This purpose of this article is to review what constitutes "scripture" within the framework of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to encourage taking the Holy Ghost as our guide.
In Section 17.1.1 of Handbook 2: Administering the Church, the Church's official publication concerning policies and procedures, the following statement is provided:
The standard works of the Church are the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. In many languages, the Church has approved one edition of the Bible to be used in Church meetings and classes. Likewise, the latest authorized edition of the other three books of Latter-day Saint scriptures should be used. No other works are to be promoted or used in the Church as scripture (emphasis added).
Throughout recent centuries, many of the Brethren have confirmed this policy and have emphasized the foremost placement of the scriptures in our learning and adherence. One such apostle who became known for his love and knowledge of the scriptures was Elder Bruce R. McConkie. Placing the scriptures as the measuring stick against which "the truth of all things is measured", Elder McConkie noted:
That which harmonizes with them should be accepted; that which is contrary to their teachings, however plausible it may seem for the moment, will not endure and should be rejected.
The books, writings, explanations, expositions, views, and theories of even the wisest and greatest men, either in or out of the Church, do not rank with the Standard Works. Even the writings, teachings, and opinions of the prophets of God are acceptable only to the extent they are in harmony with what God has revealed and what is recorded in the Standard Works. When the living oracles speak in the name of the Lord or as moved upon by the Holy Ghost, however, their utterances are then binding upon all who hear, and whatever is said will without any exception be found to be in harmony with the Standard Works. The Lord's house is a house of order, and one truth never contradicts another. (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 764.)
Elder McConkie's father-in-law, Joseph Fielding Smith, likewise taught:
It makes no difference what is written or what anyone has said, if what has been said is in conflict with what the Lord has revealed, we can set it aside. My words, and the teaching of any other member of the Church, high or low, if they do not square with the revelations, we need not accept them. Let us have this matter clear. We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man's doctrine. You cannot accept the books written by the authorities of the Church as standards in doctrine, only in so far as they accord with the revealed word in the standard works. Every man who writes is responsible, not the Church, for what he writes. If Joseph Fielding Smith writes something which is out of harmony with the revelations, then every member of the Church is duty bound to reject it. If he writes that which is in perfect harmony with the revealed word of the Lord, then it should be accepted. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56), 3:203
In Deuteronomy 18:21-22, this principle was taught to the children of Israel. It really differs little from what President Joseph Fielding Smith taught:
And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
And finally, President Harold B. Lee declared:
It is not to be thought that every word spoken by the General Authorities is inspired, or that they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost in everything they write. I don't care what his position is, if he writes something or speaks something that goes beyond anything that you can find in the standard church works, unless that one be the prophet, seer, and revelator—please note that one exception—you may immediately say, "Well, that is his own idea." And if he says something that contradicts what is found in the standard church works, you may know by that same token that it is false, regardless of the position of the man who says it. We can know or have the assurance that they are speaking under inspiration if we so live that we can have a witness that what they are speaking is the word of the Lord. There is only one safety, and that is that we shall live to have the witness to know. President Brigham Young said something to the effect that "the greatest fear I have is that the people of this Church will accept what we say as the will of the Lord without first praying about it and getting the witness within their own hearts that what we say is the word of the Lord. (Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places, 162 - 163.)
Even the footnotes, cross-references, dictionaries, maps, and topical guides contained within the Standard Works do not, of themselves, constitute scripture, or comprise doctrine. When appropriately used, these tools prove to be very helpful, but if they become the focus of our study, they may actually serve as a distraction from what the Lord would have us know in the verses they serve. In a talk that is now used as part of the pre-service readings for Seminary Teachers, Elder McConkie set forth several keys of advice and one word of warning that enable one's understanding of the scriptures and, more particularly, the Bible. The tenth key of advice he offered pertained to the foregoing list of scriptural aids, of which he was a substantial contributor. Concerning such, and our need to use them wisely and appropriately, he commented:
Well, I for one need these crutches and recommend them to you. They include the Joseph Smith Translation items, the chapter headings, the topical guide, the Bible dictionary, the footnotes, the gazetteer, and the maps.
None of these are perfect; they do not of themselves determine doctrine; there have been and undoubtedly now are mistakes in them. Cross-references, for instance, do not establish and never were intended to prove that parallel passages so much as pertain to the same subject. They are aids and helps only. Certainly [on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "most important"] they rate a four or five in importance. Use them consistently.(Teaching Seminary Preservice Readings Religion 370, 471, and 475, (2004), 123–32).
