Scripture

Summary

The sacred, written word of God containing the “mind & will of the Lord” and “matters of divine revelation.” Members of the church considered the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and JS’s revelations to be scripture. Revelations in 1830 and 1831 directed JS to “expound all scriptures.” A February 1831 revelation commanded the elders, priests, and teachers of the church to “teach the scriptures which are in the Bible & the Book of mormon.” The term scripture was also used in a broader sense; in November 1831, JS dictated a revelation to four elders of the church, which stated, “whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be Scripture.” At times, the term scriptures was used to refer only to the Bible, as in “the Book of Mormon, & the Holy Scriptures.”

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