Why The Book Of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, And The Inspired Version Of The Bible?

#1 May 05,2021

In times past the adversary has challenged our full understanding of all God sought to bring us. In the modern day, the scriptures used by the churches of the world seem to be achieving that very work. The Bible as we know it is an ancient text which has evolved through several different languages. Since the time of Moses, the Word of God has been translated over 3,000 times. In its journey from language to language the text has suffered from unavoidable or inaccurate interpretation, and much has been just left out due to man’s own inability to convert meaningful phrases from one tongue to another. In many cases the current ruling body eliminated parts of the Bible because the wording ran counter to the current political needs. All in all man has done a poor job of bringing the full ancient word of God to the modern day man. 

1 Nephi 3:171-172

3:171 Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God;

3:172 And after these plain and precious things were taken away, it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles:

But, through God these plain and precious truths have been returned to us that we might hear and gain a fullness of understanding. We read here in the account of Nephi from the Book of Mormon, a promise that God made to his father Lehi in a vision of future times. They speak of a time when the plain and precious truths of God’s Word would be returned to His children.

1 Nephi 3:192  And the angel spake unto me, saying, These last records which thou hast seen among the Gentiles shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them;

This is the purpose of the Book of Mormon. It returns to world all that was taken from the scriptures by the adversarial driven ineptness and pride of man. The fullness added by the Book of Mormon is not an effort to replace the Bible. Instead it is to be used in conjunction with the bible that the Word of God can once again be a fullness of God’s voice. The two seek together in oneness to make fuller and more complete our understanding of the true nature of God and the ways by which our heart can more fully match His.

I would like to make a comparison between The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible or the Inspired Version that I use, and the King James Version. I chose the King James Version, because it is the basis for most modern versions used by the churches of the world. I will use as an example a much-repeated passage from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount that He used to teach His disciples the method and virtue of prayer. The passage used in each version is from Matthew 5:6-8

           

Inspired Version 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men; for, verily, I say unto you, they have their reward.

KJ Version 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the hypocrites do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

As you read and compare them side-by-side you will find them to be identical. Each verse speaks to the state of the heart of those praying, and both seek to teach the student that we must allow our hearts to be humble before the Lord if our prayers are to achieve what we seek. Now let’s add to this knowledge that given by the High Priest Alma from the book of Mormon.

Alma 16:220-225
16:220 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them: cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

16:221 But this is not all: ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness;

16:222 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

16:223 And now behold, my brethren, I say unto you, Do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance if ye have, to those who stand in need;

16:224 I say unto you, If ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith;

16:225 Therefore if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth,) and is trodden under foot of men.

In reading these passages you will find that Alma voiced no disagreement with either versions of the instructions offered in Matthew 6. What you will find is information on how we develop and sustain that proper level of humility that allows us a more complete understanding of the connection with God we are trying to achieve. Take note of the admonishment offered in verses 223-225.

Alma 16:223-225

16:223 And now behold, my brethren, I say unto you, Do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance if ye have, to those who stand in need;

16:224 I say unto you, If ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith;

16:225 Therefore if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth,) and is trodden under foot of men.

God through Alma is trying to show us that the life we live and the priorities of that life can cause our prayers to have more true meaning. If we allow ourselves to be involved in actively seeking for the welfare of those that we pray for, our temporal minds can fully realize the relief from God we seek. No longer will our prayers be just words to God. We will cry out to Him with a heart full of need. Think of your own words of prayer you spoke when a loved one was sick unto death. Consider the way you cried out to the Lord as your car went off the road and into that ditch. When our hearts are allowed to fully feel the need we pray for; God hears us, and we hear Him.

After literally years of searching many versions of the Bible including my own Inspired Version I have found no equivalent instructions on how to prepare our hearts for prayer. Until the advent of the Book of Mormon, we were denied this plain and precious truth that will allow us to hear the voice of God. Repeatedly the plain and precious truths that I need to grow in God have come to me from the Book of Mormon. Used with my Bible, it is truly a gift from God.

