12 I say unto you that as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you;
13 Neither have I suffered that ye should be confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves one of another, nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or steal, or commit adultery; nor even have I suffered that ye should commit any manner of wickedness, and have taught you that ye should keep the commandments of the Lord, in all things which he hath commanded you—
14 And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.
15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day.
(Mosiah 2:12-15)
i was reading this in my scripture study today and trying to apply this to me in my life. and i thought of how i usually get down on myself as a mother for little things like speaking sharply to my son who is blowing a whistle in the house after i told him three times to please go outside. guilt about getting frustrated with the two year old who kicks and hits and screams every. single. time. she gets buckled into her carseat. but if i were to take a big step back. an eternal step back and look at the big picture of my life. as a woman, as a wife, as a mother, as a daughter, as a friend. then i can shrink those small blunders and notice how much bigger are the good things that i am doing in my life.
king benjamin pointed out all the bad things he wasn't doing and never did as a king. to perhaps help his kingdom see what a good king he was? perhaps to help him understand what a good king he was?
do i sometimes need to do this as a mother? remind myself that for all the little mistakes i make, i am still having daily scripture study with my children, i am still praying with them each day, i am still teaching them gospel principles and striving to help them build upon their own testimonies. the good i am doing will always outweigh the mistakes as long as i am applying the atonement in my life. each week, i partake of the sacrament and promise once again to be a better wife and mother. how wonderful to have that sacred ordinance to remind me of my eternal goals and my eternal purpose while on this earth.
Showing posts with label the book of mormon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the book of mormon. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Sunday, April 26, 2009
ether
"neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith."
ether 12:18
in all my preparation for what lay ahead i constantly prayed for faith. the other word that hung in the air, fear, was one that i never even allowed to enter my mind or reach my lips. i was adamant that i would allow the power of my mind and my words to control the coming situation. so fear was not in my vocabulary. and shouldn't ever be, really.
and when i've read this scripture before, i've always considered the enormous miracles. instead of the little ones. for good reason, though. the entire chapter is one verse after another of miracles coming because of the faith of various prophets and missionaries. ammon, lehi and nephi, alma and amulek. all very substantial and amazing miracles.
not to say that childbirth is not a substantial miracle but today while reading this chapter and this verse in particular, i applied it to me and my situation. and the months and days leading up to my choice to remain focused, faithful, calm and in control when the time came to give birth to my child. and i did. and that miracle came because of my extreme faith. i don't think i've ever prayed as much as i did while i was in labor.
"for if they humble themselves before me, then will i make weak things become strong unto them."
i felt so unbelievably weak and incompetent at the time. and scared. but i had those months of prayer and those months of determination and those feelings throughout that i could do this. and it was truly miraculous that i conquered and did it and the Lord answered my prayer and helped me through it.
that afternoon while holding my hours old baby, my miracle, i said a fervent prayer to my Heavenly Father, thanking him for the help i knew i could not have done without. He strengthened me when i was at my weakest and i love the knowledge and comfort i have that i can call upon Him anytime, anywhere for any reason.
ether 12:18
in all my preparation for what lay ahead i constantly prayed for faith. the other word that hung in the air, fear, was one that i never even allowed to enter my mind or reach my lips. i was adamant that i would allow the power of my mind and my words to control the coming situation. so fear was not in my vocabulary. and shouldn't ever be, really.
and when i've read this scripture before, i've always considered the enormous miracles. instead of the little ones. for good reason, though. the entire chapter is one verse after another of miracles coming because of the faith of various prophets and missionaries. ammon, lehi and nephi, alma and amulek. all very substantial and amazing miracles.
not to say that childbirth is not a substantial miracle but today while reading this chapter and this verse in particular, i applied it to me and my situation. and the months and days leading up to my choice to remain focused, faithful, calm and in control when the time came to give birth to my child. and i did. and that miracle came because of my extreme faith. i don't think i've ever prayed as much as i did while i was in labor.
"for if they humble themselves before me, then will i make weak things become strong unto them."
i felt so unbelievably weak and incompetent at the time. and scared. but i had those months of prayer and those months of determination and those feelings throughout that i could do this. and it was truly miraculous that i conquered and did it and the Lord answered my prayer and helped me through it.
that afternoon while holding my hours old baby, my miracle, i said a fervent prayer to my Heavenly Father, thanking him for the help i knew i could not have done without. He strengthened me when i was at my weakest and i love the knowledge and comfort i have that i can call upon Him anytime, anywhere for any reason.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
humility
in the book of helaman, nephi the prophet is trying desperately to get the nephites to be obedient. even after he prophesies of the killing of the chief judge, they are still wicked and prideful. at one point he is feeling rather down and out. he feels like he is not making even a dent of success in his missionary work when the Lord speaks to him from heaven saying,
"blessed art thou, nephi, for those things which thou has done; for i have beheld how thou hast with unwearingness declared the word, which i have given unto thee, unto this people. and thou has not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments."
