Today I have been reflecting on one of the things that has brought me great happiness into my life, and that is the WORD OF GOD, or more commonly called the Scriptures. I absolutely LOVE the Scriptures. They are up there with Razzleberry Pie and my mom's clam chowder. The scriptures truly are the Best. As a missionary we get a lot of time to study the scriptures, and to learn of the teachings contained inside of them. A lot of the time, when I study them, I feel like God is talking directly towards me. The scriptures are a great way to receive personal revelation, to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or even just to feel God's Love. All of these blessings can come to anyone who is just willing to open up the pages and read. I have noticed that as I have combined my scripture study with prayer, my mind has been enlightened to a greater understanding of the Love my Father in Heaven truly has for me. The Scriptures are just AWESOME! There is no better way to say it. I learn so much from them, and I have received so many blessings in my life because of them. That is why I am posting this blog today, because I want everyone to be able to experience the same blessings that I have experienced though the word of God.
There are two major volumes of scripture that I have been studying a lot of recently. They are The New Testament and the Book of Mormon. Both of these books of scripture have blessed my life in so many ways, and as I have been reading them on a daily basis, my Faith in Jesus Christ has grown so much. I would like to talk about each one, and how each one has blessed my life individually.
The New Testament
So to simply put it, the New Testament, is a Testament that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. It testifies of Jesus Christ's Love for each and every one of us. It testifies of his sacrifice that he made for each one of us. It testifies that he died on the cross, but he overcame death three days later. It is full of miracles, teachings, and witnesses of Christ. As I have studied and pondered about the New Testament, I have come to know Christ on a very personal basis. I have truly come to know that Jesus Christ lives, and that he loves me as well as you. He knows each one of us by name, and he knows perfectly what each one of us is going through in our lives at this time. Right now I am serving as a missionary for his church, but more importantly I have been called to be a witness of Jesus Christ. So, I stand by the New Testament, and I provide my witness of Christ as well. He lives, and because he lives, we may live as well. When I read the New Testament, I am filled with the spirit of God. I learn about the doctrine of Christ. My mind is opened to a greater understanding of what Christ went through for me personally. And really as I read, it just makes me happy! I love it! If you have never read the New Testament, I would invite you to find a copy, and read it for yourself. It is a wonderful book of scripture, and I promise you that it will fill your life with happiness as well.
The Book of Mormon
The story of The Book of Mormon starts out with a family, who lived in Jerusalem. The father of the family was named Lehi, and he was a prophet. He prophesied to the people in Jerusalem at the same time that Jeremiah was prophesying in the Old Testament. Lehi warned the people that if they continued in their wickedness, that they would be destroyed. The inhabitants of Jerusalem got upset with Lehi, and the Lord warned Lehi to take his family and flee from Jerusalem. They did so, and they took others with them as well. Lehi's son Nephi obeyed the Lord and kept his commandments. Nephi was directed by the Lord to build a boat and sail to a promised land (the American continent). The Book of Mormon follows their descendants, and it is a record of their dealings with God, and also a record of the teaching of the Prophets that were called on the American continent. The crowning moment in the Book of Mormon is when the resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus Christ appeared to the inhabitants of the Americas. After Christ was crucified, he was resurrected three days later (Mark 16:6). He ascended up to our father in heaven (Mark 16:19), but his work was not finished. He taught the people in the middle east "16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16). Then after Christ's ascension, he visited the people of the America's and taught them "21 And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (3 Nephi 15:21). Christ taught the people about his gospel, and he taught the people many other things pertaining to salvation. We have a record of that account, and of what Jesus Christ taught the people. Isn't it Awesome!!!
I love the Book of Mormon! There is a lot of misconceptions in the world about what the Book of Mormon truly is, but it is explained clearly right on the front cover of the book. It simply says "The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ". That is really what the Book of Mormon is all about. It is all about Jesus Christ. It says in the introduction to the Book of Mormon "The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel." (The Book of Mormon, Introduction). That is it. The Book of Mormon is a book of scripture that testifies of Christ and takes place on the American continent. The Bible is a book of Scripture which takes place over in the middle east, and it also testifies of Christ. The Book of Mormon is not there to replace the Bible or to destroy the Bible, but it is there to strengthen and to clarify the doctrines which the Bible teaches. It is there to provide a second witness that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. It strengthens the doctrine of Christ, and it further establishes what Christ taught.
In order to explain this more clearly, I like to use analogies. Back home, I assisted my Dad in doing carpentry work. Carpentry work involves a lot of nailing. We also re-shingled a lot of roof's. While doing this work, there were often times roof's that were too steep and too dangerous to walk on freely without any support. So what we would do is take long pieces of wood, and nail them to the roof, so we would have something that we could stand on to support us as we worked. Now, when nailing these boards, if we were just to use one nail to hold the board in place, the board would not be very stable. As soon as you would step on that board it would give way, and it would have no strength. But if you were to put two nails in both ends of the board, then the board would be stable and strong, and the board would not twist and turn. I compare the nails to the Bible and The Book of Mormon. When you just have the one nail, there will be little strength to the board, and there will not be a lot of stability. You can twist and turn that board any way that you want, and get any view out of it that you want. This is not diminishing the worth of the nail, but one nail is just not strong enough. When you add the second nail, then you have a greater strength. One nail is not better then the other, and one nail is not more important then the other. They are both equally important and equally needed. I absolutely love both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and I study each one every day.
The Scriptures are truly amazing! I do not know where I would be in my life if I did not have the word of God to guide and direct me. I receive answers to my prayers everyday, as I read both the Bible and The Book of Mormon. They have brought me so much happiness, and understanding into my life, and the great thing is that I can partake of that happiness everyday! You can too. All you have to do is open the pages. As you combine your scripture study with prayer, I promise you as a representative of Jesus Christ, that you will have a greater and everlasting happiness in your life. Your prayers will be answered. You will receive guidance and instruction. You will receive strength from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know this to be true. I invite each and every one of you to open up some scriptures and just read. A greater happiness is just waiting there, you just need to turn the pages. God does love you, and he speaks!
:)
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