"I ask us all to honestly evaluate our performance in scripture study. It is a common thing to have a few passages of scripture at our disposal, floating in our minds, as it were, and thus to have the illusion that we know a great deal about the gospel. In this sense, having a little knowledge can be a problem indeed. I am convinced that each of us, at some time in our lives, must discover the scriptures for ourselves—and not just discover them once, but rediscover them again and again....
"I feel strongly that we must all of us return to the scriptures... and let them work mightily within us, impelling us to an unwavering determination to serve the Lord."
- Spencer W. Kimball, "How Rare a Possession—The Scriptures," Ensign September 1976, pp. 2-5
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This was a beautiful message from President Kimball, prepared as a special "First Presidency Message" published in the Ensign magazine. He shared his vision of the precious and sacred nature of the scriptures, and encouraged us to make better use of them in study and application.
President Kimball warns us of the human tendency to consider our scriptural knowledge to be greater than it is, based on a more superficial acquaintance. A true in-depth understanding comes only through dedicated, faithful, ongoing study over a long period of time. Hence the encouragement for us all to "rediscover" the scriptures repeatedly in our lives:
So the prophetic invitation is for each of us to "return to the scriptures" in order that they can "work mightily within us, impelling us to an unwavering determination to serve the Lord." What a great invitation and challenge!
(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)
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