A ONE WORD TEST OF SCRIPTURE TRUTH
Ezra W. Geddes
3-14-2012
The Word of God is highly prized. It is the message or Word the Lord has given to man.
However several religions claim their documents and only their documents are the Word of God:
Jews claim only the Old Testament is His Word.
Almost all non-Mormon Christians claim that only the Old and New Testaments are authentic Words of God. They believe revelation from the Lord ceased after the New Testament.
Muslims claim parts of the Old Testament and parts of the New Testament are authentic as described in different versions of the Quran but moral teachings of the Old and New Testaments are omitted as morality for Muslims is derived from the life of Mohamed. They claim the Quran is the last revelation received by man from God.
Mormons claim that the Standard Works are authentic: these include:
The Old Testament.
The New Testament.
Writings dictated by Joseph Smith:
Book of Mormon.
Doctrine & Covenants.
Pearl of Great Price (which includes corrections to the Old and New Testaments that restore original text that was lost, deleted or misinterpreted).
They claim the Lord continues to give revelations as He sees fit now and will do so in the the future.
Among the many words of scripture “iniquity” appears to be particularly significant but it does not appear in the L.D.S. (Mormon) Bible Dictionary. The Random House Webster’s College Dictionary defines it as (1) gross injustice or wickedness.(2) a violation of right or duty; wicked act; sin . . . unevenness unfairness. These dictionary definitions leave out direct reference to the Lord although “wicked act” and “sin” imply a reference to deity.
Iniquity is not precisely defined in the index of the Pearl of Great Price but is associated with: Destruction; Evil; Judgment; Rebel; Sin; Transgress; Trespass;Unrighteous; Ungodliness; and Wicked.
What follows examines the exact wording of verses in these several scriptural sources in their use of the one word, iniquity. This enables the reader to search for consistency and inconsistency of the basic principles involved within and between each body of scripture. Inconsistency or consistency would justify claims of the above religious orientations as to which bodies of scripture should be accepted and which should be rejected as the Word of God.
A sampling procedure is used to obtain different numbers of verses from the several sources to reduce the total numbers of citations to reasonable size for comparisons. This eliminates author bias in selection of verses containing the word "iniquity." The samples obtained from the computer search engine follow:
Source Total Verses Cited Verses Sample Size
Old Testament 294 Every 40th verse 7
New Testament 20 Every 3rd verse 7
Book of Mormon 213 Every 30th verse 7
D&C 18 Every 3rd verse 6
Pearl of Great Price 3 Every verse 3
Total 548 Total sample 30
Citations from the Muslim faith are not included as the writer knows of no computer search engine that enables word search of Muslim scripture.
OLD TESTAMENT SAMPLE
1.“Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness” (Psalms 69: 7).
2.“Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance."
(Psalms 90: 8).
(Psalms 90: 8).
3.“We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments” (Daniel 9: 5).
4.“And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it,and the land itself
vomiteth out her inhabitants” (Leviticus 18: 25).
vomiteth out her inhabitants” (Leviticus 18: 25).
5.“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”(Isaiah 53:5).
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”(Isaiah 53:5).
6.“They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth
them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to
Egypt” (Hosea 8: 13).
them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to
Egypt” (Hosea 8: 13).
7.Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be from God, that he should do
wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity”(Job 34: 10).
wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity”(Job 34: 10).
COMMENTS:
Iniquity is a word used by the Lord in the Old Testament to identify people who are not obedient to the word of the Lord.
They do not live up to the Lord’s standard of righteousness with their secret sins, rebellion (from his precepts and judgments), their wickedness, their transgressions, the loss of peace they cause, misuse of sacrifices, and by defiling the land.
The Lord does not do wicked things.
The word iniquity is often accompanied with consequences the Lord brings to pass as a chastisement for these failures.
Even then the Lord will forgive these failures but he does not,in these verses, indicate when or under what circumstances his forgiveness will occur.
