King James English is archaic and difficult for many people to understand. I think that it is one reason why people aren’t as familiar with the Book of Mormon. To help remedy this, I am making a plain English version of the Book of Mormon. I’m calling it “The Book of Mormon: Plain and Precious Truths”, or PPT for short.
To preface, I am using CoC’s system for verses and chapters.
Today I was reading in the 12th chapter of 2nd Nephi and found a section of scripture that I think is one of my favorite parts of the book. It is from verses 53-74. I want to copy and paste my version of these verses, but first I want to explain why they are meaningful to me.
These verses talk about how some people find it difficult to accept scripture other than the Bible. It says that people like to say that the Bible contained all of the gospel that is necessary, and any other gospel is unnecessary. It then gives an interesting perspective which addresses the root of the problem with that line of thought: the Divine doesn’t speak to just one group of people. In these verses God says that they aren’t confined to speaking to just one group of people, but they speak to all of humanity. They say that we should learn from other people in order to have a better picture of the Divine.
This is profound to me. Coming from a Buddhist background this scripture affirms the Divine knowledge that the Buddhists have been given, and expresses how it enriches other points of view. The same is true with our own scripture. The Divine has spoken to our people today through the D&C, and it can enrich peoples’ understanding of the Divine even if they aren’t a part of our people. It encourages us to find how other people have understood and experienced the Divine. It encourages us to be kind of “spiritually bilingual”.
It speaks to the enduring principle of “Unity in Diversity”. The Divine has spoken to me, a bisexual man, likely much different than they have spoken to you. We should try to learn from each other how the Divine has spoken in order to gain a more clear picture. This is the Latter Day Saint equivalent of the parable of The Blind Men and the Elephant. I think this is a lovely perspective. It breaks down walls and the idea of a chosen people having special access to the Divine.
Anyway, here are those verses. I hope you enjoy them!
53 You fool who says ‘We already have the Bible and there cannot be anymore scripture’: 54 Do you have any scripture that wasn’t given to you by the Jews? 55 Don’t you know there are more people than the Jews? 56 Don’t you realize that I created all of humanity, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea? Don’t you realize that I rule in the Heavens above and the earth beneath? 57 Don’t you realize that I speak to all of humanity? 58 Why do you complain that you can read more of what I have to say? 59 Don’t you realize that when different people’s scriptures agree it shows you that I speak to them both?
60 I teach the same things to all people. 61 When two groups of people come together their scriptures will come together as well. 62 I do this so I can prove that I was the same yesterday, am the same today, and will be the same forever. I teach people truth when I want to. 63 You shouldn’t assume that just because I have spoken to one people doesn’t mean that I can’t speak to another. My work is not done yet, and it won’t be finished till humanity is finished, and even then it won’t truly end.
64 Even though you have the Bible you shouldn’t assume that it contains everything I’ve ever said. You shouldn’t assume that I haven’t had other people write down my teachings. 65 I have asked all of humanity in the east, west, north, south, and the islands of the sea to write down the things I have taught them. 66 It is out of these scriptures that I will judge the world. Everyone will be judged based on the life that they lived. 67 I will speak to the Jews and they will write down what I say. 68 i will also speak to the Nephites and they will write down what I say. 69 I will also speak to the other tribes of the house of Israel which I have led away and they will write down what I say. 70 I will also speak to every people on the earth, and they will write down what I say.
71 One day the Jews will have what the Nephites have written, and the Nephites will have what the Jews have written. 72 The Nephites and the Jews will also have the words of the lost tribes of Israel, and the lost tribes will have the writings of the Nephites and the Jews. 73 One day they will all be gathered to their homelands and everything I have taught will be gathered together. 74 I will show those that fight against my word and my people, the house of Israel, that I am God and I made a promise to Abraham that I would remember his descendants forever.