~helaman 10:4
the Lord goes on to bless nephi "forever" and to make him mighty in word, deed, faith and works. and to bless him with the sealing powers of a prophet. basically the power to call on God to strike the nephites with war or famine or to remove the war or famine, etc.
my first thought was that i love that the Lord told nephi "i have beheld" thee. he had been watching nephi and all his good deeds and hard work. nephi preached the gospel with unwearingness and it did not escape the Lord's notice. i would like to think the Lord is observing me. sometimes i would rather he not, when i lose my patience with my children or choose to go to sleep instead of read my scriptures at night. but for the most part, it brings much comfort to my soul to be reminded that he is aware of me constantly and knows of my good intentions.
the story continues as nephi asks God to send war upon the nephites, which he does. but after a time nephi notices that it is not making a difference on the nephites humility. they still are prideful. so, he asks God to then send a famine upon the land. and almost instantly the nephites humble themselves, repent and ask nephi to call upon God to remove the famine. and this is what struck me most. nephi is a prophet of God. he has been blessed with the sealing powers. he has already called down a war and famine upon the people, but when he supplicates God to remove the famine, it is not a casual, quick prayer,
"o Lord, behold this people repenteth; and they have swept away the band of gadianton from amongst them insomuch that they have become extinct, and they have concealed their secret plans in the earth. now, o Lord, because of this their humility wilt thou turn away thine anger, and let thine anger be appeased in the destruction of those wicked men whom though has already destroyed. o, lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, yea, they fierce anger, and cause that this famine may cease in this land."
~helaman 11:10-12
those were three verses of supplication and there are four more of him pleading with the Lord to remove the famine from the land. this pleading and praying and supplicating the Lord by the prophet nephi was such an example to me in how we should pray to Heavenly Father. he wants to bless us, he wants to help us, but no matter who we are, we need to work hard and show our faith and humility.
"blessed art thou, nephi, for those things which thou has done; for i have beheld how thou hast with unwearingness declared the word, which i have given unto thee, unto this people. and thou has not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments."
~helaman 10:4
the Lord goes on to bless nephi "forever" and to make him mighty in word, deed, faith and works. and to bless him with the sealing powers of a prophet. basically the power to call on God to strike the nephites with war or famine or to remove the war or famine, etc.
my first thought was that i love that the Lord told nephi "i have beheld" thee. he had been watching nephi and all his good deeds and hard work. nephi preached the gospel with unwearingness and it did not escape the Lord's notice. i would like to think the Lord is observing me. sometimes i would rather he not, when i lose my patience with my children or choose to go to sleep instead of read my scriptures at night. but for the most part, it brings much comfort to my soul to be reminded that he is aware of me constantly and knows of my good intentions.
the story continues as nephi asks God to send war upon the nephites, which he does. but after a time nephi notices that it is not making a difference on the nephites humility. they still are prideful. so, he asks God to then send a famine upon the land. and almost instantly the nephites humble themselves, repent and ask nephi to call upon God to remove the famine. and this is what struck me most. nephi is a prophet of God. he has been blessed with the sealing powers. he has already called down a war and famine upon the people, but when he supplicates God to remove the famine, it is not a casual, quick prayer,
"o Lord, behold this people repenteth; and they have swept away the band of gadianton from amongst them insomuch that they have become extinct, and they have concealed their secret plans in the earth. now, o Lord, because of this their humility wilt thou turn away thine anger, and let thine anger be appeased in the destruction of those wicked men whom though has already destroyed. o, lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, yea, they fierce anger, and cause that this famine may cease in this land."
~helaman 11:10-12
those were three verses of supplication and there are four more of him pleading with the Lord to remove the famine from the land. this pleading and praying and supplicating the Lord by the prophet nephi was such an example to me in how we should pray to Heavenly Father. he wants to bless us, he wants to help us, but no matter who we are, we need to work hard and show our faith and humility.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
unprofitable servant
i say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, adn has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another--
i say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you fro day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another --i say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
and behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.
