Scripture Chains

The footnotes at the bottom of the pages of our scriptures are incredibly useful and can give us many added insights into the meaning of the scriptures we are studying, but they are by no means all-inclusive.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "I received a letter from a seminary teacher in which he criticized our new scriptural publications because they had footnotes, cross references, and teaching aids.  He argued that these were crutches which kept people from that intensive study in which they would make their own cross references.

"Well, I for one need these crutches and recommend them to you.  They include the Joseph Smith translation items, the chapter headings, Topical Guide, Bible Dictionary, footnotes, the gazetteer, and the maps.

"None of these are perfect; they do not of themselves determine doctrine; there have been and undoubtedly now are mistakes in them,  Cross references, for instance, do not establish and never were intended to prove the parallel passages so much as pertain to the same subject."  (BYU Symposium, August 17, 1984, Elder Bruce R. McConkie, The Bible -- A Sealed Book)

This is why I think Scripture Chains are important.  One, they are very useful in the flow of doctrine and guidance from the scriptures.  And, two, they are of our own making, which shows how WE, individually, receive doctrine and guidance from the scriptures.

Here is an example of one of the Scripture Chains I have in my scriptures about receiving personal revelation.

Here is another Scripture Chain explaining the concept of "cross yourself":

Matthew 16:24-26 (and especially the Joseph Smith translation) --> Alma 39:9 --> Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, McConkie & Millet, pg. 292: Alma 39:9 --> 3 Nephi 12:30

(Important tip: at the end of the chain, always make a notation that states which is the originating scripture, that way you know where you started.)

The significant part is that these chains are a representation of YOUR personal study and understanding of the scriptures.

Thankful for the scriptures!

I am very thankful for the abundance of blessings that my Heavenly Father bestows upon me daily, hourly, every minute.  He knows my needs and is in constant readiness to bless me with the things that I stand in need of.  I am grateful, especially for the scriptures, and the amazing comfort, guidance and strength they are to me as I open them and read and study their words.  I am grateful for the testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ and His Atonement, which is found in the scriptures, which strengthens and enriches my own!  Heavenly Father so carefully directed those who recorded their inspiration, histories and knowledge, that we might benefit from them!  

What a marvelous, marvelous blessing we enjoy in the scriptures!

Psalms 100:4 

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: 

be thankful unto him, and bless his name."

Colossians 3:15

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, 

to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

Psalms 95:2

"Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, 

and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms."

Colossians 2:7

"Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, 

as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."

Alma 34:37-38

"And now, my beloved brethren, I desire that ye should remember these things, 

and that ye should work out your salvation with fear before God, and that ye should 

no more deny the coming of Christ;

"That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you 

the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in 

whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, 

for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you."

Doctrine & Covenants 46:7

"But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which 

the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, 

walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with 

prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, 

or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils."

Doctrine & Covenants 136:28

"If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, 

and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving."

Definitions

When I am able to sit down and really study my scriptures or a lesson or a General Conference talk, one of the things that I like to do is look up words in the dictionary to discover their meaning.  Most of the time, I already know what the word means, but often I have found that there is usually more in the definition of a word than I realized.  

For example, the lesson for Relief Society/Priesthood yesterday was from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, chapter 20: Love and Concern for all of Our Father's Children.  As I read through the lesson, in section 1, there was the following quote:

I think if all men knew and understood who they are, and were aware of the divine source from whence they came, and of the infinite potential that is part of their inheritance, they would have feelings of kindness and kinship for each other that would change their whole way of living and bring peace on earth.

We believe in the dignity and divine origin of man. Our faith is founded on the fact that God is our Father, and that we are his children, and that all men are brothers and sisters in the same eternal family.

As members of his family, we dwelt with him before the foundations of this earth were laid, and he ordained and established the plan of salvation whereby we gained the privilege of advancing and progressing as we are endeavoring to do.

I love that first paragraph! Beautiful! 

Actually, this is what my page looked like:

But the word I want to focus on is privilege.  I know what that word means.  It means that you have something that someone else doesn't, by virtue of your birth or work or efforts.  When I looked up the word, however, I discovered that it had a lot more meaning than I thought.  And, in a different way, I am sure, than Mr. Webster had in mind.

(image source)

I was intrigued by the fact that nearly all of the definitions for the word privilege contained the word immunity.  That concept in relation to the word privilege had never before entered my mind.  

From a Latter-day Saint perspective, with an understanding of the Plan of Salvation, the word immunity, in relation to privilege, makes perfect sense!

Because we know the Plan of Salvation, because we love God and keep His commandments, and, most importantly, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we can "endeavor to advance and progress" because we can repent and be forgiven and strive to do better.  This gives us an advantage, because as we take these steps, we gain immunity from the effects of physical and spiritual death.  How great is that?!!  And, that is definitely something to be enjoyed!

I am so grateful for the many resources that bless our lives and help us to find greater meaning and application to the scriptures in our lives!  It is indeed a privilege! 

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