Item Detail
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22394
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1
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0
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English
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The Scriptural Restoration
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Joseph Smith and the Doctrinal Restoration : The 34th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium
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Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, BYU and Deseret Book,
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221-236
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"Much of the Restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith involved scripture. As a significant branch of his calling, the Prophet restored the Bible to earlier purity and brought forth new holy books that no one living in his day had ever heard of. Although a book of the modern Church was revealed (the Doctrine and Covenants), most of the scriptural restoration involved records from the past. The coming forth of scriptural truths and sacred volumes formed a crucial part of the Lord's latter-day work. Among the important events of the Restoration was a series of encounters Joseph Smith had with scripture, most often involving the Bible. Each of those encounters contributed in its way to the bringing forth of gospel light, and each continues to bless the Church today, in some ways even more so now than in the early days of the Restoration. We shall examine those scriptural encounters in the order in which they happened, highlighting the contributions each makes to our understanding of the Bible or of biblical teachings. The intent is not to analyze these contributions but simply to list and summarize them. Again and again, we will see that modern revelation confirms, clarifies, and explains the teachings of the Old and New Testaments. Even more to the point, the Restoration not only touches on every biblical doctrine but also dramatically improves upon the Bible's presentation of every doctrine. " [Author's introduction]