated to 180 BC. Do ANY ancient scrolls show Smith's "uncorrupted" version of scripture? NO! Yet they would if the scripture was later corrupted after the 12 apostles died as Smith and Nephi said. Also, if they had been corrupted, why would Jesus affirm it! “I told you EVERYTHING written about ME in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to happen.” (Luke 24:44-46) Scripture is the same today as it was 2,100+ years ago with only minor spelling and punctuation differences. Also, these scrolls are Jewish scrolls and the BOM says the Jews had the Scriptures in their "purity" and "TRUTH". 1Nephi 13:25 LDS Apologist Wayne Ham: the Isaiah scroll does not support the BOM. Dr. Sidney B. Sperry, BYU, the Dead Sea Scrolls do not help the case for the BOM. BYU Prof. Joseph F. McConkie: "Rather than Joseph Smith as Found in Ancient Manuscripts, it ought be Joseph Smith as Lost in Ancient Manuscripts.” (Religious Studies Center, 1984) Is the GOD of the LDS the same as in the BIBLE? NO! LDS Church’s 147th Conf., Gen Authority Bernard P. Brockbank said: the Christ followed by Mormons is NOT THE CHRIST followed by traditional Christianity. (Ensign, May 1977 p. 26) The new testament has not been corrupted either. See the gospel of JOHN. Smith changed it to make Jesus a created being. Research a 1900 year old papyri known as the Bodmer Papyri of the book of John. (written 160 AD, around the Apostle John's time) John 1:1 "In the BEGINNING was the WORD and the WORD was WITH God and the WORD WAS God." ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΑΙ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ ΗΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΘΕΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΟΣ ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ (look up this ancient Greek yourself on google) John 1:1 Joseph Smith mistranslation: "In the beginning was the GOSPEL preached through the Son. And the GOSPEL was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God." Smith's Jesus is no longer God in the flesh but the biblical Jesus is: "God was manifest in the flesh" 1Tim. 3:16 KJV. In order to try to make things work for LDS, J.S. added extra verses and verbiage into John 1 that were never there in any ancient texts to try to separate the idea of a trinity into 3 Gods. There are 4,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Some go back to 350 AD and ZERO support Joseph Smith's claims that the bible of today has been corrupted. Papyrus fragments exist of the New Testament dated to 175 AD and show that the new testament has NOT been "corrupted". (New Testament Docs: Are They Reliable? Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967 pp. 15-17) The manuscript and archeological evidence for the BIBLE is the GREATEST in antiquity. I pray you know the true Jesus and not Joseph Smith's exalted man from another planet who is not eternal, not all powerful, not perfect but evolving, and was polygamous. God is much greater than the humanoid of LDS and NOT just ONE OF AN ENDLESS NUMBER OF EVOLVING GODS. Jesus said ALL scripture will NOT fade away but "MANY WOLVES in sheep's clothing" will come trying to ADD to the word. Mathew 7:15 Joseph Smith changed Jesus, the Father and added you can become a GOD. It hurts my heart to see Mormons fall for Satan's lie that we can become God when there is only one eternal biblical God. God gave us critical thinking & logical reasoning for a reason, he tells us to EXAMINE and TEST what we are being taught for TRUTH. The bible withstands the truth test. Joseph Smith's version FAILS the truth test. It's your eternity, study it for yourself. God bless. LDS FALSE Apostles: "The law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." Brigham Young Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 110 "The only men who become Gods, even the sons of Gods are those that enter into polygamy." (Brigham Young) Journal of Discourses 11 p.269

[@amberbee6]

Wonderful!

[@prairiedaugherty4910]

This is the most wonderful master class and I love it so much and I’m grateful for it every week! Thank you for continuing to teach and share the great insight that you have. I share it with everyone I know. After participating in this class, I feel especially strengthened against temptation and all the “fourth times” I am tempted. Thank you for teaching true principles that change mind and heart and behavior.

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thank you for your kind words and your example of staying strong even on "the fourth time."

[@christopherinsaudiarabia]

Fantastic lesson -- thank you so much, Brother Hilton, for your many efforts to prepare and share your insights each week. It is greatly appreciated! Also, I loved that image you shared of the Savior being tempted -- so visually striking.

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thanks Christopher!

[@landersen2684]

So good! I love the thought that increased strength lies in REPEATEDLY turning from sin and temptation

[@johnhiltoniii]

Yes! Thank you!

[@theresakearl2142]

Thank you for your effort and time in sharing this masterclass with us. I love the power of the true principles taught in the book of Mormon.

[@johnhiltoniii]

You're so welcome!

[@nadurkee46]

Oh my, I have had such a struggle this week and your perspective and words have been just what I needed. I feel imbued with a resurgence of determination and positivity after this episode. Blessing be upon you and keep these sessions coming.

