The Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ

[Tuly]

We have been told by President Ezra Taft Benson in 1988 to flood the earth with The Book of Mormon - Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... ang=enguld - I would like to flood our family with The Book of Mormon. I know you all have The Book of Mormon, but I would love to get all of you who would like the large size Book of Mormon with your inscribed family name. And challenge all of you to read The Book of Mormon with your families or individually if you are single. This quote is from Ezra Taft Benson's talk at the 1986 General Priesthood Conference - To the "Youth of the Noble Birthright" https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... t?lang=eng
Obviously this quote applies to young women, men and women. I also hope that if you are not able to attend Relief Society or Priesthood because of other callings please read the lessons from your President Ezra Taft Benson manuals.

Next, young men, may I admonish you to participate in a program of daily reading and pondering of the scriptures. We remember the experience of our beloved prophet President Spencer W. Kimball. As a fourteen-year-old boy he accepted the challenge of reading the Bible from cover to cover. Most of his reading was done by coal oil light in his attic bedroom. He read every night until he completed the 1,519 pages, which took him approximately a year; but he attained his goal.

Of the four great standard works of the Church—the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price—I would particularly urge you to read again and again the Book of Mormon and ponder and apply its teachings. The Book of Mormon was referred to by the Prophet Joseph Smith as “the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion.” (History of the Church, 4:461.)

Young men, 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 man 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.

[Tuly]

I might add that to those who may not be family members who check our website, I would gladly send them The Book of Mormon too. This quote is from our recent general conference April 2015.
Elder Kevin W. Pearson - Stay by the Tree - https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... e?lang=eng

The Book of Mormon Is Key to Spiritual Survival
Life’s journey is challenging. It’s easy to be distracted, wander off the path, and get lost. Tribulation is an inevitable and indispensable part of our eternal progression. When adversity comes, don’t let something you don’t fully understand unravel everything you do know. Be patient, cling to truth; understanding will come. Trials are like great mists of darkness that can blind our eyes and harden our hearts. Unless we are “continually holding fast” to the word of God and living it, we will become spiritually blinded rather than spiritually minded. Search the Book of Mormon and the words of the living prophets every day, every day, every day! It’s the key to spiritual survival and avoiding deception. Without it, we are spiritually lost.

[Tuly]

I am in 3 Nephi in The Book of Mormon or should I say in El Libro de Mormon - I have enjoyed reading these quotes about 3 Nephi.

President Ezra Taft Benson - The Savior's Visit to America - General Conference April 1987 - https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... a?lang=eng

There is not time to speak of all the remarkable events of that glorious day and the days that followed. But it is clear that 3 Nephi contains some of the most moving and powerful passages in all scripture. It testifies of Jesus Christ, His prophets, and the doctrines of salvation. At this Easter time, what a blessing it would be if every family would read together 3 Nephi, discuss its sacred contents, and then determine how they can liken it unto themselves and apply its teachings in their lives.

Third Nephi is a book that should be read and read again. Its testimony of the resurrected Christ in America is given in purity and beauty.

And President N. Eldon Tanner - Christ in America - General Conference April 1975 - https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... a?lang=eng

Third Nephi gives us additional information in more detail than the four Gospels in the New Testament, and preserves the doctrines, teachings, and compassion of the Lord. For this reason there are many who refer to Third Nephi as the “fifth Gospel.”

[Tuly]

I have only received two requests for the large size Book of Mormon. I would still love to get any of you that size Book of Mormon for the asking. I found this great talk by President Gordon B. Hinckley - General Conference - October 1990 - Mormon Should Mean "More Good" - https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... d?lang=eng

And so, when someone asks me about it and what it means, I quietly say—‘Mormon means more good.’” (The Prophet Joseph Smith first said this in 1843; see Times and Seasons, 4:194; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 299–300.)

His statement intrigued me—Mormon means “more good.” I knew, of course, that “more good” was not a derivative of the word Mormon. I had studied both Latin and Greek, and I knew that English is derived in some measure from those two languages and that the words more good are not a cognate of the word Mormon. But his was a positive attitude based on an interesting perception. And, as we all know, our lives are guided in large measure by our perceptions. Ever since, when I have seen the word Mormon used in the media to describe us—in a newspaper or a magazine or book or whatever—there flashes into my mind his statement, which has become my motto: Mormon means “more good.”