Based on the foregoing definitions of what constitutes scripture, the 1979, 1981, and 2013 edition of the Latter-day Saints' Standard Works neither added to nor diminished the scriptures. But for a few changes in spelling and punctuation, the text of the doctrine of Christ remained untouched. Indeed, with very few exceptions, the scriptures have not changed since the prophet Joseph Smith received his final recorded revelation given to the entire body of the Church of Jesus Christ on January 19, 1841.
As we approach General Conference, I believe what we can expect to hear over the pulpit can generally be summarized into a few (not comprehensive) guiding principles:
- have faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ,
- be obedient to God's commandments,
- repent of past mistakes,
- receive the ordinances of the gospel,
- study the scriptures daily,
- attend the temple often,
- be kind, love, and serve others,
- share the gospel with others,
- be patient and diligent in affliction, and
- pray to the Lord for guidance.
Some attend General Conference every year with their ears attuned only to the spectacular and unusual. As conference concludes and they return home having received the same plain and precious truths taught for so many years, when eagerly asked by another, "what did you hear at General Conference?", they foolishly reply, "Nothing". To them, the question may be posed, "For what purpose did you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost?" At the other extreme will be those who wait to proceed with their lives until the prophets speak. They conclude General Conference believing that all that was said is to be their only guide until the prophets speak again in the General Conference that follows. To them, the question may be posed, "For what purpose did you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost?" In the balance will be those who prayerfully study what was spoken by the living prophets, focusing on the scriptures and Spirit to support and provide relevant counsel for them and those over whom they have responsibility. In the balance will be those who stay within the mainstream of the Church.
Importantly, nearly all that we hear today from prophets, seers, and revelators is counsel as to how we are to conduct our lives within the context of our present environment. This counsel must be followed if we are to remain safe in our environment and obedient to God. Certainly, if all members of the Church were applying the counsel given, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be now and always the greatest power for good upon the face of the earth. But, if the foregoing principles were applied, then the counsel that was to given each General Conference would be generally and widely known, even before it was given.
Based on the foregoing, the scriptures comprise what is known as the doctrine of Christ, whereas, the words of the living prophets define how that doctrine may be applied to bless and protect us within our unique circumstances. On this basis, the words of the living prophets and the words of those past, as contained in the Standard Works, are of equal value; both must be held to and adhered to that temporal and spiritual salvation might be found.
Joseph Smith taught that there are duties that naturally devolve upon the individual saint. Of great import, one of these duties is obtaining for ourselves revelation needed to guide our lives in righteous, holy ways. If this duty is neglected with the hope that a living prophet will somehow make up for our personal neglect once every six months, "our minds will be darkened" and salvation lost (see Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 237). President Brigham Young likewise succinctly taught this principle:
What a pity it would be if we were led by one man to utter destruction! Are you afraid of this? I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not. This has been my exhortation continually. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 9: 150.
President Young has been quoted numerous times by subsequent prophets and apostles including Harold B. Lee, Marion G. Romney, Ezra Taft Benson, Neal A. Maxwell, and James E. Faust.
The foregoing quotes and comments are not made, in the least, to weaken the words of living prophets and apostles. Rather, they are given in hopes that their words will be strengthened and applied daily, rather than sporadically in 6-month intervals.
In conclusion, I quote President Harold B. Lee who gives us timeless counsel concerning how we are to use and view the scriptures:
In conclusion, I quote President Harold B. Lee who gives us timeless counsel concerning how we are to use and view the scriptures:
It is only as we forsake the traditions of men and recover faith in the Bible, the truth of which has been fully established by recent discovery and fulfillment of prophecy, that we shall once again receive that inspiration which is needed by rulers and people alike.
...I say that we need to teach our people to find their answers in the scriptures. If only each of us would be wise enough to say that we aren’t able to answer any question unless we can find a doctrinal answer in the scriptures! And if we hear someone teaching something that is contrary to what is in the scriptures, each of us may know whether the things spoken are false--it is as simple as that. But the unfortunate thing is that so many of us are not reading the scriptures. We do not know what is in them, and therefore we speculate about the things that we ought to have found in the scriptures themselves. I think that therein is one of our biggest dangers of today.
...The Lord has given us in the standard works the means by which we should measure truth and untruth. May we all heed his word: “Thou shalt take the things which thou hast received, which have been given unto thee in my scriptures for a law, to be my law to govern my church." (D&C 42:59)"(Harold B. Lee, "Find the Answers in the Scriptures", Dec 1972 Ensign)
Prayer, offered morning and evening in conjunction with scripture study, is a temple pattern depicted as far back as the Tabernacle Moses built (see Exodus 30:6-8). As we prepare for General Conference and hearing the words of prophets, I challenge each to properly prepare by applying the temple pattern of daily prayer and scripture study that our faith may increase and that personal revelation will become the guidance by which we live.