The plan of salvation is the plan of education – education in the principles of godliness and knowing God.

Therefore, it is given to abide in you: the Record of Heaven, the Comforter, the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, the truth of all things, that which quickens all things — which makes alive all things, that which knows all things, and has all power according to Wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment. “And now behold, I say unto you, this is the plan of salvation unto all men through the blood of my Only Begotten who shall come in the meridian of time (Genesis 4:9) (Glossary – Plan of Salvation).”

The plan of salvation is available to all. Therefore, it is the person who determines the outcome because it requires a willingness to accept truth and follow it. “God uses every means available to save His children, and in His mercy He visits us by His angels, teaching the plan of salvation to us as well as to future generations (Alma 14:8 CE) (Glossary – Plan of Salvation).”

When one prizes his or her errors and holds them as true (when they are not), one dwindles in unbelief. Unbelief is often used in connection with losing truth, forsaking doctrine, and therefore, “dwindling.” The phrase “dwindling in unbelief” is the Book of Mormon’s way to describe moving from a state of belief, with true and complete doctrine, to a state of unbelief, where the truth has been discarded. Miracles end because men dwindle in unbelief (Glossary – Dwindle in Unbelief).

This is not referring to bits of truth found in different branches of religion, books, philosophers, and scholars. This “true and complete doctrine” is referring to the scriptures. “They tutor the seeker, not just in doctrine, but in hearing the voice of inspiration, as well.” We are prone to dwindle in unbelief when the scriptures don’t speak to us. And they don’t speak to us because we lack faith in their ability to change our hearts.

Our Scriptures will do no good if they’re not read or studied. We, like all other Restoration churches and groups, can also dwindle in unbelief…We have little reason to be unguarded. We can fail to study the recovered Scriptures approved by the Lord as a standard to govern our daily walk. We can fail to accept the obligations established by the Book of Mormon as a covenant and to use the Scriptures to correct ourselves and guide our words, thoughts, and deeds. We can let the lusts of the flesh to control us. And when we do, we choose to dwindle in unbelief. You have the new Scriptures. The leather-bound copies will be shortly distributed. Use them. Study them. Show appreciation to the Lord by refusing to dwindle in unbelief. Joseph Smith was able to revise the Bible through God’s inspiration. It is important to prize the corrected Bible and do better than the saints of Joseph’s day (The Religion of the Fathers).

Avoiding failure to study the recovered scriptures does not equate with simply reading them. The Lord specifies that the way we navigate our daily relationships, thoughts, interactions, and life choices will be dictated by the scriptures. He mandates no other material. This is how we refuse to be controlled by the lusts of the flesh and show appreciation to God.

Now I ask all you who belong to this congregation: Have you remembered your fathers’ captivity? Have you also remembered God’s mercy and long-suffering toward them? Have you also carefully considered how He rescued their souls from hell? He changed their hearts; He woke them from a deep sleep and they woke up to God. They were surrounded by darkness; but their souls emerged into the light of God’s everlasting word. They were bound by the chains of death and hell, and faced everlasting destruction. So I ask: Were they destroyed? I answer: No, they were not. I also ask: Were the chains of death broken? Were the chains of hell surrounding them removed? I say: Yes, they were removed. And their souls grew in understanding and they sang of redeeming love. I testify they’re saved. Now I ask: What are the conditions for their salvation? On what basis did they hope for salvation? How were they freed from the chains of death and hell? I’ll tell you the answer: Didn’t my father Alma believe in the words taught by Abinadi? And wasn’t he a holy prophet? Didn’t he speak God’s words and my father Alma believed them? Because of his faith, a powerful change happened in his heart. I testify this is all true. He preached the word to your parents, and changed their hearts as well, and they humbled themselves and trusted the true and living God. Then they were faithful until the end; so they were saved (Alma 3:2).

Here is given an example of the plan of salvation in action. What brought about that salvation? This is a group of people described to be so surrounded by darkness, that their souls needed rescuing from hell, their hearts needed changing, and they needed waking from a deep sleep. They were bound by the chains of death and hell and faced everlasting destruction. They were perhaps as far from a Zion people as you can imagine. And what was it that rescued them, awoke them, and caused their souls to emerge into the light of God’s everlasting word?

