Before reading the Book of Mormon, it is important to get some answers to big picture questions. What is the Book of Mormon? Where did it come from? What evidence is there that it exists? What is its purpose? These first sections answer these questions. The Come Follow Me manual is very informative.
Title Page
The CFM manual lists two questions that illustrate the purposes of the Book of Mormon.
Why do we have the Book of Mormon? The title page lists three primary purposes of this book:
“…to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers.” This is for the Lamanites, who are among the ancestors of the American Indians. God knew that their religion and identity would be lost to a great degree. They would lose their history and memory of all that the Lord had done for their people. The Book of Mormon would remind them of that.
…that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever.” The Jaredites were “scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven.” These people were scattered as a result of their pride. They needed to be humbled. However, the Lord wanted them to know that there were still covenants that had been made. Even though they were scattered, they weren’t “cast off forever.” We need to know that ourselves. There will always be consequences to our bad choices. But, we can always turn back towards our Heavenly Father and he is always willing to do great things for us.
“…Also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.” How does the Book of Mormon do this? Well, to have a completely separate record testifying of the divinity of Jesus Christ is very compelling. It would be impossible to suggest that Jesus was simply a prophet or talented preacher. He must be the Son of God and the essential figure in the plan of salvation. It also shows that God loves all of us, not just the folks living in near proximity to Jerusalem.
How is the Book of Mormon different from other books? The book that is most similar to the Book of Mormon is, of course, the Bible. The Bible is a collection of writings from ancient prophets and apostles. The Bible was translated and compiled and not “officially canonized” until the Council of Trent in the 1500’s. What was included and what was left out depended on three basic criteria:
Were the authors either eyewitnesses to the events they wrote about or at least directly taught about them by the Apostles?
Were each book’s teachings consistent with church practice and tradition?
Was each book already in general use by the church, and accepted as the Divine Word of God?
These are three solid criteria for inclusion in the Bible. However, the process leans on men’s understanding and not inspiration from God.
I see two primary differences between the Bible and the Book of Mormon:
The compilation was done by a single person who was also a prophet. Mormon was the lone compiler. Of course he used his judgment but the process was guided by the Spirit. It was not compiled through a council vote.
The translation was done through the power of God and not through men’s understanding. Joseph Smith was not relying on his academic prowess when translating the Book of Mormon. It was done only through God’s divine help. Truly, it was to “come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof.”
The title page ends with a disclaimer. “And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.” It sounds like the Book of Mormon may not be perfect. Because God works through men and women and we are always imperfect, there will always be flaws in every complicated effort. But Joseph Smith said, “I told the brethren, that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” Even Joseph Smith didn’t claim that the Book of Mormon was perfect - only that it was the most correct book on earth.
We could focus on the flaws and attempt to pick apart the pages and find contradictions or misstatements. The point that Mormon is making is that we shouldn’t “condemn the things of God.” We shouldn’t criticize the miracle of the Book of Mormon because an ancient prophet didn’t write something quite right. We shouldn’t reject this gift from God because it isn’t perfect. We should focus on the divinely inspired teachings and respect and appreciate the gift that this book is.
With its possible flaws, the Book of Mormon will help us understand the gospel of Jesus Christ more than any other book. Questions that have been a source of debate for hundreds of years are answered. Confusion is made clear. We can be “nearer to God by abiding by its precepts.” That’s a bold statement. We all want to be closer to God. If a book can do that, it’s a mighty, powerful book! Of course, the Book of Mormon will bring us closer to Jesus than any other book!
This prophets who wrote this book were commanded to do it. And, it was written “also by the spirit of prophecy and revelation.” So, Book of Mormon prophets were not simply attempting to do something that they were commanded to do. They were also supported and guided through the Spirit. It is an example of what can happen in our own lives. We are all commanded to do things. We all have our individual assignments. It’s important to know that, in whatever is expected of us, we will be supported by God through the Spirit. We will always be given gifts that enable us to be successful in our callings. Nephi wrote, “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”
Introduction
It is important that we are familiar with what is written in the Introduction of the Book of Mormon. Why? Because we may be asked to explain what the Book of Mormon is and we want to be ready to do it effectively. How would you describe the Book of Mormon in 30 seconds? The Introduction includes several key points:
“The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation.”
“Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon.”
“The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.”
“The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after His resurrection.”
“It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.”
“After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the Hill Cumorah. On September 21, 1823, the same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language.”
“In due course the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith, who translated them by the gift and power of God. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto Him and obey the laws and ordinances of His gospel may be saved.”
These are seven key points that all of us should commit to memory. If these seven points are top of mind, we will be much more likely to open our mouths and share about the Book of Mormon to others. The CFM manual suggests: “Consider making a list of things you would share with a friend about the Book of Mormon. Try sharing the Book of Mormon using the Book of Mormon app.”
The Introduction also explains that there were eleven other witnesses to the Book of Mormon. All were able to see its pages. It is important to reinforce the credibility of what Joseph Smith is saying. While some of the witnesses eventually left the church, none recanted their testimonies of witnessing the Book of Mormon.
The Introduction concludes with an invitation to ask “God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true.” Anyone who does this can “gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.” This is an example of how we should share the Book of Mormon. Any explanation of the Book of Mormon should include this invitation. An invitation gives the hearer an opportunity to act in faith. Sometimes, when someone hears an opportunity, the Spirit can work on them and nudge them into accepting the invitation. This is often how people embrace the gospel. In other words, the Book of Mormon is often the gateway to conversion to Jesus Christ, knowing that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that this is His true church.
The Testimony of Three Witnesses
What did the three witnesses testify of? There were essentially two main points:
The plates were translated by the “gift and power of God” because they heard the voice of the Lord.
They have seen the engravings which were upon the plates because an “angel of God came down from heaven” and showed them the plates.
They were commanded, by the Lord to “bear record of it.” The Testimony of Three Witnesses exists because they were obedient to that commandment.
The three witnesses were Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and David Whitmer. All three of these witnesses eventually left the Church. Oliver and Martin eventually returned and were re-baptized. All three NEVER denied that they had seen the plates. You’d expect, if they disagreed with the prophet enough to leave the Church, that they would look for any opportunity to cast doubt on Joseph. They had every reason to withdraw their testimony. Yet they did not. I think it further proves that their testimonies were true. They did see an angel and did handle the plates.
The Testimony of Eight Witnesses
These witnesses saw and held the gold plates. The eight witnesses were either members of the Whitmer or Smith families. Despite the separation of the Whitmer family from the Church, there is little evidence that ANY of the Eight Witnesses denied his testimony to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon or the gold plates.
Paul said that “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” Having additional witnesses to the golden plates besides Joseph Smith himself is the pattern of how God works.
These eleven witnesses put their reputations on the line by testifying of the existence of the gold plates. I’m sure they faced ridicule as a result. In the 1800’s, your reputation was very important. People would not claim to have seen something so fantastic and unbelievable unless it was true. Reading these testimonies gives me additional confidence that these plates exist and there were heavenly beings involved in the restoration of the gospel.
These witnesses were not biblical scholars. They were not prominent preachers. They were not leaders of the community. They were regular people at various ages. On the surface, there wasn’t anything remarkable about any of them. Yet, they were chosen. It should give us confidence that, even though we are nothing special, we can certainly play key roles in building the kingdom of God.
Testimony of Prophet Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith’s testimony begins with a prayer. “On the evening of the … twenty-first of September [1823] … I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God.” The definition of supplication is “The action of asking or begging for something earnestly.” What does this tell us about what Joseph? How many of my prayers are filled with earnest asking or begging? Joseph was very eager to learn from God. He had already built a relationship with God and was relying on Him. Joseph, at this point, knew that God was real. He had seen him firsthand. I think this helped him in his earnestness. It would be helpful if we all could get a vision but that’s not how it works. Our goal is to build this relationship and earnestly rely on God without seeing him in the flesh.
