The Scriptures and Revelation part 1

1 Nephi 5:10 - 19, NC 1 Nephi 1 par 22


And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel my father Lehi took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.  And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses which gave an account of the creation of the world and also of Adam and Eve who were our first parents, and also a record of the Jews from the beginning even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, and also the prophecies of the holy prophets from the beginning even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.  And it came to pass that my father Lehi also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers.  Wherefore, he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph, yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob who was sold into Egypt and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord that he might preserve his father Jacob and all his household from perishing with famine.  And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt by that same God who had preserved them.  And thus my father Lehi did discover the genealogy of his fathers.  And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore, he and his fathers had kept the records.  And now, when my father saw all these things he was filled with the Spirit and began to prophesy concerning his seed: that these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, and tongues, and people who were of his seed.  Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish neither should they be dimmed any more by time.  And he prophesied many things concerning his seed.


How long would it take to "search" the brass plates?

Is this account in any way reminiscent of or like unto an earlier experience Lehi had?


 ...and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.  And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord. And he read, saying:  Wo,wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations!  Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem - that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon. (1 Nephi 1:11 - 13, NC 1 Nephi 1 par. 3)


Are there any other examples of the Spirit inspiring or giving revelation to someone who is searching scripture?

In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions I often said to myself, What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right? Or are they all wrong together? And if any one of them be right, which is it? And how shall I know it?  While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse [Epistle of Jacob 1:2], which reads, 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. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine.  It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart.  I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did. (JSH 1:10 -12, Teachings and Commandments, JSH part 2 par. 3)

Did Joseph experience the same principle as Lehi here?

Joseph "labored" and Lehi "searched"; are these related actions?

When someone is "searching" are they "laboring"?

Does searching and laboring entail something more involved than just getting eyeballs over some words on a page or merely accepting preconceived notions of what the words on the page mean?

Let's apply a modern example of searching or laboring.

We, Joseph Smith Jr. and Sidney Rigdon, being in the Spirit on the sixteenth of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, by the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlarged, so as to see and understand the things of God, even those things which were from the beginning, before the world was, which were ordained of the Father through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father even from the beginning, of whom we bear record.  And the record which we bear is the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the Heavenly vision.  For while we were doing the work of translation which the Lord had appointed unto us, we came to the twenty-ninth verse of the fifth chapter of John [John 5:5], which was given to us as follows, speaking of the resurrection of the dead, concerning those who shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and shall come forth, they who have done good in the resurrection of the just, and they who have done evil in the resurrection of the unjust.  Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given unto us of the Spirit.  And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and we beheld the glory of the Son on the right hand of the Father and received of his fullness,... (D&C 76: 11 - 20, T&C 69 pars. 3 - 4)

What follows is a revelation which those familiar with Mormonism refer to as the vision of the three degrees of glory.

As we look at what Joseph and Sidney are doing with the scriptures as they translate could we say that they were laboring or searching?

Is it the same Spirit, active here in Joseph and Sidney that caused them to marvel as they read this passage of scripture and gave them the revelation of the degrees of glory, that also caused the scripture of James to enter into Joseph's heart and filled Lehi with prophecy and revelation as he searched the brass plates?

What do the scriptures say about those who wrote the scriptures?

We have, therefore, a more sure knowledge of the word of prophecy, to which word of prophecy you would do well to take heed, as unto a light which shines in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts; knowing this first: that no prophecy of the scriptures is given of any private will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (JST 2 Peter 1:19 - 21, NC 2 Peter par. 5)

The scriptures were written by those who were moved by the Holy Ghost to prophesy and reveal.

They contain the things of God.

How are the things of God to be understood?

But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.  But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit.  For the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?  Even so the things of God knows no man, except he has the Spirit of God.  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:9 - 13, NC 1 Corinthians par. 8)

As Lehi, Joseph and Sidney were laboring over or searching those things that were written by individuals who were moved upon by the Holy Ghost to write what happened?

