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 God speaks to us through sacred
scriptures—something that many Christians enjoy on a regular
basis. Our Heavenly Father speaks continually through the flow
of his sacred Word, providing guidance and answers to
questions that come about in our daily lives. Necessary to
this divine form of communication is our interpretation of his
sacred scriptures. Sadly, it is these interpretations that
have led religious people to contend with one another,
sometimes violently, over many centuries.
The Bible
The Bible covers the period from the creation through shortly
after the ascension of Jesus Christ. The 39 books of the Old
Testament provide the law and prophecy of the coming of the
Savior, while the 27 books of the New Testament provide a
record of the life of the Savior, an introduction to the
higher law, and faith promoting stories of His public
ministry. Geographically, the Bible records the lives of
people living in the Middle East. The Bible was authored by
several inspired individuals and has been translated many
times over from its original Hebrew and Greek by a variety of
scholars and institutions.
In considering the Bible one must address the issue of
translation. A Bible, or any work of scripture for that
matter, is only as good as its translation. There are today
multiple translations of the Bible, with no less than eighteen
English translations of the Bible in active use, with dozens
of other translations in circulation. These include the
English Standard Version, Good News Bible, Holman Christian
Standard Bible, J B Phillips New Testament, King James
Version, The Living Bible, The Message, New American Bible,
New American Standard Bible, New International Version, (New)
Jerusalem Bible, New King James Bible, New Living Translation,
(New) Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, the
Amplified version, and Today’s New International Version.
The diversity of these translations can be witnessed by
studying a parallel Bible—in doing so one will find the
translations in many instances to be very different from one
another. Not only the translations, but the plain meanings
they convey are in many cases different. For this reason it is
necessary to put a short disclaimer that the Bible is the word
of God, as far as it is translated correctly (AOF 8).
Modern Day Scriptures
The Foundation realizes that most of the Christian world does
not accept the existence of any scriptures outside of the
Bible. To do so is considered blasphemous by many Bible-only
Christians. However, one must question why the Lord would
limit his omnipotence and omnipresence to only one closed work
of scripture.
Paul wrote that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). Because the
Bible itself testifies to an open canon, the Foundation
recognizes three other standard works of scripture, along with
the possibility of ongoing revelation through the Holy Ghost
being considered as scripture.
The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon compliments the Bible in providing a record
of people living in the Americas between approximately 2,200
B.C. and A.D. 400, with an emphasis on the lineage of Joseph
in Egypt. As the subtitle of the Book of Mormon states, it is
“Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” providing in particular a
record of the visitation of Jesus Christ to the inhabitants of
the Americas following his resurrection. The Book of Mormon
was authored by several inspired individuals, abridged onto
gold plates, and translated into English from its original
reformed Egyptian text by the prophet Joseph Smith. The
reformed Egyptian text originates from the authors who were
descendants of Joseph in Egypt.
The one and only version of the Book of Mormon has been
translated into well over 100 languages.
The Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) is a collection of divine
revelations given to modern day prophets. It was compiled from
1823 to 1978. The purpose of the Doctrine and Covenants is to
prepare the inhabitants of the earth for the second coming of
Jesus Christ by providing direction and guidance. Among other
things the Doctrine and Covenants gives written details for
the organization and operation of the Church and the offices
of the priesthood and their ecclesiastical and spiritual
functions.
The Pearl of Great Price and Revelation
The Pearl of Great Price contains three different
compilations: the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, and a
collection of inspired writings by Joseph Smith. The Book of
Moses is a work revealed to Joseph Smith pertaining to visions
and writings of Moses that focus on the creation of the earth.
The Book of Abraham is a translation of a papyrus scroll
originating from the Egyptian catacombs, translated by Joseph
Smith, which contains insights and information on the
creation, the priesthood, the gospel, and the nature of God.
The writings of Joseph Smith include a portion of Joseph
Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible, a brief history of
the Church, and the Articles of Faith (AOF).
Because of the doctrine of revelation, whenever the servants
of the Lord speak or write under the influence of the Holy
Ghost, their words become scripture. The words of the living
prophets are also considered scripture, which are often
delivered through Church publications, conferences, and other
forms of inspired instruction.
Adding to the Bible Misunderstanding
When the subject of additional scriptures is considered, some
are quick to point the scripture from Revelation 22:18 which
states: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words
of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in
this book.” The objecting individual’s interpretation of this
scripture is that any additional scripture outside of the
Bible is blasphemous and will bring about condemnation. There
are similar scriptures in Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:32 that speak
of not “adding to” the word of God. These Old Testament
scriptures call into question the validity of the New
Testament itself, since the New Testament was written long
after these scriptures from Deuteronomy were written.
Therefore, one must conclude that the scripture from
Revelation 22:18 must be referring to adding to the revelation
and prophecy of John, not to adding scripture outside of the
Bible itself—especially since the New Testament was not
formally canonized until 1546 at the Council of Trent.
Containing and Witnessing the Word of God
With the Bible itself not testifying against the possibility
of additional scriptures we must ask ourselves a simple
question: Could the word of God be confined to a single
written work? John 21:25 casts a serious doubt on this notion
by stating: “And there are also many other things which Jesus
did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose
that even the world itself could not contain the books that
should be written.”
Furthermore one must consider how a single book could testify
of itself as being true. Matthew 18:16 suggests that one book
cannot testify of itself: “But if he will not hear thee, then
take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or
three witnesses every word may be established.”
