The Book of Mormon is a record of God’s dealings with the inhabitants of the ancient Americas, who sailed here from Biblical lands. BYU professor Daniel Peterson says that the discovery of the “if/and” sentence construction made by his colleague, professor Royal Skousen, in his textual study of the Book of Mormon proves this linguistic lineage. Peterson writes:

In grammar, “conditional sentences” are sentences that discuss hypothetical situations and their consequences. Languages use a variety of constructions and verb forms to form such sentences…. A very common form of conditional sentence is the “if/then” construction, with the word “then” being optional…. What is absolutely not a common conditional form — in any period or dialect of English— is an “if/and” construction. Native speakers simply don’t use it. We never say things like, …  “If you cook it, and I’ll eat it.” Yet, although it never survives into English Bible translations, this construction is common in biblical Hebrew.

That is why it is significant to find “if/and” conditionals in the earliest English Book of Mormon, which presents itself as the translation of a record written by ancient Hebrews and their descendants. [1]

Skousen’s work has produced an in-depth linguistic analysis of the Book of Mormon and—for members of The Church of Jesus Christ— further proof of the authenticity of the book.

A Study of Book of Mormon Texts

The Book of Mormon came forth under miraculous circumstances—and has been a topic of scholarly debate ever since. Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (the restoration of Christ’s ancient church) was led to the gold plates by a heavenly messenger named Moroni. It’s important to note that Joseph Smith had very little formal education and, at the time of the translation, “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone dictat[e] a book like the Book of Mormon,” according to his wife, Emma. [“Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saints’ Herald 26 (Oct. 1, 1879), 290.] Almost all of the present-day text of the Book of Mormon was translated during a three-month period between April and June of 1829, with a schoolteacher named Oliver Cowdery working as Joseph Smith’s scribe. The manuscript dictated by Joseph to his scribes is called the Original Manuscript, and only 28% of this document survives today. To assist in the printing of the book, Oliver Cowdery made a handwritten copy of the manuscript, which is known today as the Printer’s Manuscript. [2]

In the nearly 200 years since the first printing of the Book of Mormon, there have been 20 published editions of the book— 15 published by The Church of Jesus Christ, 4 by the Reformed Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (now the Community of Christ, which is a separate church established by former members years after the death of Joseph Smith) and one private edition published in 1858 by James Wright in New York City. Skousen has spent a quarter of a century studying each of these editions as well as the Original and Printer’s manuscripts to discover, as nearly as possible, the earliest text of the English translation of the Book of Mormon. [3]

Skousen’s findings are fascinating—but don’t detract from the truthfulness of the doctrine or the book. He writes:

… It has been a delight to have discovered evidence in the original manuscript to support what witnesses said about how Joseph Smith translated. In my initial work on the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon, I was always excited to discover the occasional error that had crept into the text. But over time I have become more amazed about the nature of the original text of the Book of Mormon. In particular, the original manuscript provides important evidence that the Book of Mormon is a revealed text from the Lord. Indeed, the consistency of the original language supports the argument that the text was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, word for word. [4]

The Significance of ‘If/And’

The Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets whose ancestors came to the Americas from Jerusalem and other Biblical lands in a language called “reformed Egyptian.” (See Mormon 9:42 and 1 Nephi 1:12.) The significance of the Hebraic “if/and” construction is that it supports the linguistic heritage of the original authors of the Book of Mormon. As a young man with limited formal education, Joseph Smith would have no knowledge of this grammatical sentence structure. Peterson writes:

Joseph Smith would not have seen the Hebrew “if/and” conditional sentence in the King James Bible. Yet, in the original dictation manuscript of the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 17:50 reads “if he should command me that I should say unto this water be thou earth and it shall be earth.” That “and” was removed when Oliver Cowdery produced the so-called “Printer’s Manuscript,” but similar constructions— too many to dismiss as coincidental— appeared in the 1830 first edition. [1]

Skousen points out an entire sequence of “if/and” sentences in Helaman 12:13-21. For example, in verse 13: “yea and if he sayeth unto the earth move and it is moved.” Skousen writes:

Beginning with the 1837 edition, all these examples of the extra and have been edited out of the text. Such examples of a Hebraistic if-and construction in the original text provide further evidence that Joseph Smith received the text word for word. If he had received only ideas, there would have been no reason to have added the non-English use of and in all these examples. [4]

Peterson writes:

Such expressions— poor English, but good Hebrew— were eliminated by Joseph Smith himself in the second printing of the Book of Mormon. Though an unlettered man, he was a native speaker of English; he knew that these constructions were “wrong.” What we see in them, I think, is “language contamination,” leakage from the text’s original language into the translation language — much the way Spanish/English interpreters sometimes slip into “Spanglish.” But why would such things appear in “the most correct book?” Perhaps as a subtle divine hint that the original language of the Book of Mormon wasn’t English. [1]

Scholarly Studies vs. A Testimony of the Book of Mormon

Skousen’s study of the Book of Mormon provides an in-depth look into the textual changes of these scriptures. Richard Turley, assistant church historian and recorder for The Church of Jesus Christ, called Skousen’s work “the finest understanding that we have all had about the Book of Mormon.” [5] His work provides a rich background story through the textual changes that we can get in no other way. As Turley says, Skousen’s analysis is “an evaluation on how (Joseph Smith) translated it and what kind of text was revealed to him.” [5] The Critical Text Project is interesting, but is not the source upon which a testimony of the Book of Mormon is built—in other words, how a person knows that this book is the word of God. In the Introduction, the Prophet Joseph Smith writes:

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.

But this analysis of the Book of Mormon isn’t necessarily designed to help others gain a testimony of the book. Even Skousen wrote:

There has also been a spiritual dimension to this work, although my own testimony of the Book of Mormon is not based on my work on the critical text project, but rather on my own personal witness that this book records events which really happened. [4]

Rather, the analysis is a fascinating study of the Book of Mormon text and how it has changed—and hasn’t really changed at all—from the first translation to the latest published edition of the scripture. Skousen wrote:

The systematic nature of the original text and the spelling out of Book of Mormon names support the theory that the text was revealed to Joseph Smith, word for word and even letter for letter. On the other hand, all subsequent transmissions of the text appear to be subject to human error. At each stage, the accuracy of the transmission has depended upon the carefulness of the transmitter, whether Joseph Smith, his scribes, or later editors and typesetters. (This caveat, of course, equally applies to the critical text itself.) Although all have tried to do their best, every transmission of the text appears to have led to some mistakes. Yet none of these errors significantly interfere with either the message of the book or its doctrine. These textual errors have never prevented readers of the book from receiving their own personal witness of its truth.

