Introduction to the Book of Mormon
How important is the Book of Mormon to us?
Joseph Smith put it this way:
“Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations and where is our
religion?
“We have none” (HC 2:52 Vol., 7).
When was the official name of the Book of Mormon changed to “The Book of
Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ?”
(CR, Oct. 1982)
By the way, the word testament means testimony!
Translated in no more than 90 days, and probably
closer to 60.
There are a 100 different names and titles that
describe Jesus Christ.
Almost 3,500 instances wherein the Savior is
mentioned.
Contains 6,580 verses with 3,471 referring to the
Savior.
There are 239 chapters and only 6 having no
reference to the Savior (2 Nephi 25:26).
Who are the four major writers of
the Book of Mormon?
Nephi
Jacob
Mormon
Moroni
It is not insignificant that Joseph Smith did
virtually all of this work in the midst of
seemingly endless distractions and in the face
of sometimes open hostility. Nevertheless,
following those breaks in the translation effort
he apparently never looked at the previously
dictated material nor had any portion of it read
back to him for context or continuity.
Furthermore, he was never known to have
consulted any reference book of any kind
during the whole of the translation experience
(Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New
Covenant, 1997, 349).
“’When he stopped for any purpose at any time
he would, when he commenced again, begin
where he left off without any hesitation, and one
time while he was translating he stopped
suddenly, pale as a sheet, and said, “Emma,
did Jerusalem have walls around it?” When I
answered, “Yes,’ he replied, “Oh! (I didn’t
know). I was afraid I had been deceived.” He
had such a limited knowledge of history at that
time that he did not even know that Jerusalem
was surrounded by walls’ (Edmund C. Briggs,
“A Visit to Nauvoo in 1856,’ Journal of History,
Jan. 1916, 454).
The details of this miraculous method of
translation are still not fully known. Yet we do
have a few precious insights…
“Emma Smith, who acted as an earlier scribe for Joseph, gave
this account in 1856:
“’When my husband was translating the Book of Mormon, I
wrote a part of it, as he dictated each sentence, word for word,
and when he came to proper names he could not pronounce, or
long words, he spelled them out, and while I was writing them, if
I made any mistake in spelling, he would stop me and correct
my spelling although it was impossible for him to see how I was
writing them down at the time. Even the word Sarah he could
not pronounce at first, but had to spell it, and I would pronounce
it for him.
“Although the Prophet would polish his skills
over the years, Emma acknowledged that
Joseph possessed only rudimentary literacy at
the time he translated the gold plates:
“’Joseph Smith…could neither write nor dictate
a coherent and well-worded letter; let alone
dictating a book like the Book of Mormon. And,
though I was an active participant in the scenes
that transpired, it is marvelous to me, “a marvel
and a wonder,” as much so as to any one else’
(A Treasured Testament,” Ensign, July 1993,
62-63).
Elder Packer explained, “My experience has
been that a testimony does not burst upon us
suddenly.”
“Do not be disappointed if you have read and
reread and yet have not received a powerful
witness. You may be somewhat like the
disciples spoken of in the Book of Mormon who
were filled with the power of God in great glory
‘and they knew it not’ (3 Nephi 9:20) (C.R., Apr.
2005, 6-7).
There are three ways in which the Book of
Mormon is the keystone of our religion:
1. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ.
2. It is the keystone of our doctrine.
3. It is the keystone of testimony.
(C.R., Oct. 1986, 4)
President Faust said that the Book of Mormon is the
crowning gem in the diadem of our holy scriptures.
Names in the Book of Mormon are Semitic, not
English.
Joseph Smith introduced over 200 new words,
including names, in the Book of Mormon
through translation by the gift and power of
God.
“No member of this church can stand
approved in the presence of God, who has
not seriously and carefully read the Book of
Mormon (J. Fielding Smith, C.R., Oct., 61).
The Sealed Portion of the Plates
We are not told specifically how many of the Book of
Mormon plates were sealed, but Elder Orson Pratt
stated that it was two-thirds. This figure has been
widely accepted because of the popularity of Elder
Pratt’s writings (JD 3;347).
