tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39350461831918485302024-03-13T23:45:23.110-07:00MODERN APOCRYPHA<b>ἀπόκρυφος</b>: that which is hidden<br>
Mark 4:22-25newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-76186430103322286502016-07-28T12:23:00.001-07:002016-07-28T12:53:45.317-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 15 - ADOPTION
All who desired to join their church, meaning their tribe, were adopted so they might be one family and unified in all things. I love that truth, that the church (with a lowercase "c", meaning the collective body of Christ's disciples) is a family--Christ's family--and should be unified in all things. That is the essence of Zion -- to live as a family in righteousness and peace, follow newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-90435138327832898102016-07-27T14:02:00.001-07:002016-07-27T14:20:44.154-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 13-14 - CITIES & RITES
The population of the people of Suran continues to expand, so they begin to build cities in all the region round about the temple. Ahkman lists these cities, but they seem to be in an odd order. The first ones are mentioned after the location of the temple, and the last are said to be close to Katagan on the north coast. So it appears these cities are listed in a rough hierarchy or order of newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-58667228856306097212016-07-27T10:58:00.001-07:002016-07-27T10:58:13.303-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 12 - AHKMAN'S TEMPLE
Ahkman rewinds a bit and recounts the construction of their temple, which followed blueprints found in the Great Scroll (and similar to those found in the Ezekiel selection). His people built it with the best materials they could acquire and decorated it with bamboo, narra ("Philippine mahogany", the national tree), gold, silver, and beautiful stones.
They started with the Most Holynewbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-65445019226634497782016-07-26T12:03:00.001-07:002016-07-26T15:46:16.003-07:00ANG AKLATAN - FAMILY ALTARS
This post won't get into the validity of prayer circles, which are well attested anciently, or the ritual of "veritable prayer" as Ahkman calls it, though they are closely tied to the present subject. (Quinn's article on LDS prayer circles is a good place to start from an LDS perspective, or much of Nibley's work in ancient religion for that matter ; ) Those practices are perpetuated newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-80236381445663340742016-07-25T11:32:00.000-07:002016-07-26T15:46:38.577-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 11 - CHURCH & FAMILY PRIESTHOODS
Ahkman continues to teach the people about the various required sacrifices described in the Great Scroll and that they should now return to the temple to begin offering them. He also perpetuates the distinctions between the families that Suran established, with Ahkman as high priest, Shurak as king, and Kodal as prophet, and this division of labor would continue along these familial lines. newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-91422102773496266632016-07-19T16:16:00.000-07:002016-07-20T11:39:15.558-07:00ANG AKLATAN - SONS OF LEVI
Since the people of the Aklatan claim descent from Levi, built a temple wherein they performed sacrifices and other ordinances according to their scriptures, and prophesied of another temple built by their descendants before the third Jerusalem temple, I thought it would be interesting to visit the Lord's prophecies and other prophetic teachings concerning the "sons of Levi" and sacrifice in newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-67970572566035711632016-07-12T16:28:00.000-07:002016-07-14T15:08:56.844-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 10 - THE 10 COMMANDMENTS: A REVIEW
Before continuing, Ahkman offers a little personal chronology, saying he's been a servant of the Lord for 21 years and high priest for 8. I take this to mean his conversion or baptism was 21 years prior, and that Suran died 8 years previous. While Ahkman was ordained to be high priest before his father's death, Suran served in that capacity through the end of his life.
