Noel Hudson
“After All We Can Do”:
A Note on the Definition of 2 Nephi 25:23
by Noel Hudson | 10-18-2025
Many years ago, while attending the Manti Pageant in Utah,[1] I encountered a group of Evangelical Christians protesting outside the grounds. One of them confidently asserted that he could prove – from my own scriptures – that I was bound for hell. When I invited him to show me, he turned to 2 Nephi 25:23 and read aloud:
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
Death by Chocolate: Considering the Wine Imbibed by the Lamanite Guards
by Noel Hudson | undefined 66 | 08-22-2025
Abstract: This article examines two instances in the Book of Mormon in which captives escape through the negligence of drunken and sleeping guards. It suggests that details about the wine used to intoxicate the Lamanite guards in the city of Gid provide support for a candidate consumable, which, despite the impression the title may give, is not a piece of triple-chocolate cake, but is in fact an alcoholic drink brewed using cacao. The article briefly reviews the history of chocolate/cacao as it touches upon liberating captives from bondage and the use of deceptive practices in times of warfare. It briefly discusses the possibility of a Lamanite intelligence network driving some of the political events during the Lamanite wars narrated in the book of Alma.
The Bands of Death, the Chains of Hell, and the Seed Motif
by Noel Hudson | undefined 64 | 05-30-2025
Abstract: This article continues a discussion of the imagery, words, and phrases that make up a specific leitmotif, called the seed motif. Two instances of the seed motif found in Alma are discussed as a seemingly intentional diptych in which one narrative reflects the other, but in the negative. Five specific examples from the motif […]
“Upon Thy Belly Shalt Thou Go”: The Garden of Eden Serpent Symbology Based on the Concept of Seraphim
by Noel Hudson | undefined 63 | 01-24-2025
Abstract: The concept of the serpentine seraphim from biblical iconography is discussed in the context of biblical serpent symbology. The association of the seraphim with Ancient Near Eastern kings, deities, and temples is noted. The concept of the seraphim as members of the Council of God is explored, and the possibility of the seraph as […]
The Seed of the Serpent and the Seed of the Woman in the Standard Works
by Noel Hudson | undefined 63 | 10-18-2024
Abstract: The curse of the serpent in Genesis 3:15 is presented as an archetype for the battle between good and evil. An ancient Hebrew literary form that ties together multiple stories through a common set of images, situations, repeated words, and phrases, is termed a leitmotif. A biblical leitmotif based on the curse of the […]
Insights into the Story of Korihor Based on Intertextual Comparisons
by Noel Hudson | undefined 62 | 08-16-2024
Abstract: A brief outline of the saga of Korihor, the Anti-Christ, is provided along with a discussion of his affinities with other Book of Mormon anti-Christs, including those in the order of Nehors. Literary allusions suggesting Korihor as a foil to the king of the Lamanites are examined. Evidence of a schism among the order […]
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