Anyone who comes to know the man Mormon, through the reading and pondering of his words, anyone who reads this precious trove of history which was assembled and preserved in large measure by him, will come to know that Mormon is not a word of disrepute, but that it represents the greatest good—that good which is of God. It was the modern translator of this ancient record who declared that through reading it a man would come closer to God than through the reading of any other book.

All of this places upon us of this Church and this generation an incumbent and demanding responsibility to recognize that as we are spoken of as Mormons, we must so live that our example will enhance the perception that Mormon can mean in a very real way, “more good.”

[Tuly]

I love these essays by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - Mormon: The Man and the Book, Part 1 - Ensign March 1978 - https://www.lds.org/ensign/1978/03/morm ... 1?lang=eng

The Prophet Joseph Smith once wrote in his journal, “It was an awful responsibility to write in the name of the Lord.” (Joseph Smith, Jr., History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1:226.) One who must have felt that “awful responsibility” as much as any other in this world was Mormon, when at the tender age of ten years he was introduced to the weighty assignment that would be his.

After nearly a thousand years of Nephite history he was called of God to select and summarize the story of his people. That story tells in part of “peace in the land” and “all manner of miracles,” including the appearance and sermons of the resurrected Son of God.

But the story also contains the terror and depravity of that civilization gone awry, a dispensation concluding “without order and without mercy” in which women were fed on the flesh of their husbands and children were offered as sacrifice to dumb idols. In the end, Mormon’s was a painful and very lonely task.

Of the record Mormon helped to produce, 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.” (History of the Church, 4:461.) After long decades of darkness, the appearance of Mormon’s book would be one of the first contributions toward the “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21) in preparation for the fullness of times. His task was as crucial in the eternal plan of salvation as it was unique.

One prevailing impression we have as we read of Mormon’s life and times is that he has been almost too modest, too brief (scarcely twelve pages) with the inspiration and insight of a man so uniquely chosen and prepared to write. Indeed, we are grateful that his son, Moroni, shared with us both his memories of and his personal correspondence with his father, which reveal Mormon’s great doctrinal strength, his humanity and hope, and his abiding devotion to his people. (See Moro. 7–9.)

[Tuly]

Mormon: The Man and the Book, Part 2 - Ensign April 1978 - https://www.lds.org/ensign/1978/04/morm ... 2?lang=eng

In perhaps no other chapter does Mormon more forcefully use what comes to be his most reliable editorial technique—the use of a phrase such as “and thus we can behold,” or “and thus we see.” (Compare, for example, Alma 24:30 and Hel. 3:27–29 for other samples of this practice.)

Besides the “and thus we see” device it is not likely that many literary flourishes survived the intense condensation and editing Mormon employed in cutting 99 percent of the material he had been given. “And thus we see” and “it came to pass” were more necessary than literary in the edited passages, allowing Mormon to focus on important points while moving very rapidly over geographical terrain, years of elapsed time, and extensive prophetic discourse.

But some of the more traditional literary forms can be found in the unedited, uncondensed materials, such as the sermons Mormon quoted verbatim. The ancient Semitic device called “chiasmus” was often preserved by Mormon in his quotations of major doctrinal discourses. As John Welch first pointed out, the Book of Mormon follows the pattern of the Hebrew prophets wherein things are frequently said twice, except the second time it is said in reverse order.

The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion - President Ezra Taft Benson - General Conference October 1986 - https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... n?lang=eng

Perhaps there is nothing that testifies more clearly of the importance of this modern book of scripture than what the Lord Himself has said about it.

By His own mouth He has borne witness (1) that it is true (D&C 17:6), (2) that it contains the truth and His words (D&C 19:26), (3) that it was translated by power from on high (D&C 20:8), (4) that it contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ (D&C 20:9, D&C 42:12), (5) that it was given by inspiration and confirmed by the ministering of angels (D&C 20:10), (6) that it gives evidence that the holy scriptures are true (D&C 20:11), and (7) that those who receive it in faith shall receive eternal life (D&C 20:14).

A second powerful testimony to the importance of the Book of Mormon is to note where the Lord placed its coming forth in the timetable of the unfolding Restoration. The only thing that preceded it was the First Vision. In that marvelous manifestation, the Prophet Joseph Smith learned the true nature of God and that God had a work for him to do. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon was the next thing to follow

.

