Posted by:
snowowl
(
)
Date: October 19, 2011 06:18PM
The phrase comes from the King James version of the Bible where it is used as an explanation of the subject, "This is He ..." Mormons do not use it as an explanation but as a further inclusion with an explanaton possibly implied but not stated.
King James Version: 1 John 5:6-8: "6. This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth."
1 John 5:6-8
Joseph Smith used the phrase in two places in the "Revelation Received West of Jackson County, Missouri, On 17 July 1831," better known as the Indian polygamy revelation.
"Verily, verily, saith the Lord your Redeemer, EVEN JESUS CHRIST, the light and the life of the world, ye can not discerne [discern] with your natural eyes, the design and the purpose of your Lord and your God, in bringing you thus far into the wilderness for a trial of your faith, and to be especial witnesses, to bear testimony of this land, upon which the zion of God shall be built up in the last days, when it is redeemed."
"Verily, inasmuch as ye are united in calling upon my name to know my will concerning who shall preach to the inhabitants that shall assemble this day to learn what new doctrine you have to teach them, you have done wisely, for so did the prophets anciently, EVEN ENOCH, AND ABRAHAM, AND OTHERS: and therefore, it is my will that my servant Oliver Cowdery should open the meeting with prayer; that my servant W. W. Phelps should preach the discourse; and that my servants Joseph Coe and Ziba Peterson should bear testimony as they shall be moved by the Holy Spirit."
In both instances, Joseph Smith presumably used the phrase as an explanation, as if people would not know who the "Lord and Redeemer" and "prophets anciently" were supposed to be. Actually, the phrases were formatted as a further inclusion and the reader must guess that the terms are used as an explanation of the subjects. If they are mistakenly interpreted by the reader to be further inclusions, it would mean that "Lord and Redeemer" might not be considered the same as Jesus Christ, and "prothets anciently" would not include Enoch, Abraham and others. Leaving he reader confused is not a very proper revelation.
Using the phrase can be very confusing if it is not used properly in context. In any case, the phrase was and is used simply for effect as an attempt to make it appear that what is being said is much more spiritual than it actually is. This is similar to praying using thee and thou, presuming that the use of an outdated form of the English language is more acceptable to God or that the person speaking is more spiritual by means of the use of certain terms.