The Testimony of the Other Books

In Nephi’s great vision of the last days, he wrote this description of what he saw after describing how the Bible had gone forth among his descendants: “I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren , and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true” (1 Nephi 13:39).  I presume that these “other books” include those books that we now call scriptures in addition to the Bible: The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.  In the next verse Nephi quoted the angel telling him that these “last records” would help to establish the truth of the Bible, which is one of great missions of latter-day scripture.  I know of no other books that do more to support and testify of and prove that the Bible indeed is the word of God.  In the second half of verse 40 we learn of the second great mission of these “other books”: They “shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.”  In other words, they are to testify of Jesus Christ to the world in three ways: that He is the Son of God, that He is the Savior of the world, and that we must come unto Him to be saved. 

                There are countless verses in these three books of scripture which I believe help to accomplish that mission of bearing witness of Jesus Christ in these three ways.  Nephi testified that the Messiah would be “Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (2 Nephi 25:19).  King Benjamin likewise quoted the angel saying, “He shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth” (Mosiah 3:8).  Jesus Himself testified to the Nephites: “Behold, I have Jesus Christ, the Son of God….  I am in the Father, and the Father in me” (3 Nephi 9:15).  In the Doctrine and Covenants He declared, “I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world” (D&C 35:2).  He also testified, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  I am the life and the light of the world” (D&C 11:28).  And in the Pearl of Great Price we have this witness and invitation from Noah: “Believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Moses 8:24).  In these scriptures there is certainly no ambiguity about the fact that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. 

They likewise testify that Christ is the “Savior of the world.”  Lehi taught at the very beginning of the Book of Mormon that the Lord would raise up a “Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world” (1 Nephi 10:4).  In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord referred to Himself as the “Savior of the world” four different times including in the introductory section (see D&C 1:20, 42:1, 43:34, 66:1).  And in the Pearl of Great Price the Lord told Moses, “Thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me” (Moses 1:6).  There is no Savior beside Him—all of these scriptures testify that He is to be the Savior of all mankind. 

Lastly we also see that they bear witness of the fact that salvation comes only through Him.  In the Book of Mormon we have this taught in about as plain of language as possible: “And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent” (Mosiah 3:17).  In the Doctrine and Covenants Joseph Smith offered a prayer saying, “And now we ask thee, Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of thy bosom, in whose name alone salvation can be administered to the children of men” (D&C 109:4).  Similarly in another revelation we read, “Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved” (D&C 18:23).  In the revelation associated with the official organization of the Church we have this testimony: “And we know that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God” (D&C 20:29).  In the Pearl of Great Price we have this record of God’s words to Adam: “Mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, [is] the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men” (Moses 6:52).  Clearly these scriptures are in agreement that “all men must come unto [Christ], or they cannot be saved.”  A serious study of these three “other” books of scripture leaves no question that they both testify that Christ is the Savior and Son of God and that salvation can only come through Him.