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One of the key components to LDS theology is that of scripture being an open canon. According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Bible Dictionary, scripture is defined as follows:
The word scripture means a writing, and is used to denote a writing recognized by the Church as sacred and inspired. It is so applied to the books of the O.T. by the writers of the N.T. (Matt. 22: 29; John 5: 39; 2 Tim. 3: 15). For an account of the process by which the books of the O.T. and N.T. came to be recognized as scripture, see Canon. Latter-day revelation identifies scripture as that which is spoken under the influence of the Holy Ghost (D&C 68: 1-4).
According to this definition, this leaves things pretty wide-open as to what scripture really is and can be difficult for many people, especially those from other faiths to comprehend. Basically anything that is spoken by someone under the influence of the Spirit can be interpreted as scripture. However, this also places great responsibility on everyone to be in tune with the Holy Spirit so they can interpret by the spirit and know if things spoken are essentially the word of God.
As I pondered this, I thought about the scriptures that the LDS currently use commonly called the “Standard Works.” These scriptures include the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.
Most Christians claim that the Bible is infallible and that every single word written therein is exactly what God wants us to have and there can be no more scripture. This is very hard for LDS people to fathom because they believe otherwise. Why are such scriptures as the Song of Solomon considered to be considered infallible scripture? Who was it that had the authority to declare that the Bible should be the only scripture? If the experiences and prophecies in the Bible are the only authorized scripture, what scriptures were the apostles and prophets of the Bible using at the time?
On the other hand, Christians firmly believe that it is heretical to have any additional scripture other than what is in the Bible. They may have questions and concerns about anyone else who claims to add scripture is a false prophet and therefore their writings and words should be avoided.
Athiests and Agnostics choose to avoid the scriptures altogether because of flaws and condradictions found within the scriptures.
As I contemplate these issues and questions, I’m very grateful for the following scriptures about the Holy Ghost:
Moroni 10:2-53 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.
John 16: 7;13
In the first scripture, there is a promise given that one can know if the things written in the Book of Mormon are true. However, the promise extends further in verse 5 in that the Holy Ghost will not only help one receive a witness of the Spirit if the Book of Mormon is true, but also know the truth of all things. Also, in the Bible Jesus says when he leaves the Holy Ghost will show them the truth of all things as well.
If one is to read certain parts of the Bible (such as the Song of Solomon) and if one is to read certain parts of the Doctrine and Covenants (such as the polygamy revelation) it can be hard to feel the Spirit confirm it as truth. Also, Joseph Smith’s Lectures on Faith used to be “cannonized” scripture but were removed in the early 1900’s. Furthermore, when Joseph Smith spoke about the Book of Mormon he said that it was the most correct book of scripture written. But didn’t say it was completely flawless. I’ve read that the Book of Mormon has been changed and edited over 4,000 times. Also, authors within the Book of Mormon acknowledge their weakness in writing.
Acknowleding flaws and/or errors in scripture can be a huge thing for both LDS and Christians to accept. They both believe that scripture is flawless. Due to the weaknesses of men in writing and translations, etc. and the LDS view of having an open cannon, it is very important–essential–that one maintains a close relationship with the Lord so they can be led by the Holy Ghost to know the truth of all things that are found in the scriptures.
However, this can lead to discrepencies and to people claiming that “the Spirit told them” to say and/or do certain things and believe certain doctrine. The LDS comeback for this answer would be “that’s why we have prophets and apostles.” However, the questions then arise: How are we to know if they are indeed prophets and called of God? How can we know if what they’re speaking is truth? The answer: the Holy Spirit.
It would take a whole other post to write about how to recognize the Holy Spirit speaking truth to you, but some posts I’ve previously written on this topic include:”Effectively Using the Sword of the Spirit,” “Learning the Mysteries of God,” and “Questions to Know if you’ve Experienced the Holy Ghost.”
I especially like this quote by Gordon B Hinckley:
How do we know the things of the Spirit? How do we know that it is from God? By the fruits of it. If it leads to growth and development, if it leads to faith and testimony, if it leads to a better way of doing things, if it leads to godliness, then it is of God. If it tears us down, if it brings us into darkness, if it confuses us and worries us, if it leads to faithlessness, then it is of the devil” (Jordan Utah South regional conference, 2 Mar. 1997)
I would like to let those who read this know that I’ve felt the Holy Spirit confirm truth to me on numerous occasions throughout my life and that I’m grateful for this. As I’ve prayed about various scriptures I have felt the Spirit witness truths to me that are found in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and other writings both LDS and otherwise. I know that I’ve felt the Spirit confirm that there is a God that watches over each one of us and that cares for us. I’ve felt His love and Spirit as I’ve prayed about big and small decisions in my life and know that he will lead us into the right paths and help us find truth in all things. I know that God will reveal the truth of all things to everyone if we ask in humility and faith.
