The Word of God is Quick

To the Hebrews Paul wrote, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12).  Mormon gave us a similar teaching when he described a time in the Nephite church when many were baptized unto repentance: “Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked” (Helaman 3:29).  In our dispensation the Lord used the same language as He described His word to Joseph and Oliver: “Behold, I am God; give heed unto my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my words” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:2).  That the word of God is powerful makes sense; that it is sharp I understand to mean that it is direct and precise and pierces to our hearts; but what does it mean for the word of God to be quick?

            There are I think a few different interpretations of the word that might apply here.  The most common interpretation of the word quick is of course to be fast or rapid, and we might say that the word of God moves quickly in the sense that He sends His Spirit and word from far to us.  God is physically, we can presume, very far away from us, and yet He is able to send His word instantly to our minds and hearts.  Perhaps a more meaningful interpretation is the definition “of ready intelligence” like we would say that a student is quick (i.e. smart).  The word of God is quick in that sense in that it brings us to the ultimate intelligence and knowledge; it reveals to us the ways of God.  Perhaps the most convincing definition, and the how these scriptures may have been originally intended to be understood, is that the word of God brings life.  Moroni finished the Book of Mormon with a declaration that Christ is “the Eternal Judge of both quick and the dead,” clearly using the word to mean living (Moroni 10:34).  The word of God is quick because it brings us spiritual life.  It quickeneth our spirits and minds to bring us closer to the source of all life, God.  The Savior spoke of how “the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will” (John 5:21).  They literally quicken us because we are resurrected through the power of God, but in this life the word of God also quickens us by bringing us their Spirit.  The Lord told Adam, “Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things” (Moses 6:61).  The Comforter, and the word of God, quicken and bring life to us.  As Jesus taught, “they are they which testify of me” and if we come to me, being led by the scriptures, He tells us that we “have life” (John 5:39-40).