This article is by no means an exhaustive description of the chapter but briefly touches upon the importance of the teachings taught within The Book of Mormon and a comparison with The Bible. Chapter 17 in 1 Nephi contains a story of faith where the prophet Nephi is commanded by the Lord to build a ship. His brothers don’t believe it’s possible but Nephi follows the Lord’s instructions and builds the ship so that his family can cross the ocean to reach the Promised Land.

As you read this chapter, I invite you to look at the footnotes and other available resources which help one study the scriptures. A modern apostle of Christ, Elder D. Todd Christofferson stated “We should therefore study with these questions in mind: “Why was this included? How does this apply today and to me?” (“How to Study the Book of Mormon,” Liahona, October 2011 )

Comparing The Book of Mormon to The Bible & My Life

I love comparing the similarities and parallels between The Bible and The Book of Mormon because they both contain eternal truths from the same God (Ezekiel 37:16-17). “Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another (2 Nephi 29:8)”.

God us an unchanging being and is the same God in The Book of Mormon as He was in Biblical times. “For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?” (Mormon 9:9) For example, the Lord fed the children of Israel in Moses’ time (Exodus 16:15) but He also blessed Nephi’s family with great blessings in the wilderness such as living upon raw meat and the women bearing healthy children (1 Nephi 17: 1-2, 12).

Nephi “went up into the mountain, and cried unto the lord” (1 Nephi 17:7) for direction in his life and received the answer to build a boat. In the mountains, Adam built an altar and called upon the Lord (Genesis 12:8), the Lord spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12), and Moses received the ten commandments of God (Exodus 19-20). In modern times, we too can pray to God and receive direction and guidance from Him. Worthy members of the Church of Jesus Christ can also enter temples to seek revelation.

I haven’t been instructed to build a boat but God has guided me to attend a school I didn’t plan on attending or move out of the country. I don’t always understand why God may direct me to do something. This is especially hard when it was not my plan or the exact opposite of what I wanted. However, looking back I can see that God has something in mind for me greater than I can imagine and He knows best how to get me there. “After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God; and that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem. (1 Nephi 17:14) Only after I finished my degree or after I moved back into the country did I understand the invaluable and priceless experiences I had obtained through following God’s plan for me.

Why is this Important?

I know that applying The Book of Mormon to my life has blessed me in many ways. I love searching the scriptures and finding God’s guidance within them as if He was talking directly to me. “In my judgment, diligently searching to discover connections, patterns, and themes is what it means to ‘feast’ upon the words of Christ. This approach can open the floodgates of the spiritual reservoir, enlighten our understanding through His Spirit, and produce a depth of gratitude for the holy scriptures and a degree of spiritual commitment that can be received in no other way. Such searching enables us to build upon the rock of our Redeemer and to withstand the winds of wickedness in these latter days (Bednar, 2011. Increase in learning: Spiritual patterns for obtaining your own answers. Salt Lake City: UT: Deseret Book Company, p. 131).”

Additional Resources:

Do Mormons Believe in the Bible?

Visit this site for a free copy of The Book of Mormon.

Visit this site for a free copy of The Bible.

Brief explanation of The Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon & Holy Bible:  

Activity Day Girls (Latter-day Saint Youth) Search the Scriptures for Answers to Life’s Questions

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, The Mormon Church) each serve within the Church today just as the Saints in the meridian of time did during Christ’s ministry. Latter-day Saints are likewise called of God through inspiration, and are set apart to their respective callings.

Currently, I have a spiritual responsibility–or inspired calling–in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  to support family and Church efforts to teach the gospel to young girls between the ages of eight and twelve years old, and to help them see the hand of the Lord in their lives as they apply its amazing precepts and discover their missions to know and to glorify Him.

These are very formative years and these girls come from a diversity of Latter-day Saint (nicknamed “Mormon”) families.  I’ve grown to love them as we have met bi-weekly to share everything from cultural arts’ nights, microwave-cake-cooking demos, mini-talent shows to intimate conversations about the Savior, Jesus Christ, eternal marriage, motherhood, real beauty and spiritual makeovers, loyalty in friendship, and more.

Together we have experienced and shared babysitting; caroling; serving the needy; making sandwich wraps; weaving bracelets; praying with and for one another; learning etiquette; diving into the scriptures and diving into the pool; using telescopic lenses to observe the sun (while discussing the “Son”, the Light of the World); attending patriotic concerts; writing letters of gratitude…. We’ve enjoyed making a Sweetheart’s dinner for our Bishopric (lay leaders of our ward or congregation, called of God, consisting of a Bishop, overseer or pastor, and his two counselors) and their spouses, visiting holy LDS temples, taking photos together, stuffing s’mores down, baking cookies for unexpected deliveries, learning chinese jumprope, sharing testimonies, and many other activities–building unity, life-skills and a love for gospel living.