The editing of the text (including Joseph Smith’s for the 1837 edition) should, in nearly all instances, be viewed as translating the text into a more standard variety of English. Moreover, in his editing of the text, Joseph acted as a human editor; his 1837 and 1840 revisions do not represent any kind of “final authorial intent” since Joseph Smith is not the author of the Book of Mormon. Nor is there any evidence that his editorial revisions represent inspired corrections to the text, especially since he left unchanged dozens of substantive errors that the scribes originally made when they copied from the original manuscript to the printer’s manuscript.

The original text of the Book of Mormon reflects the style of Early Modern English—namely, the biblical style from the 1500s. Nonetheless, this biblical style in the Book of Mormon is not identical to the style of the King James Bible except in those Book of Mormon passages which directly quote from the King James Bible (such as Isaiah and Matthew). [4]

These findings, as Skousen has pointed out, in no way detract from the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Rather, they illustrate the truthfulness of the words of an ancient prophet, found on the Title Page of the Book of Mormon:

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.

How Can We Know the Book of Mormon is The Word of God?

How, then, can we find out for ourselves whether the Book of Mormon is the word of God? The Introduction to the Book of Mormon tells us:

We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah.

This is how Skousen gained his testimony of the Book of Mormon. He writes:

About twenty-five years ago, as I was reading the Book of Mormon during a time of personal difficulty, I reread the account of Ammon, King Lamoni, and the queen in Alma 19, which records the moment when the servant woman Abish raises the queen from the ground (Alma 19:29–30):

“And it came to pass that she went and took the queen by the hand, that perhaps she might raise her from the ground; and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice, saying: O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people!

“And when she had said this, she clasped her hands, being filled with joy, speaking many words which were not understood….”

As I was reading this passage, the spirit personally witnessed to me, “This really happened.” I have always cherished this moment in my life, and have been grateful to the Lord for the sure knowledge that the Book of Mormon is the word of the Lord. [4]

I love this because it illustrates how each person can gain a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon—by reading, then praying and asking God, and finally receiving an answer through the Holy Ghost. Elder Russell M. Nelson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (with the First Presidency, the governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ), taught:

I would like to add my testimony of the divinity of this book. I have read it many times. I have also read much that has been written about it. Some authors have focused upon its stories, its people, or its vignettes of history. Others have been intrigued by its language structure or its records of weapons, geography, animal life, techniques of building, or systems of weights and measures.

Interesting as these matters may be, study of the Book of Mormon is most rewarding when one focuses on its primary purpose—to testify of Jesus Christ. By comparison, all other issues are incidental.

When you read the Book of Mormon, concentrate on the principal figure in the book—from its first chapter to the last—the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. …

Each individual who prayerfully studies the Book of Mormon can also receive a testimony of its divinity. In addition, this book can help with personal problems in a very real way. Do you want to get rid of a bad habit? Do you want to improve relationships in your family? Do you want to increase your spiritual capacity? Read the Book of Mormon! It will bring you closer to the Lord and His loving power. [6]

The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and we can know this for ourselves. The Hebraisms and other discoveries that Professor Skousen found in his Critical Text Project add another rich layer to what many already know: that this book is true, and it was written by ancient prophets who sailed to the Americas from Jerusalem.

Christ gives several sermons to the people. One of these sermons discusses works, a concept often misunderstood in other Christian denominations. Christ’s sermon in 3 Nephi 27 explains more about works and how they operate within the grace of Jesus Christ.

Building Christ’s Church

When Jesus visits the Americas, He spent quite a bit of time establishing His church among the people. He called apostles and demonstrated the sacrament. He instructs that the church needs to be in His name:

And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel. (3 Nephi 27:8)

Christ continues to say that “if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it” (27:10). If the people build the church upon the gospel of Jesus Christ, then Heavenly Father will be able to manifest His works through it. If, however, the people decide to build the church upon their own works and ideas, Christ says, “they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire.”

Why is it important that the true church be built on the gospel instead of on the works of men and women? This is crucial because men and women are fallible; the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ, however, are perfect. Even though the church will be operated by imperfect people, the strength of the purity of the doctrines will compensate for our shortcomings. A church built upon our own works would fail and lead us away from God.

Our Works Are Important

Some Christian denominations disagree about which will get one to heaven: grace or works.The answer is both. We would have no chance of returning to Heavenly Father without the grace of Jesus Christ. Christ Himself explains His purpose in God’s plan:

And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil. (27:14)

So the Savior came to earth so that He can draw us unto Him, but our choices here still make a difference. Jesus Christ can’t save us if we don’t let Him, and the way by which we accept His grace is to pattern our lives after His.

We Accept Christ by Living His Commandments

I have a friend who thought that Mormons’ emphasis on works contradicted the grace of the Savior. She thought that by accepting Him you were automatically saved, that there were no further action to be taken to achieve salvation. This isn’t what the doctrine of Jesus Christ teaches us. When Christ was preaching to the people in the Book of Mormon, he said that “this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do” (27:21).

Christ did suffer for us and did atone for our sins, but that gift isn’t free. If we are to accept His infinite gift, we must do so upon His conditions, which are to live His commandments and strive to become like Him. That’s why our works are so important: our works are what demonstrate to the Savior who we are becoming and to what extent we accept His grace.

Jesus summed up this sermon in a simple sentence: “Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (27:27). God certainly does not mean for us to earn our way to heaven; that would indeed contradict the plan of redemption. What He does intend, however, is for the depth of our conviction to be made manifest in how we live. This life is one of becoming, and if we are to be saved by Christ, we must accept Him by trying to become like Him. He will know our hearts and know of our intent. If we simply do the best we can, He will make up the rest and shape us so that one day we will be as He is.

The grace of Jesus Christ is amazing because it affects our souls. Christ’s grace is what allows us to change and choose and become. Our works operate in tandem with the Savior’s grace, allowing us to outwardly change and become like Him.

