It is a miracle that we have the Bible’s powerful doctine, principles, poetry, and stories. But most of all, it is a wonderful miracle that we have the account of the life, ministry, and words of Jesus, which were protected thru the Dark Ages. And thru the conflicts of countless generations so that we can have it today.

It is a miracle that the Bible contains within its pages the converting, healing Spirit of Christ, which has turned men’s hearts for centuries, leading them to pray, to choose right paths, and to search to find the Savior.

The Holy Bible is well named. It is holy because it teaches truth, holy because it warms us with its spirit, holy because it teaches us to know God and understand His dealings with men, and holy because it testifies thru out it’s pages of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Abeaham Lincoln said of the Bible: “This Great Book… is the best gift God has given to men. All the good Jesus Christ gave to the world was communicated thru this book. But for without it we would not know right from wrong”[Speeches and Writings, 1859-1865 {1989}, 628].

It is not by chance or coincidance that we have the Bible today. Righteous people were prompted by the Spirit to record both the sacred things they saw and the inspired words they heard and spoke. Other devted people were prompted to protect and preserve these records. Men like John Wcliffe, William Tyndale, and Johannes Gutenberg were prompted against much opposition to translat the Bible into language the people could understand and publish in books that people could read. I believe that the scolars of King James had spiritual promptings in their translation work.

The Dark Ages were dark because the light of the gospel was hidden from the people. They did not have prophets or apostles, nor did they have access to the Bible. The clergy kept the scriptures secret and unavailable to the people. We owe much to the many brave martyrs and reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Huss who demanded freedom to worship and common access to the holy books.

William Tyndale gave his life because he believed so deeply in the power of the Bible. He said, “The nature of God’s word is, that who ever reads it or hears it reasoned or desputed before him will begin immediately to make him every day better and better, till he grows into a perfect man”[in S. Michael Wilcox, Fire in the Bones: Willim Tyndale-Martyr, Father of the English Bible {2004}, xv].

Honest diligent study of the Bible does make us better and better, and we must remember the countless martyrs who knew of its power and who gave their lives that we might be able to find within its words the path to eternal happiness and the peace of our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom.

Tens of millions of individuals have come to a faith in God and and in Jesus Christ theu seeking in the Holy Bible. Countless numbers of them had nothing but the Bible to feed and guide their faith.

Because of the efforts of the reformers, “the Bible became a household possession. The word of God was read by the lowly as well as the great”{John A Widsoe, in the Conference Report, Aprl. 1939, 20}.

How grateful we should be for the Holy Bible. I love the Bible, its teachings, its lessons and its spirit. Most of all I love the the words and example and the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. I love the perspective and peace that comes from reading the Bible.

I am sure many of you have heard that “Mormans are not Christians because they have their own Bible, the Book of Morman”. To anyone having this misconception, we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and the author of our salvation and that we believe, and love the Holy Bible. We do have additional sacred scripture, the Book of Mormon, but it supports the Bible never substituting for it.

Members of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable” {2 Timothy 3:16}. We love the Bible. That may be surprising to some who may not be aware of our belief in the Bible as the revealed word of God. {This message was paraphrased from an article in the Ensign, May 2007, pp. 80-82}.

Many people think we do not believe in the Bible, BUT we believe in it and my husband and I try to take time every day to read it.  AND usually even if we do not read in it together  we will each read something from it each day by ourselves.   LUV and HUGS Mary Lou