Posted on 02/23/2010 9:54:36 AM PST by greyfoxx39
The truth is that the Church reveres the Bible as a sacred volume of scripture. Latter-day Saints cherish its teachings and engage in a lifelong study of its divine wisdom. Moreover, during worship and instruction services the Bible and its teachings are pondered and discussed. To increase biblical understanding, the Church provides extensive resources and tools: lesson manuals, cross-reference materials, Bible maps, a Bible dictionary, and articles in various magazines. Thus, the Bible is much more than simply a collection of antiquated writings and revelations that have only scant relevance to the modern world. On the contrary, it stands in the center of the Latter-day Saints’ spiritual lives.
In a recent sermon, Church apostle Elder M. Russell Ballard characterized the Bible as the “bedrock of all Christianity” and one of the “pillars” of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Furthermore, he described the Bible as a miracle: “It is a miracle that the Bible’s 4,000 years of sacred and secular history were recorded and preserved by the prophets, apostles, and inspired churchmen. … It is a miracle that the Bible literally contains within its pages the converting, healing Spirit of Christ, which has turned men’s hearts for centuries, leading them to pray, to choose right paths, and to search to find their Savior.” It instills real, tangible power in the lives of Latter-day Saints and offers practical solutions and spiritual guidance that inspire them to overcome challenges and trials.
There is a broad range of approaches within the vast mosaic of biblical interpretation. For example, biblical inerrancy maintains that the Bible is without error and contradiction; biblical infallibility holds that the Bible is free from errors regarding faith and practice but not necessarily science or history; biblical literalism requires a literal interpretation of events and teachings in the Bible and generally discounts allegory and metaphor; and the “Bible as literature” educational approach extols the literary qualities of the Bible but disregards its miraculous elements.
The Church does not strictly subscribe to any of these interpretive approaches. Rather, in the words of Joseph Smith, it regards the Bible to be the word of God, “as far as it is translated correctly” (8th Article of Faith). Accordingly, Church members believe that during the centuries-long process in which fallible human beings compiled, translated and transcribed the Bible, various errors entered the text. However, this does not override the overwhelming predominance of truth within the Bible. As Elder Ballard noted, “Without the Bible, we would not know of His Church then, nor would we have the fullness of His gospel now.” Part of that fullness is the Bible’s seminal instruction that God reveals Himself to those who seek Him. The Bible is a living invitation to know personally the sacred revelatory experience that fills its pages.
The scriptures, or “standard works,” of the Latter-day Saints comprise the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. According to Elder Ballard, these scriptures constitute a “great, indivisible whole” of God’s revealed word that help humankind understand the past, present and future. The great gospel plan contained in these works does not apply to one generation or one people alone but to all of God’s children throughout all time. Thus, in the words of Elder Ballard, “those who think that one part is more important or more true than the other parts are missing some of the beauty and completeness of the canon of ancient scripture.”
During previous periods of time when God organized His church, He added new revelations to pre-existing scripture, forming a connection between believers of the present and believers of the past. For example, the Old Testament book of Isaiah gives shape and meaning to the Gospel of Matthew. The two revelations need not be viewed as rivals competing with each other: the existence of one does not negate the relevance or legitimacy of the other. This ongoing revelation of scripture gives uniformity and continuity to an unfolding gospel narrative and unites people under one standard of doctrine.
Of all the standard works, the Bible remains the best source for an intimate understanding of the character and personality of Jesus Christ during His mortal mission. While the Old Testament offers a prophetic foretelling of that mission, the New Testament provides an unmatched account of the events, experiences, teachings and personal interactions of Christ. The Book of Mormon strengthens and reinforces His teachings through additional witnesses and provides moving accounts of the personal experiences many individuals had with Him. According to Elder Ballard, “The Book of Mormon does not dilute nor diminish nor de-emphasize the Bible. On the contrary, it expands, extends, and exalts it.”
I'm not sure where I stated that a misspelled word invalidates the Bible. In fact, I'm sure I never said it because I don't believe that a spelling error invalidates the Bible. In fact, I would go much farther than that. I don't invalidate the Bible for the addition of the Comma Johanneum, nor the Pericope Adulterae, nor the longer ending of Mark, nor any other additions, subtractions or changes to the NT. For me, the Bible is a divinely inspired testament that Jesus is the Christ and the only means of salvation. I doubt you feel any differently.
LOL! It happens. I believe we both also agree that BO is disaster of a president.
I wonder what Hinckley had to say about all this when he met the real Gatekeeper?
It is very evident from your continued insistence upon the thousands of variants. Not sure if you understand the methodology of textural criticism where this is involved and presents a false attitude to the understanding of what variants are.
For me, the Bible is a divinely inspired testament that Jesus is the Christ and the only means of salvation. I doubt you feel any differently.
If it is the only means of salvation - why slum around with the bom, d&c and pogp?
Yep
Actually he served as a missionary in Great Britain as a young man.
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Yes sorry it was Tommy Monson the current profit who never went on a mission...
As for Gordon Hinckley, the last profit...
He went but soon sent a letter home to his father declaring that it was a waste of “my time and your money”.
Soon after his whining the well connected Hinckley was transfered into the mission office to spare him the rigors of actual missionary toil, & to endlessly coddle him.
When Hinckley returned home, without actual applying he was given an administrative level job in a previoulsy NON existent Dept of LDS Inc IN 1935 -THE HEART OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
(From the LDS INC official video bio of Hinckley.)
I wonder what Hinckley had to say about all this when he met the real Gatekeeper?
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“WHINE I done all that there lyin for you, Lord WHINE.
BTW wheres Joseph ? WHINE” ???
So funny and so sad.
the President of the Pawnee Tribe, whose name escapes me at this time.
Now you have it back, though his name oughtta be George E. Perching Owl or some such.
thats neat binger!
THX
You have quoted from one of my very favorite O.T. Chapters - Isaiah 53.
Anybody reading that chapter should be able to see clearly who Isaiah was talking about and I used to wonder how the Jews of Jesus’ time could not recognize the Messiah but gradually came to realize that their agenda wouldn’t allow it. All part of God’s grand plan.
For our belief in Christ to be of benefit to us we have to not only believe in His existence and divinity, but we have to follow Him.
Yes, that was James 2:19.
I find your comment very interesting. First of all, just wondering why you don't ever refer to Him as just "Jesus".
Secondly, our belief in Jesus is for the sake of *benefits*? Wow, to a Christian, that's WILDLY understating it.
Now what do you mean by "follow Him". Try your hardest to be good like He was? Do you think that's why He came? To show us how to be nice?
Idiotic. How can your belief in something result in a genetic marker that matches those of a certain other people, say the 10 lost tribes or in their case Trope.
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. James 5:19-20 NLT
Believe me, that's why a lot of us are here. We don't want you to die!
I believe George is the current President but I am not sure what the fella’s name was in the 80’s.
I haven’t seen him in about 20 years, since moving to Kah-Lee-Fawn-ee-Yah.
LOL! Stop saying that!
LOL
Nor I you, my FRiend!
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