A critical text project is an attempt to reconstruct the original text as closely as possible, omitting errors made as the text was transcribed, copied and printed, through scholarly research. Skousen devoted 25 years to finding the original English language text of the Book of Mormon, and his findings are fascinating. He has published the results of his study in numerous articles and several volumes as well as a book. He also presented his findings in three illustrated lectures at Brigham Young University earlier this year, and the videos are available on YouTube. The series is aptly titled “25 Years of Research: What We Have Learned about the Book of Mormon Text.” [1]

For his critical text project, Skousen studied each stage of the transmission process for accidental changes and changes due to editing. An ancient Book of Mormon prophet wrote, “And now, if there are faults, they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God” (Title Page). Skousen’s findings support this; whatever mistakes have crept in, the things of God are unchanged.

The Translation of the Book of Mormon

 As a linguist, Skousen’s research focused on the original English language text as translated by Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ in modern days. As stated in the Introduction, the Book of Mormon is a compilation of records kept by prophets in the ancient Americas. Mormon, a prophet-historian, abridged their writings onto gold plates. He then handed them to his son Moroni, who finished the work and then hid 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.

Before he was allowed by God to chose 3 and then 8 witnesses, Joseph Smith was instructed not to show the gold plates to anyone, not even his wife. His wife, Emma—who never saw the plates uncovered— said:

The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tablecloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I once felt of the plates as they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book. (“Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saints’ Herald, 1 Oct. 1879, p. 290; spelling modernized.)

Skousen’s study begins with the Prophet Joseph translating the gold plates from reformed Egyptian (Mormon 9:32) into the English language. Joseph Smith translated the writings using instruments called seer stones. Skousen said that while we don’t know exactly how the instrument worked, we do know a little from witness accounts. The Joseph Smith Papers Project, an effort to gather and publish all existing Joseph Smith documents, has compiled the following details from scriptural and historic accounts:

Buried with the plates were “two stones in silver bows,” which fastened to a breastplate and were later referred to by the biblical term Urim and Thummim. [Joseph Smith] was instructed to use these stones “for the purpose of translating the book.” As he translated, [Joseph Smith] dictated to scribes. Emma Smith recalled that [Joseph Smith] used the Urim and Thummim for the first part of the translation and another seer stone for the remaining portion. Other accounts reported that [Joseph Smith] translated by looking at the stone or stones, which he placed in a hat to reduce exterior light.

The purpose of Skousen’s work was to uncover the original text as Joseph Smith saw it through the seer stones.

  ‘The Original and Printer’s Manuscript’

 Skousen’s first task was to find the handwritten manuscript that the Prophet Joseph dictated to his scribe. There are two handwritten copies of the Book of Mormon: the original manuscript and the printer’s manuscript. The original manuscript is the one written by Joseph Smith’s scribe as he translated. The printer’s manuscript is a copy of the original manuscript used by the printer to set the type for the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon. The printer’s manuscript is virtually intact and is owned by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is now called the Community of Christ. The original manuscript is in fragments, some of which are privately owned. Skousen has been able to examine both. [2]

In 1841, the Prophet Joseph placed the original manuscript in the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House—a boarding house that was never completed. [3] Skousen said:

In 1882, when Lewis Bidamon (Emma Smith’s second husband) opened the cornerstone, he discovered that the original manuscript was mostly destroyed by water. Bidamon handed out the better-preserved portions of the manuscript but apparently kept for himself some smaller fragments. [2]

The Church of Jesus Christ owns much of what Bidamon handed out, which is about 25% of the original manuscript. Some of the smaller fragments that Lewis Bidamon had kept were traced to the family of Wilford Wood— who bought them in 1937 from the Bidamon family— in Bountiful, Utah. As part of his work, Skousen was able to see the fragments and have them conserved and photographed. When Skousen obtained them, the fragments were stuck together in a lump measuring about 1 by 2 by 6 inches. The unraveling “was extremely exciting work,” Skousen said. The fragments were photographed using black-and-white reflective techniques, which revealed the very faint handwriting. They were also encapsulated before being returned to the Wood family. [2] Skousen said that in all, only 28% of the original manuscript has been found.

Skousen’s Findings

 Professor Skousen’s 25 years of research have uncovered a wealth of information about the Book of Mormon text. Describing his work, he wrote:

…Right from the beginning, I discovered errors that had crept into the text as Oliver Cowdery and the other scribes produced the printer’s manuscript from the original manuscript. In fact, there were errors in the original manuscript itself. … Yet at the same time, I began to see considerable evidence for the traditional interpretation that witnesses of the translation process claimed: (a) the text was orally dictated, word for word; (b) Book of Mormon names were frequently spelled out the first time they occurred in the text, thus indicating that Joseph Smith could see the spelling of the names; and (c) during dictation there was no rewriting of the text except to correct errors in taking down the dictation. [4]

Skousen also found that “the original text is much more consistent and systematic in phraseology and vocabulary than has ever been realized.” And “sometimes passages of text are the same, word for word, even though they are found incompletely different parts of the book.” [4]

The research does not end with the original and printer’s manuscripts. Skousen has combed, word for word, each of the 20 printed editions of the Book of Mormon since the initial production in 1830. Through his efforts, he has found only minor errors. The doctrines are unchanged. His 25 years of study have produced impressive results, and his findings show the human side of the Book of Mormon text.

A Testimony of the Book of Mormon

 Professor Skousen writes that his testimony of the Book of Mormon is independent of his work on the Critical Text project. He wrote:

The Book of Mormon stands on its own and is ultimately not dependent on how that text may vary in printed editions or in the manuscripts. Moroni promised that the Lord will give a testimony of the book to the prayerful reader – irrespective of any infelicities and errors in the text (which Moroni recognized could be there, as he himself noted in the last part of the title page of the Book of Mormon). I received my own personal witness of this book long before I ever began work on this project. I have never needed to prove to myself that the text is from the Lord. Nor have errors in the text ever prevented the Spirit from bearing witness that the book is the Lord’s.

… The Lord witnesses the truthfulness of this book irrespective of the minor errors that have crept in. I know of no error that changes any doctrine or the basic account of the text. There is no error, awkward expression, or ungrammaticality in any of the printed editions of the book that will prevent the honest reader from gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. [4]

The Prophet Joseph Smith’s testimony can be found in the book’s Introduction:

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.