Yesterday, my co-leader and friend, Teresa, and the girls gathered in our local clubhouse for our meeting. Our theme was Digging for Gold: Treasures in The Book of Mormon and The Bible.  After the rounds of hugs, news minutes and highlights, prayer and catch-up, the girls and us settled into a circular gathering on the couches and floor.  We talked about the everyday challenges and questions that surface in their lives–Math, homework, confronting bullies, having confidence, learning to balance (swim meets, karate, school, Church, homework, their Faith in God program wherein they grow spiritually by studying, reading scriptures, praying, serving), etc..  Then, we testified that what matters to us matters to the Lord, citing a recent story shared in a General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ just a few days before (This LDS or Mormon Conference is magnificent global gathering of members and friends of all faiths who are interested to hear the words of living prophet and apostles, and other inspired Church leaders, male and female).

The LDS (“Mormon”) General Conference story referenced was of a tired man biking home, hungry and with little in his pocket; he asked the Lord if he might find a quarter that he might eat something and arrive home pleasantly to meet the needs of  his loved ones there. Submissively, he waited on the Lord, and was willing to accept a “Yes” or a “No” in response to his specific request.  Just as he arrived at the door of Kentucky Fried, and directly across on the road, his eyes caught sight of a quarter. He picked up the coin and was able to purchase, as he tells the story, one piece of chicken, which he gratefully and slowly savored. In similar fashion, we bore witness to these sweet LDS girls, that Heavenly Father knew each of their hearts and concerns and would respond to their prayers. One way they would receive such answers, we testified, would be as they dug for gold in His word–a virtual spiritual treasury filled with “precious jewels of truth” as Elder Scott, apostle of Jesus Christ, declared recently.

Next, Teresa and I shared passages–real flecks of gold, real nuggets, from The Book of Mormon and The Holy Bible that opened our eyes and helped us deal with real life issues. Teresa spoke of the principle of “fleeing” when peer pressure becomes great, just as Joseph in Egypt did, rather than lingering to see the outcomes when we are placed in situations that are compromising us spiritually or emotionally.

We shared a few other personal examples from the Word–including The Bible and The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  I mentioned that the Lord can even address a snowstorm concern in His word!  Who would have thought we’d even find that word in the scriptures!  He knows all, even something as simple as my wonderment while sitting on my bed waiting for a family member to return home in a blizzard; this loved one was coming through an area where an accident, mentioned on the news, had just occurred, involving scores of cars.  I prayed for peace and then happened to pick up the set of scriptures close by, on the nightstand. I flipped open to a verse in Proverbs about a virtuous woman –the words struck me unexpectedly–didn’t I already have this chapter memorized?–how had I missed this verse?–

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household.

“If the Lord would find a way to answer that question for me,” I testified, “He will do the same for each of you.” “And how much more will He provide for larger questions about life, about God, about bearing and balancing your demands? ”  I spoke of their homework, their desires to balance, the stresses of school, and asked if that was unlike The Book of Mormon passage that described others who had “burdens on their backs” (Mosiah 24:14). There’s more to the backpack than papers; there are expectations, challenging classes, desires to learn what our talents are, how we might use them.  We then expounded that scripture–what did the Lord do for those so burdened in ancient America?  He “eased the burdens on their back” so that they could not feel them.  Surely this was a delectable nugget that the girls could take in, enjoy, and hold onto in their lives. He cares about their burdens, their spiritual and physical backpacks.

We were now ready for an exercise in faith. We invited each girl–Megan, Amelia, Ahlia, Sadie, KK, Mia, Sarah, Camree, and Julia–to think of a question they had for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  Each came up with their own. I marveled as I heard these young girls share their questions:

Why is there a living prophet?

Did Jesus Christ die again after His resurrection? Or was that the last time?

Are there more scriptures that were written besides The Bible and Book of Mormon?

How can I increase my confidence?

Was Lehi the only one who partook of the fruit of the tree in his vision of the Tree of Life?

How many years did the Savior live?

We guided each girl to the Topical Guide, Bible Dictionary, and Book of Mormon Index. They prayed that Heavenly Father would help them unlock their treasures, help them find the gold nuggets, tailored for them. They searched as we assisted. They read various passages and within twenty minutes or so of engaging in this exercise, each girl had received a personal answer from the scriptures to her question.

