My All Time Favorite Book: The Book of Mormon

I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints my whole life (officially baptized at the age of 8).  As such, I've read The Book of Mormon multiple times. Yet each time I read it, I learn new things. Many people believe that in the 'Mormon' church, The Book of Mormon replaces the Bible as scripture.  That is incorrect.  The Book of Mormon is "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." It ADDS TO, but does not replace the Bible.

Another common misconception about The Book of Mormon is that it was written by Joseph Smith.  This is also incorrect.  Joseph Smith, a prophet called and chosen by God, TRANSLATED, The Book of Mormon, he did not write it.  Here's a more complete explanation:

The Book of Mormon is a volume of scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel.

The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.

The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.

After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up 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. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto him and obey the laws and ordinances of his gospel may be saved.

Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: "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."

In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for eleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as "The Testimony of Three Witnesses" and "The Testimony of Eight Witnesses."

We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and the 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.)


For today's post, I just wanted to bare my testimony as to the truthfulness of this book. I know that it came from God, not man. No man could write such a book without inspiration.  The Spirit has born witness to my soul of the truthfulness of this book.  The testimony the book bares of Jesus Christ and the love he has for all humankind.  It also bares witness of Jesus' multiple roles as Savior, Creator, and Teacher.  I also know that our Father in Heaven loves us and wishes to have us return to Him.  This book will 'lead us nearer to God than any other book' (Joseph Smith).  
 
For those who are interested in learning more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, visit www.lds.org or mormon.org. 



For those who would like a free copy of The Book of Mormon, see here. It can be obtained in many different languages.