David Whitmer, one of the three special witnesses
who actually saw the plates is reported to have said
that “about the half of the book was sealed” (Poulson
2), Elder George Q. Cannon wrote that one-third of the
plates were sealed (25), while the Prophet Joseph
Smith simply stated, “The volume was near six inches
in thickness, a part of which was sealed” (HC 4:537).
If the highest estimate is correct and two-thirds of the plates
were sealed, that would mean there are the equivalent of 1,062
pages sealed since there are 531 pages in the current Book of
Mormon. That would make a total of 1,593 possible pages had
the whole set of plates been translated. Since Moroni engraved
the sealed-portion plates as well as 51 pages in the Book of
Mormon, his total of 1,113 pages written would be about 70
percent of the total plates delivered to Joseph Smith.
If the smaller estimate is correct, then the numbers would be
lower with about 266 pages sealed, making a total of 797
pages. Moroni would then have written 317 pages, or
approximately 40 percent of the plates handed to Joseph
Smith. However much Moroni wrote, he clearly fulfilled a very
important writing assignment, possibly even larger than his
father.
“This book must be either true or false”
If true, it is one of the most important messages ever sent from
God to man, affecting both the temporal and eternal interests of
every people under heaven to the same extent and in the same
degree that the message of Noah affected the inhabitants of the
old world. If false, it is one of the most cunning, wicked, bold,
deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to
deceive and ruin millions who will sincerely receive it as the
word of God”….
The nature of the message of the Book of Mormon is such, that
if true, no one can possibly be saved and reject it; if false, no
one can possibly be saved and receive it” (Orson Pratt’s Works
on the Doctrines of the Gospel, 1945, 107).
In fact, more printed pages of scripture have come through
Joseph Smith than from any other human (Ensign, January
1997, 41).
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland wrote that the Book of
Mormon “should be considered the most remarkable
and important religious text to be revealed since the
writings of the New Testament were compiled nearly
two millennia ago. Indeed, in its role of restoring plain
and precious biblical truths that had been lost, while
adding scores of new truths that had been lost, while
adding scores of new truths about Jesus Christ and
preparing the way for the complete restoration of his
gospel and the triumphant day of his millennial return,
the Book of Mormon may be considered the most
remarkable and important religious text ever given to
the world” (Christ and the New Covenant, 1997, 9-10).
On occasion this young prophet dictated his
translation at white-hot speed, turning out as
many as ten present-day pages in a sitting and
ultimately producing the whole manuscript in
something less than ninety working days.
Those who have ever translated any text will
understand what this means, especially when
remembering it took fifty English scholars seven
years (using generally superb and readily
available translations for a starting point) to
produce the King James Bible at the rate of one
page per day.
He had limited experience.
Joseph Smith was only 24 years old when the Book of
Mormon was published. This was a very young age
considering the Book of Mormon has endured 150
years of intense criticism.
He had limited resources. He did not live near any
large cities which would have provided him opportunity
to study in the libraries, museums, and universities.
He lived miles away, deep in the American Frontier,
on a small farm in a little village.
“Never does one man stand alone in
establishing a new dispensation of
revealed truth, or in carrying the burden of
such a message and warning to the world.
In every dispensation, from Adam to the
present, two or more witnesses have
always joined their testimonies, thus
leaving their hearers without excuse in the
day of judgment should the testimony be
rejected” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. 1966,
436).
To consider that everything of saving significance in
the Church stands or falls on the truthfulness of the
Book of Mormon and, by implication, the Prophet
Joseph Smith’s account of how it came forth is as
sobering as it is true. It is a “sudden death”
proposition. Either the Book of Mormon is what the
Prophet Joseph said it is, or this church and its
founder are false, a deception from the first instance
onward.
I am suggesting that one has to take something of a
do-or-die stand regarding the restoration of the gospel
of Jesus Christ and the divine origins of the Book of
Mormon (Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New
Covenant 1997, 347-48).