When the Spirit moved upon them to enlarge their understandings of what they were reading did that have the effect of moving upon them to create more scripture?

Did these individuals end up writing by the power of the Holy Ghost inspired words that are part of the things of God?

Is that the end of the matter?

Because they followed this pattern is everything of God revealed now?

Let's go back to the vision of the three degrees of glory.

But great and marvelous are the works of the Lord, and the mysteries of his Kingdom which he showed unto us, which surpasses all understanding, in glory, and in might, and in dominion, which he commanded us we should not write while we were yet in the Spirit, and are not lawful for men to utter, neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him and purify themselves before him, to whom he grants the privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves that through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may be able to bear his presence in the world of glory. (D&C 76:114 - 118, T&C 69 par. 29)

Did you catch that?

How much of the degrees of glory was revealed?

The Prophet Joseph taught,

I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 305)

How are the revelation and the other things not written to be understood?

Is it possible that other scripture would and could be created by individuals who's understandings are enlarged and opened as they are given to know things of this revelation by the Holy Spirit?

What would be stopping us?

Joseph taught

The great thing for us to know is to comprehend what God did institute before the foundation
of the world. Who knows it? It is the constitutional disposition of mankind to set up stakes and set
bounds to the works and ways of the Almighty. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 320)

I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things
of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will
fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions: they cannot
stand the fire at all. How many will be able to abide a celestial law, and go through and receive
their exaltation, I am unable to say, as many are called, but few are chosen. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 331)

Is it possible for us in our laboring and searching in the scriptures to read into them our traditions and set up bounds to the works and ways of the Almighty?

Is it possible that our traditions make it almost impossible for God to reveal things to us from His scriptures because it would make us fly apart like glass?

Is that what Joseph was referring to as he talked about the people being prepared to receive more concerning the glories of the kingdoms?

Is it possible that if we come from a Mormon tradition that our minds are so set upon what we suppose we know concerning the vision of the degrees of glory that it is impossible for God to reveal more to us concerning the matter?

Is it possible that part of the hundredfold Joseph could have revealed could have been related to a context greater than just this one eternal round?

Joseph spoke in other sermons concerning Jacob's ladder and our progression stretching on into the eons of time.

Could these things be part of the 100 fold more that could be revealed?

Is it possible that our Mormon tradition of "eternal progression" is woefully inaccurate and incomplete but our reading into the scriptures our tradition prevents us from receiving anything more concerning the subject?

Is eternal progression something that God instituted before the foundation of the world?

Would that be a great thing for us to comprehend?

Is it possible that what God could reveal to us in this matter would completely obliterate our traditions and preconceived notions concerning eternal progression?

This is only one example of the possibility of the scriptures opening up a conduit of revelation to us personally.

Let's add to this the following admonition of the Savior to all men.

And again I say unto you, Ye must repent and be baptized in my name and become as a little child or ye can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God. (3 Nephi 11:38, NC 3 Nephi 5 par. 9)

Are children burdened down by tradition?

Is it in the disposition of children to set bounds to the works and ways of the Almighty?

Are the hearts of children open to receive whatever the Lord would reveal to them?

Is the reason that Lehi and Joseph had their understandings enlarged as they labored over and searched the scriptures because their hearts were as the hearts of children and they paid no attention to tradition?

We have just looked briefly at one example of what has been revealed that has the promise that more could be revealed in the matter.

Is there any declaration or promise of this nature concerning the Book of Mormon?

And now there cannot be written in this book even an hundreth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people.  But behold, the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.  And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people, and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people from the gentiles according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.  And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first to try their faith, and if it should so be that they shall believe these things, then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.  And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them unto their condemnation.  Behold, I were about to write them all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbid it, saying, I will try the faith of my people. (3 Nephi 26:6 - 11, NC 3 Nephi 12 par. 1)

Is it possible for the Spirit to move upon anyone who is willing to search and labor over the Book of Mormon with the disposition of a child and open up the windows of revelation to them so that they receive new scripture?

Is it a condemnation upon us if we do not do so?