Well I'd like to get the gears in your head moving and help you to consider some aspects that might change your mind.
First off we had better define what the Bible really is.
Full Definition of BIBLE - Merriam Webster Online Dictionary
1
capitalized
a : the sacred scriptures of Christians comprising the Old Testament and the New Testament
b : the sacred scriptures of some other religion (as Judaism)
2
obsolete : book
3
capitalized : a copy or an edition of the Bible
4
: a publication that is preeminent especially in authoritativeness or wide readership <the fisherman's bible> <the bible of the entertainment industry>
I really like the 4th definition. An authoritative book or publication.
So the Bible is really just an authoritative collection of sacred scripture. The key point is a collection. That means that it might not include everything on the subject but, it sure has a fair amount and that what it does include is authoritative or for general use and benefit.
Then we also need to declare what is scripture. Why because the Bible is a collection of said scripture and will help prove my point latter on.
Full Definition of SCRIPTURE -Merriam Webster Online Dictionary
1
a (1) capitalized : the books of the Bible —often used in plural (2) often capitalized : a passage from the Bible
b : a body of writings considered sacred or authoritative
2
: something written <the primitive man's awe for any scripture — George Santayana>
See Again there is the mention of authoritative and sacred. So a guy named Fred that is a 7 times world champion salmon fisher might be asked to include something in the Fisherman's bible. He would be authoritative because he has won the championship 7 times. Now he would not be include in the Bible of scripture because he is not authoritative in the matters of doctrine, he is for fishing though.
So we find that the Bible is really just a collection of the sacred writings of holy men/women as determined at some time in the past. We accept those writing because we believe those writings to be inspired of God.
Take for example the first few books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Numbers etc. that were written by Moses whom we accept as a prophet of God.
Do you think those books include everything that God communicated to Moses? And could there have been another prophet at the same time? Did God communicate with Aaron his brother or any of the 70 men he called to help him sit in judgement?
I submit for your review that he did. God communicated with other people and we simply don't have their writings. Some of them we know about and others we do not. So I propose to list a few to keep the gear turning.
Here is a partial list:
Book of the Wars of the Lord (Num. 21:14); book of Jasher (Josh. 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:18); book of the acts of Solomon (1 Kgs. 11:41); book of Samuel the seer (1 Chr. 29:29); book of Gad the seer (1 Chr. 29:29); book of Nathan the prophet (1 Chr. 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29); prophecy of Ahijah (2 Chr. 9:29); visions of Iddo the seer (2 Chr. 9:29; 12:15; 13:22); book of Shemaiah (2 Chr. 12:15); book of Jehu (2 Chr. 20:34); sayings of the seers (2 Chr. 33:19); an epistle to the Church at Laodicea (Col. 4:16); and some prophecies of Enoch, known to Jude (Jude 1:14)
These are just a few of the ones listed in the Bible. The same ones some try to claim is complete, unchangeable, and the final word.
The foregoing items attest to the fact that our present Bible does not contain all of the word of the Lord that He gave to His people in former times and remind us that the Bible, in its present form, is rather incomplete.
Then we have the second issues that arises after we do that little exercise. At what point did God discontinue to speak to people here on Earth and totally abandon us? What I mean from that is if we accept the fact there are lost books or scripture then we must accept the fact that God has been communicating with people all along. Would he stop speaking to people in 65 A.D. completely?
Would he just leave us to our own devices in these current times? I might seem so since things can appear to be pretty screwed up.
I propose to you that he did not quit talking as that is not his protocol. It is not the way he works.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
He may have temporarily withdrawn for a while though he never leaves us flapping in the wind for too long. Have you ever noticed what they have at the end of the old Testament?
"The End of the Prophets" - Malachi 4
Interesting right. The end of the prophets some years before the new testament starts. The new testament which shows right clearly that God started communicating again with man here on Earth.
So the pattern is clear. He may stop at some point for while but, HE never leaves us alone for too long. It is kind of like when you put your child in the corner for a time out. You don't keep talking with him while he is there. You leave him alone to think things over. Then after a cooling off, repentance and humbling period you go back and communicate you displeasure and give them a hug or welcome them back to what ever was going on.
Now for the hard to convince they might say - look guy this is all fine and dandy but, the Bible says you can not add on to this right here in revelations.
Revelations 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And
if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the
holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
OK I'll take that. But does it not say the same right here in Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
So which one is the added portion? Are either of them the added portion? Is the stuff coming after the 4th chapter of Deuteronomy? That would mean most of the Old Testament and all of the New Testament? I think many of us have been miss interpreting these scriptures for a very very long time.
I love this comment from a site giving additional insights to this train of thought
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you—by the introduction of any heathen superstition or forms of worship different from those which I have appointed (De 12:32; Nu 15:39; Mt 15:9).
neither shall ye diminish aught from it—by the neglect or omission of any of the observances, however trivial or irksome, which I have prescribed. The character and provisions of the ancient dispensation were adapted with divine wisdom to the instruction of that infant state of the church. But it was only a temporary economy; and although God here authorizes Moses to command that all its institutions should be honored with unfailing observance, this did not prevent Him from commissioning other prophets to alter or abrogate them when the end of that dispensation was attained.
biblehub.com deuteronomy 4-2 (emphasis added)
I propose that there was a time when darkness fell over the land. That the Lord and God withdrew themselves from communication with man on Earth. A time we call the great apostasy and readily prophesied of by the Apostle Paul in various places in the bible.
This forced upon us the grand confusion that has over time been present within the Christian religion.
For as you see no one was directly communicating with God and thus they were left to their own devices. Frankly things got really confusing quickly. Also since the Bible as we know it today was not in it's present form this created added confusion. You might have people using various "scriptures" that other do not accept. Or the translation one has compared to another might give to very different meanings. Confusion at the extreme.
I testify that God did once again call a prophet in modern times. That He has as his pattern can attest communicated with Man again in modern time to give us guidance and direction.
And I testify that Man is the one Joseph Smith Jr.
A wonderful video clip, mainly audio of a profile of a prophet, a modern day Prophet.
A profile, a legal brief that by legal standards proves he was a modern day prophet.
I also testify that through the prophet Joseph we received additional scripture. Additional ancient scripture, and modern revelation provided to him to reestablish the Lord's church in this Dispensation.
And that through the continuation of the Authoritative power of the Priesthood a living modern day prophet is on the Earth today. That prophet being Thomas S Monson.
That he regularly & authoritatively provides us with modern scripture - modern communication between God and Man.
Possibly still a little sceptical? Still have some doubts?
I have the answers - You simply need to ask GOD if these things are true.
He has answers people in the past and he will answers people in the future. Why would he not want you to know the truth?
Don't take my word for the truthfulness of these things, nor Hugh B. Brown. Find out for yourself.
Interested in getting a free copy of additional scripture?
Go to this website - http://www.mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon
Buiadh - NO - Bas
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