The Living Oracles and the Book of Mormon

Recently I heard someone in a talk share how he had been asked this question by someone of another faith: “If you had to choose between the Book of Mormon and the Bible, which would you choose?”  He responded, “I would choose neither—I would choose a living prophet.”  This reminds me of the famous statement by Brigham Young.  Joseph Smith had said to Brigham in front of an audience, “Brother Brigham, I want you to take the stand and tell us your views with regard to the living oracles and the written word of God.”  After setting down the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants, he said, “There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work of God from the beginning of the world, almost, to our day. And now when compared with the living oracles those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books.”  We should treasure and cherish all revelation given by prophets in the past; but that which is most current is for us most important. 

           This, though, does not mean that we can simply set our scriptures aside and focus only on what the prophet says.  The reason why is simple: the prophets in our day—at least the ones in our generation—always teach and invite us to study the words of the scriptures.  This is especially true of the Book of Mormon.  President Nelson said just two weeks ago to saints in Washington, “I renew a promise I made in general conference nearly a year ago, that if you will prayerfully read from the Book of Mormon each day, you will be immunized against the evils of the day and be drawn closer to the Lord.”  Other recent prophets have similarly encouraged us to study the Book of Mormon.  For example, President Monson’s last conference talk was titled The Power of the Book of Mormon, and he invited us saying, “My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day.”  President Hinckley, as the prophet, similarly stressed for us the importance of reading and studying the Book of Mormon, promising that if we would read it, “regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”  In fact, as the prophet in August 2005 he even issued a challenge to members of the Church to read or reread the Book of Mormon before the end of that year.  Clearly, we cannot say we truly follow the prophet and neglect the Book of Mormon.   

            The Lord Himself, in giving new revelation to the Saints, emphasized their need to study the scriptures they had already received: “This condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.  And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:56-57).  So that this condemnation does not fall upon us, we must strive to live according to both the teachings in the Book of Mormon and the words of our living oracles.