The student of the New Testament should be primarily an historian. The centre and core of all the Bible is history. Everything else that the Bible contains is fitted into an historical framework and leads up to an historical climax. The Bible is primarily a record of events. (History and Faith by J Gresham Machen)
In the previous quote Mr Machen defines history as a main framework for building faith. Similarly, the people over at Living Hope Ministries in Brigham City Utah feel the same way. They recently made a video that strives to discredit the Book of Mormon due to lack of historical evidences found to support the Book vs. the Bible that has many historical evidences to support it.
As a counter-attack, people at the FAIR LDS site have put out a video on how many things in the Bible can not be historically proven while acknowledging that most things in the Book of Mormon can not be supported historically. (As a side note, there is an interesting site called The Nephi Project where George Potter traces Lehi’s trail through the Arabian desert by using the Book of Mormon as a reference.)
The question then is: Does one need historical evidence to believe and have faith?
My initial response is that one doesn’t need to have historical evidence to believe. The definition of faith, according to the Bible in Hebrews 11:1 is that it is the “substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” The Bible doesn’t support history as something needed to build faith.
Secondly, I feel that Even if something can be historically proven, one still has to have the witness from the Spirit in order to believe on it.I’m reminded of the classic Book of Mormon scripture in Moroni 10 that says “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Therefore, it appears that a witness from the Holy Spirit is the most essential element to one’s faith.
I’ll admit that I’ve struggled with my faith when I try to reason with both Bible and Book of Mormon stories that seem to have no “evidence.” However, I always fall back on the witness I’ve received from the Holy Ghost that both books are true and they come from God. I know they are both true because I’ve felt and seen the fruits of the Spirit in my life as I’ve read and applied principles found in both books. As historical “evidences” appear they are an added bonus to my faith, but not the main source.
What has your experience been with either the Bible or the Book of Mormon? Do you feel historical evidence is necessary to have faith?
This scripture is in 1 Nephi 2:16:
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.
Just a little preface for those who may not be familiar with this scripture. Nephi’s father, Lehi had just had a vision that was difficult for his family to understand. In this example, Nephi turns to the Lord rather than to science, other men, etc. to learn the Lord’s mysteries. As a result, the Lord visits him and softens his heart. This experience serves as a building block for the rest of Nephi’s life as one reads through the Book of Nephi and sees how strong Nephi is in the Lord throughout his life.
As I read over this again this morning I thought about my own life. What are the “mysteries” that I’ve experienced and what are some that I’ve seen others struggle with? Examples include: is there a God? Which church is true? Is the Book of Mormon true? The Bible? Why am I sick? What job should I take? Who should I marry? What school should I go to? Why do we have temples and what is the meaning of what we do in temples? How can I experience God’s love? How can I love my enemy? How can I trust in something I can’t see (Jesus, God, etc.)? Why did I lose my job? Why don’t I feel happy?
I could go on, but the point is that “mysteries” to me are basically anything we don’t understand (which is about 99% of life!). Since there are so many things in life that are incomprehensible, that makes it even more important to turn to the Lord.
In the very next verse (1 Nephi 2:17) Nephi describes how we can know the mysteries of God, which is through the power of the Holy Ghost. Other scriptures state that the Holy Ghost will “teach us all things,” and by the power of the Holy Ghost we’ll “know the truth of all things.”
Receiving an answer and recognizing the answer from the Lord through the Holy Ghost may not come all at once. It didn’t for Nephi, but eventually the Lord visited him and said in 1 Nephi 2:19:
Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.
Notice that the Lord didn’t simply give Nephi an answer, but it was because Nephi was:
1. Humble (i.e. didn’t rely on the philosophies of men and science but relied on the Lord)
2. Never gave up (he didn’t just ask once and call it good and then blame the Lord for not answering. He diligently sought)
3. He had faith (he believed the Lord would answer him)
I encourage all of us to follow Nephi’s pattern when we have a question or do not understand something whether it be gospel or spiritually related or something else in our lives such as our children, job, friends, spouse, or anything else.
One thing I’d like to add in conclusion. Although we can apply this formula to virtually any question we have in our lives, these scriptures are specifically referring to the “mysteries of God.” People ask questions such as “Was Joseph Smith really a Prophet?” “Is the Book of Mormon a true Book?” “Did Jesus really exist and atone for the sins of the world?” “Is there a God?” “How do I recognize answers to prayer?” “Why does God allow bad things to happen?”
