Our Marvelous Work
We live in marvelous times when God is revealing truth from heaven at a rate that boggles the mind. To access this truth, we have tools to quickly search entire libraries in the blink of an eye if we know the right questions to ask. These massive databases contain many false ideas along with the pearls of truth. Without an adequate amount of skepticism of our information sources, we are easily led down paths of agenda-driven opinions or incorrect traditions. Even scriptural queries return doctrines of old dogma based on creeds that originated in politics mixed with religious thought. However, the truth is like gold hidden in deep crevices that lie on bedrock.
Along with the avalanche of truth comes the fog of doubt and opposition to it. With the readily available overload of information, which bombards us from every direction, voices convince us that our suffering is the fault of someone or something other than ourselves and that our happiness comes from external things. The one thing that allows us to see through the mist is the light within each of us. The world may refer to it as conscience, but we know it as the light of Christ. This powerful tool is extended and strengthened as we practice patient pondering. The light dims when we ignore our conscience and act in ways contrary to it.
In chapter 29:11, Isaiah speaks of a marvelous work the Lord will do in the last days: “And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed…” In verse 18, he says, “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.”
I want to take a minute and unpack some of the things in those verses that come to mind. The phrase “the vision of all” is an excellent place to start. I can think of at least three people who experienced this vision to some extent. The first, and perhaps the most powerful, is in chapter one of the book of Moses. Verse 8 reads, “And it came to pass that Moses looked, and beheld the world upon which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly marveled and wondered.” We know that Lehi, Nephi, and the apostle John saw and prophesied all things from the beginning to the end of the earth.
When Jesus appeared to the Nephites on the American continent, he “did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory—yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away.” Later in the Book of Moroni taught, “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
The second part of Isaiah’s prophecy about the book is that it is sealed. Why is it sealed? The common understanding is that it is sealed from the learned because of spiritual blindness. This is certainly plausible, and I think it is probable because academia seems to be willfully blind to things outside their self-perceived all-knowing perspective. The book is readable to unlearned or humble/teachable individuals. When the scripture says that the deaf will hear the words of the book, and the blind will see out of obscurity, I believe that describes the effects of truth to those in spiritual silence and darkness.
As Latter-day Saints, we believe it refers to the part of the sealed gold plates. The reason for that sealing is up for speculation, but I feel that it contains detailed prophecies of future events that would eliminate the need for faith to understand.
My purpose in setting the stage this way is to point out our part in God’s plan to spread the truth of the gospel to the world, which is indeed a marvelous work and a wonder.
The Bible contains much truth but is not as complete as modern Christendom would claim. The fact that it is as complete as it is and has survived so long is a miracle. Consider how the Bible was assembled; you must admit that specific texts were omitted. Others, including sincere or otherwise scholars and historians, decided the corpus and canon of scripture to be used by the church. Remember that there are no known original biblical texts from the authors themselves.
Despite the Book of Mormon being the most correct book on the earth, according to Joseph Smith, even the title page declares, “And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.” The same should be said of the Bible. We cannot simply dismiss things we don’t understand or agree with in the Bible by claiming they are mistranslated. The “plain and precious” parts taken out of the Bible are most likely not acts of malevolent actors but of ignorance. I would instead give those who preserved what we now enjoy the benefit of the doubt.
These two precious resources of truth are only valuable if we study them and prayerfully contemplate their words. If we have the Spirit with us, the truth contained in these books will bring us out of obscurity and darkness. It becomes our privilege and responsibility to bring others to this light and knowledge. Each of us carries forward God’s marvelous work and wonder as prophesied in Isaiah.
Critics of this work exist in modern Christendom who seek to persuade us to conform to doctrines that do not have their origin in biblical teachings. Indeed, the bedrock of most denominations is the doctrine of the Trinity. This harmful belief puts a barrier between us and the God who created us by saying that knowing God is beyond us and always will be. However, Jesus told us that eternal life is to “know God” and himself. This implies more than having a relationship with them but understanding and sharing in the divine essence itself.
Another battle we must fight in bringing light and truth to the world is that God is not silent. He didn’t quit speaking when the books of the Bible were compiled. The canon of scripture, especially the New Testament, did not exist in the time of Christ or the apostles. It is preposterous to think that the Bible contains all God’s words. That notion has no basis in biblical reality. God tailored his instruction to his children as circumstances changed.
We must prepare ourselves with knowledge as we attempt to bring forth God’s marvelous work in our day. We must know and understand the tactics of critics who seek to thwart the work from progressing. They have dealt a blow by destroying those with wavering faith and providing an easy out for those who question. This preparation allows us to testify, using words that blunt the criticism and replace doubt with light and truth.