Moroni, the ancient American prophet, told honest seekers that they could know the truth of this book for themselves:

When ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true: and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:4)

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed as a “Mormon” after the Book of Mormon), I have a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. I know that it was by God’s hand that it was kept and then preserved from destruction to be brought forth in our day. Through many sacrifices, Joseph Smith translated the book through the power which God had granted him.

Personal Scripture Study

I believe that all books of scripture are sacred and important. The Latter-day Saint canon includes the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. While I make an effort to read all of these books of scripture and to be familiar with each of them, I feel a unique spirit when reading the Book of Mormon.

It is kind of difficult to explain, but my mind begins to be enlightened whenever I read from its pages. I feel spiritually fed and nourished, though when I fail to read it regularly, I also miss this strength. I believe that the Holy Spirit teaches pure truth. All eternal truths are related to each other. Thus, when we work to bring ourselves to be in tune with the Holy Spirit, we can learn truths that we may not immediately identify as spiritual.

When I read and ponder the scriptures, especially in the Book of Mormon, I find my mind making connections and understanding deeper spiritual truths than I had previously comprehended. This renewing of the mind is also a renewal of my spirit. I think those things are intertwined.

Meaningful Passages of the Book of Mormon

One of my favorite chapters of scripture in the Book of Mormon is the fifth chapter in the book of Alma. Alma is speaking here to some of the people in a city he is visiting. He is a prophet and reminds the people of their ancestors’ history and dealings with Jesus Christ. He points out how many times their ancestors (and they themselves) have been delivered from destruction or persecution by the hand of God. He then says to the people:

Have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell? Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them (Alma 5:6-7).

Alma goes on to ask the people if they have been spiritually born of God as their fathers were, if they have received His image in their countenances and if they have had a mighty change in their heart because of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. This is always a good point for me to personally reflect on how God has blessed my ancestors’ lives and then to look at how He has blessed my life personally. To remember all He has done for me in this life alone, let alone paying the price to redeem my soul from hell, is humbling.

My Mighty Change of Heart Through the Book of Mormon

I do feel that I have experienced a mighty change of heart by learning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The more I learn, the more determined I am to continue this mighty change and to have His image in my countenance. What a wonderful description.

Then Alma asks this question: “And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26).  This is the truly important question. If we have allowed the miracle of Christ’s Atonement to work in our lives, are we still allowing that miracle to take place in our lives right now? Because if we are not, then our efforts are in vain.

This is one reason why it is important to read the Book of Mormon continually. The renewal of the mind it brings me each time I read it helps me to evaluate how I am doing now—not how I was doing a week ago or a year ago. The Book of Mormon helps me to remember that I need Jesus Christ in my life every day, not just once a week or when I am going through a particular trial. I need Him all the time. The Book of Mormon is a reminder that He is there for me all the time.

Find Your Personal Renewal Through the Book of Mormon

It says in 1 John 3:2 that “when he [Christ] shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” To me, this means that we will recognize Him because we have grown to be like Him by following His example. We have literally received His image in our countenances, and we radiate His light to the world. When I read the Book of Mormon, I am renewed by the light of Christ that is in the book.

I invite you to read the Book of Mormon for yourself and to test it. See if it does contain the Word of Jesus Christ. If you feel renewed by its words, you will know for yourself that it contains the true Word of God. Ask God in sincere faith if its words are true, and the Holy Ghost will testify to you that it is true.

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Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration

Believe it or not, at one time the very notion of government had less to do with politics than with virtue. … [James] Madison, [George] Washington, and [Abraham] Lincoln all understood that democracy cannot possibly flourish in a moral vacuum and that organized religion plays an important role in preserving and maintaining public morality. Indeed, John Adams, another of America’s Founding Fathers, insisted: “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.” (John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles F. Adams, 1854.)

Yet that is precisely the position we find ourselves in today. Our government is succumbing to pressure to distance itself from God and religion. Consequently, the government is discovering that it is incapable of contending with people who are increasingly “unbridled by morality and religion.” [1] 

But no book shows the connection between politics and religion with as much depth and clarity as The Book of Mormon—another testament of Jesus Christ, a companion scripture to the Bible and a record of God’s dealings with the peoples who lived in the ancient Americas.

The Book of Mormon—A Witness and a Warning

Modern prophets and apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ have called the Book of Mormon “a witness and a warning” for our day. The ancient prophets are witnesses who testify of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and teach the truths of His gospel. And they warn of the consequences of those who choose to disobey the commandments of God—consequences to individuals and entire nations. The late President Gordon B. Hinckley, a past president of The Church of Jesus Christ, said:

I know of no other writing which sets forth with such clarity the tragic consequences to societies that follow courses contrary to the commandments of God. Its pages trace the stories of two distinct civilizations that flourished on this Western Hemisphere. Each began as a small nation, its people walking in the fear of the Lord. But with prosperity came growing evils. The people succumbed to the wiles of ambitious and scheming leaders who oppressed them with burdensome taxes, who lulled them with hollow promises, who countenanced and even encouraged loose and lascivious living, who led them into terrible wars that resulted in the death of millions and the final and total extinction of two great civilizations in two different eras.

No other written testament so clearly illustrates the fact that when men and nations walk in the fear of God and in obedience to his commandments, they prosper and grow, but when they disregard him and his word, there comes a decay that, unless arrested by righteousness, leads to impotence and death. [2] 

The Book of Mormon is a warning for those who live in the modern Americas. The Lord tells us that this land—called the Land of Promise—is a land of liberty, and those who are here were led by the hand of God. People who live in the Land of Promise must obey God’s commandments or they will “be brought into captivity” (2 Nephi 1:7). Mormon, the ancient prophet who compiled the records that became the Book of Mormon, witnessed the destruction of his people. He also saw our day. With the unique insight of his people’s demise and the divine guidance of the Lord, he carefully and painstakingly chose the information that would be most helpful to those who would read this book—us, the people who live in the modern days.

It is often said that hindsight is 20/20. Through the hindsight of these ancient Book of Mormon peoples, we are given the foresight to prevent and correct the same problems in our day. The hindsight of the Book of Mormon shows us that government and the righteousness of its people are inseparably intertwined. If the government becomes corrupt, the people must enact a change. If the people become corrupt, the government must rely on the prophets to preach repentance. When corruption goes unchecked, calamities and destruction follow.

