Digging Holes in the Bank (Part I of II)

The very first blog that I posted is entitled, Lay Not our Sword upon the Shelf. It pertains to the word of God and much of the symbolism used in scripture to portray it. I have posted several subsequent blogs that address the word of God and the central place it has in our lives. Importantly, the word of God is not only portrayed as an iron rod in Lehi's dream, but is described as an iron rod throughout the Standard Works. That iron rod is a great sword wielded by the Spirit of God (see Ephesians 6:17). "Holding fast" to the iron rod, then, presupposes that we have taken the Holy Spirit as our guide (see D&C 45:57). He is the adhesive that tightens our grip to the word, He is the expedient that gives it life, and He makes it germinate and grow within.

What is generally observed from Lehi's dream about the iron rod is the fact that it led "to the tree by which [he] stood" (1 Nephi 8:19). But, what is often missed in this same verse is the fact that it "extended along the bank of the river". Two questions are germane to this important, but unpopular, fact:

1) what is the river?, and
2) why does the iron rod (sword of the spirit) extend along its bank?

Throughout the scriptures, bodies of water are often symbolic of God's judgments. For example, the Red Sea was parted so that Israel could pass through. But when Pharaoh and his armies attempted the same passage, the record states that--

Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 

And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them (Exodus 14:27-28)

To the wicked, the sea was the power of God's judgments--a symbol that no wicked person can enter the promised land without first passing through them. Thus, the Red Sea became a an Old Testament symbol of Hell, or God's judgments  upon the wicked. In 1 Nephi 15:26, it is recorded that Nephi's brother's asked the question: "What meaneth the river of water which our father saw?" Nephi's reply supports the foregoing conclusion:

And I said unto them that the water which my father saw was filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water.

And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God.

And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful hell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked.

And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end. (1 Nephi 15:26-30)

As noted in these verses, the river of water is a representation of filthiness, an awful gulf, an awful hell, and the justice of God.

One may wonder: "How is it that God's justice, which is pure and free from all stain, is also a representation of filthiness? Nephi explained, that "the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy" (1 Nephi 15:34). This place prepared is, according to Nephi, "that awful hell of which I have spoken." Nephi likewise identified the devil as "the preparator of it" (1 Nephi 15:35). Importantly, the devil is not the one who prepared hell, for the LORD plainly stated that He was the one who prepared hell (Moses 6:29; compare D&C 29:28, 2 Nephi 28:23). Conversely, the devil is the "preparator" of it, meaning that he is the "person who prepares a specimen" for hell (see Dictionary.com). It was the devil who prepared Pharaoh and his army to possess and make filthy the waters of the Red Sea (Note: there is some controversy as to the name of the Red Sea, see Psalms 106, footnote 7b, Exodus 23, footnote 31b, and the location where the Israelites crossed. I have seen several documentaries on the matter, even though the matter is of little importance. If seeing is believing, then I have personally accepted the view outlined in this 28-minute video entitled The Red Sea Crossing).

The brother of Jared similarly described the formidable ocean that he and his company was to pass over in small barges:

For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.

And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea? (Ether 2:24-25).

One cannot pass through God's judgments save He prepares the way--and the way that He has prepared is the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is by faith in Him and His atonement that one is able to pass through His judgments into the promised land without being destroyed by God's wrath. The apostle Paul thus wrote: "By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned" (Hebrews 11:29).

When Israel passed through the Rea Sea, they were symbolically passing through God's judgments, described as a "wall of water on their right and a wall of water on their left" (Exodus 14:21-22). Of their own accord, there was no evidence that they were worthy to pass through God's judgments without a breach in the wall (also called the gates of hell, see 2 Nephi 4:32) consuming them. Righteousness comes through Christ alone (Romans 10:1-4). But Israel had something Pharaoh and his armies did not have--they had the covenants of the LORD. They had the promise of redemption from God's judgments, DEATH and HELL, (see 2 Nephi 9:10) through the atonement of Jesus Christ. They had the Holy One of Israel to stand in the breach and hold back God's wrath and judgments! (see Psalms 106:23,; compare Ezekiel 13:5, 22:30 and Isaiah 30:13-14). But if One is to be able to stand in the breach, then He must be willing and able to suffer those punishments held back from those He redeems.