~king benjamin in the book of mosiah {mosiah 2:20-22}
i say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you fro day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another --i say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
and behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.
~king benjamin in the book of mosiah {mosiah 2:20-22}
Sunday, June 1, 2008
...never cease
i went visiting teaching to wendy last week. in the month of may and november when there is not a set lesson to teach, i always have such a difficult time picking which general conference talk to share when i go out visiting teaching. but i knew i wanted to share this one with wendy and discuss it with her. i have been visiting wendy for so long that we have become best friends over the years. how wonderful visiting teaching is! but she and i have such deep discussions about gospel and religious matters that i always come away from our visits feeling more enriched and spiritually fed.
we discussed Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk called "My Words...Never Cease."
i attempted to sift through this talk to find my favorite parts but found that i was cutting and pasting almost all of it into this post. so, you will notice how special it is to me since i have put it all in here as well as adding a few of my own comments.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, one of the reasons The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is accused, erroneously, of not being Christian is
the bold assertion that God continues to speak His word and reveal His truth, revelations which mandate an open canon of scripture.
Some Christians, in large measure because of their genuine love for the Bible, have declared that there can be no more authorized scripture beyond the Bible. In thus pronouncing the canon of revelation closed, our friends in some other faiths shut the door on divine expression that we in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold dear: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the ongoing guidance received by God’s anointed prophets and apostles. Imputing no ill will to those who take such a position, nevertheless we respectfully but resolutely reject such an unscriptural characterization of true Christianity.
One of the arguments often used in any defense of a closed canon is the New Testament passage recorded in Revelation 22:18: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of . . . this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” However, there is now overwhelming consensus among virtually all biblical scholars that this verse applies only to the book of Revelation, not the whole Bible. Those scholars of our day acknowledge a number of New Testament “books” that were almost certainly written after John’s revelation on the Isle of Patmos was received. Included in this category are at least the books of Jude, the three Epistles of John, and probably the entire Gospel of John itself.1 Perhaps there are even more than these.
i actually was on a flight a couple years ago {without my kids} and sat next to a sweet girl about my age who was of a different faith. we talked for a very long time about what Latter-day Saints believe and this was one of her questions. i was able to address it and point out that this verse applies to the book of revelations only.
But there is a simpler answer as to why that passage in the final book of the current New Testament cannot apply to the whole Bible. That is because the whole Bible as we know it—one collection of texts bound in a single volume—did not exist when that verse was written. For centuries after John produced his writing, the individual books of the New Testament were in circulation singly or perhaps in combinations with a few other texts but almost never as a complete collection. Of the entire corpus of 5,366 known Greek New Testament manuscripts, only 35 contain the whole New Testament as we now know it, and 34 of those were compiled after A.D. 1000.2
The fact of the matter is that virtually every prophet of the Old and New Testament has added scripture to that received by his predecessors. If the Old Testament words of Moses were sufficient, as some could have mistakenly thought them to be,3 then why, for example, the subsequent prophecies of Isaiah or of Jeremiah, who follows him? To say nothing of Ezekiel and Daniel, of Joel, Amos, and all the rest. If one revelation to one prophet in one moment of time is sufficient for all time, what justifies these many others? What justifies them was made clear by Jehovah Himself when He said to Moses, “My works are without end, and . . . my words . . . never cease.”4
what a beautiful scripture and statement given to Moses.."my words never cease." that statement brings such peace and joy to my heart to know that God will never leave us. there will always be continued revelation and instruction given to us if we are righteous and faithful.
One Protestant scholar has inquired tellingly into the erroneous doctrine of a closed canon. He writes: “On what biblical or historical grounds has the inspiration of God been limited to the written documents that the church now calls its Bible? . . . If the Spirit inspired only the written documents of the first century, does that mean that the same Spirit does not speak today in the church about matters that are of significant concern?”5 We humbly ask those same questions.
Continuing revelation does not demean or discredit existing revelation. The Old Testament does not lose its value in our eyes when we are introduced to the New Testament, and the New Testament is only enhanced when we read the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In considering the additional scripture accepted by Latter-day Saints, we might ask: Were those early Christians who for decades had access only to the primitive Gospel of Mark (generally considered the first of the New Testament Gospels to be written)—were they offended to receive the more detailed accounts set forth later by Matthew and Luke, to say nothing of the unprecedented passages and revelatory emphasis offered later yet by John? Surely they must have rejoiced that ever more convincing evidence of the divinity of Christ kept coming. And so do we rejoice.