Democracy: The Power of the People to Remain Righteous

 Throughout the thousand-year history of the book of Mormon, the balance of power and the systems of government changed many times. But through the lens of history, Book of Mormon prophets show us that democracy is the preferable choice of governments. Righteous kings work well, but wicked kings pervert the ways of God and lead their people astray. A democracy is ruled by the voice of the people. It’s common for the majority of people to choose righteousness and only a small part to choose wickedness. When the majority of the people choose wickedness, problems arise. (See Mosiah 29:21-27.)

In a democracy, people are responsible for their own actions. If they turn away from God, they can’t blame a wicked king. Thus, a democratic government reflects the level of righteousness of its people. Government leaders are chosen by and beholden to the people. The voice of the people voted them in, and the voice of the people can vote them out. When the majority of the people choose to ignore the corruption of their leaders and the perversion of just laws, they are held accountable to God. Righteousness is a foundational tenet of any democratic society. James Madison, often called the father of the Constitution, said:

We have staked the whole future of American civilization not upon the power of the government—far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God. (Russ Walton, Biblical Principles of Importance to Godly Christians, New Hampshire: Plymouth Foundation, 1984, p. 361.)

The Book of Mormon has severe warnings for those who live in a democracy. A free people are obligated to defend and protect their freedoms—from enemies within and without their government and country. In times of prosperity, people are quick to forget the Lord and are often lulled into a false sense of security. But in all times and in all ages, people must elect “wise, honest and upstanding leaders.” If they don’t, their situation can deteriorate rapidly. The late Ezra Taft Benson, a past president of The Church of Jesus Christ, said:

Too many Americans have lost sight of the truth that God is our source of freedom—the Lawgiver—and that personal righteousness is the most important essential to preserving our freedom. So, I say with all the energy of my soul that unless we as citizens of this nation forsake our sins, political and otherwise, and return to the fundamental principles of Christianity and of constitutional government, we will lose our political liberties, our free institutions, and will stand in jeopardy before God. No nation which has kept the commandments of God has ever perished, but I say to you that once freedom is lost, only blood—human blood—will win it back. [3]

That sentence is a warning to all free nations: Once freedom is lost, only human blood will win it back. America’s Founding Fathers and those who fought with them sacrificed their blood to establish the Land of the Free. American blood was spilt in the fight to free black people from slavery and again to reaffirm their right to equal treatment under the law during the Civil Rights Movement. Freedom is never easy to obtain and should never be taken for granted. If the modern examples aren’t enough proof, the Book of Mormon offers many more.

Freedom of Religion is the Foundation of Democracy

If the Book of Mormon offers us any examples, it’s this: Freedom of religion is the foundation upon which a democracy is built. A democracy is government for the people, by the people. This in and of itself implies that the people within the system are trustworthy and willing to be accountable to each other and a higher power for their actions. Each person—or at least the majority of the people—must be willing to put the needs of others and the country ahead of their own selfish desires. In a democracy, everyone has to work together to get anything done. Where does one learn to be honest, charitable, trustworthy, work well with others and to uphold the good and the decent? They learn these concepts at home, at church, and in the scriptures.

Churches and the religious conscience not only provide a moral compass for the people, they are also a safeguard against government corruption. Elder Ballard said:

The framers of the Constitution probably assumed that religious freedom would establish religion as a watchdog over government, and believed that free churches would inevitably stand and speak against immoral and corrupt legislation. All churches not only have the right to speak out on public moral issues, but they have the solemn obligation to do so. Religion represents society’s conscience, and churches must speak out when government chooses a course that is contrary to the laws of God. To remove the influence of religion from public policy simply because some are uncomfortable with any degree of moral restraint is like the passenger on a sinking ship who removes his life jacket because it is restrictive and uncomfortable. [1] 

A recurring theme in the Book of Mormon is this: If you want to enact change among a people, teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. This change doesn’t happen overnight, but over a period of time. Alma, the high priest and chief judge, relinquished his government position to preach the gospel to the people. The people were beginning to forget the Lord, and problems were arising. “As the preaching of 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, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God” (Alma 31:5).

Rooting Out Government Corruption & Secret Combinations

The Book of Mormon spells out in no uncertain terms the dangers to peoples, governments, and society as a whole posed by secret combinations—which are groups of people who meet in secret and plot to lie, cheat, murder, steal and eventually take over governments. How bad are secret combinations? “The regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets” (3 Nephi 7:6). For those who feel that these threats don’t plague the modern times, the ancient prophets have specifically told us otherwise.

And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes … and have put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain. … And there are also secret combinations, … according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of … murder, and works of darkness” (2 Nephi 26:20, 22).

Conspiracy theories make great movie plots, but they are often disregarded by the public—until it’s too late. Ancient and modern prophets have warned against being blinded by the wiles of corrupt government leaders. President Benson said:

[The Book of Mormon] … states that the downfall of two great American civilizations came as a result of secret conspiracies whose desire was to overthrow the freedom of the people. … (See Ether 8:21.) Now undoubtedly [the ancient prophet] Moroni could have pointed out many factors that led to the destruction of the people, but notice how he singled out the secret combinations, just as the Church today could point out many threats to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work, but it has singled out the greatest threat as the godless conspiracy. There is no conspiracy theory in the Book of Mormon —it is a conspiracy fact.

Then Moroni speaks to us in this day and says, “Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you” (Ether 8:14). [4] 

President Benson spoke more than 30 years ago, and yet the “godless conspiracy” is alive, well and thriving today. It’s time to awake to a sense of our awful situation. Secret combinations are rampant—they are in many places and come from all walks of life. They are not just in criminal organizations. They enact unjust laws and they tear down righteous laws enacted by the voice of the people. They mock the laws of God and the people who would follow them. But the foresight extended to us through the Book of Mormon includes the solution to this growing problem—preaching the word of God. This is the only way to root out evil from among a people. The Book of Mormon clearly shows that bad governments are more than dictators and tyrants—they are all systems of government that pervert the laws of God and limit freedom of religion.