[Tuly]

I challenge all our family members to read the Book of Mormon daily, cover to cover and finish it by the end of 2016 or sooner. I know it is easy to forget to read our scriptures daily when we are really busy, sick, during holidays, weekends or feeling too overwhelmed. But I will quote again the promise by Marion G. Romney if you read the Book of Mormon.

“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” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1980, 90; or Ensign, May 1980, 67).

By the way here is a website to possible help you with your Book of Mormon studies. Book of Mormon Central -

http://bookofmormoncentral.org/

Book of Mormon Central currently seeks to accomplish this with four main initiatives:

The Archive: With the cooperation of other research institutions and publishers (such as Interpreter, the Religious Studies Center, BYU Studies, etc.), Book of Mormon Central is building what we hope will become a comprehensive online research archive featuring all things published on the Book of Mormon. Books, papers, art, photos, audio, and video all freely available in one convenient place. Close to 1000 items are already in the archive, and more are being added all the time.

Study Notes: Using a Wiki platform, encyclopedia-like articles on every imaginable Book of Mormon topic, authored and edited by dozens of people from different walks of life. This resource will grow through 2016 and beyond to become an online encyclopedia of knowledge about the Book of Mormon. Notes articles reference longer sources in the archive.

Interactive Text: An interactive online edition of the Book of Mormon text, with annotations from the Study Notes and archived materials will be available, with links back in the archive and the full Study Note entries. This will provide Book of Mormon readers with direct and instant access to the latest and most relevant information in historical, geographical, textual, cultural, theological, and linguistic analysis, as well charts, graphs, and other visuals. The central text for this web site will be based on the earliest manuscripts of the Book of Mormon that were written 1829–1830.

KnoWhys: brief illustrated essays, videos, podcasts and memes that present little-known information about the Book of Mormon, then explain why it is significant. KnoWhys are published frequently via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Ultimately, it is about knowing why the Book of Mormon deserves our time, effort, and devotion.

[Tuly]

Grateful for this advice.

https://www.lds.org/church/news/sunday- ... 4135106515

Sunday School General Presidency Encourages Daily Book of Mormon Study in 2016
Contributed By R. Scott Lloyd, Church News staff writer

29 DECEMBER 2015

The Book of Mormon teaches the correct principles in life that decisions are based upon, and it invites the Spirit to help us use those principles in an inspired way.
As the Church membership embarks this year in its study of the Book of Mormon in Sunday School gospel doctrine classes, “our hope would be that people would read it on a daily basis, pray about it and, as a consequence, they would get closer to God than they’ve ever been in their lives,” Brother Tad R. Callister, Sunday School general president, said, alluding to a statement made by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Brother Devin G. Durrant, first counselor in the general presidency, and Brother Brian K. Ashton, second counselor echoed that sentiment. The three men discussed the Book of Mormon during a recent Church News interview anticipating the upcoming course of study.

“A timeless element of the Book of Mormon that stands out for me is that through obedience you prosper,” Brother Durrant observed. “Oft times, we think of that as material prosperity. I think the message is that prosperity comes through enjoying an abundance of the Spirit, and throughout the Book of Mormon we watch that happen. As the people are obedient, they enjoy a greater outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord, and as the cycle tends to turn down, they learn that they lose the influence of the Holy Spirit, and we see the impact of that.”


Brother Ashton said that for people living today, “there’s strength in feasting upon the Book of Mormon.”

Citing 2 Nephi 33, Nephi’s expressed desire that his words will be consecrated by the Lord for the spiritual benefit of people in the last days, he said, “It’s in the constant reading, studying, and application of the Book of Mormon that we receive a power into our lives that is palpable, and it changes us.”

That happened for him, he said, when he accepted President Gordon B. Hinckley’s challenge given to the Church in 2005 to read the Book of Mormon. He had just finished the book, and it took him a while to begin reading it again, he said, but as he did so, his desire to keep the commandments of God dramatically increased.


Brother Callister said one of his first spiritual experiences in life came when he was 16 and he was reading the Book of Mormon for the first time. As he came to the account of the 2,000 sons of Helaman, “there was a voice in my heart that said to me, ‘That story is true.’ I’ve always remembered that since my days as a young man.”

Brother Callister said, “Nowhere can we gain an understanding of the Atonement like we do in the Book of Mormon. The New Testament is very helpful and very good. But you look at all the masterful sermons in the Book of Mormon on the Atonement, and it’s stunning, when you think about it.”