Please do not misunderstand. We love and revere the Bible, as Elder M. Russell Ballard taught so clearly from this pulpit just one year ago.6 The Bible is the word of God. It is always identified first in our canon, our “standard works.” Indeed, it was a divinely ordained encounter with the fifth verse of the first chapter of the book of James that led Joseph Smith to his vision of the Father and the Son, which gave birth to the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our time. But even then, Joseph knew the Bible alone could not be the answer to all the religious questions he and others like him had. As he said in his own words, the ministers of his community were contending—sometimes angrily—over their doctrines. “Priest [was] contending against priest, and convert [was contending] against convert . . . in a strife of words and a contest about opinions,” he said. About the only thing these contending religions had in common was, ironically, a belief in the Bible, but, as Joseph wrote, “the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question [regarding which church was true] by an appeal to the Bible.”7 Clearly the Bible, so frequently described at that time as “common ground,” was nothing of the kind—unfortunately it was a battleground.
Thus one of the great purposes of continuing revelation through living prophets is to declare to the world through additional witnesses that the Bible is true. “This is written,” an ancient prophet said, speaking of the Book of Mormon, “for the intent that ye may believe that,” speaking of the Bible.8 In one of the earliest revelations received by Joseph Smith, the Lord said, “Behold, I do not bring [the Book of Mormon forth] to destroy [the Bible] but to build it up.”9
One other point needs to be made. Since it is clear that there were Christians long before there was a New Testament or even an accumulation of the sayings of Jesus, it cannot therefore be maintained that the Bible is what makes one a Christian. In the words of esteemed New Testament scholar N. T. Wright, “The risen Jesus, at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, does not say, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth is given to the books you are all going to write,’ but [rather] ‘All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me.’ “10 In other words, “Scripture itself points . . . away from itself and to the fact that final and true authority belongs to God himself.”11 So the scriptures are not the ultimate source of knowledge for Latter-day Saints. They are manifestations of the ultimate source. The ultimate source of knowledge and authority for a Latter-day Saint is the living God. The communication of those gifts comes from God as living, vibrant, divine revelation.12
wendy and i talked about this for a long time. we both expressed our immense gratitude at what a wonderful revelation this is from an apostle of Jesus Christ. God speaks to us and gives us revelation according to our faith and our righteousness. the Bible and other scripture is an addendum to our own relationship with our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. because the scriptures are there for us to read daily to remind us how we need to be to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and our Savior and give us examples of other people's lives and personal experiences with God.
This doctrine lies at the very heart of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and of our message to the world. It dramatizes the significance of a solemn assembly yesterday, in which we sustained Thomas S. Monson as a prophet, a seer, and a revelator. We believe in a God who is engaged in our lives, who is not silent, not absent, nor, as Elijah said of the god of the priests of Baal, is He “[on] a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be [awakened].”13 In this Church, even our young Primary children recite, “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”14
"we believe in a God who is engaged in our lives, who is not silent, not absent.." this truth and knowledge brings tears to my eyes. every time i read it, my heart tells me the truth of it. how blessed we are. how blessed i am. am i doing all that i can to have a relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ?
In declaring new scripture and continuing revelation, we pray we will never be arrogant or insensitive. But after a sacred vision in a now sacred grove answered in the affirmative the question “Does God exist?” what Joseph Smith and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints force us to face is the next interrogative, which necessarily follows: “Does He speak?” We bring the good news that He does and that He has. With a love and affection born of our Christianity, we invite all to inquire into the wonder of what God has said since biblical times and is saying even now.
