Taste the Light: January 2010

Friday, January 29, 2010

If any man will do his will

“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17).

Action—an exercise of agency to choose to follow Christ—is what builds faith and leads to spiritual knowledge. Actually doing God's will is the only way we can obtain a witness, an assurance, a testimony, a knowledge of spiritual truths.

Spiritual experiences and miracles strengthen faith in those who already have faith, and sometimes invite actions in those with little or no faith that will lead them to belief and faith, but in the long run miraculous experiences do not have the staying power that simple obedience to covenants (or to the commitments that will lead to covenants) has.

That is one reason, among others, that missionaries (who are out there inviting people to come unto Christ) and priesthood leaders (who are ministering to the spiritual needs of those who have already come unto Christ through faith, repentance, and baptism) are always inviting people to do things. Our responding to such invitations is what gives us spiritual insight, knowledge, and power.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Trust in the Lord

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Friday, January 15, 2010

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God

"These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have faith through his name" (John 20:31).

This verse relates closely to the one we posted last week. In this brief passage the apostle John gives the reason for his writing what we today refer to as the gospel or book of John. By extension, it could be considered the purpose for virtually every book of holy scripture.

Friday, January 8, 2010

God so loved the world

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Probably the most quoted scripture in all of Christendom, these 25 simple words from the apostle John allude to a number of fundamental truths:

God is a Father.
The Father and His only begotten Son are separate entities, else the One could not have sent the Other.
Jesus is the only person who has lived on the earth whose actual father was God, which is why He is called the only begotten Son.
The Father loves all the rest of His children.
The greatest evidence of that love is that the Father sent His Son into the world to redeem His children and to save those who believe in His Son.
Those who do not believe in Jesus at some point and on some level perish.
Those who do believe do not perish but enjoy eternal life with the Father and the Son.

Other scriptures make clear that real belief in Jesus involves active discipleship that includes having faith in Christ, repenting of sin, making and keeping sacred covenants, and enduring in faith to the end of mortal life. Simple confession or passive assent is hardly sufficient to merit an exquisite gift so precious as eternal life.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Rejoice and be glad

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalms 118:24).

The Lord has given us the days of our lives as both a gift and a stewardship for which we will have to account at some future day. We need to rejoice and be glad, rejoicing in the Giver of so precious a gift and being glad for as many days of this temporal or mortal probation as He allots us. A good reminder at the dawning of a new year.

The Holy Bible

Excerpts from the entry "Bible" in the Bible Dictionary in the 1979 edition of the King James Version published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Bible [is a] collection of writings that contain the records of divine revelation. The word itself is of Greek origin, being derived from ta biblia, “the books.” By the word Bible therefore we must understand not a single book, but a divine library.

The Bible is the work of many prophets and inspired writers acting under the influence of the same Holy Spirit; but at the same time it came into being “in many parts and in many modes,” by a gradual growth extending over many centuries, and we can see in the books themselves evidence of the varied conditions of time and place and thought under which they were composed.

The Christian Bible has two great divisions, familiarly known as the Old and New Testaments. The O.T. consists of the canon of scriptures current among the Jews of Palestine in our Lord’s time, and received on that account in its entirety by the Christian Church. The N.T. contains writings belonging to the Apostolic age, selected by the Church and regarded as having the same sanctity and authority as the Jewish scriptures. The books of the O.T. are drawn from a national literature extending over many centuries and were written almost entirely in Hebrew, while the books of the N.T. are the work of a single generation and were written in Greek (with the possible exception of the Gospels of Matthew and John, which were probably written originally in Aramaic).

With regard to the word testament, the Greek word diatheke, of which testament is a translation, meant in classical Greek an arrangement, and therefore sometimes a will or testament, as in an arrangement for disposal of a person’s property after his death. In the O.T. the word testament represents a Hebrew word meaning covenant. The Old Covenant is the law that was given to Moses. The New Covenant is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The title Old Testament is a misnomer since all the prophets, beginning with Adam, had the fullness of the gospel of Christ, with its ordinances and blessings. However, a lesser law was given to Moses for the children of Israel. When the Savior came in the meridian of time, he restored the gospel to the Jews in Palestine. Since they had strayed, even from the law of Moses, it was a new covenant to them. Thus we have the record called the Old and the New Testaments.