The Reader Determines What is
Learned
Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke about one’s need to
read with the properly positioned heart and
attitude: “What we get from a book, especially
a sacred text, is mostly dependent on what we
take to its reading --- in desire and readiness to
learn and in attunement to the light
communicated by the Spirit of the Lord” (C.R.,
Apr. 2006, 78).
Whenever possible I would rather have the
reader focus directly on Book of Mormon
language than on someone else’s language
about it.
In fact, one could make a persuasive argument
that no book should be written about the Book
of Mormon, particularly if reading such a
secondary work became an alternative for
becoming immersed in the scripture firsthand
(Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New
Covenant, 1997, preface).
As my great-great-great grandfather said of his own
conversion in the earliest days of the Restoration, “No
wicked man could write such a book as this; and no
good man would write it, unless it were true and he
were commanded of God to do so (George Q.
Cannon, in Andrew Jenson, Historical Record 6:174).
And this magnificent book was translated when
Joseph Smith was barely a boy, a lad still coming of
age.
To paraphrase Winston Churchhill, “Some boy, some
book.”
Golden Plates on Display in Bulgaria
The world's oldest multiple-page book — in the
lost Etruscan language — has gone on display
in Bulgaria 's National History Museum in Sofia
and something about that book has particular
interest for Latter-day Saints.
As is evident from the photograph, this book
was created on metal plates that are bound
together with metal rings similar to the original
source documents that became the Book of
Mormon.
Gold Plates found in Bulgaria
The book dates back to 600 B.C., which is roughly the time that
Lehi and his family left Jerusalem .
The small manuscript, which is more than two and a half
millennia old, was discovered 60 years ago in a tomb
uncovered during digging for a canal along the Strouma River
in southwestern Bulgaria . It has now been donated to the
museum by its finder, on condition of anonymity..
Reports say the unidentified donor is now 87 years old and
lives in Macedonia. The authenticity of the book has been
confirmed by two experts in Sofia and London, museum
director Bojidar Dimitrov said quoted by AFP. The six sheets
are believed to be the oldest comprehensive work involving
multiple pages, said Elka Penkova, who heads the museum's
archaeological department.
There are around 30 similar pages known in the world,
Ms Penkova said, "but they are not linked together in
a book".
The Etruscans — one of Europe's most mysterious
ancient peoples — are believed to have migrated from
Lydia, in modern western Turkey, settling in northern
and central Italy nearly 3,000 years ago. They were
wiped out by the conquering Romans in the fourth
century BC, leaving few written records.
The long debated question about bound metal records
existing in the Middle East 2500 years ago as claimed
by the Book of Mormon can now be put to rest. Critics
should take note and check that item off their list of
objections to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
From almost every page of the
Book of Mormon, there will
come… a moving testimony
that Jesus is indeed the Christ,
the Son of the Living God, our
Redeemer and Savior (Marion
G. Romney, C.R., April, 1960,
112).
The Title Page of the Book of Mormon
was written by Moroni and translated by
Joseph Smith. It is scripture!
Joseph Smith said “the title page was
taken from the very last leaf, on the left
hand side of the collection or book of
plates” (HC 1:71).
The title page is one of the least studied
and least understood parts of the Book of
Mormon.
The Introduction:
A “keystone” is the wedge-shaped piece of
the crown of an arch that locks the other pieces in
place (Webster Dictionary).
The writing went from right to left on the gold
plates.
Why?
Most men were right handed!
I Nephi is the doctrinal foundation of the Book
of Mormon!
“I honestly believe that at the final judgment we will
give our accountability as to what we have done with
the Book of Mormon and its teachings. I believe the
questions will be asked of us in about the following
order, and the first time we have to answer “no” will be
the point of our judgment.”
1. Did you have the opportunity to read the
Book of Mormon while you lived on the earth?
2. Did you read the Book of Mormon?
3. Did you learn the great principles of righteousness
contained in the Book Of Mormon?
