All Things Are Written

I am impressed by the focus that the Savior placed on scriptures and writing when He was among the Nephites after the first day. After coming on the second day and giving them the Sacrament again, He focused on the words of the scriptures, starting with Isaiah: “Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them.” He subsequently quoted to them that ancient prophet at multiple points in His words to them, such as when He cited most of what is now Isaiah 52: “And then shall be brought to pass that which is written: Awake, awake again, and put on thy strength, O Zion” (3 Nephi 20:11, 36). He also referred to the words of Moses and Micah as He taught them. In 3 Nephi 21:1-7 He prophesied of a future day when The Book of Mormon would come forth and spoke of the importance of those written words: “And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign—for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you… when these things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things—it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel.” When this book would come forth, when the words of the Nephites would be available for all to read, it would be a sign to the House of Israel that the work of the Father had commenced in the last days to gather His people together again.  

                After teaching them of the coming forth of the words of their people in the last days, He again turned their attention to the written words of Old Testament prophets. He said, “And then shall that which is written come to pass: Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear,” quoting nearly all of Isaiah 54. He summarized with these words, “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi 23:1). He also gave them the words of Malachi 5-6: “And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi, which he should tell unto them. And it came to pass that after they were written he expounded them” (3 Nephi 24:1). He could have of course taught them directly with His own words, but He instead brought their attention to the words of ancient prophets and made sure they had them written and were encouraged to read them. He explained further what He was doing, “And he saith: These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations” (3 Nephi 26:2). For Him the words of the scriptures were essential for this people and their posterity to have.

               He also emphasized to them the need to write for themselves their own record. He said,
“Therefore give heed to my words; write the things which I have told you; and according to the time and the will of the Father they shall go forth unto the Gentiles.” He said to Nephi, “Bring forth the record which ye have kept” and He examined them only to find that an important event had not been recorded. He questioned, “How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?” When Nephi acknowledged that they had not written this the Savior “commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded” (3 Nephi 23:4-13). Later He similarly summarized to the twelve disciples, “Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden. Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been. For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men.” For the Savior the written record was absolutely critical and surely His emphasis on the scriptures and recording the things of God are a message for all of us of the need to read the written word and record the dealings of the Lord in our own lives for future generations. He further explained, “And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged” (3 Nephi 27:23-26). I do not know if this means that the Father Himself actually writes things down or if it is referring to how He inspires everything to be recorded by angels and prophets, but either way it is a powerful statement about the importance of the sacred, written word.