Book of Mormon Archive
Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon was the most correct book on the earth. This has been a major topic of conversation for many people who are not Mormon and do not understand what this statement means.
The purpose of scripture is to teach the word of God. Mormons (a nickname sometimes applied to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) use four books of scripture: The Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants. Each came to the world in different ways. To understand the impact and meaning of Joseph Smith’s statement, we need to look at how both the Bible and the Book of Mormon came to be.
How We Got the Bible
The Bible was written in ancient times by a variety of people. In fact, we don’t always know who actually wrote each section. It was not written as a single book, but was compiled from a large number of manuscripts by committee. There has never been just one canon for the Bible... Read the rest of this entry »
The best way to learn about the Book of Mormon is to read it. Although you can read many articles on it, you really need to study it for yourself, to know what it says without anyone else’s interpretation getting in the way. Many people who taught against the book changed their minds after they read it. Even if they didn’t convert, they realized much of what they’d been told about the Book of Mormon was false. You just have to read it for yourself from cover to cover.
Obtain a free Book of Mormon here or ask a friend for one. You can also read the Book of Mormon online free without registering.
You can study the Book of Mormon in much the same way you study the Bible, if you do so. The first step is to approach it with an open mind. Put aside any gossip you’ve heard and any negative feelings you have and just be prepared to make your own discoveries. Approach it as though you’d never heard of it.
Preparing to Read the Book of Mormon
The scriptures... Read the rest of this entry »
Hartman Rector, Jr. and his wife Connie were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February of 1952. Seventeen years later, he was called as a General Authority into the First Council of the Seventy for the Church. He has spent his life in devotion to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and wrote a book compiling many conversion stories. Each story is unique and compelling. One story he recounts is Don Vincenzo Di Francesca:
Early one cold morning Vincenzo received a note about a sick friend. While he was on his way down Broadway toward the ailing friend’s home, a strong breeze from the open sea rustled the pages of a book, which had been thrown upon a barrel full of ashes ready for the city trash truck. The form and the binding of the pages gave him the idea that it was a discarded religious book, and curiosity pushed him to retrieve it. He plucked it from the ashes and beat it against the trunk of the trash barrel. He looked... Read the rest of this entry »
Most people grow up believing in the Bible. They never really think about it or wonder if it was true. They never have to figure out how to tell if it was true. They just believe in it because they always have. However, when confronted with a book of scripture that was not part of their childhood experiences, they aren’t sure how to approach it. Not having put the Bible to the test, they don’t really know how to put other possible scriptures to the test.
The Bible offers a clue to people who want to know if the Bible is true:
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5, King James version of the Bible)
The Bible promises that if we need to know something important, we can ask God and He will tell us if we ask in faith. This same promise applies to the Book of Mormon. In fact, the Book of Mormon comes with its own promise:
3 Behold, I would exhort you that... Read the rest of this entry »
The media has spent a lot of time on the Book of Mormon Musical, a Broadway production people either love or hate. The reviews have often demonstrated the biases of the reviewers. One rejoiced that the musical showed that religion believes in a lot of silly things (not just Mormonism, but all religion). Another suggested the message was that blind faith is a sin, with his unspoken message being that religious faith is always blind. A Jewish writer argued that Jewish people, with their great knowledge of the dangers of religious persecution, should speak out loudly against the musical. Other writers have noted that the musical attacks all religions, even though it focused on only one. Some have noticed it is an inherently vicious portrayal of Africans, mocking their poverty and suffering.
The official statement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a single sentence:
“The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening,... Read the rest of this entry »
In 1830, the first copy of the Book of Mormon was published. Recently the 150 millionth copy was printed. Today, it is translated into 82 languages and is selections have been translated into 25 more languages.
The Book of Mormon does not replace the Bible for Mormons. It is used with the Bible and its purpose is outlined in the subtitle: “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” In the Book of Mormon, we learn that a few small group of Jews were sent to the American continent by God. In just a brief time, the primary group, known as the Nephites, were forced to move away from another group, the Lamanites. The leaders of these two groups were brothers, but one was evil and one was a prophet of God. The Lamanites had as their goal to destroy the Nephites and all memory of them.
Throughout the generations, the Nephites had prophets, as did the people of the Old Testament. They learned that God loves all His children, not just those who lived in the Holy... Read the rest of this entry »
Latter-day Saints (nicknamed Mormons, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), like other Christians, accept both the Old and New Testaments as Holy Scripture. Additionally, they accept the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price as part of their standard works (canonized scripture). The Doctrine and Covenants, first published in 1835, contains one hundred thirty-eight sections or individual documents generally arranged in chronological order beginning in 1823 through 1918 and two “Official Declarations” announcing new policies in 1890 and 1978. These documents are a selection from the revelations and other inspired writings given through Joseph Smith (1805-44) and his successors as president of the Church.
Mormon Beliefs: Mormon Books of Scripture
Like chapters in The Bible, sections in the Doctrine and Covenants are divided into verses. Much of the Doctrine and Covenants, like the Pauline letters... Read the rest of this entry »
The journey to prove God’s existence is a personal journey. He cannot be proven through a scientific study, although some studies have hinted at the existence of God. Each person must take the journey for himself and find in his own way that God is real. Read the rest of this entry »
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Personal Response by Lance
I have known for a long time that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but only in the last couple of years, while serving as a Mormon missionary, was I finally able to put into words the way that my answer came. There is a promise given by Moroni at the end of the Book of Mormon that if a person reads, ponders, and prays to know the Book of Mormon is true, the truth will be manifest to them by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3-5)
I read the Book of Mormon a few times growing up and I always felt that it was true, but I could never clearly express how I had come to that knowledge. I could honestly say that I knew by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but I couldn’t describe what that meant. It was more than just a simple feeling. It was a strong conviction.
As a missionary I came across people who had highly varying beliefs about the Holy Ghost and the way that the Holy... Read the rest of this entry »
Respuesta Personal de Steven
Mientras servía como misionero mormónque era a menudo tan cuestionada sobre si o no nosotros, como los mormones, eran cristianos. Al principio no entendía por qué la gente se pregunta el cristianismo de una religión que lleva el nombre de Jesús Cristo en su título. Me di cuenta de que nosotros, como miembros de la iglesia mormona, son bastante diferentes de los miembros de la mayoría de iglesias cristianas en dos formas principales. Creemos en un libro aparte de las Escrituras para ir junto con la Biblia (el Libro de Mormón), y creemos que Dios sigue trabajando a través de los profetas de nuestro tiempo, empezando por José Smith. Llegué a la conclusión de que la gente debe pensar que no son cristianos, principalmente para los dos razones. Me gustaría compartir una experiencia personal para mostrar cómo estas dos creencias me llevó a una fuerte creencia en Jesucristo.
Cuando tenía 14 años de edad, que era... Read the rest of this entry »
