Word of God: The Holy Scriptures

On October 6, 1536, a pitiful figure was led from a dungeon in Vilvoorde Castle near Brussels, Belgium. For nearly a year and a half, the man had suffered isolation in a dark, damp cell. Now outside the castle wall, the prisoner was fastened to a post and put to death. Who was this man, and what was the offense for which both political and ecclesiastical authorities had condemned him? His name was William Tyndale, and his crime was translating and publishing the Bible in English.

Tyndale was born in England about the time Columbus sailed to the new world, was educated at Oxford then became a member of the Catholic clergy. He was fluent in eight languages, including Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. Tyndale was a devoted student of the Bible, and the pervasive ignorance of the scriptures that he observed in both priests and lay people troubled him deeply. He sought the approval of church authorities to prepare a translation of the Bible in English so that all could read and apply the word of God – putting scripture in the hands of the common man. It was denied—the prevailing view being that direct access to the scriptures by any but the clergy threatened the authority of the church and was tantamount to casting “pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6).

In Tyndale’s day, scriptural ignorance abounded because people lacked access to the Bible, especially in a language they could understand. Today the Bible and other scriptures are readily at hand, yet there is a growing scriptural illiteracy because people will not open the books.

God uses scripture to unmask erroneous thinking, false traditions, and sin with its accompanying devastating effects. Those who either don’t have or ignore the recorded word of God eventually cease to believe in Him and forget the purpose of their existence. The scriptures are the standard for measuring correctness and truth, and they are clear that real happiness lies not in denying the justice of God or trying to circumvent the consequences of sin but in repentance and forgiveness through the atoning grace of the Son of God.

Many today dispute what the scriptures say about the seriousness of immorality. Others argue that it’s all relative, or that God’s love is permissive. If there is a God, they say, He excuses all sins and misdeeds because of His love for us—there is no need for repentance. They have imagined a Jesus who wants people to work for social justices but who makes no demands upon their personal life and behavior.

But a God of love does not leave us to learn by sad experience that “wickedness never was happiness” (Book of Mormon, Alma 41:10). Scripture teaches principles and moral values essential to maintaining civil society, including integrity, responsibility, selflessness, fidelity, and charity. In scripture we find vivid portrayals of the blessings that come from honoring true principles, as well as the tragedies that befall when individuals and civilizations discard them.

The central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Beloved 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; 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).

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 even come from witnessing miracles. These things may serve to confirm faith, but they do not create faith. Faith comes by the witness of the Holy Spirit to our souls, Spirit to spirit, as we hear or read the word of God. And faith matures as we continue to feast upon the word.

Study the scriptures carefully, deliberately. Ponder and pray over them. Scriptures are revelation, and they will bring added revelation. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). As we prayerfully study and ponder the word of God we will be able to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives.

Elder and Sister Cromar are senior missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Mat-Su Valley.