NEW TESTAMENT SAMPLE
1. “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded
your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your
members servants to righteous unto holiness”(Romans 6: 19).
your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your
members servants to righteous unto holiness”(Romans 6: 19).
2. “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13: 6).
3. “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”
(Matthew 7: 23).
(Matthew 7: 23).
4. “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be
taken out of the way” (Thessalonians 2: 7).
taken out of the way” (Thessalonians 2: 7).
5. “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10: 17).
6. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them
that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2
Timothy 2: 19).
that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2
Timothy 2: 19).
7. “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away
every one of you from his iniquities” (Acts 3: 26).
every one of you from his iniquities” (Acts 3: 26).
COMMENTS:
The Lord requires righteousness and holiness.
The people being addressed are living below these standards for example in the infirmity of their flesh, their uncleanness,and their untruthfulness.
The Lord invites people to repent and become righteous and holy.
But he will allow them to remain unrighteous until the end when he will declare he never knew them and will require that they depart (be taken out of the way).
Consequences of disobedience are in being forced to depart from the Lord.
As with the Old Testament citations the Lord will remember sins no more but the timing and associated events are not revealed.
There are no fundamental differences in the principles associated with the cited scriptures of the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Jewish non-acceptance of the New Testament, therefore, is not supported by the cited scriptures.
BOOK OF MORMON SAMPLE
1. “For behold I say unto you, the sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their
kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings” (Mosiah 29: 31).
kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings” (Mosiah 29: 31).
2. “But because of priest crafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against
him, that he be crucified” (2 Nephi 10: 5).
him, that he be crucified” (2 Nephi 10: 5).
3. “And it came to pass that Alma did not know concerning them, but there were many witnesses
against them; yea, the people stood and testified of their iniquity in abundance” (Mosiah 26:
9).
against them; yea, the people stood and testified of their iniquity in abundance” (Mosiah 26:
9).
4. “And even I myself have labored with all the power and facilities which I have possessed, to
teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there
should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor any
manner of iniquity” (Mosiah 29: 14).
teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there
should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor any
manner of iniquity” (Mosiah 29: 14).
5. “And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught wherefore
they scourge him, and he suffereth it, and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea they spit
upon him,and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long—suffering towards
the children of men” (1 Nephi 19: 9).
they scourge him, and he suffereth it, and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea they spit
upon him,and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long—suffering towards
the children of men” (1 Nephi 19: 9).
6. “For he will not suffer you that ye shall live in your iniquities, to destroy his people. I say unto
you, Nay; he would rather suffer that the Lamanites might destroy all his people who are
called the people of Nephi if it were possible that they could fall into sins and transgressions,
after so much light, and so much knowledge given unto them of the Lord their God” (Alma
9:19).
you, Nay; he would rather suffer that the Lamanites might destroy all his people who are
called the people of Nephi if it were possible that they could fall into sins and transgressions,
after so much light, and so much knowledge given unto them of the Lord their God” (Alma
9:19).
7. “But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation
until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all
the days if your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in
doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our
great and eternal head” (Helaman 13: 38).
until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all
the days if your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in
doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our
great and eternal head” (Helaman 13: 38).
COMMENTS:
The Lord is righteous.
Results of following His commandments include peace, absence of wars, contentions, stealing, plundering, and murdering.
When leaders (kings) cause followers to commit sins, the leaders are held responsible for the sins of their followers.
The Savior’s crucifixion resulted from stiff neckedness of people involved in priest crafts and other sins.
Salvation comes from righteous living as taught by the Lord. It does not come from seeking happiness through sinning.
People procrastinate needed repentance until it is too late.
The Lord will not allow sinful people to destroy his righteous people.
There is no fundamental difference in the principals involved in Book of Mormon citations and citations in the Old and New Testaments.
Rejection of Book of Mormon scriptures is not supported by the cited scriptures.
