“Is the Son of God the Very Eternal Father?”

Brant Gardner

Rhetoric: Zeezrom apparently drops his second accusation, tacitly conceding the effectiveness of Amulek’s defense. He falls back on his first accusation, which he is sure he can win because Amulek appears to have skipped it altogether. Is there one God or two (the Father/Son of God)? He now asks if the Son of God is the very Eternal Father. As we have seen elsewhere in the Book of Mormon, this was a tenet of Nephite belief. (See “Excursus: The Nephite Understanding of God,” following 1 Nephi 11.) This equivalence of Father and Son is essential if we are to understand Zeezrom’s rhetorical attack and Amulek’s answer.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4

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