Three Stars

Recently, I stumpled upon an article(Three Stars Article) in the Ensign that I really liked. It talked about a Navy officer that was in charge of navigation back in the days when there were no GPS systems or similar technology. In order to navigate this man had to use the stars. Seems pretty primitive, but I guess it worked! In order to pinpoint the location of his ship, he needed to at least get reading on two stars. A third star however, could give him a surety of his location. He goes on to relate an instance in which he was navigating through perilous waters, and had to incorporate a third star to keep his ship and men safe.

In first Corinthians 13:1 Paul writes"This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three ^awitnesses shall every word be established". From the beginning our Heavenly Father has given us the law of witnesses to prove the surety of all things. Can you imagine having to take one mans word against the word of another in hearing a court case? Similar to the story of the three stars, two witnesses will give us a fairly decent idea of what has happened. The presence of three witnesses however, will help us pinpoint exactly what has happened.

When restoring the Church, our Heavenly Father gave us the Book of Mormon, supported by the testimonies of Three Witnesses (Introduction to The Book of Mormon). Not only were these three given, but additional witnesses were provided. The Book of Mormon acts as another testament of the divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and supports the Bible as another witness of the events and prophecies therein. If the Old Testament would be considered the first star, and the New Testament the second star, The Book of Mormon would be the third star, giving us a surety of all these things! I know that it is true, and that all men can find its truthfullness by reading and praying about its contents

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The New Testament

This year in Church, our Gospel Doctrine Sunday school classes will be studying and reading over the New Testament in the Bible. I have always loved the New Testament, and know that the writings therein are true. My most favorite part of the New Testament are the books referred to as the gospels. The life and teachings of Christ show forth an example for the world to follow.

In the Ensign (which is the monthly magazine of the church), an article was posted about the historical context of the New Testament. I have included a link at the bottom if this article if you would like to read it in its entirety. Most of my blog post will center on some things taht I have learned form that article.

One of the most interesting things that I was able to take from this article was the layout of the NewTestament. It has been supposed that the organization of the New Testament mirrors that of the Old Testament. The Old Testament starts out with whats commonly referred to as the Law, which is mirrored by the Gospels. The Law in the Old Testament is proceeded by a lot of history, which would mirror the Book of Acts in the New Testament. After that the Prophets would be likened to the Epistles in the New Testament. Finally, Malachi in the Old Testament would mirror Revelations in the New Testament. Both these last two books would be considered apocalypses, looking forward to the Second Coming of our Lord.

Another interesting fact that I was able to learn was the effort on the part of early Christaians to perserve the texts of the New Testament. I know that these writings have been protected by the hand of God, and brought forth in these the latter days for our benefit!

In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.


Ensign Article Link