The Book of Mormon defends and supports truths taught in the Bible. It also clarifies doctrine found in the Bible. We had an experience this week that affirmed this to us once again.

I teach early morning seminary to my two oldest daughters. This year we are studying the Old Testament. We began the lesson by comparing the actions of Judah (with Tamar) in Genesis 38 with those of Joseph (with Potiphar’s wife) in Genesis 39. They each faced the same type of moral temptation but reacted to those temptations in very different ways. Judah gave in but Joseph ran. Joseph’s actions show how committed he was to maintaining his chastity. He realized the importance of covenants, especially now that he was the birthright son (Reuben having given up the birthright for committing adultery).

While Judah went looking for temptation, temptations seemed to seek out Joseph. There is a difference! All of us will be tempted, even Jesus Christ was tempted, but whether we seek out those temptations or whether they seek us out makes a difference in how we are able to handle them.

During the discussion one of the girls mentioned 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” and philosophically asked “Won’t God help us even if we go out seeking temptation?”

{{now I need to insert here that by this time Mr. Ferrero Rocher had joined us in our discussion}}

He turned the question around to them, “What do you think? Do you think God will help you when you go out seeking temptations?”

“No, Christ didn’t go out seeking temptations. Neither should we.”

“That’s right! So what should we do to prepare ourselves, to be ready when temptations do come seeking us out?”

Then Mr. FR led them in a scripture chain.

Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

This first scripture teaches us to watch and pray. Is that all we really have to do? 

Alma 13:28, “But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;”

Not only do we need to watch and pray, we need to do so continually, and humble ourselves, become meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering.

Alma 15:17, “Therefore, after Alma having established the church at Sidom, seeing a great check, yea, seeing that the people were checked as to the pride of their hearts, and began to humble themselves before God, and began to assemble themselves together at their sanctuaries to worship God before the altar, watching and praying continually, that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction—”

We must also worship God.

Alma 34:39, “Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing.”

This verse doesn’t say watch and pray but be watchful unto prayer continually. This adds a deeper element of action.

Three of the four scriptures in the scripture chain come from The Book of Mormon. They added new insight to what we read in 1 Corinthians and Matthew, insights we could apply to Joseph’s situation and to our own lives.

I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and for my testimony of it. This book continues to add to my understanding of the doctrines taught in the Bible. Reading and studying them together, side by side, one can see how they both testify of and refer to the other.

You can see just a small glimpse of other fundamental doctrines taught in the Bible that the Book of Mormon adds an additional witness to in the article The Book of Mormon: A Witness With the Bible in the special issue of the Ensign.

If you would like a copy of the Book of Mormon and a special issue of the Ensign all about the Book of Mormon, please feel free to e-mail me: chocolateonmycranium@live.com. I will gladly send you a copy of your own to read and study.

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