Another Testament not a Replacement

I love the scriptures brothers and siters, as the joke goes if I could marry them I would. There are few things that bring me as much deep joy as studying them does. As I’ve been reading through The Doctrine and Covenants (as this past Monday marked the 138^th day from the end of the year and I’ve been reading it backwards as a countdown) and reading through sections 138 and 137 I pondered upon how great it is that we have such an abundance of scripture available to us.

As I pondered, I was once again stuck with the thought of which volume of scripture was my favorite. I chuckled to my self as I have had this mental argument with myself dozens of times and the answer always comes down to all of them. I think of all that I love in the Old Testament, which is no small amount, but then I think of all that I love in the New testament and before I can decide between those two I remember all of Love in the Book of Mormon and while attempting to weigh my love of these three books in my head I am reminded of all I love in the Doctrine and Covenants and at that point it seems futile to try and pick one, for to go with out any of the 4 (I’m including the Pearl of Great Price in with D&C) would be a travesty almost too great to bear.

Now I’m not trying to boast of myself by any means but it is important to understand how I see the scriptures to understand how much it hurts to talk with so many people in our church about them. I see them as my 4 greatest and closest friends. Each different but loved all the more for their strengths as much as their weaknesses. And so, it is incredibly painful to have half of them discounted, shunned, and largely ignored. The half of those 4 are the Bible.

So often have I had conversations that have gone along the lines of a member of our church saying that the Bible isn’t as important as the Book of Mormon, that it isn’t as spiritual, isn’t worth our time to read, all but directly saying it is less-scripture than the rest of scripture but implying it nonetheless. I’ve heard from our people that we ought not claim the Bible to be the greatest story ever told because the Book of Mormon is our Keystone. I hear from our people not to call the Bible the Good Book because we have the Book of Mormon. I hear from so many missionaries over the years that it is a waist of time to study from the Bible. (If ever the Anti-Mormon claim that we are not Christians was to find perch it would be upon these kinds of statements, for how can we claim to be followers of Christ and have such a disregard for His word?)

I do not understand where this idea comes from. Is it perhaps founded in the 8^th article of faith? “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” But at the same time when Joseph spoke on the defense of his prophetic calling on May 12^th 1844 he said of the Bible and its translations “The Old German, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew translations all say it is true: they cannot be impeached, and therefore I am in good company” So it seems that the original languages and proper English renderings thereof hold enough value to be unimpeachable by the word of the prophet. The order also causes me to wonder because that Article of Faith does not suggest the bible to be some background after thought.

Perhaps it stems from the introduction to the Book of Mormon where Joseph Says “I told the brethren 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” this is true but does it make a case that we should not love the Bible? Hard no, especially because some of the very precepts of this book are direct admonitions to read both book of Mormon and Bible and use both!

Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins od Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and the laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of [the Lord’s] covenants

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 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.

The Book of Mormon is 100% the keystone of our religion but do not forget that the foundation upon which the arch of our religion stands is the Bible. Without the Bible the Book of Mormon could not be. Joseph Smith when asked what the fundamental principles of our religion are responded “The Fundamental Principles of our religion are the testimony of Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day and ascended into heaven and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” Are not these testimonies of Prophets and Apostles in both Book of Mormon and Bible? And if they are the fundamental principles of our religion, are they not both important?

Why is it so often that the Bible is considered second class scripture when everything in our religion is built upon it and largely serves to testify of it? I don’t seek to demean or lower the value placed on the Book of Mormon, by no means, but I seek to bring light to the fact that our people tend to do exactly that to the Bible. Is there no way to have both as Ezekiel prophesies “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.” Is it not equally as foolish to say “A book of scripture? We have a Book of Mormon; we need no other book of scripture” as it is to claim that we have no need of anything other than the Bible as said in Second Nephi 29?

It is in the Book of Mormon that we find the proof of our Church and of the divine calling of Joseph Smith but it is in the Bible we find the truth of Christ and the common ground to reach out to the Christians of the world and bring them to the further light and joy of the restored gospel. We cannot do this without the Bible, the Book of Mormon is Another testament of Jesus Christ not a replacement testament.

This year and next have been and will be a grand opportunity to grow more familiar with this fundamental book of scripture. Take advantage of this opportunity. If you have never read the Bible through there has rarely been an easier time to do it than now with Come follow Me driving the push.

We should love and study both The Keystone and Foundation. They testify of each other and work together to show God’s love for man.

I love the Book of Mormon and I love the Bible; I love you all and I love the Lord and in his name Amen.

As always I’m praying for thee, please pray for me.