Mormon Musings

All that we teach in this church ought to be couched in the scriptures.  We ought to chose our texts from the scriptures, and wherever you have an illustration in the scriptures...use it, and do not draw from other sources where you can find it here in these books.  We call these the standard Church works because they are standard.  If you want to measure truth, measure it by the four standard Church works...If it is not in the standard works, you may well assume that it is speculation.  It is a man's own personal opinion.   If there is any teacher who teaches a doctrine that can't be substantiated from the standard Church works--and I make one qualification, and that is unless that one be the President of the Church, who alone has the right to declare new doctrine--then you may know by that same token that such a teacher is expressing his own opinion.   Harold B. Lee, Teachings of Harold B. Lee, 148-49

Through normal activity each day, you and I lose a substantial amount of the water that constitutes so much of our physical bodies. Thirst is a demand by the cells of the body for water, and the water in our bodies must be replenished daily. It frankly does not make sense to occasionally “fill up” with water, with long periods of dehydration in between. The same thing is true spiritually. Spiritual thirst is a need for living water. A constant flow of living water is far superior to sporadic sipping. Are you and I daily reading, studying, and searching the scriptures in a way that enables us to hold fast to the rod of iron—or are you and I merely clinging? Are you and I pressing forward toward the fountain of living waters—relying upon the word of God? These are important questions for each of us to ponder prayerfully. David A. Bednar, "A Reservoir of Living Waters", BYU 2007 https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/david-a-bednar/reservoir-living-water/

In the end, the central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ—faith that They exist; faith in the Father’s plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know “the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent” (John 17:3). The word of God, as Alma said, is like a seed planted in our hearts that produces faith as it begins to grow within us (see Alma 32:27–43; see also Romans 10:13–17). Faith will not come from the study of ancient texts as a purely academic pursuit. It will not come from archaeological digs and discoveries. It will not come from scientific experiments. It will not even come from witnessing miracles. These things may serve to confirm faith, or at times to challenge it, but they do not create faith. Faith comes by the witness of th...

  While faith is not a perfect knowledge, it brings a deep trust in God, whose knowledge is perfect! Otherwise, one’s small data base of personal experience permits so few useful generalizations! But by searching the holy scriptures, we access a vast, divine data bank, a reservoir of remembrance. In this way, the scriptures can, as the Book of Mormon says, enlarge the memory. (See  Alma 37:8 .) Elder Neal A. Maxwell, April 1991 General Conference

“We are directed by Jesus to search the scriptures, especially because they testify of Him, our Savior, and of His great Atonement.  The scriptures also tell us of Jesus’ matchless character.  Brothers and sisters, without His matchless character, the Atonement and the Resurrection simply would not have been possible…In addition, may I suggest to you , however, the Scriptures not only testify of Jesus, but the Scriptures have certain verses in them which are like windows, windows which permit us to look into the souls of the great men and women whom Jesus tutored.  These individuals coped with their difficult moments, as we are expected to do with ours.”  Neal A. Maxwell, CES Fireside 1995

I fear that many of us rush about from day to day taking for granted The Holy Scriptures. We scramble to honor appointments with physicians, lawyers and businessman.  Yet we think nothing of postponing interviews with Deity--postponing our Scripture Study.  Little wonder we develop anemic souls and lose our direction in living.  How much better it would be if we planned and held sacred fifteen or twenty minutes a day for reading The Scriptures. Such interviews with Deity would help us recognize His voice and enable us to receive guidance in all of our affairs.  We must look to God through the Scriptures. Elder Carlos E. Asay, General Conference October 1978

President Harold B. Lee counseled, “If we’re not reading the scriptures daily, our testimonies are growing thinner [and] our spirituality isn’t increasing in depth” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 66).