We went around the circle, and each one shared their responses, citing a scripture that had now become their own treasure. The words of the living apostle of Jesus Christ, Elder Richard Scott in  the October 2011 LDS (Mormon) General Conference witnessing that the scriptures can be and are the repository of verses that will become our treasured and “enduring friends,” spiritual gold that will not fade or “be weakened with the passage of time,” had been borne out in a cozy clubhouse room with a group of wonderful 9-12-year old girls known by God and Jesus Christ.

We love you, girls. We love you, Jesus Christ. We invite all who read this to seek His Word and to come unto Him, and to learn about His re-established Church.

Additional Resources:

Find out for yourself if The Book of Mormon is true.

Request a free copy of The Book of Mormon.

I grew up learning about the Book of Mormon, its stories, teachings and revelations such as; Lehi’s dream, Nephi and the Brass Plates, the miracle conversion of Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah, stories about an ancient civilization in the Americas, the poignant writings of the prophet Moroni, and much more.  Most importantly, interwoven throughout the Book of Mormon we learn that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer and Savior of the world.  That through Him and by Him, we can be reunited with our loved ones after we die, and we can have the opportunity to live with our Father in Heaven again, to live for all eternity.  Through Jesus Christ, each of us has the opportunity to gain exaltation.

As a child I believed the book to be true because this is what my wonderful parents and church leaders taught me.  At some point though, I had to receive my own testimony of the divinity of this book.  I do not remember this happening all at once.  My faith and testimony in the Book of Mormon came about in different ways, in various degrees and at different times throughout my life.  Time and again I have received a witness of the truthfulness of the book through the Spirit of the Lord.

Regarding the prophet Joseph Smith, who translated the Book of Mormon, I remember a visit to Carthage Jail in the winter of 1995.  My immediate family and I were visiting extended family in Missouri at the time.  My husband, my sister Wendy and I took a day trip to Nauvoo, Illinois.  The historical grounds look beautiful under the blanket of snow.  It was cold, yet still and peaceful.  We could see our breath as we walked on these beautiful and historical grounds.  I was surprised at the experience I had within the very room Joseph Smith was shot which led to his martyrdom.  As we stood there in that room, the guide pushed the button that began the audio recording, a re-creation of those final moments of the prophet’s life.  John Taylor was singing one of Joseph’s favorite hymns, “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.”  I fully expected to feel sadness and perhaps even some bitterness.  To my surprise, I felt peaceful and had an overwhelming feeling of love for Joseph Smith and his brother.  What was more astonishing was a strong feeling of love and forgiveness for those who killed the prophet and his brother.  It was as if Joseph had not only forgiven them, he loved them with all of his heart.  That was the impression I received.   There was no logical reason for me to come into this place and have those impressions about those who killed a prophet of God.  These feelings did not come from my own heart, my own mind.  They came from the spirit of God.  It was a strong witness to me of the truthfulness that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet of God.  This experience strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon.

If someone were to ask me how the Book of Mormon has blessed my life, I would tell them that reading and pondering the words have calmed my troubled soul, brought answers to my questions and have helped me put my life into perspective.  I cannot stress this enough.  Even better, I have found that living the teachings of Jesus Christ and other prophets in the Book of Mormon has blessed me (and those I love) beyond words.  Supping from these Holy Scriptures is akin to finding the miracle cure to cancer, spiritually speaking.  Miracles have come to pass.  They are occurring right now.  They will continue to do so.  To read testimonies by other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regarding the Book of Mormon and other gospel principles, go to www.mormon.org.  I testify of these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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11And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not hear them; for when I heard the words—If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God—I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more.

12But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.

Alma, a young man written about in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ, underwent a transformation of soul. For anyone who feels beyond the pale of help, or knows their resources to be finite and ended, this story may bring hope. It is a second witness to like accounts in the Bible, but took place on this continent, many years ago. A prophet in our day describes Alma’s wrestle and ultimate submission to God:

Young Alma was so deep in his sin that it was most difficult for him to humble himself toward repentance, but when his experiences broke down his resistance, softened his rebellion and overcame his stubbornness, he began to see himself in his true light and appraise his situation as it really was. His hard heart was softened. His repentance was being born. Listen to his words of confession. Though these words of Alma are used in this book in connection with other phases of the gospel, they are repeated here as an indication of conviction of guilt: [Alma 36:12–16.] Conviction brought ‘sorrow to repentance’ (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 157–58).

Alma’s life was forever changed. His despair turned to joy, “as exceeding as was [his] pain,” the account reads.  He spent the remainder of his life in valiant service to the Lord.