Three Reasons Why I am Grateful for the Book of Mormon

In years past, during the month of November, our family has had a poster board on which we have written things for which we are grateful. Usually the Book of Mormon is on that list. Last night as I was laying awake, waiting for sleep, I started contemplating the reasons why I am grateful for the Book of Mormon.

1. The Book of Mormon teaches of Jesus Christ.

Nephi said, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:26) Hardly a page in the Book of Mormon doesn't contain some reference to Jesus Christ, or something which can teach us about him. The Book of Mormon is full of teachings about who he is, his ministry, his atonement, his love, his tender mercies.

Some people may not believe that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or Mormons) are Christian because we don't adhere to the Nicene Creed, a document which was written in 325AD to resolve the doctrinal conflicts which had appeared between different Christian groups, including questions about the very nature of God. Mormons do believe in and hope in and strive to follow Jesus Christ, and in this way, we really are Christian. The Book of Mormon helps us to understand better who he is and what we need to do to follow him.

2. The Book of Mormon confirms and clarifies Bible truths.

As Mormons, we do believe the Bible to be the word of God, but we also recognize that over the course of hundreds of years of being copied by hand, and being translated into different languages, some things have been lost, and some errors have crept into the text, leaving some things confusing.

One example of this can be found in John 1:18, where it says, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."  As Mormons, we tend to hear this scripture a lot. If "no man [has] seen God at any time", then Joseph Smith couldn't have seen God; he must therefore be a liar, and the Church he organized must be false, right?

In Acts, we read about Stephen: "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55-56)  Stephen saw God. So who do we believe - John, who says that no man has seen God, or Luke (who wrote the book of Acts), who says that Stephen did?

Along comes the Book of Mormon to give us more insight. 1 Nephi 1:8: "And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God." Lehi also saw God, and now we have two witnesses that God has shown himself to his children. Joseph Smith, in his translation of the Bible, suggested that no man has seen God "except them who believe" or "except he hath borne record of the Son." (JST John 1:19, JST 1 John 4:12)

The Book of Mormon also gives us more insight into things mentioned in the Bible. While the New Testament gives four fairly detailed accounts of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, the Book of Mormon affirms the truth of those accounts. (See Mosiah 3:5-12 for just one example. There are many!)

In Numbers 21:6-9, we read an interesting story: "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." That's the whole story, as written in the Bible we have today.

The Book of Mormon gives us more information about this event: "And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished." (1 Nephi 17:41) Also, "Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God should come? And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come. And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal." (Helaman 8:14-15) These scriptures in the Book of Mormon teach us that many Israelites died because they would not look. We also learn that the serpent was a symbol for Christ. 

3. The Book of Mormon is a witness to me that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.

Joseph Smith was 24 years old, and had only a few years of formal education when he translated the gold plates which contained the record of the Nephites. He translated the record in only about 65 working days. (see here and here for information about the translation.) He dictated it word by word, without looking over what he had already translated. He didn't revise it much before it was published, other than a few minor spelling or grammatical corrections. Joseph Smith couldn't have written the Book of Mormon by himself.  (see here for an interesting thought.)

The Book of Mormon is an amazing book. I don't believe that anyone could read it and not feel that it was inspired by God. The idea that Joseph Smith - or any of his contemporaries - could have written it himself is absurd. The Book of Mormon is what it claims to be. Joseph Smith translated it by divine inspiration. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. The Church that Joseph Smith established is the Church of Jesus Christ, led and directed by God. This Church doesn't need the Nicene Creed because we believe in revelation. We can learn truth by asking God himself. And he answers.

As it says in the introduction to the Book of Mormon:

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

 Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah.

The Book of Mormon is the key to knowing the truth. That is why I am grateful for this wonderful book.