4. Did you apply these principles to
your children and to others?
It may be that if we can honestly
answer “yes” to all of these questions,
we might then hear those gladsome
words, “Well done, thou good and
faithful servant:... enter thou into the
joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25:21) (Dan
Ludlow).
Experiences shared by these four writers
include the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
All were witnesses of Jesus Christ.
All were tutored by supernatural beings.
All had a vision of our day and wrote
especially for and to us.
All received heavenly counsel regarding
what they should include in their writings.
All warned us that we will be held.
accountable for what we do with their
words.
Thus the Book of Mormon’s highest
purpose is to restore to the universal
family of God that crucial knowledge
of Christ’s role in the salvation of
every man, woman, and child who
now lives, has ever lived, or will yet
live upon the earth. It is written to the
convincing of all who read its pages
with “a sincere heart, with real intent”
that Jesus is the Christ.
For my part, I am glad the book will be with us “as long as the
earth shall stand.” I need and want additional time. For me,
towers, courtyards, and wings await inspection. My tour of it
has never been completed. Some rooms I have yet to enter,
and there are more flaming fireplaces waiting to warm me.
Even the rooms I have glimpsed contain further furnishings and
rich detail yet to be savored. There are panels inlaid with
incredible insights and design and decor dating from Eden.
There are also sumptuous banquet tables painstakingly
prepared by predecessors which await all of us. Yet, we as
Church members sometimes behave like hurried tourists,
scarcely venturing beyond the entry hall to the mansion.
May we come to feel as a whole people beckoned beyond the
entry hall. May we go inside far enough to hear clearly the
whispered truths from those who have “slumbered,” which
whisperings will awaken in us individually the life of discipleship
as never before.
Neal A. Maxwell
President Ezra Taft Benson often spoke of the
importance of the Book of Mormon and its effect on
our lives:
“The Book of Mormon will change your life. It will
fortify you against the evils of our day. It will bring a
spirituality into your life that no other book will. It will
be the most important book you will read in
preparation for a mission and for life. A young
(person) who knows and loves the Book of Mormon,
who has read it several times, who has an abiding
testimony of its truthfulness, and who applies its
teachings will be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil and will be a mighty tool in the hands of the Lord”
(C.R., Apr., 1986, 56).
Semitic Conditions and Customs
The greatest evidence of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon is the
witness of the Holy Ghost. But there are also other evidences.
Those who do not want to accept the Book of Mormon as a record of divine
origin must find a different explanation of how we got it. Most of them claim
that Joseph wrote the book himself. You must keep in mind how impossible
this would have been for Joseph.
He was a boy with limited education. He had much less schooling at this
time in his life than any of you reading this.
Keep in mind their school years were the months they could not be in the
field working.
Semitic peoples are descendants of Shem, a son of Noah.
They are people of the Middle East, such as the Jews,
Hebrews, Egyptians, Arabs, etc.
The valleys of the Middle East are seen as places of refuge and
strength --- even more than mountains. They are spoken of
with love and hope in poetry and song (I Nephi 2:8-10).
Quarrels among families and friends over food, water,
inheritances, and other domestic concerns are frequent. These
commonly resulted in family divisions and even murder (I Nephi
3:29).
The hill country of Israel abounds in caves and cisterns which
are used to store food and water. Since some are very deep,
they were also used to contain prisoners. Some fugitives also
found excellent hiding places in these caves (I Nephi 3;27).
A Semite will generally refuse to yield to another man. He may
do so when a woman or a child seeks his favor because then
what would have been a weakness is considered mercy, and
the proud Semite can save face (I Nephi 7:19).
There are mists of darkness in the Arabian Desert that are thick
and make traveling very dangerous. These clouds of fog and
dust make safe travel at night impossible. Even in the daylight
such mists contribute to one’s getting lost (I Nephi 8:23).
A desert nomad’s campsite may endure only while the water
lasts, or until pasture is gone. Then he must move to a new
location (I Nephi 16:17).
