Doctrine and Covenants 11:21

Seek not to declare my word but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall thy tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.

I have spent a lifetime studying the scriptures and listening to others' commentary on them in order to understand the true nature of God. it has been difficult to learn how to balance a love of the scriptures with the reality that for many reasons not everything written in them is true.

We have to use a combination of tools as we study:

1. Compare - is there consistency or are there conflicting messages? How does what you are reading compare to accepted gospel truths? For example, look at the nature of God. We know God is our loving Heavenly Father ( and Mother) therefore we can rightly reject anything that conflicts with that knowledge.

2. Used common sense. We must stop, study, and pray about anything that doesn't feel right. Our common sense is a blessing to help us navigate daily life and religious understanding.

3. Is it redemptive?  God's work is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man - ALL mankind. Anything that says less than this or limits His (Their) ability to do their work should be examined.

4. Is it inclusive? God loves all his children. read 2 Nephi chapter 26. Any gospel truth must include everyone.

5. Gospel truths are expansive. They remind us that we see narrowly through our mortal eyes and that eternal truth is unimaginably beautiful. They fill us with faith, hope, and charity.

6. The gospel is the story of God's love. LOVE LOVE LOVE.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. . .  Love motivates Him. Love surrounds Him. Love emanates from Him.  The gospel and the word of God should make us feel loved.

7.  What God teaches us to do is what He does. There is no "Do what I say not what I do." with Him. When He asks us to keep our doors open always to our children it is because His doors are always open. When He says " Do not judge" He is teaching us to be like Him.

It takes works to study the scriptures and to find gospel truth. That search is inhibited by those who feel a need to justify every word in our books of scripture. Joseph Smith didn't feel that need. He had the gall to say there were errors and he began a process of correcting them. Indeed, we should say that one of the main purposes of the church is to correct scriptural error as the church grows in understanding. That is especially so as we grow to understand how cultural language and influences affect our understanding of truth.

Examining the church's racist background and the problem of skin color in the Book of Mormon is one such example.

So why even bother? Why study scriptures if there is error in them?

I study them because the search for truth is important to me.

I study them because I want to understand how God speaks to man.

I study them because I have found in them the truths that guide my life.

I study them because I love Jesus and His teachings. 

I study them because there is a noticeable difference in my life when I take time daily to consider that which is spiritual and to commune with God.

I study them because I want words of truth to come from my lips as is promised in today's scripture, "and then shall thy tongue be loosed."