Article of Faith #8

#8 We believe the Bible

 to be the word of God

 as far as it is translated correctly;

we also believe the

Book of Mormon to be

the word of God.

So We believe in the Bible, and that it is the word of God.

"The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews,
which contains the covenants of the Lord,
which he hath made unto the house of Israel;
and it also containeth many of the
prophecies of the holy prophets;
and it is a record like unto the engravings
 which are upon the plates of brass,
save there are not so many; nevertheless,
they contain the covenants of the Lord,
which he hath made unto the house of Israel;
wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles. (1 Nephi 13:23)

This scripture is a description of the Bible.  That it came out of the mouth of the jews, and that it contains the covenants and promises that the Lord gave to the jews. 
How important are the words of God?  Nephi describes His feelings of the importance when he said: "Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things.  (1 Nephi 15:25)

But with the various versions we have of the Bible today in our world, the importance to our Heavenly Father that it is translated correctly is crucial so that we can live God's way with exact obedience. The Bible did start out pure and complete, but through the years of multiple translations, it didn't remain pure.

"And after they go forth by the
 hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb,
from the Jews unto the Gentiles,
thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church,
which is most abominable above all other churches;
for behold, they have taken away from the
gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious;
and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.

 And all this have they done that they

 might pervert the right ways of the Lord,

that they might blind the eyes and

 harden the hearts of the children of men."

  (1Nephi 13:26-27)

This confusion that comes from the Bible with people in the past taking and adding to the bible, states that we need something that can bring another witness to the table and clarify that which we need to do.  That the witness of two can bring the truth to light.  So God provided a Book of Mormon.

"And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.  Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?

 Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.

And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; 

Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written."

 (2 Nephi 3, 6-10)

The Book of Mormon comes as a second witness to help God's people more fully understand the doctrine of Christ.  The way Christ's church is suppose to be.   

"Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall ^awrite;

and the fruit of the loins of ^bJudah shall ^cwrite;

and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins,

and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah,

shall grow together,

unto the ^dconfounding of ^efalse doctrines and laying down of contentions,

and establishing ^fpeace among the fruit of thy loins,

and ^gbringing them to the ^hknowledge of their fathers in the latter days,

and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord. (2 Nephi 3:12)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Each time we pray, our relationship with our Father in heaven should be Strengthened!

"As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand tward God (namely, God is our father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part.  Many of our so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship."  Bible Dictionary-prayer

God is our father.  He WANTS to hear from us.  He loves us therefore, he wants to hear from us.  If we ever feel unworthy to pray, or don't feel like we "want" to pray, that is Satan trying to stop you from communicating with the one person that can help you the greatest in this life, God.

2 Nephi 32:8-9

...For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit

which teacheth a man to pray,
 ye would know that ye must pray;
for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray,
but teacheth him that he must not pray.

 9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always,

and not faint;...

"The object of prayer is not to change the will of God,

but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings

 that God is already willing to grant,

 but that are made conditional on our asking for them.

Blessings require some work or effort on our part

 before we can obtain them.

 Prayer is a form of work,

and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings." (Bible Dictionary-Prayer)



we need to communicate with him constantly if we are to overcome this life. 

Doctrine and Covenants 10:5

Pray always,

that you may come off conqueror;

yea, that you may conquer Satan,

and that you may escape the hands

of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.

We can pray for:

Strength

Knowledge

Christlike attributes that need strengthened

Comfort

Guidance

Other people and their needs

Gratitude

Change of desires (to be able to align our will with God's will)

etc

How has prayer helped you today?

Baptism

Why do members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put such an emphasis on being baptized?  What's the big deal!?

Well, Christ told us in John 3:5

"Jesus answered,

 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 

Except a man be born 

of water and of the Spirit, 

he cannot enter into the 

kingdom of God." 

So we HAVE to be baptized to enter in the kingdom of God!  Everyone should want that.  To be able to live with God again, what a blessing!  But Christ himself said that we have to be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God to be able to live with God again.  We desire EVERYONE to receive this blessing.  THAT is why we want EVERYONE to be baptized so that they can live with God again. 

And once we are baptized we are cleansed from all sin.  We will be held

"guiltless before my 

Father at the day 

when I shall stand 

to judge the world." 3 Nephi 27:16  

Because  

"no unclean thing can 

enter into his kingdom." 3 Nephi 27:19 

we need that cleansing power that comes from being baptized and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost to be found 'clean' to enter into God's kingdom!

Two people desired to show God that they were willing to obey His commandments and to follow the example of Jesus Christ and were baptized this weekend.  They both said how clean they felt and how happy they are!  There is only one way in this life to feel this way, and it is through baptism!  

Stephanie Dobbins                Justin Marquardt