It was God’s words.

God’s words changed their hearts because they humbled themselves and trusted God.

It is not a personal study of the scriptures that places you in a sterile environment. Pride is what leads to stagnation and ultimately the rejection of truth. Our ways are dark and we cannot see the darkness until we approach the Lord in humility and believe His word. When Alma taught the people in Ammonihah, those who believed did two things: they repented and studied the scriptures (Alma 10:5).

“These scriptures…” and I’m quoting the Lord, “These scriptures are sent forth to be my warning to the world, my comfort to the faithful, my counsel to the meek, my reproof to the proud, my rebuke to the contentious, and my condemnation of the wicked. They are my invitation to all mankind to flee from corruption, repent, and be baptized in my name, and prepare for the coming judgment. (T&C 177:3)”

After years of effort… I tried to do the math; it was only based upon estimates, based upon all those that were involved. A century of effort, of combined effort by the people, went into producing these. After years of effort, I’m now in a position to tell the world, you have been warned!

Everything needed to repent and change is found in the scriptures. They contain what is required to teach you how to adopt the principles of godliness. It is not requisite to seek that understanding elsewhere. You are not too broken to receive answers within the scriptures. Those who would teach otherwise are reminiscent of Lehi’s dream when he chose to follow a man dressed in a white robe and ultimately was led into a dark and dreary wasteland. The man supposedly had the right credentials, position, authority and yet he led Lehi away from the iron rod which is the word of God.

The light enters the body through your eyes; if, therefore, your eyes look to God, your whole body is full of His light. But if your eye looks for evil, your whole body is then full of darkness. Therefore if the light within you looks for the darkness, how overwhelming that darkness becomes (3 Nephi 5:37).

Not all light is God’s light. It is only His light that leads to the tree of life.

Scriptures anchor God’s Word. Without them, changing leaders provide changing messages. Leaders always sound an unsteady note if they are not controlled by, subordinate to, and respectful of scripture. The problem that institutions that allow men to speak, propound, and declare is that once you unanchor it from scripture, you’re tossed by every wind of doctrine. These Scriptures—and we know they’re not perfect; we know that there are weaknesses in men, and there are weaknesses in everything that we do here on this side of the veil—but these Scriptures, and these alone, are endorsed by the Lord (This, That, and The Other Thing).

We have been provided with an absolute. Leaders who are not anchored in the scriptures will not provide teachings that are anchored in the scriptures. If one cannot understand and glean from scripture, they cannot be controlled by, subordinate to, and respectful of scripture. If then, they are allowed to speak, put forward working theories, and declare, you will be tossed by every wind of doctrine, books, and philosophy. This is why the obligation falls upon the individual to use the word of God as a measuring stick against any other creed, philosophy, and idea.

Subordinate is an interesting word choice. It refers to a person or thing that is lower in rank, power, importance, or authority compared to another. Therefore, if a teacher teaches that one thing or one person is equal or greater in importance and necessity to the scriptures, they are not subordinate to the scriptures.

The Lord has not endorsed psychology, or any other material, other than the scriptures. Thus, when the Lord says that they are to be a comfort to the faithful, I believe He is only referring to the scriptures. So if your heart is aching, hurt, or broken, you can rely on the word of God to give you council and guidance. That is the whole point. Laman and Lemuel did not believe they could rely on the word of God because they could not understand it. They did not understand it because they did not keep God’s commandments (which, by the way, are found in the scriptures).

The fruit of scripture in your life will only be discovered by holding onto the word of God. In the case of Covenant Christians, the covenant given specified how we were to hold onto the word of God.

First: Do you believe all the words of the Lord which have been read to you this day, and know them to be true and from the Lord Jesus Christ who has condescended to provide them to you, and do you covenant with Him to cease to do evil and to seek to continually do good?

Second: Do you have faith in these things and receive the scriptures approved by the Lord as a standard to govern you in your daily walk in life, to accept the obligations established by the Book of Mormon as a covenant and to use the scriptures to correct yourselves and to guide your words, thoughts and deeds?

