Note: after reading what I typed, I'm not sure that it will all make sense, but I don't know how else to get it out of my head to the computer. Let me know what you think.
I have enjoyed pondering the topic for the Sunday School lesson this week. The readings are very short. Basically, the lesson is about Joseph Smith using and reading the Bible, translating The Book of Mormon, revealing and recording the sections in the Doctrine and Covenants and clarifying and adding to some passages in the Bible. So, we are to reflect on the divine mission that Joseph Smith had in bringing forth doctrine that help us understand our purpose in life and understand God and Jesus Christ.
I guess I've pondered a more basic question: How does one accept the scriptures brought forth through Joseph Smith are the word of God, just like it's generally accepted that The Bible is the word of God? I've pondered on the most is the cycle of belief/faith and reception of knowledge/wisdom that comes with involving scripture in life. Here are some of the issues of the cycle, as I've thought about so far (by no means exhaustive):
Belief in God. Do you believe in God? If so, then how do you believe He communicates to you? Through thoughts, feelings, prayer, other people, scripture? How do you know what you know about God? Through other people? Or the source Himself? The scriptures purport to be the word of God, from God. If you believe that, and want to know God, then you should read the scriptures. In turn, the more you read the scriptures the more your belief in God increases and solidifies.
The purpose of life. The scriptures are not just a historical record of people during peace, war, personal crisis or personal peace. They are a record of how these people lived through all these times being dependent (or not) upon God and Jesus Christ for guidance, comfort and hope. While reading through how people of the scriptures dealt with all their issues, we figure out how to deal with ours. Invariably, the scriptures teach that if you depend upon the Lord, you will be blessed to bear your burdens, have a greater understanding of labor and life and the purpose of it all. One of the most amazing things about the scriptures is how you can read through them one time and find it completely applicable for your situation and then read them a year later and find the same scripture applicable for a different situation.
The doctrine. The definition of doctrine is: "a principle or body of principles that is taught or advocated," (Collins Dictionary). As one comes to know God and the purpose of life, there is a discovery of certain laws or statues to live by in order to continue to make sense of life. Such doctrines are: forgiveness, mercy, work, faith, pre-earth life, after-earth life, creation, relationships, and much, much more. Guiding doctrine is found in the scriptures, because why would God leave us without some sort of direction on how to live and what our purpose is? We are his children, He would not do that. When doctrine is sought in the scriptures, doctrine is found, which brings you more and more to the scriptures for guidance.
There are many other beneficial cycles as a result of reading and implementing the scriptures.
So, here is the question that I think this lesson really asks: How do you get to the point when you really know the Bible, The Book of Mormon and all other scriptures are valid and true, enough to implement their teachings in your life?
Society seems so infatuated with infallible proof. If you can't produce verifiable proof then why should something be believed? Well, how can you ever prove something given from God, let alone God himself? Just because someone says He exists based on their experience, doesn't make that experience your own, so therefore their experience is fallible to you.
However, should you consider asking God if the experience of that person really did happen, and you receive an affirmative answer from Him (feelings, thoughts, events), then you have your own infallible experience.
My point is this: knowing that God exists, that He knows your purpose in life, that He has doctrine to help guide you through life, that the doctrine is in the scriptures, is extremely individual knowledge and experience. Millions of people have millions of different ways and times where the same knowledge of God is revealed to them by the Holy Spirit, and to each of them that knowledge becomes infallible. As individual as that process is, the search for more truth about God unifies all the different seekers who have real intent.
The same process can be used to know the scriptures are the word of God. It is generally accepted that the Bible is the word of God. So, when a church comes to light that says there are three additional books of scripture that are also the word of God, there needs to be some exploration and testing. This process, like the process of knowing God exists, is highly individual and comes at different times and ways. No one can really prove to you that God exists, you have to have the experience of receiving that answer yourself. Although the books of scripture have a traceable record, historical sites you can see now, and the verification of scriptural people can be shown, the veracity of the doctrine in books can only come through spiritual confirmation. For instance, you can go to the Holy Land and see the place where archaeologists, scientists and religious leaders think the tomb of Christ is. But does that prove that he was really resurrected from the dead? No. One has to have that miracle revealed to him/her as a truth, by the Holy Spirit.
Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are three books of scripture, and clarifications/additions to the Bible, that Joseph Smith brought forth or helped bring forth, by the power of the Holy Spirit, under the direction of Jesus Christ, and by the will of God. Joseph records testimony that he actually saw God, the Father and his son, Jesus Christ. He records repeatedly the truthfulness of his vision, as well as all experiences and revelations he received in bringing scripture and doctrine to light. There are many records describing translation, events frustrating that process and people who would support or discount the veracity of it all. So, how do you know?
You ask the Being who knows everything to reveal that knowledge to you.
This can be done, and perhaps should be done, at any time of the searching process, the beginning, middle and end. What are you asking? Is there a God? Is the Bible the word of God? Is The Book of Mormon the word of God? Did Joseph Smith really see God and Jesus Christ? Are there prophets today? Was Joseph Smith really a prophet? Did Joseph do everything he did because he was really following the will of God, or was he just starting a church for himself? All these questions are important and good, but you can't expect for the answers to come just because you ask the question, otherwise the answer wouldn't hold much value. Work is required. Reading, studying, praying, learning a little more, reading studying, praying, learning a lot more, continually adding to the knowledge you learned yesterday and verifying what you learn with the Holy Spirit.
Why would God give you an answer to the question of whether he really exists, or whether the books declared as his words are, in fact, really His words, if you are not going to do something good with the answer?
Moroni, the last prophet in The Book of Mormon, put it this way:
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
Essentially, if you really want to have direction in your life, God is willing to provide it. Put in some work and ask for it.
In the readings, there is a story of two little girls who rescue some pages of what we know now as the Doctrine and Covenants, from being destroyed. What motivates these girls to risk danger to themselves, just to protect what is purported as scripture? They received their answer that those pages were the word of God and they were willing to act on the answer they received.
I know that The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price all contain the word of God, by my own work and asking for confirmation through the Holy Spirit of truth. Which means that I believe that Joseph Smith was all he said he was and because of his work and effort and the will of God, he brought forth truths including: pre-earth life, after-earth life, baptism, priesthood, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, eternal marriage, apostles and prophets, continuing revelation and much more. I have asked about all these things and while I believe all of them, I am continually learning more about them as I study the word of God, both through scriptures and the words of current prophets.
The purpose of life. The scriptures are not just a historical record of people during peace, war, personal crisis or personal peace. They are a record of how these people lived through all these times being dependent (or not) upon God and Jesus Christ for guidance, comfort and hope. While reading through how people of the scriptures dealt with all their issues, we figure out how to deal with ours. Invariably, the scriptures teach that if you depend upon the Lord, you will be blessed to bear your burdens, have a greater understanding of labor and life and the purpose of it all. One of the most amazing things about the scriptures is how you can read through them one time and find it completely applicable for your situation and then read them a year later and find the same scripture applicable for a different situation.
The doctrine. The definition of doctrine is: "a principle or body of principles that is taught or advocated," (Collins Dictionary). As one comes to know God and the purpose of life, there is a discovery of certain laws or statues to live by in order to continue to make sense of life. Such doctrines are: forgiveness, mercy, work, faith, pre-earth life, after-earth life, creation, relationships, and much, much more. Guiding doctrine is found in the scriptures, because why would God leave us without some sort of direction on how to live and what our purpose is? We are his children, He would not do that. When doctrine is sought in the scriptures, doctrine is found, which brings you more and more to the scriptures for guidance.
There are many other beneficial cycles as a result of reading and implementing the scriptures.