The Power of the Word of God and the Pain of Ignoring the Threat to Freedom

Two groups of people—the Lamanites and the Nephites—gave us powerful examples of what a righteous, faithful people can do, and the awful consequences that follow a righteous people who are seduced by the wiles of secret combinations. A secret band called the Gadianton Robbers was overrunning the Nephite and Lamanite nations and threatening their utter destruction. Their responses to the threat led to the safety of one nation and the destruction of the other. The Lamanites hunted down all the Gadianton robbers and “they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites” (Helaman 6:37). The Nephites, however, “did build them up and support them… until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more righteous” to believe in their works and eventually joined in their wickedness (Helaman 6:38). The Gadianton Robbers took over the Nephite government, destroyed their laws and persecuted the humble followers of God (Helaman 6:39).

There is no more powerful witness and warning for our day than this—the Lamanites who hunted down and preached the word of God to the wicked in their midst were spared. Their government and freedoms were saved from destruction at that time. The Nephites who rationalized, justified and finally joined the wicked ways of the robbers lost their freedoms and their government was overtaken. How will we react when the secret combinations of our day overturn our just laws, threaten our freedoms and work to tear down the protections of our God-given Constitution? The threat is real, and the time to act is now. Will the righteous among us—regardless of religious affiliation—stand up for the morals, values and freedoms we hold dear? Or will we, too, succumb to the wiles of the wicked, lose our freedoms and have to wrest them back through the shedding of human blood?

The Father and the Son

I remember reading the whole chapter many times in order to understand it. I also prepared questions for the missionaries about what I had read. As I was wondering about the story, my eyes were drawn to verse 7, where God the Father introduced His son, Jesus Christ saying: “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him.” While pondering about the Father’s declaration, I thought about how proud He must have been of His son. For sure He was so proud of the Savior Jesus Christ for what He had done to glorify Him. Any father would have been as proud to have a son like Him.

While thus thinking, I thought about what I had done for which God might be proud of me. I asked myself, “If Heavenly Father were to introduce me to other people, would He do it the way He introduced the Savior? Would He say the same things He said of His Only Begotten Son? Would He be proud of me despite my many imperfections?”

Following Christ’s Example in Baptism

When the missionaries extended the commitment for me to be baptized, I had so much doubt about leaving the religion which I and my whole family had embraced and cherished for a long time. I was only 16 years old and had a lot of questions about life, especially life after death. Death was the most dreadful thing to me and I often thought about how miserable and helpless life would be if I got consigned to that sea of fire and brimstone forever. I always thought that that place existed and that all sinners would go and stay there forever. With those thoughts, I always prayed to know what God wanted me to do to be saved.

I read in 2Nephi 31 how the Lord Jesus Christ showed His obedience to the Father by being baptized. I realized that if I wanted Heavenly Father to be proud of me, I had to be baptized. Holding the Book of Mormon in my hands, I prayed for courage to obey the Father’s will for me. My prayer was answered and it gave me the courage to follow the Savior’s example by being baptized.  I know that God spoke to me through the Book of Mormon because I exercised my faith in genuine desire to know the truth. I have learned for myself that if a person will read the Book of Mormon, ponder its message in their hearts, and pray to know the truth, God will reveal the truth to him by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Additional Resources:

Read the Book of Mormon Online

Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration

What Pride Means in the Book of Mormon

We hear the word pride often in society, and it’s not often meant negatively. In the Book of Mormon, though, pride is not a virtue and can actually lead to apostatizing from The Church of Jesus Christ. What pride means within the doctrine of Christ is an enmity toward God, a love of self over love of God. Timothy describes pride this way: “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, . . . Despisers of those that are good, . . . lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (3:2 – 4).

The Book of Mormon is replete with examples of those who choose pride over obedience to God’s commandments. Over and over again individuals and groups of people think they they know better than Heavenly Father and choose to follow their own wills rather than hearken to the will of God. These are the same people who cast out prophets and persecute believers in Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon shows the fate of the prideful: they suffer from spiritual death and often destruction.

The Book of Mormon also shows us what happens to those who are humble and repent before God. Alma the Younger is a man in the Book of Mormon who was very prideful and who actively sought to destroy the church of God. An angel visited him and made him aware of the severity of his sins, and Alma chose to repent. Once Alma repented he became a great leader and missionary. He and his people prospered as long as they kept the commandments of God. One of the central patterns visible in the Book of Mormon is that the pride leads to destruction and humility leads to prosperity.

Pride Leads to Other Sins

Pride is more than its own sin. In a spiritual sense, pride is a gateway drug. Once you become addicted to your own will and desires, you care less and less about what God thinks, and the enmity between you and God grows stronger. This will lead you to make more choices contrary to the commandments of God, and you may become more enthralled and less inspired. When you accept a state wherein your desires are more important than God’s, you will be on a slippery slope leading to more sin and more unhappiness.

Sins come in varying degrees. Lying, for example, is a sin, and in many instances, one that can be remedied in a simple and straightforward way. Sexual sins, on the other hand, are more serious because they often involve another person, can lead to irreversible consequences, and deal in more serious matters of the soul. Repenting from these sins is difficult and painful, but still possible. The root of all sin is pride, and if you can head off pride when you first see it taking root, you will avoid a whole slew of pain and heartache. President Ezra Taft Benson, a late prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ said, “The antidote to pride is humility. . . . We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives.”

We Can Apply Lessons on Pride in Our Own Lives

The lessons found in the Book of Mormon can directly aid us in our own lives. Everywhere you look you see people caught up in the selfishness of their desires and worldviews. Opinions on everything from politics to family life are subject to the snare of pride. Especially where spiritual morality is concerned, I’ve seen men, women, and even children blatantly mock commandments and doctrines that I value. One of Satan’s greatest tools is pride.

The consequences of pride are real and severe. Those who become caught up in their own pride may often seem happy and prosperous, but their spiritual state is not one to envy. Ultimately those who embrace their pride will have to answer for their choices. The blessings of humility and obedience are also real. Adherence to God’s commandments results in peace, spiritual safety, prosperity, and an increased testimony of Jesus Christ.

We can find strength and courage from reading in the Book of Mormon about men and women who choose to follow the Savior and value God’s will more than their own. In fact, continued obedience and faithfulness will result in your will becoming more and more like Heavenly Father’s, so there’s not such a disparity between the two.

