It is good to have questions and a natural curiosity about the world around you. Questions often lead to connections and that is how you enlarge the boundaries of your knowledge. However, sometimes you accept the teachings of others without question and that can lead to some surprising discoveries.
Just recently, I had one of those discoveries. I was reading a scholarly book entitled Temple and the Cosmos by Dr. Hugh Nibley. Published more than 30 years ago, Dr. Nibley pointed out that the New Testament contains no teachings from Jesus Christ during His 40 day post-resurrection ministry. I didn’t believe him. How could that be possible? I had to get out my Bible to check for myself.
And I was surprised to find out that Dr. Nibley was right!
How could this be? I wondered. Surely Jesus Christ had more to teach them. They had just witnessed His death and His resurrection. Surely they had questions? There had to be more! But, what if Jesus answered their questions and those answers were lost?
Well, as it turns out, Dr. Nibley is a scholar expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Nag Hammadi texts. He could read dead languages and understand them. When these ancient scrolls were discovered (Nag Hammadi, 1945; Dead Sea Scrolls, 1947), he was one of the few people who could translate and study them.
Dr. Hugh Nibley points out many of the similarities in the ancient scrolls with Latter-day Saint beliefs. Other ancient books, however, do not demonstrate similar beliefs. One such book is the Gospel of Judas. According to wikipedia the Gospel of Judas “portrays Judas’s actions as done in obedience to instructions given to him by Jesus,” rather than as an act of betrayal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Judas
While the Gospel of Judas is one small example, it does serve as a reminder to all that would study the Nag Hammadi that not all the books can be approached as sacred texts.
I prefer to read the translations of Hugh Nibley because he can read and interpret them as a faithful Latter-day Saint. I also know that there is only one who can testify of truth and be indisputable. That personage is the Holy Ghost.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true;
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
This litmus test of truth is found in the Book of Mormon scripture – Moroni 10:4-5. The amazing thing is you can use it on any work of spiritual import – including and especially – The Book of Mormon.
You can find the Book Temple and the Cosmos by Hugh Nibley on line at the link below:
krhofhiens.com 