Whatever questions we are asking ourselves, I hope we can apply these principles in our lives and turn to the Lord rather than man or science. I don’t know much about God’s mysteries and many of life’s mysteries, but the little I do know has been revealed to me through the Holy Spirit when I follow this pattern to know the mysteries of God.
One of the most prevelant gifts of the Spirit is that of speaking in tongues. In the LDS Topical Guide under the topic “Holy Ghost, Gifts of,” one of the most, if not the most prevelant gift of the Spirit discussed is that of speaking in tongues. I counted seven scriptures in the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price that talk about speaking in tongues in the Topical Guide.
Reading these scriptures (especially the one in 2 Nephi 31:13 that talks about speaking with the “tongue of angels”) reminded me of a talk given in General Conference last year by Jeffery Holland called “The Tongue of Angels.” I love this talk and I recommend reading it. As I read it again today, this small section of his talk impressed me:
“In all of this, I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable.”
I have struggled at times in my life with negative thinking about myself and have found that when I have negative thoughts about myself it trickles into other areas of my life such as negative thoughts about others, society, God, my family, the church, other churches, work, God, etc…and pretty soon I’m looking at everything in a negative and depressed state. I want to share with anyone who may be able to benefit from this and may be struggling with negativity in their lives. The following things have helped me (and continue to help me) overcome negativity:
1. Remember what it felt like when I was positive.
For me, this is the first step…much like Alma’s talk in Alma 32 about having a desire to believe. I must have a desire to become more positive and remembering what it felt like being positive helps me.
2. Trace my thoughts back to where I first started thinking negatively.
Most of us have heard the Proverb “as he (or she) thinketh so is he (or she)”. I’ve found that many of my problems can be traced back to negative thoughts about myself and others. Thoughts (negative and positive) are like seeds and they’ll grow. This can be good if it is a positive thought, but if it’s a negative thought we’ll want to catch them before they grow too big. If I think a negative thought about something or someone long enough eventually I’ll act on it either by something I’ll say or do. If I feel down or if I’m saying things or doing things in a negative way, I’ve found that most of the time I can trace my actions back to a negative thought.
3. Once I’ve identified the negative thought, replace it with a positive thought or something else uplifting
About a year ago, I was having some problems with negative thoughts. One of my friends suggested some cds by James Cox called “Becoming Spiritually Centered.” I HIGHLY recommend these to anyone who may be struggling with depressive or negative thoughts. Listening to these and applying the lessons has greatly helped me. I found that when I traced my thoughts back to an original negative thought and then identified something to replace it with when it popped in my head again, I was able to gradually over time become a more positive thinker.
4. Keep a journal
This is kind of in conjunction with number 2, but for me, it is very helpful to get all the negative thoughts out into a journal. Once they’re all out there I can then identify ways to combat the negative thoughts.
5. Pray for strength
I want you to know that God will answer your prayers and help you. I’m very grateful for this in my life.
6. Talk with good friends, family, and spouse
If I’m struggling, I’ve found that talking with friends, family and spouse is very helpful. Rather than hiding things and trying to cover them up. If they (family and friends) know you struggle with negativity I’ve found they’re more likely to help and it’s good to have support.
7. Avoid Comparing myself to others
When I’m feeling down if I compare myself to other people who seem to never be down, I get even more frustrated and hard on myself. Comparing myself to myself and my own personal goals are essential to progressing in a more positive course.
8. Always keep trying
Overcoming negativity/depressive thoughts can be a difficult thing. It takes time and effort. I’ve found that patience and practice makes perfect…well, I’m not perfect, but you get the idea : )
It has been my experience that as I’ve learned to control my negative thoughts I become more receptive to the Holy Ghost. As I open myself up to more positive thinking and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, I find my words and thoughts about myself, others, and the world around me are closer to what Elder Holland and other prophets are referring to by “speaking with the tongue of angels.”
I know this is somewhat of a personal topic, but if you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts on what has helped you overcome negativity and be able to have better dialogue with yourself and others, I think there are many people who could benefit from this. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing, I hope this helps you and you can share this with others.
A few months back I was in stake conference and someone gave a talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost. In the talk, the person shared parts of a talk by Truman G Madsen, where he lists 20 questions to ask yourself in order to identify if you’ve felt the power and gift of the Holy Ghost. I tried to write most of them down, but may be missing them. In addition, I have had a hard time coming across the Madsen talk, so if you have more information that would be great!