The Doctrines and Covenants (DC) are a collection of revelation given by God through those called to lead the Church. As it was with Moses and the High Priest Aaron, God reveals the mysteries of His Kingdom through His chosen leadership. Again, they are given and verified as truth, if and only if they agree with God’s instruction as written in the Bible. In the following passage God offers spiritual growth to those who are willing to seek it.     

DC 76:2d for by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will; yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.

Isaiah 64: 4  For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

As verified by Isaiah, God seeks for His children to know of His ways. He seeks for them to leave behind their bondage to fear and doubt and join Him with a heart filled with the fullness of His truth. Such growth will allow us a fuller ability to hear and believe the voice of God. It will allow us in prayer to open our hearts fully to God and receive more of what He wants to give us. Prayer becomes more than just dedication, it truly gives us the ability to communicate with our Father in Heaven.

Mosiah 11:121  And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized in the waters of Mormon.

Our ability to humble ourselves completely to God allows us to hear His voice. This is wisdom that God promised to restore to us that we might be able to hear and understand all that He says.

The Inspired Version of the Bible given to Joseph Smith Jr. also contains plain and precious truths restored that the people might understand more fully our relationship with God.

Genesis 6:66 And, behold, all things have their likeness; and all things are created and made to bear record of me; both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath, all things bear record of me.

According to my research the bibles used by the churches of the world do not contain this very important bit of knowledge. Understand the virtue within the promise made here by God. All things in creation speak of and refer to the redemption of man to the face of God. Think of the rising sun. Does it just pop up into our view or does it grow in our perception from a gentle light that chases away the darkness to become an overwhelming light that destroys all shadow. Such is the way the voice of God grows in our life. When that harvest of the fall becomes the killing time of winter is all hope lost or does the promise of spring dwell in our hearts as a promise that we might be reborn again. Such is the way of repentance.

Understand the fullness of God that dwells everyday all around us. We can hear His voice with our eyes. We can find His truth within our failures as well as our successes. Each time God touches our life He speaks to our heart that we might learn and grow. The most precious truth we can add to our lives is that if we allow it, God will live within us through His Holy Spirit.

3 Nephi 5:4-5

5:4 And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice, as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard;

5:5 And it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice, nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice, it did pierce them that did hear, to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.

DC 98:4f Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion, for all flesh is in mine hands: be still, and know that I am God.

This is the voice of God. Listen for it and it will speak. Is this some metaphysical mumbo jumbo? No, it is truth and it can really become your truth if you allow it to. Think of the times we were faced with a situation that could be good or bad depending on our decision. This small voice within you gives you direction. Mankind calls it a conscience and that may very well be all it is, but as we grow in the knowledge of God and humble ourselves to the ways that God can work in our lives, we come to see truth as truth. This is the voice of God.

Psalms 46:10-11

46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

46:11 The Lord of hosts shall be with us, the God of Jacob our refuge. Selah.

“Good luck is no more than a blessing that God doesn’t get credit for.” I can give no credit for who originally coined this phrase, but it is both humbling and life altering. It speaks to me of the power of God in our life and our willingness to hear and accept the voice of God trying to lead us back to Him. I appreciate these words because of the Scriptures, but they came to me from a place beyond the Scriptures. Such is the reality of God. He comes to us both through the Scriptures and from beyond the Scriptures. Such is the reality of the fullness of His voice. The Scriptures taught us to listen and understand. His voice lives with us each day that our lives might become more abundant in the Word of God. One cannot exist without the other, nor can one replace the other. We need both, and God will allow us both if we but ask. But, we must ask.

1st Nephi  5:126-127

5:126 Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited;

5:127 And he hath created his children, that they should possess it.

2 Nephi1:114-115

1:114 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

1:115 Adam fell, that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

These are two promises of God that I found in the Book of Mormon. They spoke to me in a way that scripture never had before. That is why the Book of Mormon and why the Inspired Version of the Bible. It is the reason I reference them along with the Doctrine and Covenants, I want you to have to the same chance to choose that I did. In a fullness of understanding comes a choice worthy of the Kingdom of God. I want you to have that choice.

FRED