A TREASURE ABOVE GOLD

 

I love the standard works of scripture because in each of them I see the Christ.

In the Old Testament I see the merciful Jehovah. His long suffering towards His people Israel, despite their backsliding, is beyond my ability to understand. In the Old Testament I see the roots of His covenant with us, His people. I see His devotion, His mercy, and His commitment that will never be broken by Him.

In the New Testament I see Isaiah’s ‘suffering servant’ (Isaiah 53). I see Christ’s descent from His throne, I see the man of sorrows, the sacrificial lamb, the Saviour of all, and I see the hope of eternal life, the triumph over humanity’s foe.

In the Book of Mormon I see the manifested promised Messiah. I see the God of Israel who fulfils all prophecies and all His promises. And again, I see mercy……on every page.

In the Pearl of Great Price I see the brilliance and godship of a son of God who created worlds without number and who was willing to sink into the bottomless pit of human suffering nailing himself to the cross 'from the foundation of the world'. I see His integrity which earned Him my vote and devotion for all time and eternity.

In the Doctrine and Covenants, I see the majestic, exalted God. I see His inexhaustible work in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man through the restoration of His priesthood, the portal to life everlasting to all who will come into His Kingdom. And I see the King of Glory who will come to reign on this earth and subdue all enemies under His feet (Isaiah 9:6,7).

President Joseph Fielding Smith has said that the Doctrine and Covenants is our book. It stands above the Bible, The Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. Whereas these books of scripture are vital, they belong to another time. Doctrine and Covenants belongs to the Latter-Day Saints in this dispensation. He said we should ‘treasure it more than the riches of the whole earth’ (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:198-99).

And this is why. On another occasion, President Smith said that if we put into practice the revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, “we will know the truth and there shall be no weapon formed against us that shall prosper (see D&C 71:9-11). There shall be no false doctrines and no teachings of men that will deceive us” (In Conference Report, Oct 1931, p 17).

There is only one thing that the Doctrine and Covenants lacks. On the very first page should be Moroni’s admonition to us and to the whole world, to ‘ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ’ if the revelations contained therein are true…..and if we shall ask, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto us, by the power of the Holy Ghost……for by the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things (Moroni 9:3,4)

The dynamics of the fulness of the truth given to us in this the last hour of this dispensation with the priceless gift of the Holy Ghost to prepare us for the coming of the Son of Man in this the mire of corruption, evil and Satan’s desperate attempt to destroy us, is beyond God’s mercy. The combined truth with the guidance of the Holy Ghost is more precious than gold. It will bring us to Zion and to our God.

It is time to heed President Nelson’s voice: “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost”.

We are the House of Israel. We are the covenant people. We are His peculiar treasure above all people (Exodus 19:5). We are ‘the apple of His eye’ (Det 32:9,10; Zech 2:8), hidden under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 17:8), we are His people and He is our God.

This is our Doctrine and these are our Covenants…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Book of Life by Chris Brazelton)