Scriptures

When holy men of God write or speak by the power of
the Holy Ghost, their words “shall be scripture, shall be the
will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the
word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the
power of God unto salvation” (D&C 68:4). The official, canonized
scriptures of the Church, often called the standard
works, are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and
Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. These books of scripture
are described on pages 156–59.
Importance of Daily Scripture Study
The principal purpose of scriptures is to testify of Christ,
helping us come unto Him and receive eternal life (see John
5:39; 20:31; 1 Nephi 6:4; Mosiah 13:33–35). The prophet
Mormon testified:
“Whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God,
which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all
the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead
the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that
everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the
wicked—
“And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the
right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with
Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy
fathers, to go no more out” (Helaman 3:29–30).
Latter-day prophets counsel us to study the scriptures
every day, both individually and with our families. They
encourage us, as Nephi encouraged his brethren, to liken the
scriptures to ourselves, finding ways that the sacred accounts
of old apply in our lives today (see 1 Nephi 19:23–24). They
exhort us to “search the scriptures” ( John 5:39) and “feast
upon the words of Christ” (2 Nephi 32:3).
You will benefit greatly by following this counsel. Daily,
meaningful scripture study helps you be receptive to the
whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It builds your faith, fortifies
you against temptation, and helps you draw near to your
Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son.
Develop a plan for your personal study of the scriptures.
Consider setting aside a certain amount of time each day to
study the scriptures. During that time, read carefully, being
attentive to the promptings of the Spirit. Ask your Heavenly
Father to help you know what He would have you learn
and do.
Continue reading the scriptures, particularly the Book of
Mormon, throughout your life. You will rediscover the treasures
of the scriptures again and again, finding new meaning
and application in them as you study them at different stages
of life.
If you are married, set aside time each day to read the
scriptures as a family. This effort may be difficult, but it will
yield wonderful, eternal results. Under the guidance of the
Spirit, plan scripture reading that will meet the needs of your
family. Do not be afraid of reading the scriptures to small children.
The language of those sacred records has power to
touch even the very young.
The Bible
The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament
and the New Testament. The Old Testament is a sacred record
of God’s dealings with His covenant people in the Holy Land.
It includes the teachings of such prophets as Moses, Joshua,
Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. The New Testament records the
birth, mortal ministry, and Atonement of the Savior. It concludes
with the ministry of the Savior’s disciples.
Because the Bible has been translated many times, it is
printed in different versions. In English, the King James
Version of the Bible is accepted as scripture by the Church.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we
revere the Bible and its sacred teachings. We can receive
strength and comfort from the biblical accounts of God’s dealings
with His people.
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
The Book of Mormon came forth in this dispensation by
the will of the Lord. It is a record of God’s dealings with the
people who lived in the ancient Americas. Prophets of the
Lord engraved the original records on gold plates. The Lord
declared that the Book of Mormon contains “the fulness of the
gospel of Jesus Christ” (D&C 20:9; see also D&C 42:12).
On September 22, 1827, an angel named Moroni—the last
Book of Mormon prophet—delivered these records to the
Prophet Joseph Smith. By the gift and power of God, the
Prophet Joseph translated the record into English. Since then,
the Book of Mormon has been translated into many other languages.
The primary purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince
all people “that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God,
manifesting himself unto all nations” (title page of the Book of
Mormon). It teaches that all people “must come unto him, or
they cannot be saved” (1 Nephi 13:40). Joseph Smith said that
the Book of Mormon is “the keystone of our religion, and a
man [will] get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than
by any other book” (introduction to the Book of Mormon).
The Book of Mormon is another witness for the truths
taught in the Bible. It also restores “plain and precious”
truths that have been lost from the Bible through errors in
translation or “taken away” in attempts to “pervert the right
ways of the Lord” (see 1 Nephi 13:24–27, 38–41). The Bible
and the Book of Mormon “shall grow together, unto the confounding
of false doctrines and laying down of contentions,
and establishing peace” (2 Nephi 3:12).
Near the end of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni
teaches us how we can know the book is true: “When ye shall
receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask
God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things
are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real
intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it
unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 10:4; see
also verses 3 and 5).
The Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations given to
the Prophet Joseph Smith. It also includes a few revelations
given to other latter-day prophets. This book of scripture is
unique because it is not a translation of ancient documents. It
is a collection of revelations given by the Lord to His chosen
prophets in the latter days.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said that the Doctrine and
Covenants is “the foundation of the Church in these last days,
and a benefit to the world, showing that the keys of the mysteries
of the kingdom of our Savior are again entrusted to
man” (section heading for D&C 70).
The Pearl of Great Price
The Pearl of Great Price contains the book of Moses, the
book of Abraham, the Prophet Joseph Smith’s inspired translation
of Matthew chapter 24, and some writings of the
Prophet Joseph.
The book of Moses is a small excerpt from Joseph Smith’s
inspired translation of the Bible. It is a more complete record
of Moses’s writings at the beginning of the book of Genesis in
the Old Testament. It contains many doctrines and teachings
that were lost from the Bible and gives additional information
about the plan of salvation, the creation of the earth, and the
Lord’s dealings with Adam and Enoch.
The book of Abraham is a translation of ancient records
written on papyrus that came into the possession of the
Church in 1835. The Prophet Joseph Smith translated the
records by revelation. This book contains truths about the premortal
Council in Heaven, the creation of the earth, the nature
of God, and the priesthood.
Joseph Smith—Matthew adds to our knowledge of the
Savior’s teachings about His Second Coming.
The writings of Joseph Smith in the Pearl of Great Price
include:
• Joseph Smith—History, which is an excerpt from the
Prophet’s history of the Church. It is a narrative of the
events leading to the restoration of the Church,
including the First Vision, the visits of Moroni to the
Prophet Joseph, the obtaining of the gold plates, and
the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood.
• The Articles of Faith, which the Prophet Joseph Smith
wrote as basic statements of belief and doctrine.
Additional references: Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Nephi 25:26;
Alma 17:2–3; 3 Nephi 23:1–5; D&C 18:33–36; Articles of Faith 1:8
See also Prophets; Restoration of the Gospel; Revelation