One Scripture fits any situation

[Hemidakota]

Originally Posted by tomk

Can you give us the gist of what Nibley said?

A snapshot from Don's remark of Nibleys work:

The Book of Mormon repeatedly states that Lehi dwelt in a tent (1 Nephi 2:6, 15; 3:1; 4:38; 5:7; 7:5, 21, 22; 9:1; 10:16; 15:1; 16:6). God's tent was associated with the temple in Israelite thought. As Hugh Nibley has pointed out, "the cult of the tent was as important to the Hebrews" as it was to the Arabs. Nephi's statements may also allude to the fact that God "dwelt in a tent" (the portable tabernacle, a precursor of the temple) during Moses' exodus from Egypt.

On several occasions Lehi used ordinary language that may reflect temple ideas. For example, when he told his children that God had said that "inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence" (2 Nephi 1:20; italics added), Lehi may have meant that they would not be allowed to enter into a holy temple, for phrases such as "before the Lord" or in the "presence of the Lord" can be "considered an indication of the existence of a temple." Likewise, when Lehi dedicated his son Jacob to spend all his days "in the service of thy God" (2 Nephi 2:3; italics added), it seems likely that he was prophesying of Jacob's consecration as a priest (see 2 Nephi 5:26) and of his future temple service, for the Hebrew words for service (avodah, sharat) often appear in phrases such as "the service of the tabernacle" (Exodus 30:16), "service in the holy place" (Exodus 39:1), and the "work of the service of the house of God" (1 Chronicles 9:13). In addition, by calling Jacob his "firstborn" in the wilderness (2 Nephi 2:1-2, 11), Lehi appears to allude to another aspect of the law of Moses: "The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me" (Exodus 22:29).

Several of the main doctrines taught by Lehi seem to echo and presage temple types and teachings. He emphasized covenant making and keeping the commandments (see 2 Nephi 1; 4), the creation and fall of Adam and Eve (see 2 Nephi 2), the tree of life (see 1 Nephi 8), Satan and opposition (see 2 Nephi 2:11, 26-27), the promised Mes-siah (see 1 Nephi 1), and the redemption (see 1 Nephi 10:5; 2 Nephi 2:6). These themes are readily at home in the context of the ancient temple typologies known to Latter-day Saints today that would have been familiar to Lehi through the writings found on the plates of brass.

In light of such factors and Lehi's knowledge of the temple of God in Jerusalem, one may well surmise that Lehi held the temple in high esteem and provided much of the inspiration that assured the establishment and functioning of temples among the Nephites for generations to come.

[Hemidakota]

The term tent is used some 64 times in the Book of Mormon, so the question may deserve attention.

Biblical translators have usually rendered the Hebrew root 'hl to English as "tent"; however, it has a rather wide range of possible meanings. Sometimes it referred to full-fledged tents on the pattern of those used by desert nomads of southwestern Asia; but to semi-nomads like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the term could also mean "hut" as well as "tent." In later usage, as the Israelites became sedentary village or city dwellers, its meanings were extended further. For example, in Psalm 132:3 and Proverbs 7:17 the related word 'ohel means "canopy (over a bed)," while in the New Testament, John 1:14 says literally "he pitched his tent among us" to communicate the thought "he lived among us." A Hittite account has the god Elkunirsha living in a "tent" made of wood. In writings from South Arabia in Lehi's day and also in classical Arabic, languages closely related to Hebrew, the root stood for "family" or "tribe" as well as tent. In the related Semitic language of the Babylonians, a word from the same root meant "city," "village," "estate," or "social unit," and even formed part of the word for bed. An Egyptian equivalent could be read as "hut, camel's hair tent, camp." Furthermore, Dr. Hugh Nibley reminds us that "throughout the ancient world . . . the people must spend the time of the great national festival of the New Year living in tents." But for this occasion Israelites came to use makeshift booths made of branches, as fewer and fewer of their town-dwelling numbers owned genuine tents. The Nephites, of course, routinely lived in permanent buildings (see, for example, Mosiah 6:3). Alma's people "pitched their tents" after fleeing to Helam, but then they "began to build buildings" (Mosiah 23:5). Military forces on the move are said to have used tents (Alma 51:32, 34; 58:25), but it is nearly unbelievable that the entire Lamanite army referred to in Alma 51 lugged collapsible tents on their backs through tropical country hundreds of miles from the land of Nephi. Far more likely they erected shelters of brush or whatever other materials could be found in the vicinity, referring to those or any other temporary shelters by the traditional word for tent. Farmers in parts of Mesoamerica still throw together simple brush shelters when they stay overnight at their fields in the busiest work season, and at the time of the Spanish conquest, Bernal Diaz reported that the soldiers of their Indian allies "erect their huts" as they move on campaign. So when we read that Benjamin's subjects sat in their tents listening to his sermon, we should understand that they might have been under shelter a good deal different from what comes to mind when we hear "tent."

[LDSVALLEY]

Wow you guys dig deep!

My reasoning that it fits any lesson or class or talk has nothing to do with the tent itself.

Lehi, before being a Prophet of the Lord, was a wealthy man, a man of stature. He was educated and had high standing in the city. Servants waited on him, he and his family did not go without food or drink. Lehi was an upstanding important wealthy citizen. For his time he was nearly at the top of the chain as he could get.

The Lord told him to leave all that comfort and security behind, not just him but to take the family he loved with him. He chose to not only leave everything he had behind but to cause the same to happen for his family. We all want our children to have better lives then ourselves. He had to turn his back on the material betterment for spiritual betterment.

He left all that to spend the rest of his life dwelling in a tent, boat, or crude shelter in the New World. He led his family to the same. He traded ease, comfort, respect of peers, and wealth for himself and his entire family for pain, hunger, poverty and upset of his family.

He did it because the Lord told him too. He did it to provide the opportunity for spiritual blessings for his family over the material ones they had already been given.

It fits everywhere because he did as we are asked to do usually in a less severe manner. To use at least some of our lives in the service of the Lord.

PS I also use it with my kids when they stay over somewhere or have a friend in. I tell them if they do not behave they will live the scriptures.

IE ......They will go dwell in a tent, or in other words I'll toss them outside! (They do know it is a joke)

Thanks for the great comments.

Peace be unto you, may your hearts be turned to the Lord and rejoice not only in this season but all seasons for the blessings and trials in our lives.

[Elgama]

Valley I completely agree I was going to post that both the scriptures And My Father Dwelt in a Tent and Jesus Wept are examples of the overcoming of sacrfice, of someone showing love for their God, and obedience.

-Charley

[Hemidakota]

Originally Posted by LDSVALLEY

The Lord told him to leave all that comfort and security behind, not just him but to take the family he loved with him. He chose to not only leave everything he had behind but to cause the same to happen for his family. We all want our children to have better lives then ourselves. He had to turn his back on the material betterment for spiritual betterment.

He left all that to spend the rest of his life dwelling in a tent, boat, or crude shelter in the New World. He led his family to the same. He traded ease, comfort, respect of peers, and wealth for himself and his entire family for pain, hunger, poverty and upset of his family.

In the last days, we will be told the same thing - leave all that is comfort and secured. How many of us today, can do this right now?

[LDSVALLEY]

My wife! If the Prophet said tomorrow that all Saints in Nova Scotia had to go to Salt Lake City because the Lord had commanded it, she would be packing before I even had time to think of the many reasons to delay such a move!