In a sense Joseph Smith and his prophetic successors in this Church answer the challenge Ralph Waldo Emerson put to the students of the Harvard Divinity School 170 years ago this coming summer. To that group of the Protestant best and brightest, the great sage of Concord pled that they teach “that God is, not was; that He speaketh, not spake.”15
I testify that the heavens are open. I testify that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is truly another testament of Jesus Christ. I testify that Thomas S. Monson is God’s prophet, a modern apostle with the keys of the kingdom in his hands, a man upon whom I personally have seen the mantle fall. I testify that the presence of such authorized, prophetic voices and ongoing canonized revelations have been at the heart of the Christian message whenever the authorized ministry of Christ has been on the earth. I testify that such a ministry is on the earth again, and it is found in this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In our heartfelt devotion to Jesus of Nazareth as the very Son of God, the Savior of the world, we invite all to examine what we have received of Him, to join with us, drinking deeply at the “well of water springing up into everlasting life,”16 these constantly flowing reminders that God lives, that He loves us, and that He speaks. I express the deepest personal thanks that His works never end and His “words . . . never cease.” I bear witness of such divine loving attention and the recording of it, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
what a beautiful talk this was. i feel like adding my own testimony to this might sound redundant and meek compared to Elder Holland's, but i am truly grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. i am so blessed to live in a home where the Priesthood resides and to be married for eternity to a man who loves me and our children and most of all who loves our Savior. i am so grateful to know of my purpose here on earth. and to constantly be striving to reach my goal of an eternal family. i enjoy the challenge of teaching my children to pray to their Heavenly Father and teaching them gospel principles of why they are here and how much Christ loves them and knows them individually. i know this. i know that my Savior loves me and knows me and i want my children to have this same feeling in their hearts. so that when they feel alone or sad, they can have faith that Christ can lift them up and help them. i am truly grateful for the Bible and the Book of Mormon and for continued revelation through our modern day prophets, apostles and church leaders. and i am grateful for the knowledge that i can pray and receive revelation in regard to myself and my family. i know this is true and am grateful for it.
NOTES
1. See Stephen E. Robinson, Are Mormons Christians? (1991), 46. The issue of canon is discussed on pages 45–56. Canon is defined as “an authoritative list of books accepted as Holy Scripture” (Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. [2003], “canon”).
2. See Bruce M. Metzger, Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Greek Paleography (1981), 54–55; see also Are Mormons Christians? 46.
3. See Deuteronomy 4:2, for example.
4. Moses 1:4.
5. Lee M. McDonald, The Formation of the Christian Biblical Canon, rev. ed. (1995), 255–56.
6. See “The Miracle of the Holy Bible,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2007, 80–82.
7. Joseph Smith—History 1:6, 12.
8. Mormon 7:9; emphasis added.
9. D&C 10:52; see also D&C 20:11.
10. N. T. Wright, The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture (2005), xi.
11. Wright, The Last Word, 24.
12. For a full essay on this subject, see Dallin H. Oaks, “Scripture Reading and Revelation,” Ensign, Jan. 1995, 6–9.
13. 1 Kings 18:27.
14. Articles of Faith 1:9.
15. “An Address,” The Complete Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1929), 45.
16. John 4:14.
we discussed Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk called "My Words...Never Cease."
i attempted to sift through this talk to find my favorite parts but found that i was cutting and pasting almost all of it into this post. so, you will notice how special it is to me since i have put it all in here as well as adding a few of my own comments.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, one of the reasons The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is accused, erroneously, of not being Christian is
the bold assertion that God continues to speak His word and reveal His truth, revelations which mandate an open canon of scripture.
Some Christians, in large measure because of their genuine love for the Bible, have declared that there can be no more authorized scripture beyond the Bible. In thus pronouncing the canon of revelation closed, our friends in some other faiths shut the door on divine expression that we in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold dear: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the ongoing guidance received by God’s anointed prophets and apostles. Imputing no ill will to those who take such a position, nevertheless we respectfully but resolutely reject such an unscriptural characterization of true Christianity.
One of the arguments often used in any defense of a closed canon is the New Testament passage recorded in Revelation 22:18: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of . . . this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” However, there is now overwhelming consensus among virtually all biblical scholars that this verse applies only to the book of Revelation, not the whole Bible. Those scholars of our day acknowledge a number of New Testament “books” that were almost certainly written after John’s revelation on the Isle of Patmos was received. Included in this category are at least the books of Jude, the three Epistles of John, and probably the entire Gospel of John itself.1 Perhaps there are even more than these.
i actually was on a flight a couple years ago {without my kids} and sat next to a sweet girl about my age who was of a different faith. we talked for a very long time about what Latter-day Saints believe and this was one of her questions. i was able to address it and point out that this verse applies to the book of revelations only.