As part of his newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-5528914317596080462016-07-12T12:27:00.003-07:002016-07-14T15:09:04.153-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 9 - A UNIFIED LAW
Laws of God point to Christ
At the gathering of Suran's people at Katagan, Ahkman teaches them the history of their people, instructs them of the laws and covenants God made with their ancestors which were written in the Great Scroll, and explains their meaning. (This will serve as an expansion on what we discussed in Suran 8, HERE.) Now, their Levite ancestors had many laws that were complex newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-82424020789490841832016-07-11T16:34:00.000-07:002016-07-14T15:09:11.831-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 8 - RETURN TO GOD'S PRESENCE
Ahkman and his brethren send their children throughout the northern land to teach the tribes the words of the Great Scroll, and many are converted to the Law of God and believe. After many years, Shurak (the king or political leader of Suran's people) sends a message to all the people requesting they gather to Katagan (Kabigan Falls), the "hidden sacred place" in the northern mountains newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-77226274588523867802016-07-05T16:00:00.000-07:002016-07-14T15:09:19.192-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 7 - APOSTASY, RESTORATION, & THE TEMPLE
At the end of this encounter, the Lord reiterates that Ahkman's desires are good and as long as he and his seed are righteous, they will receive the blessings offered them. But if they break their covenants with the Lord, those blessings will be withdrawn. He warns Ahkman that a time will indeed come when his descendants will fall away from God's covenants for many generations. However, the newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-51994301276572183552016-07-05T13:09:00.005-07:002016-07-14T15:09:25.224-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 6 - AHKMAN'S ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
Logo of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas
In Ahkman, we see a type of Abraham, and as part of Ahkman's Abrahamic covenant, he's also given a land of inheritance to be passed on through his generations. This land of inheritance is pretty much the same as described by Jesus in Visions 3 (and later in Buka 8), namely all of the Philippines, Taiwan, and the surrounding islands. But the Lord newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-82605133353184970992016-06-30T16:36:00.001-07:002016-07-14T15:09:31.715-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 5 - PROMISES TO THE FATHERS
Sometime following his encounter with the angel, Ahkman again calls upon the Lord on a mountain top to pour out the desires of his heart, namely that the Lord will remain with him and his descendants for all generations. This desire and request is the same as all righteous patriarchs throughout history and is echoed in specific language at the end of the LDS endowment ceremony.
After two newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-44434946214535103082016-06-09T15:42:00.002-07:002016-07-14T15:09:38.929-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 4 - GOD HEARS EVERYONE'S PRAYERS
What we have here in Ahkman 4 is a second, more-detailed, first-person account of Ahkman's conversion to Suran's teachings (see Suran 4)--Suran teaches his family; Shurak doubts, thinking Ngameke was strange and delusional; Ahkman prays about it and receives an answer. Ahkman's actions and what he learns about God are of instructional importance to any seeker of truth.
Ahkman heads off on newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-8607900308903139572016-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:002016-07-14T15:09:47.689-07:00ANG AKLATAN - AHKMAN 1-3 - GENERATIONS OF SURAN
We're finally done with Suran! On to Ahkman, who now takes over as narrator and begins with describing who he is and where he comes from. This is a type of colophon (similar to what we see in 1 Nephi), a literary device used in ancient times where the author or scribe gives useful or relevant information about himself, often as a stamp of authenticity to their account. (Ruman does something newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-90393969082497737472016-06-07T21:51:00.000-07:002016-07-14T15:09:57.832-07:00ANG AKLATAN - SURAN 12 - PROPHETS, PRIESTS, & KINGS
At the end of Suran's life, he calls all his family together to bless them, in the same vein as the Patriarchs. Now, Ngameke had initiated him into the Patriarchal Order of God and appointed him as prophet, priest, and king (in similitude of Christ), but here, Suran divides those appointments up equally among his sons. Ahkman is now high priest over the temple, Shurak king over the people, newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-76555877203714254582016-06-07T15:34:00.000-07:002016-07-14T15:10:11.873-07:00ANG AKLATAN - SURAN 11 - THE GREAT ABOMINATION
Let's take a break to talk about this "great abomination" for a moment. Here's what we know about it from Suran 11:
- It rises up sometime between the US Civil War and World War I.
- From context, it seems to begin in the US.
- The plural "they" is used when a pronoun replaces "abomination", meaning its comprised of several individuals or entities. (Nephi does this too in 1 Nephi 13 when newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-32740470269081916892016-06-05T22:54:00.001-07:002016-07-14T15:10:21.800-07:00ANG AKLATAN - SURAN 11 - AMERICAN FUTURE
Suran 11 comprises a vision of the future of the United States, "the nation of the eagle." Again, the interpretation of the various segments of the vision seems pretty self-evident, but there hasn't been any confirmation from Elisha regarding it, aside from a quick explanation of "the great abomination". What is written here are my opinion and conclusions.
