Over the years, I've had people ask me questions about what I believe as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so I decided to lay out some basic doctrines of what we believe. Although I deleted the original sources from quotes, they are easily searchable on the Church's website. Almost everything was pulled from student manuals. There will be 13 posts on this topic total. Enjoy! 9. 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. Photo: Elijah appearing in the Kirtland Temple Elder David B. Haight said:
“A distinguishing feature of the Church is the claim to continuous revelation from the Lord. … Today, the Lord’s Church is guided by the same relationship with Deity that existed in previous dispensations. “This claim is not made lightly. I know there is revelation, as I am a witness to sacred things also experienced by others who administer His work. “The principle of revelation by the Holy Ghost is a fundamental principle of the Lord’s Church. Prophets of God receive revelation by this process. Individual members of the Church may also receive revelation to confirm truth.” President James E. Faust stated: “This process of continuous revelation comes to the Church very frequently. President Wilford Woodruff stated, ‘This power is in the bosom of Almighty God, and he imparts it to his servants the prophets as they stand in need of it day by day to build up Zion.’ This is necessary for the Church to fulfill its mission. Without it, we would fail… “We make no claim of infallibility or perfection in the prophets, seers, and revelators. Yet I humbly state that I have sat in the company of these men, and I believe their greatest desire is to know and do the will of our Heavenly Father. Those who sit in the highest councils of this church and have participated as inspiration has come and decisions have been reached know that this light and truth is beyond human intelligence and reasoning. These deep, divine impressions have come as the dews from heaven and settled upon them individually and collectively. So inspired, we can go forward in complete unity and accord.” Elder James E. Talmage also wrote: “The canon of scripture is still open; many lines, many precepts, are yet to be added; revelation, surpassing in importance and glorious fulness any that has been recorded, is yet to be given to the Church and declared to the world.” Over the years, I've had people ask me questions about what I believe as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so I decided to lay out some basic doctrines of what we believe. Although I deleted the original sources from quotes, they are easily searchable on the Church's website. Almost everything was pulled from student manuals. There will be 13 posts on this topic total. Enjoy! 8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Photo: The Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon The Bible Is “the Word of God As Far As It Is Translated Correctly”Approximately six hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the prophet Nephi foresaw the coming forth of the collection of sacred writings that we know as the Bible (see 1 Nephi 13:20–25). However, Nephi also prophesied the partial corruption of the biblical text. These changes in the Bible, according to what Nephi saw in vision, would be the result of the work of the “great and abominable church,” which would take away “many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord…
“And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men” (1 Nephi 13:26–27; see also verses 28–29). Although we know that the Bible has suffered some textual corruption and perhaps other inadvertent additions, deletions, or changes through the centuries, we can still have confidence that the Lord’s guiding hand has been upon its preservation and that it has great value for us today. President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “I love the Bible, both the Old and the New Testaments. It is a source of great truth. It teaches us about the life and ministry of the Master. From its pages we learn of the hand of God in directing the affairs of His people from the very beginning of the earth’s history. It would be difficult to underestimate the impact the Bible has had on the history of the world. Its pages have blessed the lives of generations. “But as generation followed generation, no additional scripture came forth to the children of men. Without additional revelation to guide them, men began to interpret the Bible differently. Numerous churches and creeds developed, each using the Bible as its authoritative source. “But this in no way lessens the worth of the Bible. That sacred and holy book has been of inestimable worth to the children of men. In fact, it was a passage from the Bible that inspired the Prophet Joseph Smith to go to a grove of trees near his home and kneel in prayer. What followed was the glorious vision that commenced the restoration of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. That vision also began the process of bringing forth new scripture to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Bible in bearing witness to a wicked world that Jesus is the Christ and that God lives and loves His children and is still intimately involved in their salvation and exaltation.” I want you to think of the most exciting thing that has happened in your life—a new job, the birth of a baby, a new car. Hold that thought. Allow the memory to course through you until you can remember exactly how you felt at the time.
Whatever you’re thinking of, I’m sure it was a huge moment in your life…but was it the most important? You probably weren’t thinking of the topic of this post—the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ—as the most exciting thing to happen to you, but I want to assure you that it is just as exhilarating (even more, in my opinion) than that diamond tennis bracelet you received for your anniversary or the epic month-long vacation you took to England. Let’s start by talking about the fulness of times. It’s a great phrase, and I’ve often thought of using it for a book title. You may or may not know exactly what it means, so let’s discuss it as we talk about the restoration. |
AuthorI am a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am not a gospel scholar, but I hope to be one someday. While I’m learning and growing, I hope you join me on my journey for further light and knowledge. Archives
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