If you find yourself wrapped up tightly in your own pride and wish to be free, all you have to do is look to Jesus Christ. The man I told you about earlier, Alma the Younger, hit rock bottom when the angel visited: for the first time Alma saw the reality of the damage he was inflicting on the church and on himself. What freed him from his sins was remembering what his father taught him about Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ is our Savior and will redeem us from our sins. This gift is not just for those who severely sin–it’s for all of us and for all of our sins, big or small. Pride starts out small and can become very big and very serious, but it’s never too much for the Lord to handle. If you want to change your life and discover God’s will, Jesus Christ and His gospel can pave the way for your recovery.

The Book of Mormon Provides Answers

This approach to pride may be new to you, and you may not understand what this all means. I encourage to seek your answers in the Book of Mormon. This book contains perfect truths and has real answers to real problems. If you think you are struggling with pride (which I think that we all are to some degree) look to Jesus Christ and seek to become more like Him. In reading the Book of Mormon, not only will you better understand pride and its devastating effects, but you will also come to know the Lord, Jesus Christ, in a more personal and intimate way. I know that I have found peace, answers, and forgiveness for my own pride through the doctrines taught in the Book of Mormon. I know it can offer you the same.

What’s in the Book of Mormon, Anyway?

The Book of Mormon contains the history of the people living in the American continents, beginning at about 600 B.C. and concluding at 400 A.D. These records coincide with the time period of many books in the Bible. The Book of Mormon recounts stories of family strife, missionary work, wars, conversions, and most importantly, the visit of Jesus Christ to the Americas.

Christ’s visit to the Book of Mormon peoples is central to the message of the Book of Mormon. I personally have found great inspiration, comfort, and direction when reading these passages. The doctrine of Jesus Christ transcends all race, creed, and time, and that becomes evident through reading the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon also contains accounts of several wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites, the two most prominent groups of people in the Book of Mormon. Through reading about these wars, we can see the impact that faith and obedience have on a group of people, and we can see the devastating and widespread effects of pride and wickedness. Is there any part of this that we can’t relate to today? Our world right now is full of war, greed, and destruction. The Book of Mormon provides the answers we need to bring ourselves back into the light.

The World Needs Another Witness of Christ

The world today seems to be continually moving further and further away from the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Values that used to be common and accepted are now seen as stodgy, out of date, and even intolerant. So many people operate under the delusion that they can be happy and enlightened through solely their own efforts; they think that they don’t need the redemption offered by Christ.

The Bible isn’t strong enough anymore to stand alone as a witness of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is there to add strength to the testament of the Savior. Mormons also have living prophets and apostles who are set apart as special witnesses of Christ. Our world needs many witnesses of Jesus Christ to effectively spread His message.

The Book of Mormon Is for Individuals

This book is not intended just to stand as a witness against the world–it is here for you individually, to help, guide, and comfort you through your journeys and trials. I have read the Book of Mormon through several times, and each time I learn something new. Different chapters and verses shine to me, and the Holy Ghost teaches me and helps me through the adversity I face.

I remember one time in particular when I was facing a situation that greatly affected me, but one over which I had little control. I was distraught; I didn’t know what to do or how to move forward. So I opened my scriptures and started reading in the book of 3 Nephi when Jesus Christ is ministering among the American peoples after His resurrection. I came across this verse: “And Jesus said unto them: Pray on; Nevertheless they did not cease to pray” (19:26). In that moment I knew that God knew me and that He knew my pain. All I could do in that situation was to keep praying, and I felt peace.

You too can find the peace you seek by reading the Book of Mormon. The testimonies of the Savior are powerful and beautiful, and you are invited to develop your own witness of Jesus Christ. (See Moroni 10:3 – 5). The Book of Mormon is meant for our times and for those individuals living in our times; it is meant for you.

The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon

Concerning the translation, importance, and significance of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ, stated,

This messenger [Moroni] proclaimed himself to be an angel of God, sent to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the Gospel in all its fullness to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the Millennial reign. I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of His purposes in this glorious dispensation (History of the Church, 4:536-537).

Joseph Smith later stated,

I translated the Book of Mormon from hieroglyphics, the knowledge of which was lost to the world, in which wonderful event I stood alone, an unlearned youth, to combat the worldly wisdom and multiplied ignorance of eighteen centuries, with new revelation, which (if they would receive the everlasting Gospel,) would open the eyes of more than eight hundred millions of people, and make “plain the old paths,” wherein if a man walk in all the ordinances of God blameless, he shall inherit eternal life (History of the Church, 6:74).

The First Publication of the Book of Mormon

Having completed the work of translation, Joseph Smith stated, “we went to Palmyra, Wayne County, New York, secured the copyright, and agreed with Mr. Egbert B. Grandin to print five thousand copies for the sum of three thousand dollars (History of the Church, 1:71).

Yet, initially, Mr. Grandin rejected the offer to print the surprisingly large order of 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon, as he believed “this gold Bible business” to be a hoax and a gross imposition. In a brief time, however, he reconsidered, being assured that he would be linked to the printing of the book only in a business way. Before committing to a contract though, he asked his friend John H. Gilbert, an experienced printer who was “good at figures,” to help him determine what it would cost to produce the enormous number of books—an edition size rarely considered by large-city publishers let alone by country printers (Two Significant Sites of the Restoration, Ensign, Sept. 1998, 35–36.)

The Book of Mormon was subsequently printed in the Grandin Building located in downtown Palmyra, New York, starting in mid-August 1829, and the first copies were offered for sale in Grandin’s bookstore on 26 March 1830, as another witness of the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ. The total printing cost was in the amount of $3,000 which was financed by Martin Harris, a family friend, who mortgaged part of his farm. Joseph Smith was 23 years of age at the time.

Testimonies of the Book of Mormon

Since its publication, millions of people worldwide have read the Book of Mormon. After reading it, they have gained their own personal witness and testimony that the book is indeed the Word of God, They have also discovered that by reading, studying, and pondering the words of scripture contained therein, a person can draw closer to Jesus Christ.

The testimonies of two past Church leaders concerning the power of the Book of Mormon are cited below.

