Should the name “The Church Of Jesus Christ
Of Latter-Day Saints” be printed on the binder of the King James Bible? Should the Bible be considered Mormon
scripture? Is it worthy enough?
The story of the woman at the well, in John 4:4-42, is a very gracious story. Since Jesus was a Jew, it was
strange that he would walk through Samaria.
The Jews did not associate with Samaritans. Jesus started a conversation with the woman
at the well. She does not sound like she
was worthy to be in the presence of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that she had had 5 husbands and
the man she was currently with was not her husband. I think we can assume that she was not
“temple worthy”. She probably didn’t
have a temple recommend. I doubt that
she had been paying her tithing. She
does not sound like a religious person at all. She probably had plenty of bad works and a bad reputation.
Suddenly she was in the presence of Jesus Christ. As Jesus was talking to this UNWORTHY
woman, he told that her if she had known the “gift of God”, she would have
asked him for living water. In John 4:14
he said, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life.”
When Jesus mentioned her 5 husbands and current man, she changed the
subject by talking about worship. She
said in John 4:20, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that
in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus answered her question. In John 4:21, 23, 24 we read, “Jesus saith
unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this
mountain nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father…But the hour cometh,…when the
true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the
Father seeketh such to worship him. God
is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth.” If this was not enough, he went
on to tell her that he was Christ, the Messiah.
As you continue reading the story, you find that she went on a little mission
trip and brought many Samaritans to Jesus.
The Mormon Church seems to have a focus on worthiness. However, this is a story of an unworthy person and Jesus. Should this story be considered scripture?
There is a
temple story in Luke 18:9-14. “And he
spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and despised others: Two men
went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with
himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would
not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell
you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every
one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall
be exalted.” This story focuses on two men. One was not only unworthy but called himself a sinner.
Luke 5:30-32 is another passage that compares worthy and
unworthy people. “But the scribes and Pharisees
murmured against his disciples, saying Why do ye eat and drink with publicans
and sinners? And Jesus answering said
unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are
sick. I came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.” The focus
here is on the unworthy also.
The temple in the Old testament must have drawn a lot of
unworthy people. If you sinned against
God, you went to the temple with your goat or other animal and the priest
sacrificed the animal for your sin. They did this at least once a year.
The temple was a place for unworthy sinners to come.
Moroni 10:32 has more of a Mormon flavor with attention given to worthiness. “…if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God
with all your might, mind and strength, then
is his grace sufficient for you,…” The
next verse says, “And again, if
ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ
by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ,…” You probably know 1 Nephi 3:7, “…the Lord
giveth no commandements unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way
for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” According to this verse, it should be
possible to keep every commandment. So
we are without excuse. 2 Nephi 25:23
says, “..;for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can
do.”
So here is the question: If you were in President Monson’s shoes,
would you say that the King James Bible is “worthy” enough to be considered
scripture or is it too focused on the “unworthy”? Should the name, “The Church Of Jesus Christ
Of Latter Day Saints” be associated with it?
Good, Robert! :-)
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