Third: Do you agree to assist all others who covenant to likewise accept this standard to govern their lives to keep the Lord’s will, to succor those who stand in need, to lighten the burdens of your brothers and sisters whenever you are able, and to help care for the poor among you?

Fourth: And do you covenant to seek to become of one heart with those who seek the Lord to establish His righteousness?

This is a covenant that revolves around the scriptures and no other material. While other materials and tools can show you how to be a better person, it is only through the word of God that you keep this covenant.

The Lord is very specific here. You will believe the words of the Lord and know them to be true and from Jesus Christ. It is the scriptures that are required to be used daily in your life, not psychology or the LDS teachings or Buddhism, etc. It is the scriptures that are the required compass in correcting yourself and guiding your words, thoughts and deeds.

After that internal and daily obligation, the latter part of the covenant is to then assist all others who covenant likewise to accept the same standard of governing their daily lives. We are to encourage and advise each other to utilize the scriptures.

To this people who took this covenant, it is very clear that it is the scriptures which will give us the “what” and the “how.” If you cannot find the “what” and the “how,” replacing the scriptures with other material is not necessarily the correct solution.

Nephi said, “My soul delights in the scriptures, and I ponder upon them and write them for my children’s instruction and benefit. My soul rejoices in the things of the Lord, and I continually ponder in my heart what God has shown and told me (2 Nephi 3:6).” He did not say that he was delighted to hear the teachings of man and delighted to hear anything other than the scriptures because he grows weary of continually trying to ponder them.

You cannot take the scriptures out of or diminish them in your journey back to God and expect to end up in the same place as the prophets in the scriptures.

They didn’t perform the rites and ordinances of the Law of Moses anymore, but they obeyed the commandments they received from their Lord and God, continuing in fasting and prayer and in meeting together often, both to pray and hear the Lord’s word. There were no conflicts among the people in the whole land, but there were mighty miracles happening among Jesus’ disciples (4^th Nephi 1:2).

No other field of study measures up to or is equal to the Lord’s word and the power it carries to change the heart.

God offers everything to us and despite how little we can contribute in return, we hesitate to give even a little of our own cooperation. A hard heart does not understand the dark place we find ourselves in when we don’t keep God’s commandments.

How patiently He has proceeded with teaching us all. We have the law, we have the commandments. Still we hesitate. Still He invites and reminds us: Repent. Come to Him. Do what was commanded. The law is fulfilled, and He is its fulfillment. Look to Him and be saved. The heart that will not break does not understand the predicament we live in. The proud spirit is foolish and blind. Our perilous state is such that we can forfeit all that we have ever been by refusing Christ’s invitation to repent and turn again to Him.” If man will finally surrender his pride and come forward with a broken heart and real intent, returning to his Father, He will joyfully receive him (see Luke 9:13–14). There is joy in Heaven over everyone who awakens. Weakness is nothing, for all are weak. It is a gift, given to break one’s heart. A broken heart qualifies man for His company. Whether a leper, an adulteress, a tax collector, or a blind man, He can heal it all. But what He cannot do — and man must alone bring to Him — is that broken heart required for salvation. 

Fear and pride can make personal scripture study feel sterile and unproductive. Whereas a humble and prayerful approach to scripture study will reveal our weaknesses, which then serves as the driving force towards God, proving that it is not a place devoid of life, growth, and progress forward. Continuing:

The purpose of putting a man in such a dependent state before God is not to find out whether God can take care of him. God already knows what a man needs before he should even ask. But the man will, by becoming so dependent upon God [not a therapist, psychologist, spouse, parent, etc.], acquire a broken heart and a contrite spirit, always quick to ask, quick to listen, quick to do.

Vulnerability makes a man strong in spirit. Security and wealth make a man incorrectly believe in his independence from God. He wants His disciples to be dependent upon Him. He wants them praying and grateful to Him for what He provides.

What has God provided to us? His word. Are we grateful to Him for the scriptures? Do we value them above all else? How can you value something that you see little to no worth in?