“Scripture reading puts us in tune with the Spirit of the Lord….Because we believe that scripture reading can help us receive revelation, we are encouraged to read the scriptures again and again. By this means, we obtain access to what our Heavenly Father would have us know and do in our personal lives today. That is one reason Latter-day Saints believe in daily scripture study.” Elder Dallin H. Oaks -”Scripture Reading and Revelation,” Ensign, Jan. 1995, 8; quoted in Book of Mormon Seminary Teacher Manual (2012)

“Great power can come from memorizing scriptures.  To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship.  It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change.” Elder Richard G. Scott -”The Power of Scripture,”  Oct. 2011 Gen. Conf.

“One cannot honestly study the scriptures without learning gospel principles because the scriptures have been written to preserve principles for our benefit.” President Marion G. Romney -”The Message of the Old Testament” [CES symposium on the Old Testament, Aug. 17, 1979], 3; quoted in S&I  Gospel Teaching and Learning  handbook (2012), 26

I would like to urge you brethren to read the scriptures, not somebody's interpretation of them. Read them. They are the original sources. You go to them and read them. Make up your own minds about them. When the Prophet, Seer and Revelator speaks, when he interprets, we follow. So with the brethren when they speak under the influence of the Holy Ghost. We have a growing lot of books, a growing lot of courses of study, but I urge you to read the scriptures, so that you may get your own idea as to what they mean. J. Reuben Clark, April 1950 General Conference

Study the Scriptures. They offer one of the best sources we have to keep in touch with the Spirit of the Lord. One of the ways I have gained my sure knowledge that Jesus is the Christ is through my study of the Scriptures.  (Elder Ballard, Ensign, May 1987, 15)

“One man has said that 'hell is being frozen in self-pity.'  Indeed, at times when we think our lot is hard or when we feel ourselves misunderstood, it will be so easy for us to indulge ourselves in feeling some self-pity.  A contrasting episode comes to us out of ancient Greece: several hundred Spartans were holding the pass at Thermopylae, that narrow pass, and the Persians came in overwhelming numbers and urged the Spartans to surrender.  Hoping to intimidate them further, the Persians sent emissaries to the Spartans, saying they had so many archers in their army they could darken the sky with their arrows. The Spartans said, 'So much the better. We shall fight in the shade.'   Now, brothers and sisters, the disciple has to be ready to fight in the shade of circumstance.  One of the ways we can have perspective that will permit us to fight in the shade of circumstances is to read the scriptures and have involvement—intellectually and spiritually—with the ca...

"There is a special power in the scriptures. Scripture study, combined with daily, purposeful prayer, can provide much of the resolution that is necessary today to offset the influences so prevalent in the world that lead us into forbidden ways"  (Elder Dean R. Larsen, Ensign, Nov. 1989, 63).

"I think the proper course for us to pursue is to turn to the Holy Scriptures and learn what the Lord has done for the people of His church in days of old. The more we know about the way an unchangeable God has operated in days past, the greater surety we will have that He will repeat Himself in days present..."  (Elder McConkie, New Era, July 1978, 5)

Scripture study deepens understanding. The years have taught me that if we will energetically pursue this worthy personal goal in a determined and conscientious manner, we shall indeed find answers to our problems and peace in our hearts. President Spencer W. Kimball

The central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ---faith that They exist; faith in the Father's plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know 'the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent' (John 17:3)." Elder D. Todd Christofferson (Ensign, May 2010, 34)

Immersion in the scriptures is essential for spiritual nourishment. The word of God inspires commitment and acts as a healing balm for hurt feelings, anger, or disillusionment. When our commitment is diminished for any reason, part of the solution is repentance. Commitment and repentance are closely intertwined. Elder Quentin L. Cook, October 2012 General Conference  http://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/can-ye-feel-so-now?lang=eng

"However diligent we may be in other areas, certain blessings are to be found only in the scriptures, only in coming to the word of the Lord and holding fast to it as we make our way through the mists of darkness to the tree of life."  (President Ezra T. Benson, Ensign, May 1986, 79)

"Let us not treat lightly the great things we have received from the hand of the Lord! His word is one of the most valuable gifts he has given us. I urge you to recommit yourselves to a study of the scriptures. Immerse yourselves in them daily so that you will have the power of the Spirit to attend you in your callings."  (President Ezra T. Benson, Ensign, May 1986, 2)