DOCTRINE & COVENANTS SAMPLE
1. “And this testimony shall come to the knowledge of the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and
the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers, whom the
Lord has suffered to destroy their brethren the Nephites, because of their iniquities and their
abominations” (D&C 3:18).
the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers, whom the
Lord has suffered to destroy their brethren the Nephites, because of their iniquities and their
abominations” (D&C 3:18).
2. “Purge ye out the iniquity which is among you; sanctify yourselves before me”(D&C 43: 11).
3. “And see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither
lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking” (D&C 20: 54).
lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking” (D&C 20: 54).
4. “And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.”(D&C 5: 1: 3) “And the iniquity and transgressions of my holy laws and commandments I will visit upon the heads of those who hindered my work, unto the third and fourth generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me, saith the Lord God” (D&C 124: 50).
6. “And now I command you, that if you have good desires—a desire to lay up treasures for yourselves in heaven—then shall you assist in bringing to light,with your gift, those parts of my scriptures which have been hidden because of iniquity” (D&C 6: 27).
COMMENTS:
The Lord wants people to sanctify themselves before him. He wants them to cease their transgressions of his holy laws and commandments.
He wants them to stop their abominations, their hardness with each other, their lying, their back biting, their evil speaking, and their rebelliousness.
He commands those with good desires to assist in bringing to light scriptures that people have hidden.
He will cause sorrow among the rebellious by bringing to public view their secret acts and sins.
Knowledge of ancestors will be made available to groups of people.
Those who hinder the Lord’s work will be chastised to the 3rd and 4th generation if they do not repent.
There is no fundamental difference in the background principles involved in these Doctrine and Covenants citations compared with the Old and New Testament citations.
Rejection of the Doctrine and Covenants is not supported by differences in the back ground principles associated with the cited scriptures.
PEARL OF GREAT PRICE SAMPLE
1. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Joseph Smith translation of Matthew 1: 10).
2. “And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold; but he that shall not be overcome the same shall be saved” (Joseph Smith translation of Matthew 1: 30).
3. “Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the Lord, and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that he that findeth me will slay me, because of mine iniquities, for these things are not hid from the lord” (Moses 5: 39).
COMMENTS:
[The great commandments say to love God and to love one another.]
Because of sin, love of many shall wax cold.
The Lord observes supposedly hidden activities
Those that are not overcome by sin shall be saved.
Thesescriptures refer to the same principles as are associated with other scriptures previously cited.
There is no justification for rejection of this source document because of differences in the principles associated with the cited scriptures.
RELAVENT PRINCIPLES
Background principles that are relevant tothe scriptural citations contained in this paper include the following.
The Lord is good.
The Lord opposes evil.
The Lord’s commandments direct people to do only good things.
The Lord chastises those who do evil things.
The Lord forgives those who properly repent oftheir evil activities and do them no more.
The Lord will judge people concerning the good and evil they have done.
CONCLUSION
Thesame religious principles are in play in the cited scriptures in the OldTestament, the New
Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants,and the Pearl of Great Price.
Differences are in the particulars of the citations but not in the underlying principles.
Thereis no justification in this review of the word iniquity for rejecting any ofthe source documents as being inconsistent with the word of God in other source documents.
TheLord uses the word iniquity as an alternate way of summarizing activities thatare evil, i.e., not good and of which repentance is needed.
This same usage occurs in all of the source documentsreviewed in this paper.
This leads tothe conclusion that the Jewish rejection of New Testament and Joseph Smith documents is not supported by the evidence of this paper. Also it leads to theconclusion that “Christian” rejection of Joseph Smith documents is also not supported.
POSTSCRIPT
Consider also another concept found in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Joseph Smith documents. What differences of consequence can be found in this concept from the Lord to man concerning “living by every word”?
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 8:3
"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live."
New Testament: Matthew 4:4
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by breadalone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Joseph Smith Revelations: Doctrine and Covenants 98: 11
"And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil andcleave unto all good, that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God."
These appear to be the Lord’s words spoken at different times in different settings to different peoples.
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