The Restoration of the GospelWidtsoe, Osborne J. P.
Religion
The Restoration of the Gospel
Widtsoe, Osborne J. P.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you
ignorant," wrote Paul to the Corinthians. "Ye know that ye were
Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit
of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is
the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts,
but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of administrations, but
the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations but it is the
same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit
is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the
Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, by the
same Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; to another the gift
of healing, by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to
another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another divers
kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all
these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he will."[H]
[Footnote H: I Cor. 12:1-11.]
XIII.
SACRED WRITINGS OF OLD.
_The Inspired Version_.
In December, 1830, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation in
which was contained an important promise pertaining to the sacred
records of the Church. The Church had been in existence little more
than six months. During those months it had grown phenomenally in
numbers. And during those months, too, many discussions had been
inevitably provoked concerning the infallibility of the scriptures.
The Prophet who lived and moved among them, the saints accepted as the
living oracle of God; and when they thirsted for the Water of Life,
he was abundantly able to give it them. But the sacred writings of
the Jews--the Bible--had not the power so to satisfy them as had the
quick word of the Prophet. Some of the words of the ancients were not
clear. It seemed that there were mistranslations, omissions, and even
interpolations in the Holy Book. Moreover, some valuable scriptures
seemed to have been lost. They appeared in the Book in name only; their
invaluable contents were unknown. In view of these conditions, it is
not surprising that the young Church should desire to know how much
of the Sacred Word of God, as it had been preserved to them, might be
accepted with authority. And what they longed to know was divinely
given to them. In a revelation received by the young Prophet in
December, 1830, the Lord said to Sidney Rigdon, "A commandment I give
unto thee, that thou shalt write for him [i. e., Joseph Smith]; and the
Scriptures shall be given, even as they are in mine own bosom, to the
salvation of mine own elect."[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov. 35:20.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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