20 Questions
1. Have you ever had the Spirit overwhelm you with gratitude?
2. Have you ever spoken beyond your means?
3. Have you ever given a talk and had people say “you said exactly what I needed to hear”?
4. Have you ever been filled with “liquid fire” in response to prayer?
5. Have you ever been given words to pray?
6. Have you known you’d be called upon to pray or serve in a particular calling?
7. Have you been prompted to share your testimony, or witness of the gospel?
8. Have you felt the overwhelming sense of peace that comes from the Spirit?
9. Have you ever given a blessing or received a blessing you needed?
10. Have you ever been healed by a blessing?
11. Have you had the experience of having the veil thin?
12. Have you been in the temple and the “flood gates open” and light pours into you?
13. Have you had experience knowing there were angels in the temple?
14. Have you had the experience where scriptures seem to “leap off the page” and give you answers?
15. Have you been lead to find names in family history to do geneology and temple work?
16. Have you ever had flashes of insight, or “pure knowledge”?
17. Have you ever sat in sacrament and felt wounds lifted from your soul?
18. Have you ever felt changed from partaking of the sacrament?
19. Have you felt changed from the atonement?
20. (I missed the last one)
Madsen then goes on to explain that when we have these experiences it is when we’re either serving someone else in our family or community, praying, and reading our scriptures…basically doing what it takes to receive a witness. He suggests it requires softness of heart, meekness, humility, and lowliness of heart.
I agree with many of these statements in that I’ve had amazing spiritual experiences in the temple, during prayer, in sacrament, and while giving and receiving blessings.
However, my question I pose is whether one necessarily needs the gift of the Holy Ghost (meaning having received the laying on of hands after baptism) to experience these things, or if anyone can experience these things? For most of my life, I’ve been an active member of the LDS church and don’t really know what it may be like for those who don’t recieve the laying on of hands. I’d be interested to hear from everyone, but especially those who have been baptized members of the LDS church and recieved the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Did you experience an added measure of the spirit after receiving the laying on of hands and what are your thoughts on these 20 questions? Did you, or could you experience this w/o having the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost?
Last Sunday I was over at my inlaw’s house and watched a good little John Bytheway DVD called “Standards Night Live.” I really don’t know much about John Bytheway except for his fun, but corny songs about being a Mormon and missionary, etc. However, I really enjoyed this DVD and something he said in it has caused me to reflect all week.
He discussed the famous and important scripture in Ephesians 6 about putting on the full armor of God. He also mentions that of the things Paul suggests to have in defending against Satan, there is only one item suggested to use as an offensive weapon and that is the sword. In Ephesians, Paul says the sword of the Spirit is the word of God . John Bytheway goes on to discuss the tactics of Satan are to get us into situations where we loose the Spirit so we won’t have any offensive weapon against Satan.
As I have pondered this, I’ve thought of a few things. First, I thought it was interesting how Paul describes the Spirit (word of God) as a sword and I thought of other scriptures that have this imagery. Next, I contemplated instances in my life when I have “let my sword down” and wondered what I could have done differently. Finally, I wondered about how one can recognize the Spirit and have it return once it is gone. I will share my thoughts on each of these areas.
The Spirit (Word of God) is as a Sword
Some scriptures that come to my mind that have the imagery of the Spirit being as a sword include:
Acts 2:37: “Now when they heard this, they were apricked in their bheart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, cwhat shall we do?”
Hebrews 4:12: “For the aword of God is bquick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged csword, dpiercing even to the dividing asunder eof soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a fdiscerner of the gthoughts and hintents of the heart.”
Helaman 5:30: “And it came to pass when they heard this avoice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a bstill voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—”
3 Nephi 11: 3: “And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a avoice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a bsmall voice it did cpierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.
Each of these examples include similar characteristics. I’ll highlight a few of them. First, the Spirit (or word of God) is described as being able to pierce (or prick). Second, each example states it doesn’t just pierce lightly, but to the soul (or heart). The questions then arise what is the Spirit piercing and why is it important to be pierced all the way to the soul? We could go into many details just on these two questions, but some of the thoughts I have on this include the Spirit is piercing through the pride, passions, prejudices, “hardness of heart,” and sin of the natural man. Some people call this “being born again” or “putting off the natural man.” It is important to pierce us to the soul because if it just touches our physical senses or our mind it won’t leave as lasting of an impression on us. As seen in following verses in Acts 2, the Spirit touches their souls and they feel moved to action by being baptized. In our own lives, once we feel the Spirit, I feel it is prompting us to action as well…maybe visit a friend, or help a family member. In my experience it has always been to do something good.
