The scriptures are full of great stuff written intentionally for our time. It has always been the case with inspired writings. Nephi teaches that he “…did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.” (1 Nephi 19: 23) The Book of Alma teaches that it was “…wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people…” (Alma 37: 8)
I love that verse! It teaches a great principle that President Gordon B. Hinckley often said: “Smart people learn from their mistakes. Really smart people learn from the mistakes of others.” The scriptural record gives us a life time of learning based on the experiences of others that if we seek to understand and practice the principles, we will not have to suffer the same fate that earlier generations have suffered. Moroni, near the end of the Book of Mormon, counsels us in the same vein: “…give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.”
In the series of blogs that will follow, I will attempt to show patterns in the scriptures that have real life application and insight into our individual and family lives. I use the term “patterns” because when we carefully read the scriptures we can sometimes find things that seem out of context, even confusing. Remember, the prophet Joseph Smith taught that “We believe the Bible to be the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly…” That doesn’t mean the Bible isn’t true, it just means that there may be things in it that do not make much sense to us.
This is why I look for patterns in the scriptures. I reason, that if we can find the same teachings and principles repeated in several places through the scriptures, the likelihood is that they represent true doctrines and principles. A single verse or chapter could be misconstrued or translated incorrectly, but a pattern of similar teachings raises the chances of the concept being true. I have seen this have application in my own life.
I love the Book of Mormon! Early in our marriage, we couldn’t afford cable TV and lived in a “dead spot” where a regular antenna (young people may not have ever seen one) didn’t work. Each night, after putting the kids to bed, I decided to make a serious study of the Book of Mormon. Instead of cross referencing and making a lot of notes I decided to just read and see what would come of it. I read it completely through 5 times in the next several months and then repeated that process for another year or two after that. This was a life changing experience for me. The insight and revelation that came to me from that reading changed my life and perspective of a lot of things. Since then, as our family has read from the Book of Mormon nearly every day for over 25 years, it continues to teach and inspire great things. We have learned to see many patterns that provide us with great instruction. The record is true!
It is important to note that the record isn’t just true because it was given through the inspiration of God and kept by ancient peoples who preserved it for our day. It is true because the real life application of its teachings make a very real difference in our lives. If we don’t read it, we will not have that experience and our memories will not be “enlarged” by the experience of the Book of Mormon civilizations. Maybe that is why the brethren have counseled us over and over again to read the Book of Mormon. The other scriptures (Old and New Testament, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price) can also have great impact.
If you haven’t already made a serious effort to read the scriptures, give it a try! Not because of a sense of guilt or duty, but because you want to see what God has to say to you. Then be open and ready for great revelation and insight into your life!
In the mean time, take a look at the blog posts on the website. They will give some examples of what I am talking about.
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Jerry is the author of “Partners with God, Using His Teachings and Example to Raise Our Kids” and has been a guest speaker at numerous gatherings, firesides and organization events, as well as working as a facilitator for individual families.
Jerry and his wife Melanie are the parents of 12 children and currently have 13 grandchildren.