Item Detail
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33098
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0
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0
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English
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Covenants, Kinship, and Caring for the Destitute in the Book of Amos
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Religious Educator
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2022
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23
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3
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Provo, UT
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BYU Religious Studies Center
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47-63
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"The message of Amos... reconciles both orthodoxy and orthopraxy in ancient Israel when studied through covenants of kinship. To demonstrate this coherency, I will first explore how covenants in the ancient world created kinship and discuss how such covenants included mechanisms to care for the destitute in ancient society. This will provide needed context to Amos's oracles against the nations (Amos 1-2) and his indictments and visions against Israel (Amos 3-9). Additionally, this context will show how the elite in Israel, and to a lesser extent her neighboring nations, were guilty of breaking the covenants by not only neglecting the poor, needy, and destitute but taking advantage of them for their own personal gain, prompting the condemnation and destruction foretold by Amos. In conclusion, I will reflect on how covenants in the Restoration, particularly those associated with baptism, the law of consecration, and temple sealings, comprise modern-day covenants of kinship among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Contemporizing the message of Amos reminds us that we are also under covenant to aid the poor and needy, especially in times of peace and prosperity, and warns of the stark consequences that await us if we do not." [Author]