Clear fountains, great rivers, and small streams that pour into God's judgments are often viewed as the word of God. It was a fountain of water that saved Hagar, Sarah's maid (see Genesis 16:6-7). By striking the rock, Moses caused waters to flow from the rock (see Exodus 17:6) whereby Israel was saved from certain death. Such waters that flow forth of pure fountains give life to all that they touch. Speaking of such rivers, Joel wrote:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim. (Joel 3:18).

The fact that a fountain flows from the house of the Lord is instructive. In His house, waters are pure. In His house, the covenants and word of the Lord flow unsullied . . . free from the philosophies of men . . . and the repetitive words of instruction given therein contain a unique message to every listening ear . . . every time, no matter how frequent, they are heard. With beauty that only God can devise, Ezekiel described the life-giving waters that come forth of the house of the Lord:

And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine (Ezekiel 47:9, 12).

Unfortunately, Satan seeks to make filthy all that is clean. Referring to one of the devil's senior advocates, Ezekiel said of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt . . . that he "camest forth with [his] rivers and troubledst the waters with [his] feet, and fouledst [the clean] rivers" (Ezekiel 32:2). John likewise saw a day when this leviathan would cast from its mouth "water as a flood after the [Church of God], that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood" (JST, Revelation 12:15). Of that day, the apostle Paul foresaw that men would be "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth" (see 2 Timothy 3:7).

That day is often thought to have already occurred during the Dark Ages. However, the "perilous times" (see 2 Timothy 3:1) that brings about the quandary of "ever learning" was certainly not those years in which there was little or no learning at all among a world steeped in ignorance. Rather, the apostle Paul was quite precise as to the timing of this academic bankruptcy. With a clarity that only Nephi can match, the apostle expressed that this crisis would come "in the last days." Adding food for thought, President Howard W. Hunter declared that “all dispensations have had their perilous times, but our day will include genuine peril” (see An Anchor to the Souls of Men. Ensign, October 1993, p. 70). It was with this peril in mind that Paul penned his second letter to Timothy foretelling of a time when man would be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”—

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

These verses most assuredly point to our day, for Paul’s warning that “we would not endure sound doctrine” alludes to an earlier event of which Paul said was recorded “for an admonition for those upon whom the end of the world shall come" (JST 1 Corinthians 10:11). Summarizing this event, one month following their departure from Egypt, the assembly of Israel cried out in hunger. To Moses, the Lord responded: "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them" (Exodus 16:4). Although described by David as angels’ food (see Psalms 78:25), other scriptures note that the manna tasted like fresh oil (see Numbers 11:7-8). Thus, the congregation often scorned the light bread (see Numbers 21:5). During one such perilous incident, the mixt multitude cried:

Why came we forth out of Egypt? 

Who shall give us flesh to eat? 

We remember the fish . . . the cucumbers, and the melons . . .. 

But now our soul [is] dried away: [there is] nothing at all, beside this manna, [before] our eyes (Numbers 11:4-6).

In retribution for their scorn of this “bread from heaven”—an emblem of the Word of God—the Lord “brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on [either] side . . . round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.” Eager to partake of this flesh, the congregation gathered the quails, and he that gathered least gathered ten homers. (Numbers 11:31-32). Understanding that a single homer is equivalent to 6½ bushel produces a rather ghastly perspective of an unchecked lusting after flesh. Hence, while the flesh was yet between their teeth, “the Lord smote the people with a very great plague,” and many perished. And, in simplified English, they called the place where they buried the dead, “the graveyard of those who lusted." (Numbers 11:33-34, including footnote 34a. King David wrote that the fattest were slain of the plague, see Psalms 78:31).

Just as ancient Israel did not endure the light bread but heaped to themselves flesh, Paul declared that saints of the last days would not endure sound doctrine—the bread of heaven—but instead heap to themselves philosophers espousing perilous ideals, the likes of which include "Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin, John Dewey, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes" (see Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson,1988, p. 307). Although latter-day prophets have warned us about these specific individuals, the number that can be added to them espousing perilous “isms” of every kind is truly heaping. Because of them, Nephi wrote, all have “gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 28:14).

With this long, preliminary instruction, I now turn to the event after which this blog is entitled: Digging Holes in the Bank.