Entire chapters focus on Christ’s Atonement, Brother Callister said, citing 2 Nephi 9 and 10 and chapters in Jacob and Mosiah. “Maybe the greatest sermon we have on the Atonement anywhere is King Benjamin’s address,” he said.

“These sermons teach us things you don’t really get from the Bible. They help us understand the Atonement can help us overcome weaknesses, that through the Atonement we can become like Christ. Those are deep, poignant, and incredible insights that only the Book of Mormon gives.”

Brother Durrant noted that in the account of the visit by the resurrected Christ to the Nephites, He outlines a pattern in teaching them the gospel, inviting them to ponder the things He has taught them and then to pray about them.

“We could maybe reverse that pattern and say that as we approach our study of the Book of Mormon, we start with a prayer, then we read, and as we go throughout the day and the week, we ponder the things we’ve prayed about and read,” he suggested. “As we read the Book of Mormon, it’s a way to prepare ourselves to march out into the world and face the challenges that confront us day to day.”

Reading and pondering is also a way to prepare in advance for the Sunday School gospel doctrine class experience, Brother Durrant said. “As we become familiar with the doctrine, we might have an opportunity to share our testimony with our brothers and sisters.”

Brother Ashton cited 1 Nephi 15:23-24, wherein Nephi discusses with his brethren the meaning of the vision that their father Lehi beheld of the rod of iron and the tree of life.

Noting that the iron rod represents the word of God, Brother Ashton said, “The word of God includes the Savior, the promptings from the Holy Ghost, the teachings in general conference. But it’s also the scriptures and, in particular, the Book of Mormon.”

Referring to the admonition to hearken, Brother Ashton said that means to listen and obey. “To hold fast to the word of God says to me that we should study the scriptures every single day. There are two remarkable promises to those who do so: that they will not perish and the fiery darts of the adversary will not overpower them to lead them away to destruction.”

Brother Callister cited 2 Nephi 32:3, “Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”

“I struggled with that scripture for a long time, because I wondered how the words of Christ could tell me the things I should do. Can I go to the scriptures and find out who I should marry or what career I should pursue or who my counselors should be?

“I finally realized the scriptures, in particular the Book of Mormon, do two things that make it possible to answer all the questions in life we have. One is that it teaches the correct principles in life that decisions are based upon, and the other is that it invites the Spirit to help us use those principles in an inspired way. So, to me, the truthfulness of that passage came to me in a way that was personal and profound.”

[Steve]

Now, we have not been using the Book of Mormon as we should. Our homes are not as strong unless we are using it to bring our children to Christ. Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book to expose and combat the falsehoods in socialism, organic evolution, rationalism, humanism, etc.

(President Ezra Taft Benson, The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God, April 1975 General Conference) ↗

[Ian]

from the same, magnificent talk:

The Book of Mormon brings men to Christ through two basic means. First, it tells in a plain manner of Christ and his gospel. It testifies of his divinity and of the necessity for a Redeemer and the need of our putting trust in him. It bears witness of the Fall and the Atonement and the first principles of the gospel, including our need of a broken heart and a contrite spirit and a spiritual rebirth. It proclaims we must endure to the end in righteousness and live the moral life of a Saint.

Second, the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. It confounds false doctrines and lays down contention. (See 2 Ne. 3:12.) It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day. The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon are similar to the type we have today. God, with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious, and philosophical concepts of our time.

President Ezra Taft Benson, The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God, General Conference, April 1975

[Tuly]

This is a good article from lds.org - Book of Mormon Translation - https://www.lds.org/topics/book-of-morm ... g=eng&_r=1

Many accounts in the Bible show that God transmitted revelations to His prophets in a variety of ways. Elijah learned that God spoke not to him through the wind or fire or earthquake but through a “still small voice.” Paul and other early apostles sometimes communicated with angels and, on occasion, with the Lord Jesus Christ. At other times, revelation came in the form of dreams or visions, such as the revelation to Peter to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, or through sacred objects like the Urim and Thummim.

Joseph Smith stands out among God’s prophets, because he was called to render into his own language an entire volume of scripture amounting to more than 500 printed pages, containing doctrine that would deepen and expand the theological understanding of millions of people. For this monumental task, God prepared additional, practical help in the form of physical instruments.