But there is a simpler answer as to why that passage in the final book of the current New Testament cannot apply to the whole Bible. That is because the whole Bible as we know it—one collection of texts bound in a single volume—did not exist when that verse was written. For centuries after John produced his writing, the individual books of the New Testament were in circulation singly or perhaps in combinations with a few other texts but almost never as a complete collection. Of the entire corpus of 5,366 known Greek New Testament manuscripts, only 35 contain the whole New Testament as we now know it, and 34 of those were compiled after A.D. 1000.2
The fact of the matter is that virtually every prophet of the Old and New Testament has added scripture to that received by his predecessors. If the Old Testament words of Moses were sufficient, as some could have mistakenly thought them to be,3 then why, for example, the subsequent prophecies of Isaiah or of Jeremiah, who follows him? To say nothing of Ezekiel and Daniel, of Joel, Amos, and all the rest. If one revelation to one prophet in one moment of time is sufficient for all time, what justifies these many others? What justifies them was made clear by Jehovah Himself when He said to Moses, “My works are without end, and . . . my words . . . never cease.”4
what a beautiful scripture and statement given to Moses.."my words never cease." that statement brings such peace and joy to my heart to know that God will never leave us. there will always be continued revelation and instruction given to us if we are righteous and faithful.
One Protestant scholar has inquired tellingly into the erroneous doctrine of a closed canon. He writes: “On what biblical or historical grounds has the inspiration of God been limited to the written documents that the church now calls its Bible? . . . If the Spirit inspired only the written documents of the first century, does that mean that the same Spirit does not speak today in the church about matters that are of significant concern?”5 We humbly ask those same questions.
Continuing revelation does not demean or discredit existing revelation. The Old Testament does not lose its value in our eyes when we are introduced to the New Testament, and the New Testament is only enhanced when we read the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In considering the additional scripture accepted by Latter-day Saints, we might ask: Were those early Christians who for decades had access only to the primitive Gospel of Mark (generally considered the first of the New Testament Gospels to be written)—were they offended to receive the more detailed accounts set forth later by Matthew and Luke, to say nothing of the unprecedented passages and revelatory emphasis offered later yet by John? Surely they must have rejoiced that ever more convincing evidence of the divinity of Christ kept coming. And so do we rejoice.
Please do not misunderstand. We love and revere the Bible, as Elder M. Russell Ballard taught so clearly from this pulpit just one year ago.6 The Bible is the word of God. It is always identified first in our canon, our “standard works.” Indeed, it was a divinely ordained encounter with the fifth verse of the first chapter of the book of James that led Joseph Smith to his vision of the Father and the Son, which gave birth to the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our time. But even then, Joseph knew the Bible alone could not be the answer to all the religious questions he and others like him had. As he said in his own words, the ministers of his community were contending—sometimes angrily—over their doctrines. “Priest [was] contending against priest, and convert [was contending] against convert . . . in a strife of words and a contest about opinions,” he said. About the only thing these contending religions had in common was, ironically, a belief in the Bible, but, as Joseph wrote, “the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question [regarding which church was true] by an appeal to the Bible.”7 Clearly the Bible, so frequently described at that time as “common ground,” was nothing of the kind—unfortunately it was a battleground.
Thus one of the great purposes of continuing revelation through living prophets is to declare to the world through additional witnesses that the Bible is true. “This is written,” an ancient prophet said, speaking of the Book of Mormon, “for the intent that ye may believe that,” speaking of the Bible.8 In one of the earliest revelations received by Joseph Smith, the Lord said, “Behold, I do not bring [the Book of Mormon forth] to destroy [the Bible] but to build it up.”9
One other point needs to be made. Since it is clear that there were Christians long before there was a New Testament or even an accumulation of the sayings of Jesus, it cannot therefore be maintained that the Bible is what makes one a Christian. In the words of esteemed New Testament scholar N. T. Wright, “The risen Jesus, at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, does not say, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth is given to the books you are all going to write,’ but [rather] ‘All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me.’ “10 In other words, “Scripture itself points . . . away from itself and to the fact that final and true authority belongs to God himself.”11 So the scriptures are not the ultimate source of knowledge for Latter-day Saints. They are manifestations of the ultimate source. The ultimate source of knowledge and authority for a Latter-day Saint is the living God. The communication of those gifts comes from God as living, vibrant, divine revelation.12
wendy and i talked about this for a long time. we both expressed our immense gratitude at what a wonderful revelation this is from an apostle of Jesus Christ. God speaks to us and gives us revelation according to our faith and our righteousness. the Bible and other scripture is an addendum to our own relationship with our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. because the scriptures are there for us to read daily to remind us how we need to be to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and our Savior and give us examples of other people's lives and personal experiences with God.
This doctrine lies at the very heart of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and of our message to the world. It dramatizes the significance of a solemn assembly yesterday, in which we sustained Thomas S. Monson as a prophet, a seer, and a revelator. We believe in a God who is engaged in our lives, who is not silent, not absent, nor, as Elijah said of the god of the priests of Baal, is He “[on] a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be [awakened].”13 In this Church, even our young Primary children recite, “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”14
"we believe in a God who is engaged in our lives, who is not silent, not absent.." this truth and knowledge brings tears to my eyes. every time i read it, my heart tells me the truth of it. how blessed we are. how blessed i am. am i doing all that i can to have a relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ?
