Lessons from The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

My purpose is not to try and convince you that the Book of Mormon is true. I can't. It is only through the convincing power of the Holy Ghost that "[you] may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5) – if you ask in faith. President Joseph Field Smith said the following,

“The Spirit of God speaking to the spirit of man has power to impart truth with greater effect and understanding than the truth can be imparted by personal contact even with heavenly beings. Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten.” (link to manual)

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and goes hand in hand with the Bible. Why do we need another book of scripture when we already have the Bible? Elder Mark E. Peterson explains it this way.

“Having been taught that the Bible contains all of the word of God, some ask us why we have these other scriptures. They do not realize that the Bible provides for more scripture and that it points to a pattern established anciently by the Lord in which He placed prophets on earth to provide that scripture….

“The chief reason we have the Book of Mormon is that in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall all things be established. We have the Bible; we also have the Book of Mormon. They constitute two voices—two volumes of scripture—from two widely separated ancient peoples, both bearing testimony to the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (link to talk)

In his talk he gives many, many more explanations about the Book of Mormon, and the prophecies and realization of it’s coming forth, but that is not what I want to cover. I want to share some of the lessons that I have learned from studying the Book of Mormon.

Lesson 1: Obedience to God’s commandments makes a difference.

The first great lesson that came to my mind when I started thinking about this book was the story of Nephi, in the First Book of Nephi. Nephi’s father, Lehi, is a prophet who is commanded to leave Jerusalem because people are seeking his life (like all ancient prophets, it seems). They leave, and then the Lord commands Lehi to send his four sons back to Jerusalem to get the scriptures, recorded on brass plates, from a very wealthy leader in the city – Laban. As Nephi recounts the story he shares his testimony with us.

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” (1 Nephi 3:7)

After two failed attempts at getting the brass plates, and his brothers wanting to give up and go back to the wilderness, Nephi knows the Lord will provide a way and decides to move forward on his own. He creeps into Jerusalem at night, not knowing what is going to happen. Here are Nephi’s words,

“And it was by night; and I caused that they [my brothers] should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban.

“And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

“Nevertheless I went forth” (1 Nephi 4:5-7, emphasis added)

Nephi knew that the Lord could do anything. He could have provided the needed scriptures outside of their tent in the wilderness. But, in His great wisdom, He sent them on a journey for a greater purpose; to strengthen their faith – as well as giving all those who now read his words hope, and an example to follow. Nephi’s faith, moved him to action, and is what brought about the miracle that followed. He is able to obtain the brass plates so that his family can take them into the wilderness. More importantly, they are able to bring the record with them to the promised land. Without this written record they would not be able to have the scriptures in order to pass the teachings they contain down through generations. There is much power in the written word, especially the word of God through His prophets.

How was Nephi able to get to a point where he trusted the Lord enough that he was willing to walk into a major city at night and somehow find the one thing the Lord needed him to find? Nephi’s trust came through obedience to the commandments of the Lord. Time after time he pleads with is brothers to be obedient. Why? In 1 Nephi 17:35 we read, “Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God.”

A reoccurring theme we read in the Book of Mormon is that those who are obedient are blessed by the Lord. Their lives are not free from challenges (far from it) but amidst those challenges they are still able to find joy and peace, through their faith in Jesus Christ; faith which leads to action. It is through obedience that we can build enough faith in Jesus Christ to keep going when things get tough.

Lesson 2: Through the Lord we can Strengthen Our Weaknesses

Each of us is a literal spirit child of our Heavenly Father. If we can firmly grasp that concept it can help us in realizing that there really is a God in Heaven who wants to help us – he is our Father. As President Uchtdorf testified,

“Brothers and sisters, the most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love.

“God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him.” (link to talk)

Because of His love for us, our Heavenly Father has provided us with his Plan of Salvation that, if we follow it, will lead us back to Him. We each have strengths and weaknesses, but we must remember our divine nature. We were each created in the image of God, our Father. Joseph Fielding Smith speaks of this divine nature.

