Although there are many wonderful commentaries, we cannot forget to go to the source text. As members of the Kingdom of God, we must be able to feed ourselves, or rather know how to get the Holy Ghost to feed us from the scriptures. Reading what someone else understood, although very insightful, will not substitute, for personal understanding. We must individually read, struggle with, and ultimately apply the standard works for our selves.
“All that we teach in this Church ought to be couched in the scriptures. . . . If we want to measure truth, we should measure it by the four standard works, regardless of who writes it. . . . This is the standard by which we measure truth. (Harold B. Lee, Improvement Era, January 1969, p. 13.) Joseph Fielding Smith wrote similarly “It makes no difference what is written or what anyone has said, if what has been said is in conflict with what the Lord has revealed, we can set it aside. . . . We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man’s doctrine.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Bookcraft, 1977, 3:203.)
What was the last doctrine you struggled with to apply, and in prayer and pondering spent more than a week striving to learn how to put this new truth into your life? I hope, your answer is with in the last year, or even the last decade. We give up so easily, focus so poorly, and actually try so little, so as to not qualify for real revelation from our Father, Jesus said “Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord…” (Matt 7:21) Oliver Cowdrey was chastised
7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.
8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.
We pray about it all right, but when we get up that is usually where it ends. Diligence, Brothers and Sisters! This struggle is the key to personal revelation. Elder Richard G. Scott came to my mission, and said to us “If you knew the revelation we receive, you would surely pay the price we pay” Oh may we pay the price!
