I read The Book of Remembrance three times now, and I have to say that it’s wrong. But, it’s not wrong in the way you might assume.

“Stay Stupid.”  -Steve Jobs

Loose Canon

To my Southern Baptist mindset, The Book of Remembrance is wrong because it is not part of the closed canon of sixty-six books. However, I’ve never been presented a good reason to take seriously the idea that God’s Word is limited and regulated to the sixty-six books of the current Bible. The verses I have been shown to ’prove’ this idea depend on some interpretation gymnastics and believing that the various writers of the different books of the Bible had foreknowledge or what books would come after their and that the Bible would be bound into a book form, which didn’t exist during the time any book of the Bible was written.

To my LDS mindset, The Book of Remembrance is wrong because it didn’t come from one of the General Authorities. And, we, as members, agreed with each other than new revelations for the church and new Scriptures would only come through a General Authority. I don’t think that’s how revelations work. Just because someone is next in line and has seniority, does God automatically deliver revelation through them?

“All I know is that I don’t know anything.”  -Socrates

Broader Books

To my Catholic mindset, The Book of Remembrance is wrong because the Pope has not made it official Scripture yet, even though there are various sects of Catholicism who read, study, and believe in extra books of the Bible beyond the seventy-three they believe should go in the Bible.

From my understanding of Nemelka’s The Sealed Portion, the ’fruit’ that opened Eve’s eyes to a knowledge of good and evil was sex…with Satan. Adam then partook in sex with Eve and his eyes were open to good and evil. From my understand of Jehovah Witness theology, the Book of Remembrance is wrong because it doesn’t fit into their very strange and esoteric theology of Satan being released on the world right before WWI and how some believers will die and just…stop existing.

“All I know is that I don’t know nothing.” -Operation Ivy”

Faith in Theology

However, with all this being said, we need to understand that faith and sound theology is not contained within the brick buildings of churches and sets of rules set up by groups of people who are way behind the times. The LDS Church is about fifty years behind the times, which makes it fifty years ahead of most Christian denominations. God is actively involved in our daily lives. He didn’t stop performing miracles after the last book in the Bible was written (probably the Gospel of John) like Southern Baptists believe. He doesn’t talk and reveal only through those who have seniority in one denomination or someone elected to run a worldwide religion.

God speaks through anyone. They could be weak and constantly second guess themselves (like I was). They could be someone who helps guide and organize (like David). I started receiving revelation that was later compiled into the book Blooms And Stencils about two to three months after David finished The Book of Remembrance. We live far away from each other. At the time, I was a paralegal in charge of evictions and he did marketing for a distribution company. We are not religious leaders voted into positions and we didn’t lead a large ethnic group through a sea that was magically parted. But, we came in contact with each other shortly after I put the first edition The Book Of Lehi on the Internet, and he later received revelation concerning the title of The Book of Lehi. This is the reason that it’s title Sepher Lehi now.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” -Proverbs 4: 23

Onward and Upward

I guess what I’m trying to say is that The Book of Remembrance is wrong if I stuck with the limitations and doctrines of certain religions, beliefs, and denominations. But, once I started praying to God for guidance, the best way to praise Him, and knowledge of the path closest to His Glory, everything about my worldview changed. Religion wasn’t so measureable, formulated, and easily filed away. Even, two nights before I wrote this, I had a strong prompting to write something in praise of The Book of Remembrance, telling people how it is wrong according so many doctrines of different denominations, but how it is not actually wrong at all in reference to God and His Glory and Desire for our happiness and futures.

And now, I have thoughts of Sanvi, Sanzanvi, and Semangel bouncing around my head along with thoughts of Raphael.