Don't make the error of elevating The Apocrypha (or Esdras) to a Standard Work

SOME members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have apparently recently seized upon verses from the Book of 2^nd Esdras in the Apocrypha as being Gospel and clearer and more prophetic than the Book of Revelation and the Doctrine and Covenants about what happens in the last days.

These questionable teachings are even on some popular LDS member's pages on Facebook - and yet few seem to be even questioning their validity ....

BEFORE anyone buys into this kind of risky doctrine, they should consider the following:

1.        The Prophet Joseph Smith said much of the Apocrypha is true and much of it is false. (See D&C 91:1-2). Without the spirit, it is not possible to determine which is which. The scriptures also stated it was not needful for the Prophet to re-translate any of the Apocrypha. Why? Likely because there was nothing important enough there. The Prophet also wanted to run for President of the United States. If the Esdras sections of the Apocrypha actually contain the future history of U.S. Presidents (as some claim in an eagle's feathers treatise), it is hard to accept that Joseph Smith didn’t note that somewhere – and yet he didn’t.

2.        President Gordon B. Hinckley said time and time again that Church members should read the Book of Mormon -- a book of scripture written for us and our day. He said nothing about reading the Apocrypha. It is the Book of Mormon that is the book for the American continent. The Sealed Plates of the Book of Mormon likely do have a detailed history of the world from the beginning to the end, so why would Esdras have a small section of that in it?

3.        It is simply hard to believe that Ezra, who wrote the book of Esdras in the Apocrypha could be so detailed in his so-called foretelling of the American Presidency and future of the USA, when no other scripture -- including the Doctrine and Covenants -- is even close to being as detailed. And, the Lord's style simply ISN'T to give man such detailed accounts of things to come -- and certainly not a presidential timeline.
      
     This blog isn't the only one to question the teachings in Esdras. For example, ldsscriptureteachings.org states:

"The apocalyptic tone of II Esdras is impressive and appealing. Not all of the content, however, is trustworthy. It tries to describe some very questionable signs of the Second Coming as follows:

…infants a year old shall talk, and women with child will bring forth untimely infants at three or four months, and they will live and dance…

…[in that day] wild animals will go outside their [dens], and women in their uncleanness will bear monsters. (2 Esdras 6:21; 5:8)"

Also, the same blog states:

"The Second Book of Esdras teaches false doctrine about Father Adam, blaming him for the consequences of the Fall."

4.         Plus, who was the author of Esdras? He was Ezra, a scribe and priest for the Jews. Not likely a prophet ... and why did he get such revelation that was certainly not in any way pertinent to his calling?

Doesn’t D&C 50:13 apply here to Ezra?

(“Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ordained?”)

Or, even if Ezra was writing down a prophet’s words, who was that prophet?

Finally, if you search Ezra the Jewish scribe on Google, it is clear that many scholars believe his writings are counter to other Biblical doctrines and Esdras may not have actually been fully written when Ezra was even still alive, but may have been written later on. Some scholars even question Ezra’s sanity during some of his writings.

-BOTTOM LINE: Some Church members are too hasty to believe such fringe and shaky doctrines these days, especially with the easy access to them via the Web.

Some of these same Church members likely haven't even read the Old Testament, or the Pearl of Great Price and yet they jump to The Apocrypha? If they don't know what's in the Standard Works, then how can they judge authenticity for The Apocrypha? 

-Lastly, Robert J. Matthews, BYU professor, said, "When compared with the scriptures, the Apocrypha is less fruitful soil for spiritual growth without greater than usual assistance from the Spirit… While historians and scholars can find much in these documents of importance to their research, average Church members will receive a greater spiritual return on their investment of time by reading the Bible and the other standard works than they will by reading the Apocrypha." (Ensign, December, 1983, page 70.)

NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.