In declaring new scripture and continuing revelation, we pray we will never be arrogant or insensitive. But after a sacred vision in a now sacred grove answered in the affirmative the question “Does God exist?” what Joseph Smith and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints force us to face is the next interrogative, which necessarily follows: “Does He speak?” We bring the good news that He does and that He has. With a love and affection born of our Christianity, we invite all to inquire into the wonder of what God has said since biblical times and is saying even now.
In a sense Joseph Smith and his prophetic successors in this Church answer the challenge Ralph Waldo Emerson put to the students of the Harvard Divinity School 170 years ago this coming summer. To that group of the Protestant best and brightest, the great sage of Concord pled that they teach “that God is, not was; that He speaketh, not spake.”15
I testify that the heavens are open. I testify that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is truly another testament of Jesus Christ. I testify that Thomas S. Monson is God’s prophet, a modern apostle with the keys of the kingdom in his hands, a man upon whom I personally have seen the mantle fall. I testify that the presence of such authorized, prophetic voices and ongoing canonized revelations have been at the heart of the Christian message whenever the authorized ministry of Christ has been on the earth. I testify that such a ministry is on the earth again, and it is found in this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In our heartfelt devotion to Jesus of Nazareth as the very Son of God, the Savior of the world, we invite all to examine what we have received of Him, to join with us, drinking deeply at the “well of water springing up into everlasting life,”16 these constantly flowing reminders that God lives, that He loves us, and that He speaks. I express the deepest personal thanks that His works never end and His “words . . . never cease.” I bear witness of such divine loving attention and the recording of it, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
what a beautiful talk this was. i feel like adding my own testimony to this might sound redundant and meek compared to Elder Holland's, but i am truly grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. i am so blessed to live in a home where the Priesthood resides and to be married for eternity to a man who loves me and our children and most of all who loves our Savior. i am so grateful to know of my purpose here on earth. and to constantly be striving to reach my goal of an eternal family. i enjoy the challenge of teaching my children to pray to their Heavenly Father and teaching them gospel principles of why they are here and how much Christ loves them and knows them individually. i know this. i know that my Savior loves me and knows me and i want my children to have this same feeling in their hearts. so that when they feel alone or sad, they can have faith that Christ can lift them up and help them. i am truly grateful for the Bible and the Book of Mormon and for continued revelation through our modern day prophets, apostles and church leaders. and i am grateful for the knowledge that i can pray and receive revelation in regard to myself and my family. i know this is true and am grateful for it.
NOTES
1. See Stephen E. Robinson, Are Mormons Christians? (1991), 46. The issue of canon is discussed on pages 45–56. Canon is defined as “an authoritative list of books accepted as Holy Scripture” (Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. [2003], “canon”).
2. See Bruce M. Metzger, Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Greek Paleography (1981), 54–55; see also Are Mormons Christians? 46.
3. See Deuteronomy 4:2, for example.
4. Moses 1:4.
5. Lee M. McDonald, The Formation of the Christian Biblical Canon, rev. ed. (1995), 255–56.
6. See “The Miracle of the Holy Bible,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2007, 80–82.
7. Joseph Smith—History 1:6, 12.
8. Mormon 7:9; emphasis added.
9. D&C 10:52; see also D&C 20:11.
10. N. T. Wright, The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture (2005), xi.
11. Wright, The Last Word, 24.
12. For a full essay on this subject, see Dallin H. Oaks, “Scripture Reading and Revelation,” Ensign, Jan. 1995, 6–9.
13. 1 Kings 18:27.
14. Articles of Faith 1:9.
15. “An Address,” The Complete Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1929), 45.
16. John 4:14.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
the book of mormon
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, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.
and he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgement-seat.
and he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgement day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.
therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.
for behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.
and ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgement. amen.
~mormon 7:3-10
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, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.
and he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgement-seat.
and he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgement day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.
therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.
for behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.
and ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgement. amen.
~mormon 7:3-10
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
foundation
and now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
~helaman 5:12
~helaman 5:12
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
mothers
the preservation of the 2,060 young warriors of helaman in the book of alma is a favorite story of mine. it is a wonderful story of faith. but i don't think i've truly noticed this verse before...
and now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army; yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. and we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe--that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.
