Steven Bassett
Bro. Gentry
Eng 106
28 June 2019
God
Speaks to All Men
When
one studies extra-biblical sources of revelation, one learns that God speaks to
all men in their own language and culture.
This search for extra-biblical sources of revelation can enrich one's
life and enrich the lives of one's family and friends. But still, one asks how can the study of
extra-biblical sources improve one's life?
These men lived hard lives; we may have lived a hard life. They learned
about God; we can learn about God. They
learned to recognize the voice of God; we can learn to recognize the voice of
God. God has things he needs us to do, only us, not anyone else. If we can learn how they received a
revelation; we can receive revelations. Studying both standard works and
extra-biblical text will help us recognize the voice of God in our lives and
assist one in receiving revelation.
First,
studying extra-biblical text will help us recognize the voice of God in our
lives. Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet, learned how to recognize the voice of
God and learned that God speaks to all men in their own time, language, and
culture.
“For my soul delighteth in plainness; for
after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the
Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men
according to their language, unto their understanding.” (2 Nephi 31:33)
If
God does speak to all men in their languages, times, and cultures; we need to
identify these sources in our native culture and language. This native culture,
for me, is largely Anglo-Saxon-Norman.
The native language I speak is English.
In studying the Bible, I learned it is a rich source of information
about God. It has been giving
inspiration and comfort, for many people, for generations. It is a collection of stories and myths that
reach back before recorded time.
These
stories were preserved because people found them helpful in living and
understanding their daily experiences. The problem I have with the Bible is it
was written in languages foreign to me and to cultures I do not
understand. To understand these
revelations, I need to understand the cultures of their prophets.
We
can study to recognize the voice of God. He will assist us in receiving
revelation. These prophets and apostles learned the true nature of God. They shared their testimony of him with us,
and many paid for their revelations with their lives. Some of these men sought to reform the church
as a part of their revelations. These teaching can be difficult to understand
because they were written for another time, place, culture, and language. The English Prophets wrote to people who
spoke English; their culture was
Anglo-Saxon- Norman. Our culture has
changed a great deal since their time, but this shared culture is more similar
to my culture than the cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, or Judea.
John Taylor was a lay Methodist preacher born in
Milnthorpe, Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), England. He felt a calling to go
to the Americas to preach. He emigrated
to Toronto, Canada where he was introduced to an extra-biblical text, The Book
of Mormon. This book led him to study
the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to later
join that church. In a talk in the Salt
Lake City, Utah Tabernacle, he stated.
"I
have heard some people say, — If God revealed himself to men in other days, why
not reveal himself to us?” I say, why not to us? ...
There were men who could gaze upon the face of God, have the ministering
of angels, and unfold the future destinies worldwide. If those were dark ages,
I pray God to give me a little darkness and deliver me from the light and intelligence
that prevail in our day” (Taylor).
John Taylor learned to
trust extra-biblical texts. I can learn to trust extra-biblical texts. I have the courage to search for
extra-biblical texts. I can be guided by The Holy Ghost. I know how they received
revelation and how I can receive revelation.
We have standard works for a reason, generations of
people have learned they can be trusted. When we fail to use these standard
works and rely too much on non-biblical text and personal revelation, we can be
misinformed. In 1524, the citizens of
Munster, a small Germain town in Westphalia, demonstrated what can happen when
we depend too much on personal revelations.
The Anabaptist, a protestant sect, gained control of the city. They were first assisted by the anti-Catholic
Luther leaders of the town. John Leiden
gained control of the city and ruled it by personal revelations. There were a larger number of women in town
then men. He legalized polygamy. The
town was surrounded by an army and forced to surrender. This rebellion leads to The Treaty of
Westphalia. By this treaty, all
countries were required to adopt the religion of their monarch. This event reduced personal religious
freedom.
There
were men who produced extra-biblical text while holding fast to the standard
works. One of my favorites is John
Milton, He failed in his mission to create the English Republic based on Puritan
principles. With the failure of The English Republic and the restoration of the English Monarchy under Charles II,
Milton despaired that his life's work was a failure. Few men of his age knew more about the
biblical text, in Greek and Hebrew, then John knew. He had an understanding of the ancient Greek
stories and myths and the Greek philosophers. John Milton lost his eyesight. He wondered what good was a blind poet and philosopher;
he then received the following revelation from God in the form of a poem.
On
His Blindness
When
I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and
wide,
And that one Talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more
bent
To
serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide;
“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”
I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent
That
murmur, soon replies, "God" doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His
state
Is
Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
They
also serve who only stand and wait.
(John
Milton)
John is an example of a person who honored both the Biblical
text and created new scripture. It was
after receiving this revelation that he produced Paradise Lost and Paradise
Regained. These texts are epic poetry,
in the tradition of The Odyssey, or The Iliad.
The first poem describes the Fall
of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden; The War in Heaven before The Creation
and why God chose Jesus Christ as The Redeemer. The second describes a
conversation Jesus and Lucifer had for 40 days, in the wilderness, after Jesus
was baptized. By itself, either text would
have been the work of a lifetime. These texts would be difficult to produce for
a man with good eyesight and a research library. John produced these from memory as a blind
poet. He composed it nightly and then dictated it to a secretary in the
morning.
Lives
will be improved by our study of both biblical and extra-biblical sources. God
has revealed things in our native culture and language. Thanks to the invention of the internet these
extra-biblical teachings are easier to locate and access now. One should also search out and find other
extra-biblical sources of inspiration and guidance; I ask you to continue to
study the standard works, but also don’t be afraid of expanding your horizon
and search out other sources of information in your native time, language, and
culture.
Works
Cited
Smith, Joseph. The Book
of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints, 2013.
“The Knowledge of God and
Mode of Worshiping Him John Taylor.” John Taylor: The Knowledge of God, Etc
(Journal of Discourses), journalofdiscourses.com/16/26.
Milton, John. “Sonnet
19: When I Consider How My Light Is Spent by John Milton.” Poetry
Foundation, Poetry Foundation,
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44750/sonnet-19-when-i-consider-how-my-light-is-spent.