In the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) the books were divided into three groups: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (or Hagiographa). This arrangement was according to the Jews’ evaluation of the importance of the books based on the identity of the author. The Bible used by the Christian world is based on a different arrangement of the Old Testament books and was set up by a Greek translation called Septuagint. In this case the books are classified according to subject matter, such as historical, poetical, and prophetical.

The books of the New Testament have varied in sequence somewhat through the centuries but are generally in this order: the four Gospels and Acts, being primarily historical; the epistles of Paul (arranged according to length, except Hebrews); the general epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude; and the Apocalypse or Revelation of John.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, some of which are believed to be as early as the 2nd century B.C., give evidence that the O.T. text was corrupted at least by that time.

Latter-day revelation, in the form of the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and also the teachings of Joseph Smith (through his translation of the Bible and otherwise), offer much evidence and many helpful suggestions about biblical interpretation and original content. These latter-day sources are indispensable to the student who wishes to obtain the clearest and most complete understanding of what the ancient prophets and apostles have written.

With the discovery of more ancient manuscripts. not available to the King James translators, many translations of the Bible have been produced since 1900 by Bible scholars. However, based on the doctrinal clarity of latter-day revelation given to Joseph Smith, the Church has held to the King James Version as being doctrinally more accurate than these recent versions. The newer versions are in many instances easier to read, but are in some passages doctrinally weaker in their presentation of the gospel. Therefore, the King James Version remains the principal Bible of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The position of the Church regarding the Bible is that it contains the word of God as far as it is translated correctly (A of F 1:8).

Joseph Smith taught that “many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled.” He also said that the Bible was correct as “it came from the pen of the original writers,” but that “ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors.” (History of the Church, 1: 245; 6: 57.)

The Church reveres and respects the Bible, but recognizes that it is not a complete nor entirely accurate record, and affirms also that the Lord has given additional revelation through his prophets in the last days that sustains, supports, and verifies the biblical account of God’s dealings with mankind.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

Excerpts from the Introduction to the 1981 edition

The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel.

The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon.

The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.

We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.

The Lord Jesus Christ declared in June 1829 that Joseph Smith "has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true" (D&C 17:6).

Joseph Smith said in November 1841, "I told the brethren [the Twelve Apostles] that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" (Documentary History of the Church, 4:461; also Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 194).

The Doctrine and Covenants

Excerpts from the Explanatory Introduction in the 1981 edition

The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on the earth in the last days. Although most of the sections are directed to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the messages, warnings, and exhortations are for the benefit of all mankind, and contain an invitation to all people everywhere to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to them for their temporal well-being and their everlasting salvation.

Most of the revelations in this compilation were received through Joseph Smith, Jun., the first prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Others were issued through some of his successors in the Presidency.

The Doctrine and Covenants is unique because it is not a translation of an ancient document, but is of modern origin and was given of God through his chosen prophets for the restoration of his holy work and the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth in these days. In the revelations one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fulness of times; and the work that is initiated herein is preparatory to his second coming, in fulfillment of and in concert with the words of all the holy prophets since the world began.

These sacred revelations were received in answer to prayer, in times of need, and came out of real-life situations involving real people. The Prophet and his associates sought for divine guidance, and these revelations certify that they received it. In the revelations one sees the restoration and unfolding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times.

The testimony that is given of Jesus Christ—his divinity, his majesty, his perfection, his love, and his redeeming power—makes this book of great value to the human family and of more worth than the riches of the whole earth.

The Pearl of Great Price

Excerpts from the Introductory Note in the 1981 edition

The Pearl of Great Price is a selection of choice materials touching many significant aspects of the faith and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These items were produced by the Prophet Joseph Smith and were published in the Church periodicals of his day.

The first collection of materials carrying the title Pearl of Great Price was made in 1851. Its purpose was to make more readily accessible some important articles that had had limited circulation in the time of Joseph Smith. As Church membership increased throughout Europe and America there was a need to make these items available. The Pearl of Great Price received wide use and subsequently became a standard work of the Church by action of the First Presidency and the general conference in Salt Lake City on October 10, 1880.

Taste the Light