~alma 57:26
what unbelievable faith! that they would faithfully head towards their possible death without flinching in their faith is astounding to me. the part that most struck me was what they were taught: that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power. i hope i am instilling this faith and knowledge in my children. by what i teach them and especially by my example.
and now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army; yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. and we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe--that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.
~alma 57:26
what unbelievable faith! that they would faithfully head towards their possible death without flinching in their faith is astounding to me. the part that most struck me was what they were taught: that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power. i hope i am instilling this faith and knowledge in my children. by what i teach them and especially by my example.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
how to be
when i read this a few days ago i had my kids on my mind. and the ways i need to be a better parent. and so i read it like advice to parents of how they should raise their children. this is alma couseling his son helaman in how to be with the people of the church and how to be as an individual in the gospel:
..teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.
preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
o, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.
yeah, and cry unto thy God for all thy support; yea let all they doings be unto the Lord, and withersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of they heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
~alma 37:32-37
..teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.
preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
o, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.
yeah, and cry unto thy God for all thy support; yea let all they doings be unto the Lord, and withersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of they heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
~alma 37:32-37
Sunday, March 23, 2008
easter
and he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else.
therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.
the spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
~alma 11:40-44
therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.
the spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
~alma 11:40-44
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
new year
a little after midnight on new year’s day, paul and i went and jumped in lake washington. paul wasn’t really up for the idea but he was a good sport and went along with me. i knew i wanted to do something exciting to ring in the new year and I’d never done a polar bear dip before. because that’s really all it was. a very, very quick dip.
i wanted to jump in the freezing cold lake because i am ready for change in my life. i’ve not really been one for new years resolutions. i think because i don’t like to be tied down to a commitment to do something for sure.
but this last week i read of an idea to just use one word to symbolize what you want to do or how you want to be for the new year. and after thinking it over i decided that i wanted to make Change my word for this year.
which might not sound very exciting but it rings true to me and what i have in mind to accomplish this year. i have no specific things or goals i want to accomplish
rather i want to change myself.
and i want to make a difference in the lives of those around me. this morning when i was thinking about this new word of mine, i realized that one of the changes i needed to make was to bear my testimony. most first sundays of the month in our church, we, as members fast or go without food for two meals and donate what we would have spent on those meals to the church. and that money is to be given to those who are less fortunate than us. so, it's called fast sunday. and during the sacrament portion of fast sunday, after we take the sacrament, it is our choice to go up and speak from the podium about our thoughts about the gospel of Jesus Christ. to bear our testimonies. almost every sunday, when testimonies are being born i want to go up and bear mine. i heard once that bearing of one's testimony makes it grow stronger. and who doesn’t want their testimony to grow stronger? but, i would use my kids as an excuse. i would use my inability to speak without crying, as an excuse. or my inability to make sense once i'm standing up in front of an entire room full of people, as an excuse. or i would just ignore the warm feeling in my heart of the holy ghost prompting me to share my testimony. and be afraid. and stay in my seat.
so, at the possibility of bearing my testimony this morning i opened up my scriptures and they fell to alma chapter 17. alma runs into the sons of mosiah and at this point it has been fourteen years since an angel appeared to them in their wickedness and told them to shape up. they had gone out as missionaries to teach to the lamanites and had suffered through much trial and affliction. on these two pages that i opened my scriptures to, only three verses were highlighted. and they spoke to me. it was amazing. in verse 3 it says, they had given themselves to much prayer and fasting, therefore they had the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation and when they taught they taught with the power and authority of god.
i've always wanted this. the spirit of prophecy and revelation. and i believe that through prayer and fasting, i’ve received it. but i want to teach with the power and authority of God. that is my goal every time i am teaching the primary children. but i think all too often i’ve felt like i’m too young. or too inexperienced in the gospel of Jesus Christ. to really receive revelation. which is ridiculous. no one is too young. or too inexperienced in the gospel. we all are entitled to revelation as long as we are doing what is right. no matter how young or new in the gospel we are. we all have the potential to make a change and do good in the world.
and i’m tired of being afraid. i’m going to make a change. i’m grateful for this gospel. i’m grateful for my Savior, who gives me strength to do things the natural woman in me would not . i’m grateful for my sweet family, my darling kids who make me laugh every dayand my amazing husband who inspires me to be better. and I am grateful for my calling in primary and the people i serve with and each and every child i serve.
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