MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
Christ is acclaimed by Christians everywhere as the founder
of their faith and the greatest man who ever lived. But there
the unity of belief concerning him and his mission ceases.
Some people even in this day of education and enlightenment
profess to believe that the Mormons (members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) do not believe in Christ, but
rather have some mystical theology based on a belief in Joseph
Smith, or Brigham Young, or Mormon. Nothing could be further
from the truth.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known
informally by the nickname Mormons) believe the Bible. Indeed, so
literally and completely do their beliefs and practices conform to
the teachings of the Bible that it is not uncommon to hear
informed persons say:"If all men believed the Bible, all would
be Mormons." Bible doctrine is Mormon doctrine, and Mormon
doctrine is Bible doctrine. They are one and the same.
But as is well known, the Bible does not contain all the doctrine
and truths taught by the prophets and apostles, nor have the
teachings preserved in it come down to us in an absolutely
perfect form. There are and have been many translations and
versions of the Bible, each of which varies from the others.
Mormons fortunately, however, are not forced to reply solely
on the testimony of prophets and apostles of Old and New
Testament times and lands. They have latter-day revelation,
given through prophets of modern times, and also an inspired
record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the
American continent.
Joseph Smith was the prophet who, under the direction of Christ,
translated and brought forth in modern times the Book of Mormon.
This book is a record of God's dealings with a people who had
the fullness of the gospel and who anciently inhabited the
American continent. Their prophets had the same spirit of
testimony and revelation enjoyed by the old world representatives
of the Lord. They spoke of Christ, prophesied of his coming,
taught his doctrines, had his gospel, and administered the
ordinances of salvation with his authority.
All of these things are spoken of in the Book of Mormon, and,
accordingly, that volume is a new witness of Christ. It is a
volume of scripture that supplements and supports, but does
not supplant the Bible. The two Scriptures go hand in hand
in bearing testimony of the divinity of Christ and in teaching
his doctrines. The Book of Mormon has the advantage
of plainness and simplicity in style. Indeed, there never
were plainer or more powerful prophecies fortelling the
coming and mission of Christ than those preserved for us
in the Book of Mormon. And these came to the modern world
through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
A prophet is one who has the supreme knowledge, engraven
in his soul by revelation, that Jesus is the Christ "For the
testimony of Jesus is (by definition) the spirit of prophecy."
(Revelation 19:10.)
The Bible and the book of Mormon bear the same testimony.
Both are records of God's dealings with ancient peoples
who had the fullness of the gospel, who knew of Christ and
his laws, and who had a sure hope of eternal salvation in the
kingdom of the Father. They are in perfect agreement with
each other. When taken together the Bible and the Book of
Mormon give a plain and clear picture of Christ and of the laws
of salvation.
