Magic and the Scriptures

Anyone who spends a lot of time in the Fantasy Nerd Community will eventually hear the name Jack Vance. Vance is a fiction author, or was before his death, who wrote the Dying Earth series, among a great many other books. In the Dying Earth series, Vance introduced a magic system that has become known as the "Vanician" magic system, which has been used in the most popular fantasy role-playing game ever made.

In the Vanician magic system, wizards must study their spell books every morning, to "memorize" a set of spells which they can then cast later that day. Once a memorized spell is cast, it is "forgotten," and must be studied again in order to be used again. In this system, daily study is essential, making it a near-perfect analogy to scripture-study.

"If we're not reading the scriptures daily," President Harold B. Lee once said, "our testimonies are growing thinner, our spirituality isn't increasing in depth."

The "Magic" in the scriptures isn't as flashy as the spells in the Vanician magic system, but it's still very powerful. From scripture study, we gain the power to find direction in our lives, to discern right from wrong, and to receive personal revelation. It can strengthen our relationship with the Almighty and with His Son, our Savior, and help us to become like Them. It can increase our capacity to resist temptation and to choose the right. In essence, everything that really matters in life can be found in the scriptures.

But the scriptures must be studied daily to get their full effect (See the quote from President Lee, above). Furthermore, it works best when we truly study them. To quote Elder David A. Bednar:

Studying and feasting suggest a focus and an intensity that reach far beyond casual reading or quick perusing. Studying and feasting. followed by sincere prayer and steadfast application of the truths and principles we learn, yield personal resolve, spiritual commitment, and the bright light of testimony. Studying, learning, praying, and appropriately applying gospel truths are all key elements in the process of coming unto the Savior.

Just as a wizard would cease to have the power of a wizard without a daily study of their spell books, I believe that a Christian would cease to have the power of a Christian if they neglected to regularly study the scriptures. They were given to us to teach us of Christ and help us to follow Him and become more like Him. Let's tap into the power of the scriptures and see what magic they can work in our lives.