He wants them, in a word, to become holy. The Book of Mormon gives account after account of encounters between mankind and God where the only qualification was a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Those who do not have the required broken heart and contrite spirit come away saying, the Lord doesn’t reveal any such thing to us (1 Nephi 4:2 CE).

If you come away from your scripture study having had nothing revealed to you, then the required broken heart and contrite spirit was not offered to the Lord.

“In the quiet service for others, when our minds finally come to rest on the only one who can save us, we can find that peace where the Lord comes to us and speaks words of comfort. He is real. He exists, and He comforts those who come to Him offering a broken heart and contrite spirit, and to none other (Glossary – Broken Heart – Contrite Spirit).”

Psychology points yourself inward. The scriptures are transcendent and expand the mind when they are not just read, but studied prayerfully to find answers to one’s own problems.

Implementation of the scriptures is learned from a personal study of them. It is like explaining the taste of salt to someone who has never tasted it before. It adds flavor to your food, it is delicious and satiating, but you stop short of being able to pinpoint the exact taste of it. Each person must do the work of communicating with God through prayer and a fervent study of His word to understand what daily implementation looks like. Prayer and scripture study should always be encouraged among us and in our fellowships. Outside sources that redirect, expound upon, and offer possible meanings within the scriptures can help reveal the spark of life in what others view as a sterile environment. A love for and understanding of God’s word is not developed through a begrudging study. It is by keeping the Lord’s commandments that the Lord will speak to you through the scriptures and then that ground within your heart is no longer sterile and the seed can grow. And because one of God’s commandments is to study the scriptures, the way to fix the issue of the scriptures not speaking to you is to start to prayerfully study them with a humble heart and an eagerness to change yourself because you realize you are broken and only God can mend you.

“There are two things that will bring you closer to God than anything else. First, personal scripture study. Learn from them when you have time. Your private study will be more important than what others tell you about the scriptures. Second, personal prayer. Your private time spent in prayer will have the power to shape your life. If you study the scriptures when you are alone, and you pray in private, these two things, more than anything else, will draw you to God (Keep the Covenant: Do the Work).”

Reminding each other to pray and study the scriptures shouldn’t be withheld or conditional. It is the solution to the formula and path we are to take. Seek help from the Lord. In your journey of repentance and reconciliation, pray to the Lord and consecrate that path to Him because while you feel broken, devastated, lost, and forgotten, the Lord still wants you to come to Him. Satan wins when he can convince you that you are too traumatized or stuck in your ways to approach God. God does not require you to approach a qualified person before approaching Him. The concept that you have to fix yourself a little by using other materials before diving into the scriptures is a false idea. It contradicts the very essence of what Christ taught. How God guides you in your healing most definitely could include other people and resources, but He won’t draw you away from His word.

Then spoke Jesus, saying, Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavily loaded, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. And you shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 6:8).

This does not mean what many think it means. Men think easy and light mean they will be required to do practically nothing. Christ’s yoke IS easy because it spares men from the afflictions, diseases, indignities, disappointments, and fears they inevitably encounter when their life is adrift in sin. Christ’s burden is light because they are rescued from the corruption, confusion, degradation, and slavery imposed on them by a malignant culture urging vanity, selfishness, and pride as virtues. “Even if the world then hates you, being reconciled with Christ will free you from the control the world’s hate attempts to exercise over you (Glossary – Yoke is Easy; Burden is Light).”

You are spared and rescued because you will finally understand how to shake off the chains of Satan that bind you when you start to take the scriptures seriously. But that requires great effort on your end. Satan’s attempts to dissuade you from keeping the covenant to use the scriptures as a tool to change you and resolve the very issues you struggle with daily might fall nothing short of deceiving us as Covenant Christians.

Keeping your covenant has nothing to do with any material other than the scriptures. Dwindling in unbelief is not about failing to study or utilize any material other than the scriptures. God is watching how much you choose to prize His word, not any other branch of education. To dissuade others in the covenant from prioritizing the scriptures as a resource, tool, and requirement of study is a tool used by the accuser. To persuade others in the covenant that the works of man are needed to better understand the scriptures prevents faith in the spirit of God and introduces confusion. Without the complete doctrine found only in the scriptures, you will be carried by every wind of doctrine.