The Lord's response is very blunt in verse 4 to 13.
4 But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have a aBible; and it shall proceed forth from the bJews, mine ancient covenant people. And what cthank they the dJews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?
5 O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have acursed them, and have bhated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people.
6 Thou fool, that shall say: A aBible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?
7 Know ye not that there are more anations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the bisles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the cearth beneath; and I bring forth my dword unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the atestimony of btwo nations is a cwitness unto you that I am God, that I remember one dnation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two enations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the asame yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my bwords according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one cword ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my dwork is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.
10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my awords; neither bneed ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.
11 For I command aall men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall bwrite the words which I speak unto them; for out of the cbooks which shall be written I will djudge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.
12 For behold, I shall speak unto the aJews and they shall bwrite it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall cwrite it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto dall nations of the earth and they shall write it.
13 And it shall come to pass that the aJews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the blost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.
I was given to much thought about this because in my daily work as a missionary to bring people to come to the knowledge of God. I've continued to meet this same objection. The objections fulfilled this prophecy. I couldn't help but be amazed at this. Our message to the world is that the restored Gospel is on Earth again and that there are prophets who are called of God in these latter days. This have strengthened my testimony that the Book of Mormon is true.
The Bible is the Word of God yes. We believe in that. We also believe that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God as well. Together they help confound false doctrines and help us understand the scriptures better. With both we understand God's true nature and what He have done for us. I'm also deeply impressed by what Jesus Christ told Joseph Smith in the First Vision.
Joseph Smith History 1:19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all awrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those bprofessors were all ccorrupt; that: “they ddraw near to me with their lips, but their ehearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the fcommandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the gpower thereof.”
The last sentence really struck me. By saying that we have a bible, that it contains all the truth, and that there cannot be other scriptures. They are denying the power thereof. I am deeply impressed because these things are true. I've seen it happen many times. Nowhere in the Bible did it say that there cannot be more scriptures. All it said is that the holy records that have already been recorded cannot be added nor taken away. Note, it did not say there cannot be more scriptures. All it say is that what have been written cannot be taken away or added to.
I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that the Bible is true. I have a firm unshakable faith that God will reveal more through the prophets of this days. For all things will be revealed in due time. All things that the prophets say when moved upon by the Holy Ghost are scriptures. For God is not limited to one word, but He can speak many words that are for our edification. There are many things that are not revealed at this time as we are not prepared for them. The more we exercise our faith, the more knowledge we will receive. When we follow what the prophets say, we will receive more. As long as we are not content with what we have, but are anxiously seeking for knowledge, we will receive so much more than what we have. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the true living prophet of this last dispensation. All the apostles are also called of God and set apart for their ministry. The leaders of this Church are inspired of God and called to this holy work. I've been on this mission for almost two years, for the best and the difficult times, I've seen through and my testimony have been tested many times. Every time my testimony have emerged stronger than before. I have a firm assurance that God does answer prayers. Many times He does it in ways that we least expect it. We have to do our parts and He will do His part. If we are not anxiously seeking His face, we may receive answers but we won't recognize it because we missed the point that He answers in His own ways and in His own time. I've seen it happen a lot. I leave my testimony with those whose heart will be touched and be edified.
