588-Page Book of Mormon in Alphabetics

READ: Section 6

1210, deo & dei

[This section was first composed on July 24, 2003]

Back in the Greek NT, where we were looking at word 1209, which is the root for word 588 . . .

The word after 1209 is (quoting from Zodhiates):

1210 deo  To bind.
    (I) Of things, to bind together or to anything, to bind around, fasten...  Matt. 16:29 "whatsoever ... thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven..."  This means that we as believers on earth can only confirm what has already been decided in heaven...."

In addition to the molecular relationship, this also brings up the very important concept of keys and sealing power, which is a centerpiece in LDS culture.  That this concept would be so close to the insertion point of the word that is the derivative of 588, the number of pages in the original Book of Mormon, is apropos.

I have noted in the margin of my book that 1210, or December 10, is my wife's birthday.

In the context of the comments I gave above on polygamy, I think this is very interesting.  The number of my wife's birthday means "to bind."

I'll tell you this.  She would never put up with polygamy, and not because she is not strong enough to handle it.  Rather, it is precisely because she is an old soul that she refuses to countenance such an unnatural and barbaric marriage arrangement.

One man, one woman, combined in a yin/yang harmony, each perfecting and refining the other -- that is the ideal.

One of the numbers of my birthday is 1163 (Nov. '63).  Word 1163 in the NT lexicon is dei ("day") to match the deo of my wife's birthday.   dei and deo, the marriage duo.

Word 1163 appears on page 399 of Zodhiates.  There are 399 pages in Jon Krakauer's book, Banner of Heaven.  (This is including the roman numbered pages at the beginning, and the "about the author" page at the very end.)

588 and 399

The day (7/21/03) I discovered the number of pages in Krakauer's book came on the heels of a dream I had that morning.  In the dream, I was being arrested for some unknown reason.  From time to time I have prison dreams, having actually spent 20 days in jail once for charges that were eventually dropped, at a time in my life when I was extreme in my zeal to live the word of God to the ultimate degree -- no matter what the world or prudence might dictate to the contrary.  It is a reminder to me of how close one can get to the edge of losing touch with reality when the "voice of God" perceived by the striving heart pitted against guessing senses, overrides the voice of common sense.  And yet still, I consider that episode to be an initiation in my life, for which I am very grateful.

The reason I mention this is twofold.  First, Krakauer's book is designed to explore the roots of fundamentalism/extremism born from religious sects; and I cite this as evidence of the extremes I went to in my life.  Second, my jail cell number was 400, just one more than 399.  Word 1163 in the NT lexicon begins on page 399, but page 400 is 3/4 full with the remainder of the definition, including such ironic phrases as

- That which must be done from a sense of duty
- it was necessary for Jesus to go to the cross in order to fulfill God's plan for the redemption of mankind
- spoken of what is right an proper in itself or prescribed by law, duty, custom.
- that which prudence would dictate
- inevitable from the circumstances or nature of the case
- Antonym: miss the mark; err; transgress
- example, specimen, sample, a display; pattern, model
- to make a public show or spectacle as the Romans did when they exposed their captives to public view

The next morning (7/22/03), I was struck by a thought -- another parallel or comparison between John D. Lee's life and mine.  He lived the last 20 years of his life keeping an awful secret because of the oath he took with the others who participated in the massacre.  This explains why I tend to be so open with my life, exposing my intimate dealings and thoughts to all the world via the Internet.

As I was pondering on this thought, I walked into my office and saw a most peculiar sunrise.

Sunrise July 22, 2003 Ephraim, UT

The sun was hidden behind a very dark cloud, and there were rays of dark streaming out from the cloud, with a super bright perimeter just around the edge of the cloud.  It seemed a suitable metaphor -- the light trying to get out, but being cloaked by blackness.

July 22 Sunrise over the course of about half an hour

On page 588 [#pp in 1st BofM] of Gesenius' OT lexicon is word 5542 which means "rest, silence, to silence, silence!"

Word 400 in the NT lexicon, anaphoneo, means "To speak out," with antonym, "put muzzle, put to silence."

Go to: Section 7