Joseph Smith and his scribes wrote of two instruments used in translating the Book of Mormon. According to witnesses of the translation, when Joseph looked into the instruments, the words of scripture appeared in English. One instrument, called in the Book of Mormon the “interpreters,” is better known to Latter-day Saints today as the “Urim and Thummim.” Joseph found the interpreters buried in the hill with the plates. Those who saw the interpreters described them as a clear pair of stones bound together with a metal rim. The Book of Mormon referred to this instrument, together with its breastplate, as a device “kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord” and “handed down from generation to generation, for the purpose of interpreting languages.”

The other instrument, which Joseph Smith discovered in the ground years before he retrieved the gold plates, was a small oval stone, or “seer stone.” As a young man during the 1820s, Joseph Smith, like others in his day, used a seer stone to look for lost objects and buried treasure. As Joseph grew to understand his prophetic calling, he learned that he could use this stone for the higher purpose of translating scripture.

[Tuly]

This thought might sound cheesy but I think it makes a great point. I got this from this blog http://mylifebygogogoff.com/2015/11/a-c ... ormon.html

What would happen if we…
Treated the Book of Mormon like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we showed friends our favorite part?

What if it was the first thing we looked at when we got up?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it when we got lost?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to kids and friends as gifts?

What if we used it to find answers to life’s questions?

What if we used it when we were lonely?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in the case of an emergency?

What if we spent even 1/10th the amount of time using it?

What if we used it to check the time? (signs of the times)

What if we turned used it to find out self-worth?

What if we used it to communicate with our Father?

What if we used it when we needed directions?

[Tuly]

I'm in the book of Ether and even though I have read the Book of Mormon many times I'm still amazed at the tragic events that result from disobedience to the counsel of the Lord.
This talk by Ezra Taft Benson is in this thread and it warrants repetition. - The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... n?lang=eng

Once we realize how the Lord feels about this book, it should not surprise us that He also gives us solemn warnings about how we receive it. After indicating that those who receive the Book of Mormon with faith, working righteousness, will receive a crown of eternal glory (see D&C 20:14), the Lord follows with this warning: “But those who harden their hearts in unbelief, and reject it, it shall turn to their own condemnation” (D&C 20:15).

In 1829, the Lord warned the Saints that they are not to trifle with sacred things (see D&C 6:12). Surely the Book of Mormon is a sacred thing, and yet many trifle with it, or in other words, take it lightly, treat it as though it is of little importance.

In 1832, as some early missionaries returned from their fields of labor, the Lord reproved them for treating the Book of Mormon lightly. As a result of that attitude, he said, their minds had been darkened. Not only had treating this sacred book lightly brought a loss of light to themselves, it had also brought the whole Church under condemnation, even all the children of Zion. And then the Lord said, “And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon” (D&C 84:54–57).

Has the fact that we have had the Book of Mormon with us for over a century and a half made it seem less significant to us today? Do we remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon? In the Bible we have the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word testament is the English rendering of a Greek word that can also be translated as covenant. Is this what the Lord meant when He called the Book of Mormon the “new covenant”? It is indeed another testament or witness of Jesus. This is one of the reasons why we have recently added the words “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” to the title of the Book of Mormon.

If the early Saints were rebuked for treating the Book of Mormon lightly, are we under any less condemnation if we do the same? The Lord Himself bears testimony that it is of eternal significance. Can a small number of us bring the whole Church under condemnation because we trifle with sacred things? What will we say at the Judgment when we stand before Him and meet His probing gaze if we are among those described as forgetting the new covenant?

[Tuly]

Grateful to have finished reading The Book of Mormon today. My testimony of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon grows stronger the more I read and study it daily. I'm also grateful to be reading The Book of Mormon with Mami, James and as our family daily scripture study. I know that I need to reread The Book of Mormon over and over for there are many treasures that I overlook or take for granted. Reading The Book of Mormon this time I was saddened by how the Jaredites became a fallen nation they too had been given so much and still made so many wrong choices, what a great warning to all of us. I can not complete this testimony of The Book of Mormon without testifying that Jesus Christ is our redeemer and Savior and He is the main character of The Book of Mormon.

[Steve]

Today I had the privilege to walk over to the Harold B. Lee Library with my manager and hold a first edition copy of the Book of Mormon. How lucky we are for the efforts and sacrifices that allowed us to have such ready access to this holy book of scripture. I have a grateful heart today.