The word “scriptures” is used quite frequently by members of the church. What do we accept as scripture?
As members we accept the following:
1. The Bible is a collection of sacred writings containing God’s revelations to ancient prophets in the Holy Land. Our eighth article of faith states, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.”
2. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ contains God’s revelations to ancient prophets in the Americas. It contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 20:9).
3. The Doctrine and Covenants is a book of revelations regarding the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, given to modern prophets beginning with Joseph Smith.
4. The Pearl of Great Price contains additional revelations from God to Moses, Abraham, and Joseph Smith.
5. God continues to reveal truths to living prophets through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. These truths are considered scripture (see D&C 68:4). They come to us primarily through general conference.
The scriptures contain counsel from prophets, inspired accounts of God’s dealings with people, and revelations from God to His prophets. Scriptures teach that we are children of our Heavenly Father, who loves us. While we are here, the scriptures are a spiritual lifeline to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
The main purpose of the scriptures is to testify of Christ, helping us come unto Him and receive eternal life. Thus Latter-day Prophets counsel us to study the scriptures every day, both individually and with our families.
I want to follow the prophet and study my scriptures but all of us at some point wonder, “How can I make the scriptures work in my life?” “How can these stories help me.” Occasionally habit or duty will send us to them, but we will have no motivation to read them and they will provide little inspiration. The solution lies in realizing their importance, knowing how to study them and likening them to ourselves and then in doing what they inspire us to do.
How do we realize the importance of studying the scriptures?
Because thou has forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength..." (Isaiah 17:10, emphasis added).
When you read your scriptures, you are remembering your God. When I make time each day to sit down and contemplate the words of God contained on the pages of the scriptures, I in essence connect with Him. And more importantly, you place myself in a position to receive guidance from Him. We need to enlist the Lord’s help. The Lord has told us I, the Lord, am abound when ye do what I say.
Heber J Grant said, “My brethren and sisters, if we will study the scriptures, the plan of life and salvation, keeping the commandments of the Lord, all the promises that have been made will be fulfilled upon our heads. And we will grow and increase in light, knowledge and intelligence.”
How to study the scriptures? To study the scriptures means you take a personal effort to gain knowledge. The best approach to studying the scriptures is one that is tailored to you.
a. Chronological- cover to cover
b. Specific subject or theme. Topics out of the topical guide.
c. Sunday School method – Brother Wilcox would thank you.
d. Start with a need or problem facing you now.
Elder Eyring: When I came into the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Richard G. Scott suggested I buy an inexpensive set of scriptures and mark the insights and revelations I would gain in my new calling. So I did. But I went a little further.
I asked Heavenly Father what He would have me do as an Apostle. I wrote down what I felt His answers were. I typed, color coded, and pasted those answers in the front of my scriptures. For example, the first one was “I am to be a witness that Christ is the Son of God.” Then I read my scriptures looking for ideas that taught me how to witness that Christ is the Son of God. Every time I came to something, I marked it in blue. Soon I developed my own topical guide around what I thought the Lord wanted me to do. I have learned much through this process.
We’ve got the ball rolling now we want to take what we are reading and compare it to what we have going on in our lives. This helps us discover gospel principles and receive revelation. testified, “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23). Even though the scriptures were written long ago, they provide inspiration for our modern-day dilemmas when we learn to liken them to ourselves.
Moroni, military commander in the Book of Mormon, likened to his personal life words by the Old Testament patriarch Jacob. Moroni’s application of Jacob’s words inspired him to make the “title of liberty” and rallied the Nephites to enter into a covenant to stand firm against wickedness.
The prophet Joseph Smith read in James, If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God. And then went to the Lord to find what church to join.
1. One way to liken the scriptures to our personal lives is to look past the story and find the principle being taught. For example, Nephi was commanded to build a boat. Though he had never done such a thing, he went about his task with great personal effort and received divine help. We may not be asked to build a boat, but we may be asked to do things that seem beyond our abilities. Like Nephi, we can exert our personal effort to “go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded” and exercise faith that the Lord will “prepare a way for [us] that [we] may accomplish the thing which he commandeth” (1 Nephi 3:7). One principle taught in this story is to be diligent in obeying the Lord’s commands. We can liken Nephi’s example to ourselves by diligently obeying the things the Lord asks us to do.
2. Another way to liken scriptures to our personal lives is to substitute our names for names in the scriptures. For example, in Mosiah 1: 7 And now,
3. Cause and effect or the Karen Stephen’s method: Look for if/then and because/therefore relationships. Example: Jeremiah 7:5–7. 5 For if ye athroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6 If ye oppress not the astranger, the bfatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, forever and ever.
4. Words of emphasis or explanation: Words and phrases like behold, wherefore, because, nevertheless, and thus we see are invitations to stop and look for lessons learned or meanings given. Examples: Helaman 6:35–36. 35 And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to awithdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts. 36 And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his aSpiritupon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and bwillingness to believe in his words.
5. Scripture lists: Prophets often gave lists in their warnings and challenges without identifying them in ways we are used to. When you find lists, number each element. Example: 2 Timothy 3:16–17. 16 aAll bscripture is given by cinspiration of God, and is dprofitablefor edoctrine, for freproof, for correction, for ginstruction inhrighteousness: 17 That the man of God may be aperfect, throughly furnished unto all bgood works.
6. Ask one or more of the following questions to help you liken the scriptures to your life.
• What situations in my life are like the situations in these verses?
• What are the principles in this chapter that will help me in my own circumstances?
• What events or circumstances in my day are like the events or circumstances in these verses?
• Is there something in this chapter that helps me with a current personal problem, question, challenge, or concern?
• Is there something taught that is similar to what the living prophet and apostles are teaching today?
• Is there something taught that could help with an issue the world is struggling with today?
1 comment:
excellent Audrey! Thank you for posting!
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