“Know Ye That Ye Are of the House of Israel”

Alan C. Miner

In Mormon's final closing message to the remnant of "this people who are spared" who might be privileged to read the words of his abridgment, he not only affirms to them that they are covenant people of Christ, but implores them to take advantage of that covenant, that they might "know" that they are "of the house of Israel" (Mormon 7:2). According to Donna Nielsen, a knowledge of scriptural marriage imagery can greatly enrich our understanding of how God relates to us through covenants. Nielsen notes that every Jewish bride longs to completely know her Bridegroom. In New Testament Greek, "to know" also means "to feel." It goes beyond mere intellectual knowledge and reaches into our hearts. [Donna B. Nielsen, Beloved Bridegroom: Finding Christ in Ancient Jewish Marriage and Family Customs, pp. 2, 139]

“Know Ye”

According to Donald Parry, parallelism is universally recognized as the characteristic feature of biblical Hebrew poetry. (p. i) Apparently, the prophets and writers of the scriptures employed the repetition of alternating parallel lines for the purpose of reinforcing their teachings and doctrines. (p. x)

Anaphora is defined as an identical word or set of words which begin two or more consecutive clauses. Anaphoric clauses abound in the scriptures. (p. xxxvi) A good example of Anaphora is found in Mormon 7:2-5:

Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.

Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.

Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.

Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers,

[Donald W. Parry, The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns, p. 445]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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