Lay Not Our Swords Upon the Shelf

In the Book of Mormon is recorded a vision which Lehi had concerning his family and their journey to the Tree of Life, a symbol of Jesus Christ and the fruit of eternal life. However, because the Book of Mormon was written for our day, Lehi's vision is really a narrative of our lives and the path we must follow to arrive at that Tree and partake of its fruit that is sweet above all.  Of particular interest and importance, Lehi saw an "iron rod" that leads to the Tree. The narrative identifies this rod as the "word of God" (see 1 Nephi 15:23-24).

THE IRON ROD

Artists' depictions of what Lehi saw portray the iron rod as something akin to a hand-railing that extends along the length of the path. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ likewise sing a hymn that suggests the same image, "And, hand o'er hand, the rod along, Through each succeeding day, With earnest prayer and hopeful song, We'll still pursue our way." Notwithstanding, however well-intended the artists may be, the scriptures depict the word of God distinctly as a sword. Hence, although artists' portrayals are generally not harmful, dropping a sword seems to be a more dramatic crisis than simply letting go of a handrail that can be easily found again by walking in its general direction.

Some of the more precise verses portraying this image of a sword are found in the book of Revelation. While exiled on the isle of Patmos, John saw, in vision, "one like unto the Son of man." A salient feature of this man was a sharp two-edged sword that proceeded out of his mouth (Revelation 1:16). In JST Revelation 19:15, this sword is called the word of God. In the King James version of this verse, it is also called a rod of iron. Within the the Book of Mormon, several verses convey the idea that the word of God is a device used for cutting and dividing. One such verse is Helaman 3:29, which states: 

Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil…. 

The apostle Paul similarly described the word of God as "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow…" (Hebrews 4:12; compare D&C 6:2).

As used by the apostle, the Greek for "sharper" is tom-o'-ter-os, which means "to cut as if by a single stroke", in contrast to cutting accomplished by repeated blows, like hacking. Comparing the word of God to a sword that is able to divide asunder joint and marrow in a single stroke suggests that the sword is, indeed, sharp and of considerable size and weight. Something that is often overlooked, however, in this and similar verses is the juxtaposing of this sword with joint and marrow. This close association stems from the Abrahamic OATH of the covenant wherein God instructed Abraham to "take ... an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old" and divide them "IN THE MIDST.…" (Genesis 15:9-10). Unlike the manner whereby one might ordinarily slaughter and carve up an adult animal by cutting around the bones, Abraham divided the animals in the midst…cutting through the skull, backbone, joints, and marrow of each sacrificial animal.

It is not my purpose in this blog to explain why these animals were divided with such precision, even though understanding why is certainly worthy of individual study. However, it is worthwhile to note that it was, in all likelihood, this same instrument of death that Abraham raised over his son, Isaac, when commanded to offer him up (see Genesis 22:2-18). The Hebrew for the particular "knife" that Abraham used is mah-ak-eh'-leth, meaning "something with which to eat." First impressions, therefore, might lead one to conclude that it wasn't much more than a butter knife used at Abraham's table. However, the primitive root of mah-ak-eh'-leth defines "eating" as "consuming or devouring." When brought together, these definitions support the idea that Abraham's knife was something used to consume and destroy; hardly the innocuous kitchen utensil that is often portrayed by artists.

To illustrate this point, Solomon compared two types of teeth ("eating" devices) to distinguish the destructive capacity of a two-edged sword versus this knife, or mah-ak-eh'-leth, that destroys. "There is a generation," he wrote, "whose teeth are AS SWORDS, and their jaw teeth AS KNIVES, to DEVOUR the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men" (Proverbs 30:14, emphasis added). Front teeth, like a two-edged sword, slice into pieces all that is to be eaten. Jaw teeth, like knives, are the eventual destroyer of those pieces; they are powerful and are applied for crushing, devouring, consuming, even "to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow" (D&C 6:2).

Attempting to visualize this cutting instrument that is sharper than a two-edged sword may suggest something like a razor-sharp knife, but of much larger dimensions. Revealing the specific instrument that was likely used, the Lord said to the prophet Joseph Smith in June 1829:

Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my word.

Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap let him thrust in his SICKLE with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God (D&C 14:2-3).