Moroni appeared in answer to his prayer and told him many things. I think it’s interesting that Moroni didn’t need to say what his accomplishments were. He didn’t need to say, you know, I’m sort of a big deal. The only thing that was important by way of introduction was that his name was Moroni. Beginning with the statement, “God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.” This couldn’t be more true. Joseph is one of the most revered and vilified people I am aware of. The criticism of Joseph’s actions, 200 years later, are numerous. Almost everything that he did has been looked at with a microscope. I think that, with any of us, if we were reduced to the mistakes that we have made, all of us could look like miserable villains.
It didn’t take 200 years for the “evil spoken of” to begin. It started almost immediately after the first vision. There is a reason that the members of the Church were chased from state to state. There’s a reason he was tarred and feathered by mobs. There is a reason he was ultimately shot and killed by an armed group of men. Satan did not want Joseph to be successful. Satan is still actively working against the work of Joseph Smith. Just watch.
After the first visit, Joseph Smith was left to himself. “I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside.” I think it’s interesting that the revelation happened again as Joseph was musing, marveling and in meditation. I need to be better at listening during and after my prayers. I need to spend more time in silence to give the Spirit an opportunity to tell me something. This is actually a new year’s resolution - to stop being so distracted by my phone and just let silence happen.
Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith two more times and spoke essentially the same message about where the plates were buried, what was included in them and that he shouldn’t show them to anyone unless he was commanded to. There’s a reason that repetition is important. We are now studying the Book of Mormon. We first studied this with Come Follow Me in 2020. We’ll study it again in 2028. There’s a reason that we hear very similar stories and lessons each week in our church meetings. We humans need repetition! We don’t learn a lot of things the first time. This was true for Joseph Smith and it’s definitely true for us.
The third time that Moroni visited Joseph, Joseph received a warning. Moroni “added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father’s family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of building his kingdom; otherwise I could not get them.” We all must be wary of this. We aren’t going to receive gold plates. But many will receive important callings and earthly positions of authority. It’s important that we receive these callings with the right intentions. If our motivations are mixed with any “other object” than to help others and build the kingdom of God, we will not be successful in our efforts. We must accept that, even the best of us can be tempted. Joseph Smith was a pretty great guy and Moroni knew that he would be tempted.
After Joseph heard Moroni say the same things the following day in the field, he was commanded “to go to my father and tell him of the vision and commandments which I had received.” He obeyed and his father told him that “it is of God.” I think we all could use someone to tell us that something is of God when we receive some type of inspiration or instruction from the Spirit. If we truly listen to others, we will see opportunities to tell them “it is of God.” People, generally, could use a confirmation from another person what is godly.
Joseph Smith was unlike any other modern prophet. I believe that he had much more direct contact with heavenly visitors. He was going to get a class from Moroni every four years. “Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do, and how and in what manner his kingdom was to be conducted in the last days.” Joseph wasn’t building the Church based on his own wisdom. He was receiving that information directly from heaven. I would love to be able to listen to those meetings.
I think it’s important to consider that it took four years of meeting with Moroni at that hill before he received those plates. I’m sure it took a degree of patience from Joseph. Just like we are all expected to be patient with God’s timing. I’m sure Joseph probably would’ve preferred to receive the plates the first time that he saw them. But, “the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived.” God’s timing is not usually our timing.
Will God give each of us “instruction and intelligence?” What will that look like? Well, it won’t look like Moroni teaching us on the side of a hill. It will come from impressions in moments of thoughtfulness. It will look like inspiration when reading the scriptures. It will be thoughts that form in our mind as we listen for answers during our prayers. Why don’t we get a special visit? Likely to protect us from the accountability that would come with that kind of revelation. Also, God’s pattern is to get us to act in faith. In this way, the most growth happens in the shortest amount of time. It’s a good plan.
If the Book of Mormon is true, what else is true? This is the key principle here. If we know that the Book of Mormon is true, we know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. If he was a prophet, then we know that the intelligence and instruction he received from the angel about “how and in what manner his kingdom was to be conducted in the last days” is correct. In other words, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Lord’s true Church. If the Church is true, then temples are houses of God where ordinances are performed for the living and the dead. I could go on and on but it all starts with the Book of Mormon. Truly, it is the keystone of our religion.
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