How do we get nearer to God through the Book of Mormon?

Posted on August 25, 2013 by bonniesimone

HOW DO WE GET NEARER TO GOD BY ABIDING BY ITS PRECEPTS? 

            As children of our Heavenly Father we long to come to know Him, to be close to Him.  Memories shrouded by the veil of mortality beckon us homeward.  In our earthly travail we need the hope that is only available through a relationship with Jesus Christ.   President David O. McKay quoted James E. Gordon about how dismal life would be without hope in Christ.  “A cathedral without windows, a face without eyes, a field without flowers, an alphabet without vowels, a continent without rivers, a night without stars, and a sky without a sun—these would not be so sad as a . . . soul without Christ.”  Oh, how we need Jesus Christ in our everyday life!

A daily study of the Book of Mormon can help us have that relationship with Jesus Christ that we so desire.  President Benson said: “Is there not something deep in our hearts that longs to draw nearer to God, to be more like Him in our daily walk, to feel His presence with us constantly? If so, then the Book of Mormon will help us do so more than any other book.” 13 Keystone  of Religion

What are some of the precepts taught in the Book of Mormon that if understood and lived help us draw nearer to God?  What are the great truths which distill upon our souls and become imbedded in our hearts as we study the Book of Mormon?  Although this list is not inclusive here are some of the precepts taught in the Book of Mormon that help us draw near to God:

  • The Book of Mormon contains the testimonies of ancient prophets that Jesus is the Christ (use quote from Joseph)
  • The Book of Mormon invites us to come unto Christ.
  • The Book of Mormon contains many specific prophecies of the coming of Christ.
  • The Book of Mormon teaches that here is other way for salvation, only in and through Jesus Christ.
  • The Book of Mormon teaches how to come unto Christ.
  • The Book of Mormon teaches the fundamental principles of the gospel.
  • The Book of Mormon teaches the Plan of Salvation.
  • The Book of Mormon teaches of the role of and ministry of angels.
  • The Book of Mormon exposes anti-Christ philosophies that will be in  our day.
  • The Book of Mormon warns of some of the spiritual dangers of our day.

Any book that would accomplish the above list is indeed a “Pearl of Great Price!”  Indeed, the whole focus of the Book of Mormon is to bring us to Christ.

A DAILY STUDY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON FOCUSES OUR MINDS ON CHRIST 

            A daily study of the Book of Mormon focuses our minds on eternal truths.  Focusing our minds on eternal truths draws us closer to God.  There is great power in our thoughts, intents and desires. The exercise of our mind is through our free will.  We make the choice of the focus of our minds.  As night follows day the  focus of our thoughts determine our actions.   Paul encourages us “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”(2 Cor 10:5)  Alma, in the Book of Mormon encourages us with these words:   “Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. (Alma 37:36 )   This idea of focusing on and directing our minds towards Jesus Christ daily, instead of simply on Sunday when we’re at church, is of paramount importance. Indeed the focus of our thoughts throughout the day is the genesis of our faith, the motivator of our actions.  Jesus needs to be in our thoughts and awareness constantly.  The more we focus on him the more we become like him.  Alma teaches “how knowest a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?”

THE GREATEST NEED IN ALL THE WORLD

In a conference address Elder James E. Faust taught about establishing a personal relationship with the Savior.  He recounted the following incident:  “Recently in South America, a seasoned group of outstanding missionaries was asked, “What is the greatest need in the world?” One wisely responded: “Is not the greatest need in all the world for every person to have a personal, ongoing, daily, continuing relationship with the Savior?” Having such a relationship can unchain the divinity within us, and nothing can make a greater difference in our lives as we come to know and understand our divine relationship with God.”15 (Oct 76 Conference).

It is through our daily “feasting” upon the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon and abiding by its teachings that we have a personal, ongoing, daily, continuing relationship with the Savior. Nephi eloquently explains the necessity of feasting upon the words of Christ.  “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”16

Latter-day prophets have testified of the blessings that can come into our lives through a daily study of the Book of Mormon.  Marion G. Romney said the following:

“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness” (Ensign, May 1980, p. 67).

These promises—increased love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, increased spirituality and righteousness—are not idle promises, but exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said the Book of Mormon will help us draw nearer to God. ” (The Keystone of our Religion, President Ezra Taft Benson, October Conference, 1986)
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The Book of Mormon is the Keystone of our Religion

Posted on August 22, 2013 by bonniesimone

NEPHI’S TESTIMONY

      Nephi is of my heroes in the Book of Mormon.  He loved the scriptures and he loved bearing his testimony of Jesus Christ.  Early in the Book of Mormon he states his purpose in writing when he says, “The fulness of my intent is to persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.”  He says that he “delights in the scriptures,” and writes for  “the profit and learning of his children.”   In this blog I want to get Nephi’s testimony “out there.”  I don’t know who will read this blog, if anyone, but in a way I’m doing it for Nephi.   At the end of his record he says, “If they (meaning the Book of Mormon) are not the words of Christ, judge ye——for Christ will show unto, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day, and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar, and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.”  I look forward to meeting Nephi.  I’ll be able to see him “face to face.”   I will be able to tell him that I made an effort to share his testimony.

       Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.  How is it the keystone?   Architecturally, the keystone of an arch is the stone in the middle which holds up the entire structure.  Without the keystone the whole structure would collapse.  Figuratively, a keystone refers to a central supporting element of a larger structure without which the whole structure would collapse.  So, the Book of Mormon is the central supporting element of Mormonism.  Quoting President James E. Faust, “The Book of Mormon is a keystone because it establishes and ties together eternal principles and precepts, rounding out basic doctrines of salvation. It is the crowning gem in the diadem of our holy scriptures.”

 THREE WAYS IN WHICH THE BOOK OF MORMON IS THE KEYSTONE OF OUR RELIGION 

          President Ezra Taft Benson was the prophet of our day who re-emphasized the importance of the Book of Mormon and encouraged the members of the church to make a study of the Book of Mormon central in their lives.  He gave several General Conference talks devoted to the Book of Mormon.  One such talk was The Book of Mormon—the Keystone of our Religion. 12(Oct 1986).  In his conference address he lists three reasons why the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.

“The Book of Mormon is the keystone in our witness of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the cornerstone of everything we do. It bears witness of His reality with power and clarity. . . . Much of the Christian world today rejects the divinity of the Savior. They question His miraculous birth, His perfect life, and the reality of His glorious resurrection. The Book of Mormon teaches in plain and unmistakable terms about the truth of all of those. It also provides the most complete explanation of the doctrine of the Atonement. Truly, this divinely inspired book is a keystone in bearing witness to the world that Jesus is the Christ (see title page of the Book of Mormon).

The Book of Mormon is also the keystone of the doctrine of the Resurrection. As mentioned before, the Lord Himself has stated that the Book of Mormon contains the “fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (D&C 20:9). That does not mean it contains every teaching, every doctrine ever revealed. Rather, it means that in the Book of Mormon we will find the fulness of those doctrines required for our salvation. And they are taught plainly and simply so that even children can learn the ways of salvation and exaltation. The Book of Mormon offers so much that broadens our understandings of the doctrines of salvation. Without it, much of what is taught in other scriptures would not be nearly so plain and precious.

Finally, the Book of Mormon is the keystone of testimony. Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The enemies of the Church understand this clearly. This is why they go to such great lengths to try to disprove the Book of Mormon, for if it can be discredited, the Prophet Joseph Smith goes with it. So does our claim to priesthood keys, and revelation, and the restored Church. But in like manner, if the Book of Mormon be true—and millions have now testified that they have the witness of the Spirit that it is indeed true—then one must accept the claims of the Restoration and all that accompanies it.”

I echo President Benson.  The Book of Mormon has brought me closer to Christ.  It is the keystone of my testimony of Christ.  The Bible teaches me of his ministry on the earth.  The Book of Mormon teaches me more clearly about how much I need him.  The Book of Mormon teaches clearly about the Fall of Adam and its effect on all mankind.  It teaches me that the Fall is an integral part of Heavenly Father’s plan for his children to have eternal life.  President Benson says that  “just as a man does not really desire food until he is hungry, so he does not desire the salvation of Christ until he knows why he needs Christ. No one adequately and properly knows why he needs Christ until he understands and accepts the doctrine of the Fall and its effect upon all mankind. And no other book in the world explains this vital doctrine nearly as well as the Book of Mormon.”

The Book of Mormon teaches me that God is the same “yesterday, today and forever.” It has taught me that his gospel has been the same throughout the ages.  It teaches me that the  Atonement of Christ was “prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind which ever were since the Fall of Man, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world.”  (Mosiah 4:7)  Jacob, the second writer in the Book of Mormon, says that his intent in writing is so that their children might know that they “knew of Christ and had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming, and not only we ourselves, had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets who were before us” (Jacob 4:4).  What marvelous clarity!

The Book of Mormon states as does Jesus in Luke 24, when he walked on the road to Emmaus with two of his disciples, that all the prophets have testified concerning him.  Abinadi, a powerful witness of Christ, who suffered death by fire for his testimony, said: “Did not Moses prophesy concerning the coming of a Messiah, and that God should redeem him people?  Yea, even all the prophets, ever since the world began, have they not prophesied more or less concerning these things?  Have they not said that God himself  shall down among the children of men, and take upon him the form of a man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth?”  (Mosiah 13:33-34)  There is so much congruency between the Bible and the Book of Mormon!

