I had read the introduction to the Book of Mormon before. I had always thought of it as sort of an author’s note; something at the beginning of a regular book, where the author takes a moment and briefly gives a background to their story. But no one ever takes the time to read the author’s note. Simply because why would you want to read a description when you can just read the real thing? With this outlook I had always just skimmed the introduction, not giving it much thought to what it was saying. But this week when I was tasked to read it as one of my first readings of my college career, I was determined to truly read it. So I went for it.
Reading the Book of Mormon helps us become spiritually converted.
As I remembered from my previous skimmings, the introduction was a brief description of the book. But it also is a lot more than that. In the second paragraph the purpose of the Book of Mormon is acknowledged, “to show unto the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers… and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.” For the first time, I actually read those words and they meant something to me. The Book of Mormon was saved for this day and age for a reason. That reason is to testify of Jesus Christ’s ministry to the people in the Americas.
I grew up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known to others as the “Mormon” church or “LDS”). I had never doubted that the church was true because that is what I was raised to believe it. But now that I am older I recognize the need to figure out for myself what I believe. College is a time for finding yourself and figuring out who you want to be, independent of your parents. I am writing this on the same campus that my Grandma attended. She came to Brigham Young University not knowing that it was a private religious college. But she quickly figured it out and investigated the church. Her life changed on this campus. It was here she was converted to the Latter-day Saint faith, married my grandpa and started an eternal family. Her decisions on this campus affected not only her life, but also the lives of all of her posterity.
I want to experience a spiritual conversion like my grandma did. I have a head start because I already believe this church is true, but I can read the Book of Mormon with the intensity of someone that is investigating the church. The Book of Mormon was written to convince people that Jesus is the Christ. I want to let these scriptures convince me of this. I am excited to start my own personal spiritual conversion. It is at this new stage of my life, where I am on my own for the first time that I can move strengthen my testimony of the scriptures.
By Caisa B.
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