The sickle, "an agricultural implement consisting of a long, curving blade fastened at an angle to a handle," was primarily used by Israel for cutting grass and grains (see www.Dictionary.com, "scythe") of all sorts. They were not shaped like those purchased at Cal Ranch and, because they were primarily used for reaping the harvest, the blade was religiously sharpened. Like other farming tools, sickles also improvised as weapons used against the enemies of Israel. Bringing this concept to light, the Old Testament prophet Joel described the final conflict against the heathen as one wherein the SICKLE is unsheathed because the harvest is ripe and wickedness is great (see Joel 3:9-14).

However authentic this war may appear in Joel's record, one must be mindful of the teachings of the apostle Paul concerning the "evil day," or the day in which we presently live . . . that the decisive contest is "not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12, compare D&C 27:15). Hence, in this spiritual battle against an unseen foe, the apostle Paul recommended that we wield "the SWORD of the Spirit, which is the WORD of God" (Ephesians 6:17). No other voice has declared so plainly that the iron rod is a sword! The word of God can be found in our day in the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the messages of living prophets and apostles.

With the idea that the word of God, or iron rod, is likened to the sickle once used to divide the joint and marrow of those sacrifices offered in token of the everlasting covenant, note the specific description given by Lehi of the two separate groups of people who take hold of the iron rod that leads to the Tree of Life:

And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of THE END of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.

But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of THE END of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree (1 Nephi 8:24, 30).

The END that each group caught hold of was the hilt of a sword. Importantly, as noted by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:17, this sword is the sword of the Spirit and must, therefore, be wielded by Him if it is to have the desired effect. It is the Spirit that carries the word of God into the heart, enlightens the mind, and enlarges the soul. It is the Spirit that discerns the thoughts of the mind and intents of the heart (see Hebrews 4:12; compare D&C 33:1). Together, the Spirit and the word "are the power of God unto the convincing of men" (D&C 11:21). Without its messenger, the word of God are only words on a page. Without the word of God to convey, the Spirit hasn't a message. The Spirit and the word must walk together if conversion is to follow. And, since Jesus Christ is the WORD of GOD (see JST John 1:14), it is appropriate to visualize Him as the iron rod.

Finally . . .  to the point. In the Book of Ether, Moroni recounts an unusual curse that had come upon the land during a time of war and iniquity. Concerning this curse, Moroni wrote:

And now there began to be a great curse upon all the land because of the iniquity of the people, in which, if a man should lay his tool or his sword upon his shelf, or upon the place whither he would keep it, behold, upon the morrow, he could not find it, so great was the curse upon the land (Ether 14:1).

The scriptures have never been more available and convenient than they are today. And, with all this availability and automation, it is hard to imagine that anyone would go unprepared to the battle. Nonetheless, when one lays his sword upon the shelf, the present iniquity is so dreadful that, err he is aware, he may find himself slain in the battle. The apostle Paul foresaw the day in which men would be unable to find their swords, but he renamed it a day in which men would be "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth" (see 2 Timothy 3:7). That day is often thought to have already occurred during the Dark Ages. However, the "perilous times" (see 2 Timothy 3:1) that brings about a quandary of "ever learning" was certainly not those years in which there was little to no learning at all. Rather, those were years of ignorance steeped in the traditions of the fathers.

Rather, the apostle Paul was quite precise as to the timing of this academic bankruptcy. With a clarity that only Nephi can match, the apostle expressed that this crisis would come "in the last days." Adding food for thought, President Howard W. Hunter declared that “all dispensations have had their perilous times, but our day will include genuine peril” (see An Anchor to the Souls of Men. Ensign, October 1993, p. 70). It was with this peril in mind that Paul penned his second letter to Timothy foretelling of a time when man would be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”—

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

These verses most assuredly point to our day, for Paul’s warning that “we would not endure sound doctrine” alludes to an earlier event of which Paul said was recorded “for an admonition for those upon whom the end of the world shall come" (JST 1 Corinthians 10:11). Summarizing this event, when the children of Israel left Egypt, they did so in haste. One month following their departure, the assembly cried out in hunger. To Moses, the Lord responded: "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them" (Exodus 16:4). Although described by David as angels’ food (see Psalms 78:25), manna tasted like fresh oil (see Numbers 11:7-8). Thus, the congregation often scorned the light bread (see Numbers 21:5). During one such perilous incident, the mixt multitude cried:

Why came we forth out of Egypt?

