A couple of days ago I had lunch with a good friend of mine and at some point the discussion turned toward religion, God, and most specifically in this case, the scriptures. He doesn’t see how scriptures are any different than any other book. They are, after all at their very essence, a historical record of God’s dealings with man. 1 Both he and I agree that there are great principles to be learned from all sorts of literature.2 So what is it that makes scriptures different?

Principles

One of my points was the principles that can be learned. Scriptures are packed full of great principles for us to learn from. And that is true, even in the oft-neglected Old Testament. This morning I was reading in 2 Chronicles and came across a great story about the importance of priesthood authority.3 I have read the OT several times, but it has been 7 or 8 years since the last time and I am finding all sorts of little nuggets again. But time inbetween readings doesn’t make the difference. Circumstances and experiences are the real indicator of the scriptures in our lives. I imagine if I read the same passages tomorrow that I read today I would learn something different. Scriptures are like Ogre’s… they have layers. :) 4

Pattern for our Lives

As I read today I also saw something else that leads to the efficacy of the scriptures. There is a very quick record of what happens when we forget God in our lives. It is a constant pattern that we talk about a lot in the church called the pride cycle. Since I am writing I will just do a small vertical representation of it.

1. Man is Righteous
2. God Blesses Man
3. Man Becomes Prideful
4. Man Begins to Sin
5. Man Forgets God
6. God Humbles Man
1. Man is Righteous

This pattern repeats itself again and again in human history and is documented in all sorts of places.5 The scriptures are great for this too!

Bringing Men unto Christ

This morning I did a quick search on LDS.org and came across the Gospel Topic Library Entry for ‘Scriptures.’6 There are a ton of resources to go from there, but there was a perfect one line sentence summing it all up:

The principal purpose of scriptures is to testify of Christ and to guide the children of God so they can come unto Him and receive eternal life.7

Awesome. Yes, of course. Really the things above are just appendages to this. The central purpose of the scriptures, the one that makes them different than all other books is their purpose. Scriptures are written as a tool to help people understand Christ and his atonement, and apply it in their lives so they can return to live with God again. The Book of Mormon’s subtitle is “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” That implies that the first is the Bible, and the Book of Mormon stands as a complimentary tool.

When I think about myself and my conversion to the gospel they have played, and continue to play a daily role in my growth. They provide not only knowledge, but more importantly strength to do what is right. When I read them in the morning I have a greater desire to go and make my life more like the righteous examples in the book, and less like the unrightous examples. Because so many of those good examples ‘talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ,’ and ‘preach of Christ’8 I have the same desire. As I act on those desires I am blessed.

How grateful I am for the scriptures in my life.

What about you? What do the scriptures mean to you? What other reasons are there for the scriptures? I know I probably missed some big ones. :)

Footnotes:
  1. 1 Nephi 1:1–3, 17; 3 Nephi 5:11, 14, 16–18; 1 Nephi 19:1–4[↩]
  2. That is why I studied literature for so long! We used the example of Goethe’s Faust. Faust searches his whole life for something that will bring him joy and never finds it in all the worldly things. He finally finds that joy that he wants while serving others. Also in th end he is supposed to be damned to hell, but he is redeemed through the love of another, love the he didn’t deserve.[↩]
  3. 2 Chronicles 26:16–21[↩]
  4. 2 Gold stars to the first one to tell me what that reference is from…[↩]
  5. People in our church often point to the Book of Mormon, but it is in all books. This morning I was reading in 2 Chronicles 23-28. It seems that almost every other chapter you see an example of a person who is either righteous and prospers, or is wicked and destroyed. Because the time frame that the chapters cover is so great it is easy to see the results of unrightous actions.[↩]
  6. Website[↩]
  7. see John 5:39; 20:31; 1 Nephi 6:4; Mosiah 13:33–35[↩]
  8. 2 Nephi 25:26[↩]