Elder Richard L. Evans, Part Three: Thomas Cromwell and the 1650 meaning of 'bowels'

  For Part One, Part Two, or Part Four, choose your link.

 

The next quote in this series, from Elder Richard L. Evans' talk, "Should the Commandments Be Rewritten?" in the October 1971 General Conference, comes from Oliver Cromwell, an English statesman politician and soldier.

 The Quote

"To quote a sentence from Cromwell: 

“I beseech you, … 

Think it possible 

that you may be mistaken.”" 

 

Always good advice. Humility is a great quality to have.

It is a real quote, and it can be found in the book, "Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches, Volume II" (there are four volumes). 

In the actual letter,  dated August 3, 1650, addressed to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Cromwell appears to try to persuade Scotland to not fight against England as they were preparing to do, telling them that many innocent men could die, thinking that England was their enemy, when the church and government were holding back evidence to the contrary.

The actual quote restores what was taken out - "I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken."

 

Okay - aside from the strange picture this presents to modern minds - this has a very different meaning than what you're thinking of.

An earlier sentence in the letter says, "And no marvel that you deal thus with us, when indeed you can find in your hearts to conceal from your own people the Papers we have sent you; who might thereby see and understand the bowels of our affection to them, especially to such among you as fear the Lord." 

The scriptures use the word bowels in a very similar way, in Moses 7:41 in the Pearl of Great Price:

"And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook."

So, a long time ago, mentioning the bowels incorporated a feeling of great care, compassion or concern. For us, the word merely conjures up the organ itself, without the feeling to go along with it.

And now you know. I didn't know either. See? We both learned something today. :-)