In the Beginning Was the Word

There are three versions of the famous phrase: “In the Beginning was the Word…” from John 1:1. The first version is in the book of John. The second version is in the JST for John 1:1-34. The third version is in D&C 93:7-29. Comparing each version with each other is very interesting. The Lord gave us a version (maybe the original) of John’s testimony in D&C 93 and then expounded on it to explain what it means to receive a fulness. I really like John’s promise in D&C 93:16-18 to all of us. It sounds so much like he is speaking directly to us.

This is the first version found in John 1:1-3

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

The second is in the Joseph Smith Translation of John 1:1-3

"In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made which was made."

This is the third version from D&C 93:6-10

"And John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and the fulness of John’s record is hereafter to be revealed.

And he bore record, saying: I saw his glory, that he was in the beginning, before the world was;

Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation—

The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men.

The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him."

The son shows his power with his voice. The word is "quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my word." D&C 11:2, Heb 4:12

The word is so powerful that people don't want to hear it. It both creates and destroys. Jeremiah said, "To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it." (Jer 6:10)

I testify that nothing is more convincing than the word even if it is the last thing we want to hear. Alma said, "the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword" (Alma 31:5)

I recommended reading the Word to a lady whose two children fight constantly. I told her that reading the Bible to them for just 15 minutes a day would change the behavior of her children. She asked, very sincerely, "How is that possible?" I told her, "The Bible has that effect on people."

It is God's word that saves us. By reading his word, it gets into us, into our hearts. It changes us into new creatures. It changes our minds. It changes our desires. It makes God part of us and us one with Him.