A Hundredth Part

One of the common themes that we see among several of the prophets who wrote in the scriptures is that they could not write everything that they might have written.  Perhaps the most famous passage in the Book of Mormon that discusses how the current scriptures are not a complete package is in some of Nephi’s final writings.  He quoted the Lord this way: “I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure.  And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.  Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words” (2 Nephi 29:9-10).  We speak a lot about how the Bible is not a closed canon as we offer three other books as books of scripture, but we have to be careful not to make the same mistake and likewise think that these four books are the only scripture or revelation from the Lord we will ever have.  Much of what we read in them suggests that there is much more that we can have if we will have the faith to receive it. 

                The four main Book of Mormon authors—Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, and Moroni—all suggested that there was much more that could be written than what they recorded.  In addition to the above passage, Nephi told us at the end of his great vision of the end of the world, “And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore the things which I have written sufficeth me; and I have written but a small part of the things which I saw” (1 Nephi 14:28).  Jacob told us that “a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, which now began to be numerous, cannot be written upon these plates” (Jacob 3:13).  They had “many revelations and the spirit of prophecy” and yet despite all of the knowledge they received from the Lord he told us, “I cannot write but a little of my words….  We can write a few words upon plates.”   (Jacob 4:1-2, 6).  Mormon wrote that “a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people” could not be written by him even though there were books that contained the records (Helaman 3:14).  He repeated in another place, “I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people” (Words of Mormon 1:5).  When he recounted some of the things that were happening to the people of Nephi before Christ’s visit to them he said, “And there had many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous; nevertheless, they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of what was done among so many people” (3 Nephi 5:8).  Most importantly, when he recounted the visit of the Savior among the Nephites he said, “And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people” (3 Nephi 26:6).   Imagine if the 36 pages from 3 Nephi 11 through 3 Nephi 28 were 100 times longer: we would have 3600 pages!  Moroni gave us a similar message when he was finishing writing the Jaredite record: “And the Lord spake unto Ether, and said unto him: Go forth. And he went forth, and beheld that the words of the Lord had all been fulfilled; and he finished his record; (and the hundredth part I have not written)” (Ether 15:33).  Moroni also told us about the great revelation that the brother of Jared received that Moroni recorded for us but then sealed from us: “I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw…. Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them.  And he commanded me that I should seal them up” (Ether 4:4-5).  The Book of Mormon may seem long to us, but it contains only a fraction of the great revelations and teachings and doings of the people of Nephi across their many years of history.

                This knowledge I think should motivate us to study and search the words of scripture that we do have.  Seeing how much the Lord revealed to the people of ancient times perhaps should also inspire us to seek more revelations in our own lives in the same manner that they received them.  We know that the Lord will give us more scriptures—whether that’s in a general sense or revelations to us personally—when we are ready.  Moroni told us concerning the revelation that he sealed up: “For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord” (Ether 4:6).  Our task then becomes to purify ourselves before the Lord and cherish the words of the scriptures that we do have, and then some day we will be ready to receive “more of [His] word” (2 Nephi 29:8).