The Book of Mormon Prophesied
The coming forth of the Book of Mormon, another testament of
Jesus Christ, was prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel who wrote:
“Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write
upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his
companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For
Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel
his companions: And join them one to another into one stick;
and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children
of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not
shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith
the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which
is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his
fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of
Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine
hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine
hand before their eyes…” (Ezekiel 37:16-20). The stick of
Judah would become the Bible, and the stick of Joseph would
become the Book of Mormon.
This scripture from Ezekiel has been dismissed by some
theologians and individuals who take issue with the term
“sticks,” believing the sticks to be nations and not books.
However, the interpretation of the stick of Joseph being the
Book of Mormon, and the stick of Judah being the Bible, is as
solid of an interpretation as modern day theology can offer.
The Book of Mormon witnesses of the Bible being true (1 Nephi
13:23-24), and the Bible witnesses of the Book of Mormon being
true (Ezekiel 37:16-20)—both being testaments of Jesus Christ.
This fulfills the scripture from Matthew 18:16 about the need
for at least two witnesses.
Calling Man to Live a Higher Law
Further study will help the well intentioned Christian to
formulate the place of modern day revelation in the form of
scripture. It is clear that God is continually calling man to
live a higher law and that it became necessary to restore laws
that were lost; hence, it is necessary for the Lord to provide
additional scripture, to speak to us again, adding here a
little, there a little, and enriching our understanding. For
example Exodus 21:24 from the Old Testament provides
justification of taking revenge on one’s enemies; however,
Matthew 5:44 from the New Testament calls for the loving of
one’s enemies—thus a higher law. Jesus set the example of this
practice when he moved the Jews to a higher law in divorce
from allowance (Deut. 24:1,3) to forbiddance (Matt. 5:31-32).
Clarifying Ambiguous Biblical Scriptures
There are in fact several instances where the three additional
standard works of modern day scripture helps illuminate and
bring clarity to topics left ambiguous in the Bible alone. If
left to stand without modern day scriptures, these topics
would remain in a state of ambiguity, or rely on scholarly
interpretations. In some cases these topics are of great
importance, and it is difficult to believe a loving Father in
Heaven would want to keep his children in the dark about such
sacred matters. The Foundation provides the following examples
of how modern day scriptures provide spiritual support and
understanding of matters addressed, but not reconciled, in the
Bible:
Cain and Satan
Genesis 4:8 from the Bible mentions that Cain slays his
brother Abel after becoming angry when the Lord did not
respect his offering. The Bible doesn’t provide a reason for
the killing or what motivated Cain to do such a thing. Moses 5
in the Pearl of Great Price provides important details on how
Satan influenced Cain to commit the murderous act, providing
vital spiritual insights for us to liken to ourselves in the
struggle with evil.
Communal Sustenance
Acts 2:44-45 and 2 Corinthians 8: 14 from the Bible discuss
the virtues of communal living and economic equality in
sharing all things in common; however, the Bible doesn’t
provide any details on how this can be accomplished or
administered. In Doctrine and Covenants 42:30-36, the “law of
consecration” is laid out in detail to the point of being
operational in today’s society.
Clean Living
1 Corinthians 6:19 and Proverbs 20 from the Bible warns that
God’s children are to respect their physical bodies and
refrain from certain substances; however, the Bible is light
on specifics. Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, often
referred to as the Word of Wisdom, provides exceptional detail
and direction on matters of food, substance, and lifestyle
that illuminate those scriptures introduced in the Bible.
Included is an explanation of the associated blessings of
clean living.
Baptism
Baptism is first mentioned in the Bible in Mark 1:4, and later
in John 3:5 as being essential to entering the kingdom of God.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 states metaphorically that the
Israelites were “...baptized… in the cloud and in the sea.”
However, the Bible doesn’t provide facts of when baptism
started and how the requirement of baptism from John 3:5
applies to those who lived on the earth before John the
Baptist. Such cryptic references to baptism leave huge gaps in
spiritual understanding. One can read from 1 Nephi 20:1 in the
Book of Mormon that Baptism existed at or around the time of
Isaiah (740 B.C.). With further help from the Book of Moses in
the Pearl of Great Price one can gain a full understanding of
the origin of baptism on the earth and how it can be traced
literally back to the time of Adam.
Unforgivable Sin
1 John 1:7 states that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can
cleanse us all from sin. Conversely, Matthew 12:31-32 states
that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven in
this world or the next. These two scriptures from the Bible
not only contradict one another, but the Bible doesn’t provide
any definition of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. This
paradox is reconciled through modern day revelation and
scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants Section 132, verse
27, where blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is defined in
detail.
Christian faith is meant to be reinforced and strengthened by
these additions to the canon. One will move and act with
deeper understanding and commitment to the gospel of Jesus
Christ with them than what would have been possible without
them. By the light of these sacred texts one can strengthen
their faith, fully embrace the truth, live the Lord’s
commandments, and love Him more fully in service.
Conclusion
Christians are exhorted to study the scriptures every day, as
individuals and as families. In doing so individuals and
families can avoid evil and grow closer to God—especially when
the diligent Christian reads the scriptures in conjunction
with pondering, praying, and asking God for further
understanding through the Holy Ghost.
We should read the scriptures as part of our daily personal
devotionals, as well as together as a family. We should feast
upon the words of God, not just nibble at his sacred
scriptures. We should always liken the scriptures to ourselves
in order to give them more meaning in application to our own
lives. In doing so we will have more joy, have a more personal
relationship with Jesus Christ, and be more prepared for the
challenges of life.
Doctrinal
Study: Divine
Communication: Scriptures
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Sword Series™ essay on The Scriptures |