Who shall give us flesh to eat?

We remember the fish . . . the cucumbers, and the melons . . ..

But now our soul [is] dried away: [there is] nothing at all, beside this manna, [before] our eyes (Numbers 11:4-6).

In retribution for their scorn of this “bread from heaven”—an emblem of the Word of God—the Lord “brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on [either] side . . . round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.” Eager to partake of this flesh, the congregation gathered the quails, and he that gathered least gathered ten homers. (Numbers 11:31-32). Understanding that a single homer is equivalent to 6½ bushel produces a rather ghastly perspective from this unchecked lusting after flesh. Hence, while the flesh was yet between their teeth, “the Lord smote the people with a very great plague,” and many perished. And, in simplified English, they called the place where they buried the dead, “the graveyard of those who lusted." (Numbers 11:33-34, including footnote 34a. King David wrote that the fattest were slain of the plague, see Psalms 78:31).

Just as ancient Israel did not endure the light bread but heaped to themselves flesh, Paul declared that saints of the last days would not endure sound doctrine—the bread of heaven—but instead heap to themselves philosophers espousing perilous ideals, the likes of which include "Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin, John Dewey, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes" (see Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson,1988, p. 307). Although latter-day prophets have warned us about these specific individuals, the number that can be added to them espousing perilous “isms” of every kind is truly heaping. Because of them, Nephi wrote, all have “gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 28:14).

Even the humble followers of Jesus Christ do often err because they are taught by the precepts of men. No one, especially the true Church of God, is exempt from the flood that has been cast from the mouth of the serpent in these days (see JST Revelation 12:15). Concerning this very thing, Elder McConkie wrote:

Even in the true Church in the last days there will be some who do not believe the whole body of revealed truth; some who do not give full allegiance to the Cause of truth and righteousness; some who are members in name only and who continue to live after the manner of the world. This also is one of the signs of the times. It shall be as it was among some of old whom Paul rebuked: ‘When ye come together in the church,’ he wrote to the Corinthians, ‘there be divisions among you.’ Contention, debate, and false views have no place in the Church and kingdom of our Lord. The doctrines are his, not ours, and our concern should be to gain the mind of Christ and to think what he thinks on every point. But the fact is that there are divisions in the Church, for the very reason Paul now gives: ‘There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you’ (1 Cor. 11:18-19) (see McConkie, Bruce R., The Millennial Messiah; The Second Coming of the Son of Man. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, p. 59).

Great caution, then, must be exercised with respect to the precepts of men, wherever and whenever they are learned. President Ezra Taft Benson taught:

We encourage you to get your . . . degrees and to further your education; but let us not forget that disaffection from the gospel and the Lord’s church was brought about in the past by the attempts to reconcile the pure gospel with the secular philosophies of men . . . Be careful of blending your worldly training with the gospel courses you teach lest you be guilty of diluting the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and end up teaching the philosophy of men mingled with a few scriptures (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, p. 308).

Gratefully, Nephi provided the litmus test by which we can, through the spirit of discernment, measure the truthfulness of all that is taught: “Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man,” he wrote, “or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 28:31).

Given that we live in the heat of the battle and that casualties occur near and far, frequently and unexpectedly, Moroni's description of how men responded in that day when the curse was so great that swords placed upon shelves vanished in the darkness, is especially appropriate:

Wherefore every man did cleave unto that which was his own, with his hands, and would not borrow neither would he lend; and every man kept the hilt of his sword in his right hand, in the defence of his property and his own life and of his wives and children (Ether 14:2).

May we step forward in the battle. Testimonies can neither be borrowed nor extended; they must be individually won. Laying not our sword upon the shelf, but keeping the hilt of it in our right hand, is the means by which we will be able to defend our property, life, and the lives of our family. Our sword is the only offensive weapon in the whole armor of God that shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil in this day, a day known to prophets of old as "the evil day."

Taking the Holy Spirit as Our Guide

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:

I received a letter from a seminary teacher in which he criticized our new scriptural publications because they had footnotes, cross-references, and teaching aids. He argued that these were crutches which kept people from that intensive study in which they would make their own cross-references.

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:

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.