Suran begins by seeing America newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-60233323714505527602016-06-05T13:43:00.000-07:002016-07-14T15:10:31.408-07:00ANG AKLATAN - SURAN 10 - FILIPINO FUTURE
Suran 10 comprises a vision of the future of Suran's descendants. The interpretation of the various segments of the vision seems pretty self-evident, but there hasn't been any confirmation from Elisha regarding it. What is written here are my opinion and conclusions.
The first segment describes events surrounding Ferdinand Magellan's (a white-skinned man "from a far away land") 1521 arrivalnewbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-26689014121112569232016-06-03T16:55:00.001-07:002016-07-14T15:10:41.578-07:00ANG AKLATAN - SURAN 7-9 - TEMPLES & TRADITIONS
Before he died, Ngameke also taught Suran a very basic, but standardized, system of measurement based on body parts that is similar to those found worldwide. A "taka" is equivalent to a cubit, or the distance from elbow to fingertips. A "butar" is equivalent to a span, or the width of a hand. The modern standard cubit is 18 in, with a span half of that. There are some differences, however, in newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-45496744887521067342016-06-02T23:34:00.002-07:002016-07-14T15:14:30.735-07:00ANG AKLATAN - SURAN 6 - JOURNEYS & GIANTS
With Suran learning of his genealogy, Ruman (remember, the final compiler, editor, and sometime narrator) decides this would be a good place to insert Suran's paternal lineage. Working backward, it looks like this:
Suran--Galak--Ngadakasura--Do--Kona-kurem--Lisavia--Netanal--Nabot
--Josu-a--Yosef--David-...-Libni--Gerson--Levi(--Jacob/Israel--Isaac--Abraham)
David, a Levite through Libni, newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-53140374781409581992016-06-01T23:27:00.000-07:002016-07-27T11:01:57.227-07:00ANG AKLATAN - SURAN 5 - CAVE OF TREASURES
Suran next searches for the other records Ngameke had spoken of which were hidden there at the waterfall and finds many that contain the genealogy of their ancestors and stories of the Lord leading them out of captivity to these islands. (More on that later.)
There is also a mysterious inscription on a piece of bamboo that describes the location of a repository containing many sacred items newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-77334068165388077762016-05-31T17:59:00.001-07:002016-07-27T11:02:53.942-07:00SURAN 5 - HOLY ORDERS
With his family all on board, Suran takes them to the place where Ngameke taught him, many days travel to the north. Once there, the Spirit of God "causes" them to be baptized in the pool as a sign of their faith in God. Now, this isn't the Spirit forcing them to participate in an ordinance or enter a covenant. Rather, they are so full of the Spirit and inspired by the things they have learnednewbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-11403933941280720892016-05-31T14:57:00.001-07:002016-05-31T14:57:34.944-07:00SURAN 4 - ASK, RECEIVE, FOLLOW
After Suran finishes teaching his family everything he's learned, his second son, Shurak, isn't convinced. He rationalizes these things away as "nothing" but "ramblings" "manufactured" by a "strange" and "delusional man" and that no one can know the future. It is interesting though, that he also says these ideas will lead their hearts away from their tribal gods. So, while Shurak is still newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-31281263097042674882016-05-31T08:30:00.000-07:002016-05-31T08:30:19.094-07:00SURAN 3 - THE BRASS PLATES
(This a second attempt at this post. A nearly complete first version was eaten by Blogger, which was a catalyst for the year-long hiatus. #NotTheHappiestCamper)
The Record of the Ancients ≈ The Brass Plates
Between Suran 3's two Isaiah quotations, there is a Messianic passage not found in the Bible... It's from the Book of Mormon--1 Nephi 19 to be precise. However, like the Isaiah verses, newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3935046183191848530.post-38096153100902114112016-05-30T21:45:00.001-07:002016-05-30T21:49:57.629-07:00ANOTHER ELISHA Q&A... (from last August)So as part of this catching up thing, I'm working back through old drafts, topics, and other newsworthy items that didn't get published over this past year. One such item was Elisha posting answers to more questions back in August on the official website. Here's a quick rehash; the full version can be found HERE.
What is the "other work of translation" that you were commanded to start five newbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17203938908489045143noreply@blogger.com0