So, here is the question that I think this lesson really asks: How do you get to the point when you really know the Bible, The Book of Mormon and all other scriptures are valid and true, enough to implement their teachings in your life?
Society seems so infatuated with infallible proof. If you can't produce verifiable proof then why should something be believed? Well, how can you ever prove something given from God, let alone God himself? Just because someone says He exists based on their experience, doesn't make that experience your own, so therefore their experience is fallible to you.
However, should you consider asking God if the experience of that person really did happen, and you receive an affirmative answer from Him (feelings, thoughts, events), then you have your own infallible experience.
My point is this: knowing that God exists, that He knows your purpose in life, that He has doctrine to help guide you through life, that the doctrine is in the scriptures, is extremely individual knowledge and experience. Millions of people have millions of different ways and times where the same knowledge of God is revealed to them by the Holy Spirit, and to each of them that knowledge becomes infallible. As individual as that process is, the search for more truth about God unifies all the different seekers who have real intent.
The same process can be used to know the scriptures are the word of God. It is generally accepted that the Bible is the word of God. So, when a church comes to light that says there are three additional books of scripture that are also the word of God, there needs to be some exploration and testing. This process, like the process of knowing God exists, is highly individual and comes at different times and ways. No one can really prove to you that God exists, you have to have the experience of receiving that answer yourself. Although the books of scripture have a traceable record, historical sites you can see now, and the verification of scriptural people can be shown, the veracity of the doctrine in books can only come through spiritual confirmation. For instance, you can go to the Holy Land and see the place where archaeologists, scientists and religious leaders think the tomb of Christ is. But does that prove that he was really resurrected from the dead? No. One has to have that miracle revealed to him/her as a truth, by the Holy Spirit.
Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are three books of scripture, and clarifications/additions to the Bible, that Joseph Smith brought forth or helped bring forth, by the power of the Holy Spirit, under the direction of Jesus Christ, and by the will of God. Joseph records testimony that he actually saw God, the Father and his son, Jesus Christ. He records repeatedly the truthfulness of his vision, as well as all experiences and revelations he received in bringing scripture and doctrine to light. There are many records describing translation, events frustrating that process and people who would support or discount the veracity of it all. So, how do you know?
You ask the Being who knows everything to reveal that knowledge to you.
This can be done, and perhaps should be done, at any time of the searching process, the beginning, middle and end. What are you asking? Is there a God? Is the Bible the word of God? Is The Book of Mormon the word of God? Did Joseph Smith really see God and Jesus Christ? Are there prophets today? Was Joseph Smith really a prophet? Did Joseph do everything he did because he was really following the will of God, or was he just starting a church for himself? All these questions are important and good, but you can't expect for the answers to come just because you ask the question, otherwise the answer wouldn't hold much value. Work is required. Reading, studying, praying, learning a little more, reading studying, praying, learning a lot more, continually adding to the knowledge you learned yesterday and verifying what you learn with the Holy Spirit.
Why would God give you an answer to the question of whether he really exists, or whether the books declared as his words are, in fact, really His words, if you are not going to do something good with the answer?
Moroni, the last prophet in The Book of Mormon, put it this way:
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
Essentially, if you really want to have direction in your life, God is willing to provide it. Put in some work and ask for it.
In the readings, there is a story of two little girls who rescue some pages of what we know now as the Doctrine and Covenants, from being destroyed. What motivates these girls to risk danger to themselves, just to protect what is purported as scripture? They received their answer that those pages were the word of God and they were willing to act on the answer they received.
I know that The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price all contain the word of God, by my own work and asking for confirmation through the Holy Spirit of truth. Which means that I believe that Joseph Smith was all he said he was and because of his work and effort and the will of God, he brought forth truths including: pre-earth life, after-earth life, baptism, priesthood, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, eternal marriage, apostles and prophets, continuing revelation and much more. I have asked about all these things and while I believe all of them, I am continually learning more about them as I study the word of God, both through scriptures and the words of current prophets.
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