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thank you! I'm glad you're part of this Master Class!

[@HowardGerstner]

Always look forward to the next master class

[@dinocollins720]

Thanks brother Hilton! Always such powerful messages!

[@novawarren5089]

Thank you Brother Hilton

[@maryjames8854]

I'm enjoying learning more about how I can apply the war chapters in my daily life.

[@johnhiltoniii]

Stay tuned for the next two videos!!!

[@evalinavallo5009]

I love your discussion on Lehonti!

[@hollycurtis2843]

Thanks for your class, it has made a difference in my life ❤️

[@johnhiltoniii]

You're so welcome!

[@jessicamorgan6219]

So great every one!

[@Lola-sz8zu]

Thank you so much for this video

[@georgiaborn6236]

Keep up the great work..we need it🌻🌵❣️

[@brisamar2000]

Obrigada por me ajudar tanto a entender melhor os ensinamentos do Livro de Mórmon ❤

[@johnhiltoniii]

you're welcome!

[@renatemckendry104]

Another very powerful lesson! Thank you! Wish I could always remind that # 3 is not the charm! ❤🇨🇦

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thanks Renate!

[@renatemckendry104]

@@johnhiltoniii love your lessons!! ❤🇨🇦

[@karenwilliams3717]

Thanks. So many things to think about. The one thing I'm going to do is put up my temple pictures that I've collected throughout the years

[@johnhiltoniii]

I love that idea!

[@brendafarris7350]

Wow. I love this

[@mariamagdalenaespinosa4658]

Great insights.Thank you brother Hilton!

[@johnhiltoniii]

You bet! Thank you Maria!

[@jamesbroughton7870]

I’ve been asking for help overcoming a temptation for a long time. I’m not sure what else to ask for, but it’s not happening.

[@johnhiltoniii]

Don't give up! You can find strength to resist through Jesus Christ

[@jeff3olsen]

Great insights! Yet, no mention of the parallels between Nephites/Lamanites and Israel/Hamas? 😢 ❤🇮🇱 "O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenat people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people." - 2 Nephi 29:5 How is it that not one Come Follow Me channel has mentioned the abundantly clear parallels between Nephites/Lamanites and Israel/Hamas? Especially after the prophet invited us to study the promises to the covenant children of Israel.

[@mbzhang]

How do you know that the first month corresponds to our January? Im not sure, but it seems the Hebrew calendar has the first month in April or near there

[@johnhiltoniii]

This is a great question! The Jewish New Year begins in the fall, so it is possible that the Nephites carried that with them. It's also possible that the adopted the practice of many ancient civilizations by marking it with the winter solstice. Either way, the key point is that there is consistency in which months warfare takes place. My purpose is less to prove a geographical point and more to show internal coherence. I hope that's helpful! You might also enjoy this article: archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/sites/default/files/archive-files/pdf/sorenson/2015-10-29/49_the_nephite_calendar_in_mosiah_alma_and_helaman_173-175.pdf

[@sclark5522]

I really want to share this, but don’t see a share button! Help! Ps you rock!

[@johnhiltoniii]

Thank you! There is a share button right below the video, or you could copy and paste the URL and share it on social media or via email!

[@joypratt9749]

Do we know if the Nephite Calendar is the same as our 12 month calendar? There are many other cultures that have and do go by a different calendar system than we do. The Nephites did not originate in the Americas so it would seem logical that they used a different calendar.

[@johnhiltoniii]

This is a great point. We don't know this. It could have been like the Hebrew calendar (new year begins in the fall); many ancient American cultures did start their new year calendar with the winter solstice, so that's what make that argument compelling.

[@jasontaylor7954]

TBH unsure why Nephites would be using a Gregorian calendar (one we currently use and wasn’t invented then). Why wouldn’t they be using Hebrew calendar? First month of year is Nisan or March/April in our calendar. This would need to be reevaluated since the calendar systems would be wrong

[@jasontaylor7954]

This reasoning would more support the North American model as war was early Spring/Summer before heat and work. Rest would be around Fall for harvest with nothing during winter

[@johnhiltoniii]

This is a great question! The Jewish New Year begins in the fall, so it is possible that the Nephites carried that with them. It's also possible that the adopted the practice of many ancient civilizations by marking it with the winter solstice. Either way, the key point is that there is consistency in which months warfare takes place. My purpose is less to prove a geographical point and more to show internal coherence. I hope that's helpful! You might also enjoy this article: archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/sites/default/files/archive-files/pdf/sorenson/2015-10-29/49_the_nephite_calendar_in_mosiah_alma_and_helaman_173-175.pdf