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

The Bible is one witness of Jesus Christ; the Book of Mormon is another. Why is this second witness so crucial? The following illustration may help: How many straight lines can you draw through a single point on a piece of paper? The answer is infinite. For a moment, suppose that single point represents the Bible and that hundreds of those straight lines drawn through that point represent different interpretations of the Bible and that each of those interpretations represents a different church.

What happens, however, if on that piece of paper there is a second point representing the Book of Mormon? How many straight lines could you draw between these two reference points: the Bible and the Book of Mormon? Only one. Only one interpretation of Christ’s doctrines survives the testimony of these two witnesses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QuiloZIbI0

Additional Resources:

Official Site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, “The Mormon Church”).

Get a free copy of The Book of Mormon

How to find the word of God.

Is Your Radio Tuned to the Right Frequency? A Biblical Reflection

Bible Verse:

Proverbs 2:1-5, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after
knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”

In my apartment I have a replica of an antique table top radio that was once a gift that I had given to my mother. My father kept the radio in his house after my mother passed, and upon his passing I was able to obtain the radio and now have it in my possession as a precious keepsake. Although the radio may appear to be antique, inside of its case are modern electronic components that allow it to be turned on and tuned in to some of my favorite radio stations.

However, to hear the signal that I desire, I must be actively involved – I cannot just wish it so. Instead, I have to physically get up, go over to the radio, turn it on, set it to AM or FM, and turn the tuning knob until I find the location on the dial corresponding to the station that I wish to listen to.

When attempting to tune the receiver to get it centered on the correct frequency, I find that if I move the tuning knob just a little too much to the right or to the left, the result is a lot of unwanted static and background noise. Although I may still be able to discern the station that I have selected, the listening experience is not as clear and interference-free as it would be with the station perfectly tuned to its frequency.

Just as radio waves (and TV and wireless communication signals) fill the atmosphere around us, invisible to the eye, undetectable to the ear, unnoticed to the passer-by, so also does the Holy Spirit surround us all.

This life is an individual journey in which we each face our own trials, temptations, difficulties, and heartaches. At times it may seem that we are all alone and that there is no one who cares. Our Heavenly Father has promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised that He would send us One who would be a comforter, guide, and constant companion. However, in order to receive the blessings of the constant companionship of this One and to learn from Him, we need to have our “radio” turned on and “tuned in” to the correct frequency in order to hear His voice as He guides, leads, and directs our path, and teaches us the truth of all things. In John 14:26 we read, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you”.

Just as a radio will not automatically turn itself on and perfectly tune to the station that we desire to listen to without some interaction on our part, it is only through the renewing of our hearts and minds that we are able to turn on our spiritual “radio” and use its tuning knob, which is our faithfulness and obedience, to tune to the exact frequency wherein we will be able to clearly hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. As we continue to keep ourselves “in tune” with our Heavenly Father, through our faithfulness and obedience, our “radio” will continue to give a clear and undistorted signal; however, if we lose focus and begin to move the tuning knob a little to the left or a little to the right, we will become distracted by the cares of the world and will end up listening to a lot of static and distortion. We may also need to adjust the volume control so as to drown out the noises of the world and focus only on the Still Small Voice as He speaks to us.

Is your “radio” turned on, and is it tuned perfectly to the correct frequency? Solomon gave this wise counsel as recorded in Proverbs 2:1-5, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”

I leave you these humble thoughts in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

See Keith’s Mormon.org profile.

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.

Get a free copy of the Book of Mormon.

11And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.

I remember when I came to know in a deeper way than ever before that Jesus Christ is the literal Light of the World. It was personal and it occurred in a non-descript room in a hotel where I was staying in London at the time. But I know it wasn’t just for me; I want to bear personal witness that the source of every inspiration, every power of good, every piece of truth, light, intellectual and spiritual, physical, electrical, solar, mental, is from Jesus Christ, and has Him to thank for its source, impact and blessing. This is beautifully and succinctly stated by an apostle, whose witness exceeds my own humble one, as follows:

When our Lord says, ‘I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world’ (Ether 4:12), he is teaching that he is the source of life, light, and truth; that he sets the perfect example in their use; and that all men must look to him for these things (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 448).

If you don’t know the Savior as one who will light your path, who is assisting you in this very moment to find truth, please continue to seek Him. If you would like additional resources or encouragement to reach out in faith, more knowledge on how to go about knowing His plan for you, contact us, leave a question or comment, or visit Knowing Truth, Knowing God within this site. This is an unofficial site; for the official site, please visit mormon.org or lds.org.

1 And now I, Nephi, make an end of my prophesying unto you, my beloved brethren. And I cannot write but a few things, which I know must surely come to pass; neither can I write but a few of the words of my brother Jacob.

2 Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me, save it be a few words which  must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ; wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly, according to the plainness of my prophesying.

3 For my soul delighteth in plainnes; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.

As members of Christ’s living and true Church on the earth, we know we can hear His voice. This is lost among many of the Milennials, and if you are one, we want to re-assure you. God speaks, and He does so in a manner that is according to our own language, our own spiritual language. He can communicate a message with you in an intimate, indelible, unmistakable perfect way. Though the world tells you it’s all emotion or that there’s no basis for truth, or that there’s no point to hearing it, trying to receive it, don’t believe it. Don’t buy it. God is real and a conception of who He is is critical. The Holy Ghost will speak to us in plainness, as indicated in The Book of Mormon passage above.

Remember, as modern Mormon prophets, seers, and revelators have said: “An intelligent being, in the image of God, possesses every organ, attribute, sense, sympathy, affection that is possessed by God himself.”  That gives us hope, and assurance that we have a built-in mechanism for understanding God’s messages tailored for us.

Even though these attributes are in embryo, they can certainly be gradually developed.  Learning to hear the Holy Ghost–God’s voice to us–is like learning a new language, and when we are still, we sense impressions, act on them, and find we do hear that inner whispering after all.

The power of that gift, when developed over time, is amazing. I love this quote about its pervasive influence:

The gift of the Holy Ghost adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form, and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being (Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, p. 61).

That great gift comes to us only through humility and faith and obedience. Sometimes, cunning, crafty individuals will come along teaching that which is not true, and without guidance which is promised to us through our faithfulness, and individuals don’t pay the price to ask God and listen for truth, and are thereby led astray. But if we are honestly striving, however imperfectly on the path, we can enjoy the enlightening instruction, that comes from the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is only conferrable by one with real authority from God. Mormons claim humbly but boldly that that very authority has been restored to the earth in our day and is held within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and only therein.