So, on this blog, I take delight in testifying of the truth of the Book of Mormon and that it has brought me closer to Christ each and every day.

 

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The Book of Mormon is the Most Correct Book of the Earth.

Posted on August 21, 2013 by bonniesimone

THE BOOK OF MORMON IS THE MOST CORRECT BOOK ON THE EARTH.

Joseph Smith boldly asserts that the Book of Mormon is “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.” Since we have in the Bible a record of the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ, why would he make such a statement? Why is it the most correct of any book? What are the precepts taught in the Book of Mormon that bring us nearer to God? Why is it the keystone of our religion? For the past several years I have read and studied the Book of Mormon many times in an effort to answer those questions. I put Joseph Smith’s promise to the test and found it to be true in every respect.

WHY IS IT THE MOST CORRECT OF ANY BOOK OF EARTH?

Even though the Bible is an inspired religious text it has gone through many translations. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramic. The New Testament was written in Greek. There are currently many translations of the Bible available. Indeed the Bible is the most translated book in the world. While the King James Version is considered to be the standard translation used in Protestant churches, there are many other modern translations. The New American Bible is used in the Catholic Church. Some of the newer translations are the New World Translation, the New American Bible, the Darby Bible, the New Revised Standard Version, the Modern Literal Translation, the New American Standard Version, the New International Version, and the New Living Version. One can appreciate that there is room for many differences of opinion in the work of translation. There are indeed doctrinal differences in these translations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asserts that the Book of Mormon has gone through only one translator, Joseph Smith. It is our belief that Joseph was given “power from on high,” (D&C 20:8)) and that the Book of Mormon was translated by the “gift and power of God” (Title Page of the Book of Mormon). It comes to us pure and undiluted from the original writers who wrote as they were inspired of God. The first Book of Mormon writer, Nephi, tells us that the Book of Mormon is written in the “language of his father, which consists of the learning of the Jews (Hebrew) and the language of the Egyptians” (1 Nephi 1:2). The last Book of Mormon prophet to write in the book, Moroni, states that it is written in “reformed Egyptian” (Mormon 9:32). With no knowledge of these ancient languages how could a young man of 21 translate such a record?   President James E. Faust of the First Presidency of the church made this observation:
“To me it is inconceivable that Joseph Smith, without divine help, could have written this complex and profound book. There is no way that an unlearned young frontiersman could have fabricated the great truths contained in the book, generated its great spiritual power, or falsified the testimony of Christ that it contains. The book itself testifies that it is the holy word of God.    References to teachings in the Old Testament and the New Testament are so numerous and overwhelming throughout the Book of Mormon that one can come to a definitive conclusion by logic that a human intellect could not have conceived of them all. But more important than logic is the confirmation by the Holy Spirit that the story of the Book of Mormon is true.” (Ensign, Jan. 2004

The Book of Mormon writers wrote as they were inspired of God.

We believe that all the writers who contributed to the Book of Mormon wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Even though several of them recognize their human weakness in writing, they affirm that they have written what God wanted them to write. Nephi, the first writer in the Book of Mormon humbly says, “I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal” (2 Nephi 33:4). Moroni, the last writer of the Book of Mormon expresses the same sentiment. He felt a sense of inadequacy in his writing. He said “when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words” (Ether 12:25).

Yet, each knew of their divine commission to write. It was to testify of Jesus Christ and to persuade all men to come unto Christ. This they did nobly and powerfully. One cannot dispute that testimony on almost every page of the Book of Mormon. At the conclusion of his record, Nephi succinctly states his purpose in writing when he says “And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good” (2 Nephi 33:10).

What a beautiful intent! What a priceless treasure! This book is written to persuade me to believe in Jesus, to endure to the end and obtain eternal life. There is no greater purpose in writing than this. Mormon, the man who compiled and abridged the records handed down to him through the centuries, gives us a standard of judgment when he says, “That which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, everything which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.” Using that standard of judgment, since the Book of Mormon invites us to do good and to love God, it is inspired of God.

The Book of Mormon is also the “most correct book” because it has internal congruency as the testimony of each prophet links beautifully with the testimony of the others.  There is no discrepancy between the writers.    There is a single purpose.  There is no deviation from this purpose.  It is to testify of Christ.  Those who sincerely seek to know the truth cannot help but be touched by Moroni’s testimony.

Moroni, the last writer in the book says: “I have seen Jesus, and he hath talked with me face to face and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things.  And only a few have I written, because of my weakness in writing.  And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever.  Amen.

Moroni doesn’t ask us to take his word alone for the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  He encourages us to ask God for a witness of its truthfulness.  He says:

“And 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.  And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:4-5)

I have taken Moroni’s challenge.  I, too, testify that the Book of Mormon was written by the gift and power of God!

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