A Testimony of the Bible

Recently, there were some missionaries standing around with an investigator after church, teaching him a discussion. They were talking about the Bible. And, to my dismay, I realized that they were telling the gentleman that it's not as valuable, not as good as, not as important as, not as inspired as the Book of Mormon. I could feel the resistance rising in the man, as they told him that this amazing book of holy writ that he cherishes is... not that important.

I really can't blame the missionaries; they were teaching the same thing that I've heard in numerous Sunday School classes, sacrament meeting talks, and other conversations in the Church over the years: We believe the Bible to be the word of God -- but only as far as it's translated correctly... and it's not very correct: The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It's not an uncommon attitude to encounter in the various classes. Our missionaries are young; they teach investigators the things that we teach our children and our youth. There's a big problem with that in this instance:

This idea that the Bible is "less than" other modern(better) scripture is false doctrine.

Say it again: "We believe the Bible to be the word of God."

Teaching the Reformation

We're doing the Ancients this year in history, so we're not to the Reformation - yet. But reading Fire in the Bones: William Tyndale, Martyr has made me aware of the sacrifices that the reformers made so that we could read the scriptures in comfort and safety. Although I'd heard of the Inquisition, I'd somehow entirely missed what it was about. I had no idea that people were burned at the stake for possessing and reading the Bible! I don't know a lot about it yet, but I'm learning. And next year, Monkey will too.

Cocoa, at Chocolate on my Cranium, is doing the Reformation with her kids right now. And hers a little older than mine, but she's gathered together a wonderful list of resources on the Reformation, mainly from the manuals and magazines put out by the Church, that she's sharing. I can't wait to dig into some of them myself!