Gordon B. Hinckley, the 15^th President and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stated,

Believe in the Book of Mormon as another witness of the Son of God. This book has come forth as an added testimony to the world of the great truths concerning the Master as set forth in the Bible. The Bible is the testament of the Old World. The Book of Mormon is the testament of the New World, and they go hand in hand in testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I can’t understand why those of other faiths cannot accept the Book of Mormon. One would think that they would be looking for additional witnesses to the great and solemn truths of the Bible. We have that witness, my brothers and sisters, this marvelous book of inspiration which affirms the validity and the truth of the divine nature of the Son of God. God be thanked for this precious and wonderful testimony. Let us read it. Let us dwell upon its truths. Let us learn its message and be blessed accordingly (meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, 15 Nov. 1998; quoted in “Recurring Themes of President Hinckley,” Ensign, June 2000, 18–19).

James E. Faust, the Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995 until his death in 2007, stated:

A keystone keeps an arch in place; without a keystone the whole arch will collapse. Why is the Book of Mormon the keystone of our religion? Because it is central to our history and theology. It is the text for this dispensation. Nothing took priority over getting the Book of Mormon translated and published. Everything was held until that was accomplished. There were no Apostles until it came into being. Ten days after the book’s publication the Church was organized. Publication of the Book of Mormon preceded missionary work because Samuel Smith needed to have it in hand before he could go forward as the first missionary of the Church. Sections 17 and 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants indicate that the Brethren could not fully know the divinity of the latter-day work until the Book of Mormon was translated. …

… May our testimonies ring forth with power and authority and conviction concerning Joseph Smith, the greatest prophet who has ever lived, and concerning the Book of Mormon, which he brought forth (“Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, January 1996, 7).

My Personal Witness of the Book of Mormon

After meeting with missionaries on a regular basis for about a year, and learning about the teachings and doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ, I finally made the decision that I would not be baptized until I had read the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants (a collection of modern revelations), and the Pearl of Great Price (which contains the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, and Joseph Smith’s Story), each in their entirety. I was inspired to develop a 40-day reading calendar to accomplish the reading of all three volumes.

As I read the Book of Mormon, the Holy Spirit bore witness to me that what I was reading was indeed true – what I was reading was indeed the Word of God. I soon gained a personal testimony of the truthfulness of the book and came to the full realization that the book was exactly as Latter-day Saints testify of it being – Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Before being baptized, I was studying to be a Baptist minister and I had already read the Bible in its entirety some nine times, but somehow I always felt that there should be more to the story. I testify that I discovered the rest of the story through the pages of the Book of Mormon. I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ since March of 1998, and in that time, I have read the Book of Mormon nine more times in its entirety. Each time I read the Book of Mormon I discover truths that have always been there, but perhaps I missed in previous readings.

I have found that, like the Bible, the Book of Mormon never grows old. Depending on my station in life at any particular moment, the truths contained within its pages take on new meaning, and as I learn more, I indeed draw closer to the Savior, and learn to love Him even more. I invite everyone to read the Book of Mormon and discover for themselves the power of the gospel that it contains, and as a person does so, I testify that he will draw closer to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Additional Resource:

The Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ

Unique History of the Book of Mormon

I have always been taught the importance of the Book of Mormon, which is a companion book of scripture to the Bible and is a second witness that Jesus is the Christ. While Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) believe firmly that the Bible is the word of God, they—we—also believe that through the transmission of the ancient text, many truths were lost from the Bible. The Book of Mormon is a separate record of Jesus Christ’s dealings with some of the people of the ancient Americas. The record was preserved untouched for nearly 1500 years before it was given to Joseph Smith to translate, which he did through the power of God. Because of the Book of Mormon’s unique history and preservation by the hand of God, it is “the most correct of any book on earth” and its readers can “get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (Introduction to the Book of Mormon).

Mormons are encouraged to read from the Book of Mormon daily. No one who has read the book with a heart earnestly seeking truth, open to the witness of the Holy Ghost, can deny the power of its words. I often fail to read from the Book of Mormon daily, but I do read from it and the other scriptures frequently. I always find words of wisdom and sources of comfort in its pages.

Answers from the Holy Spirit

As with any book of scripture, when you read the Book of Mormon with an honest heart, opening yourself to the teachings of the Holy Spirit, it is through the Spirit that you can be taught, not solely through the words on the page. This allows a person to read the same words several times throughout his or her life and to draw different lessons from the same words uniquely suited to a current situation. I have found this to be true many times, which has strengthened my conviction that the counsel to read the Book of Mormon daily is prophetic guidance.

Some of the most stirring questions of this life apply to our understanding of what lies beyond this life. The doctrine that is contained in the Book of Mormon teaches me of my inherent, eternal worth as a child of God. I never need to doubt that I am of infinite value, both now and in the eternities. The words of the Book of Mormon remind me that I am loved beyond my own comprehension and that to become like God, I need to learn how to love others, and to show that love, in the same way.

This world is very cynical about religion and about there even being an existence after this life. And if there is no existence, why should any of us bother with selflessness here? Shouldn’t we each do all we can to make the most of this existence? Earn money by any means necessary, because money rules this life; selflessness is simply weakness, allowing other, strong people to exploit you; don’t waste time cultivating meaningful relationships, just satisfy the desires of the flesh, because ultimately, that’s all there is. How do I know these things are false? Because I have read the words of the Book of Mormon and other holy scripture, and when I do my best to live by the teachings in them, I feel peace, joy, and happiness. These are feelings which carry much more weight than temporary satisfaction of mortal desires.

Drawing Nearer to Jesus Christ through the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon helps me to draw nearer to my Savior, Jesus Christ. It helps me to better understand both His sacrifice and His love for me as an individual and for mankind as a whole. When I read and study the Book of Mormon, I am reminded that “this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God” (Alma 34:32). This means much more than just doing our best to follow God’s commandments. This means realizing that this life is an opportunity to learn to become more like God. Mormon doctrine teaches that we are children of God with the potential to become like Him. We are all imperfect, but we must learn to keep God’s laws if we want to live in His presence, because He cannot “look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (Alma 45:16).

Not only has the Book of Mormon answered questions of the soul for me about the purpose of this life, who I am, and what I can become, but it also helps me in my day-to-day struggles and trials. It gives me strength and encouragement to repent when I mess up, to call upon my Savior for His healing power, and to recommit to try to be more like Him.

I invite you to read the words of the Book of Mormon for yourself. Come to it with your own questions of the soul. If you approach it with an open heart, seeking the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost will speak to your heart. He will give you your own undeniable witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and He will speak peace to your soul, giving you the answers you need and seek.