Another similarity in three of the four examples is the fact that many of the people don’t even realize they are feeling the Spirit and when they do, they don’t know what to do. This also is a whole other discussion, but I simply want to point out that it is important to be able to recognize the Spirit. I know many times in my life I haven’t recognized the Spirit because I’ve been too busy or prideful to listen. If we humble ourselves and quiet our own spirits as these people did, we will not only feel the Spirit, but recognize it as well. This is crucial in our spiritual development.
Letting our Sword Down
Most recently, I posted on Steps to Avoiding Apostacy, which in my mind are steps to avoid loosing the Spirit. I feel that all of us are in a “state of apostacy” so to speak in that we all sin and come short of God’s glory. If we work on these steps we can continuously feel closer to God’s Spirit and keep our swords up. It is important to note that we will always come short of the glory of God and that it is through His mercy that we are able to be granted the Spirit. It is our duty to do everything we can through the knowledge we’ve been given to keep the commandments and stay close to the Lord.
The scriptures say that if we “withdraw ourselves from the Spirit of the Lord” we are left to our own devices and led by the “evil one” because God doesn’t dwell in “unholy temples” (Mosiah 2: 36-37). Further scripture states the Spirit withdraws when we try to cover our sins and not confess them, become prideful, and harden our hearts.
The scriptures show many examples of people who both let their sword down and who kept the sword up. The consequences are like night and day. Examples off the top of my head for those who let their sword down include: King David, Solomon, Sampson, the Saducees and Pharisees, and there are many others. Those who kept the sword up include: Joseph (coat of many colors), Paul, Stephen, and Jesus.
If we were to compare each of these examples, again it is like night and day. Joseph kept the sword of the spirit up and denied Potiphar’s wife. He became more confident in the Lord and eventually a great ruler. David and Solomon both let the sword down and led lives led lives contrary to the Lord. David was very repentant, but could have avoided much heartache had he kept his sword up. The Saducees and Pharisees are very good examples for those of us who profess belief in God and the scriptures. They were so focused on the word of God and the letter of the law that when the new law came through Jesus they didn’t recognize it and crucified the very One whom they had been waiting for. This again is another topic, but how often do we get too focused on something other than the Lord and/or put ourselves in a situation to loose the Spirit and therefore “crucify the Lord afresh” as stated in Hebrews.
As I contemplate my own life and wonder what I could have done differently to keep the Spirit in my life, I firmly believe turning to the Savior’s example is the best way.
For instance, when I feel tempted to do something I know is wrong rather than “tarrying” like David did and contemplating the sin and rationalizing it, whatever the sin is or however big or small it is, if I simply say “get behind me Satan,” like Jesus did I will be much better off. When people tried to logically prove things or twist Christ’s words in many instances, he kept silent in quiet dignity rather than try to prove his point or why He was right. He remained humble, prayerful, grateful, and was a perfect example of what we need to do to keep the Spirit.
However, we’re not perfect and we’re going to let our swords down at some point. This means we need to know what to do in order to get the sword back up.
Getting the Sword back Up
Obviously since the “sword of the Spirit is the Word of God,” it is imperative to “get into” the Word of God in order to receive the spirit. However, it’s a catch 22 because if we’re reading or hearing the word of God without the Spirit, we won’t recognize it. I feel there are a few steps involved in getting our swords back up. First, we need to recognize the Spirit is gone. Secondly, we need to relax and put ourselves into a position to recieve the Spirit. Third we need to repent. Finally, we need to make efforts to put our guard back up.
What did people in the scriptures do to get the Spirit back? I mentioned King David as one who fell away, but he returned again to the Lord. He recognized his sin and became very humble and contrite for the rest of his days. He relaxed and invited the Spirit of the Lord when he wrote many Psalms unto the Lord and prayed. When praying, he repented of his ways and made effort to not commit the same mistake again, which he didn’t.
Another example is the anti-christ, Zeezrom in the Book of Mormon. He was deceived and openly rebelled against the people of the Lord. However, when he opened his heart and allowed the Spirit to penetrate his heart, he was able to get the sword back up and he preached repentance the rest of his life. Other examples in the scriptures that are similar to this include the sons of Mosiah, Alma the younger, and Saul (Paul) in the Bible.
Some things I do to get the Spirit back into my life once I realize it’s gone include: prayer, scripture study, go to the temple, visit nature, listen to music, write music, serve others, and think of things I’m grateful for. Once I’ve recieved the Spirit, I note what I did to lose the Spirit and make plans as to how to avoid the situation again.
In conclusion, I hope these things I’ve learned and contemplated help whoever comes across them. If you know of additional scriptures or experiences of people in the scriptures, your own personal life, or other stories, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you do to maintain the sword of the Spirit in your life.
Grace for Grace 
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