Because Heavenly Father and Jesus love [me], they gave [me] the scriptures so that [I] can learn about the gospel and how to live it. The word scripture means a “holy writing.” When we read the scriptures, we learn what Heavenly Father expects of us, what He will do if we obey Him, and what will happen if we disobey Him.
The four books that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accept as scripture are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The inspired words of our living prophets are also accepted as scripture (see A of F 1:9).
The word Bible means “sacred book.” The Bible is divided into two sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament foretells the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and records the Lord’s dealings with men before His birth. The New Testament tells about the life of Jesus when He was on the earth and about the Apostles He chose to lead His early church.
The Book of Mormon is about some of the people who were led anciently to the Americas and about the Savior’s visit to them soon after He was resurrected. The purpose of this book is to convince all people that Jesus is the Savior and Redeemer of the world.
The Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith and others for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. All of these scriptures teach us about principles and ordinances of the gospel such as baptism (D&C 20:72–74), the sacrament (D&C 20:75–79), and the law of tithing (D&C 119:3–4).
The Pearl of Great Price tells about our premortal life, the Creation, the purpose of life, and the last days. Joseph Smith’s story and the Articles of Faith are also found in the Pearl of Great Price.
(Karen Lofgreen, “Sharing Time: The Scriptures,” Friend, Aug 1995, 36)
Our scriptures contain some of the most exciting stories ever written, and the best part of all is that these stories are true! Once you really get into reading the scriptures, you will want to study them every day.
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