Mourning at the death of a loved one was expressed by means
of a ritual, as well as through individual and heart-felt grief. The
tearing of garments, the wearing of sackcloth, the shaving of
the head, and the wailing of the women were all customary and
expected (I Nephi 16:34-35).
Each group that passes through a desert area names
every hill, river, and oasis according to their own
family names or experiences there. Very few places
have permanent names known among all the tribes or
travelers (I Nephi 17:5).
Eating raw meat and making no fires in the desert is a
matter of self-preservation. Robbers infest the land,
and it is dangerous to light a fire that might lead a thief
to your camp, especially at night (I Nephi 17:2,12).
(Nibley, Lehi in the Desert, 60-80)
How could Joseph Smith have known that such
conditions and customs existed in the Middle East
unless they were revealed to him while translating the
Book of Mormon?
A comparison of the Book of Mormon, Bible, and
traditional teachings of the doctrines of salvation:
An interesting paradox that those so anxious to label us a non-Christian cult
are offended by the Book of Mormon because it is so Christ-centered.
Jesus as the Son of God
Old Testament is silent
New Testament confusing
Book of Mormon resolves it
Jesus the Christ
Christ nor the word church appear in any modern translation of Old
Testament.
Christ as the Promised Messiah
Mosiah 3:5-10, Alma 7:10-12, Mosiah 3:8
Old Testament can’t match it (Isaiah 53).
The Fall of Adam
The Bible is superior in telling the story, yet contributes little to
our understanding, no wonder the confusion in the Christian
world.
The Book of Mormon is plain, 2 Nephi 2:22,25; Alma 42:5.
The Plan of Salvation
Not mentioned in the Bible or D&C, only Book of Mormon.
Atonement
No clear explanation in the Bible, good on the events.
The Book of Mormon tells you why he suffered and how.
The word atonement is found only one time in the New
Testament (Romans 5:11).
Resurrection
The Old Testament doesn’t mention the word.
Paul does a few times.
The Book of Mormon teaches what will happen (Alma
11:45, 40:23).
Spirit World
The Old Testament nothing, Book of Mormon plenty.
Necessity of Ordinances
Baptism not found in Old Testament
New Testament, yes, but how was it performed?
Book of Mormon, yes!
Justification
Book of Mormon, Alma 41:3-4,14-15.
Gathering of Israel
Both have much to say, the Book of Mormon
makes distinctive contributions.
Revelation
2 Nephi 28:26-30
The Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible in
teaching each of the doctrines of salvation considered.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie observed “that Lehi and
Jacob excel Paul in teaching the Atonement; that
Alma’s sermons on faith and on being born again
surpass anything in the Bible; that Nephi makes a
better exposition of the scattering and gathering of
Israel than do Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel
combined; that Mormon’s words about faith, hope, and
charity have a clarity, a breadth, and a power of
expression that even Paul did not attain; and so on
and so on.”
This leaves religionists in the
position where they must freely
accept or openly oppose the
Nephite scripture. There is no
middle ground, no readily
available gray area, no room for
compromise” (Bruce R. McConkie,
A New Witness for the Articles of
Faith, 1985, 460-461).
The Three Witnesses
The three and eight, who forever affixed their signatures to the introductory
pages of the Book of Mormon declaring that they had, respectively, seen an
angel and handled the plates of gold? Each of the three and several of the
eight had difficulty with the institutional Church during their lifetimes,
including years of severe disaffection from Joseph Smith personally.
Nevertheless, none of them --- even in hours of emotional extremity or days
of public pressure --- ever disavowed his testimony of the divinity of the Book
of Mormon.
Martin Harris was asked in the last year of his life if he “believed the Book of
Mormon was true.” He answered “No,” then reassured his initially surprised
interrogator that he “knew” the book was true, which was greater than belief.
“I know what I know. I have seen what I have seen, and I have heard what I
have heard,” he said. “I saw the angel and the plates from which the Book
of Mormon was translated and heard the voice of God declare it was
translated correctly” (Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant 1997,
348-49).