“Man has within him the power, which the Father has bestowed upon him, so to develop in truth, faith, wisdom, and all the virtues, that eventually he shall become like the Father and the Son; this virtue, wisdom, and knowledge on the part of the faithful does not rob the Father and the Son, but adds to their glory and dominion. Thus it is destined that those who are worthy to become his sons and joint-heirs with our Redeemer, would be heirs of the Father’s kingdom, possessing the same attributes in their perfection, as the Father and the Son now possess.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:35.)

To become like God is not a trivial matter. It will not come in this life, nor will it come without considerable effort on our part – and even then we cannot do it on our own. We must be cleansed through the atoning blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Elder Richard G. Scott said,

“Each of us has had times in our lives when we have made poor choices. We are all in desperate need of the redemptive power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Each of us must repent of any rebellion. ‘For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.’ He cannot because He knows what it takes to become like Him.

“Many of us have allowed weakness to develop in our character. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we…can build spiritual fortifications between ourselves and any past mistakes that Satan attempts to exploit. “ (link to talk)

We need to use the time we have on this earth to strive to become truly aligned with the will of God. “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:32). We are reminded us of the daily struggle we will face, and the necessity for the wise use of our agency, through the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell.

“It is up to us. God will facilitate, but He will not force.

“Righteous desires need to be relentless, therefore, because, said President Brigham Young, ‘the men and women, who desire to obtain seats in the celestial kingdom, will find that they must battle every day’ (in Journal of Discourses, 11:14). Therefore, true Christian soldiers are more than weekend warriors.” (link to talk)

Our ultimate desires will largely influence how we choose to act on the strengths and weaknesses that we have. Our desires will also be a determining factor in whom we will become in this life and in the life to come. Elder Maxwell continues, and speaks of our desires being integrally connected to the outcome of our time here in mortality.

“Whether in their conception or expression, our desires profoundly affect the use of our moral agency. Desires thus become real determinants,…

“Desire denotes a real longing or craving. Hence righteous desires are much more than passive preferences or fleeting feelings. Of course our genes, circumstances, and environments matter very much, and they shape us significantly. Yet there remains an inner zone in which we are sovereign, unless we abdicate. In this zone lies the essence of our individuality and our personal accountability.

“Therefore, what we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity. ‘For I [said the Lord] will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts’…

"God thus takes into merciful account not only our desires and our performance, but also the degrees of difficulty which our varied circumstances impose upon us.” (link to talk; emphasis added)

From the Book of Mormon we read,

“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.” (2 Nephi 2:27)

The Lord has given us the knowledge to choose between good and evil. He is always waiting to help us, but we need to remember to ask for His help. That is not true with the adversary; he is always on the move looking for ways to entice us to succumb. We need to remember that Satan desires that all men be miserable like he is. His sole purpose is to bind us in such a way that we feel that we cannot return to God, or even approach our loving Father for help. Satan has learned that through patience and enticing us to numerous small, seemingly insignificant, infractions of sin he can accomplish his purposes.

“...for he is the founder of all…works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.” (2 Nephi 26:22)

When I was thinking about what I can do to strengthen myself against the adversary, one of the stories from the Book of Mormon came to mind. It is found in the Book of Helaman. There is a war between the Lamanites and the Nephites (a recurring theme throughout the Book of Mormon) and this time, “the Lamanites had gathered together an innumerable army of men, and armed them…” (Helaman 1:14). The Nephites were unprepared because they had been distracted by so much contention in the government that they didn’t guard their capital city well “for they had supposed that the Lamanites durst not come into the heart of their lands to attack that great city Zarahemla” (Helaman 1:18) The Lamanites were prepared, attacked the weakened city, and took control of it.

Satan will attack us where we are weakest, and for a human soul, made of spirit and body, the body is a prime target. Elder Melvin J. Ballard states,

“…the assault that the evil one will make upon us to capture us will be made through the body. That is the line of contact. You have all heard the adage that a chain is no stronger than its weakest link. It will break at its weak point. Generally we will observe that our weak link is in the flesh. The devil knows the weak link, and when he undertakes to capture a soul he will strike at the weak point. There may be strength elsewhere, but he never attacks us where we are strong. He attacks where we are weak.” (link to article)

Before we came to earth we all lived as spirit children with our Father in Heaven. Satan was there, and we knew him. When we came to earth a veil was placed over our mind, but not his. He is very aware of our strengths, our weaknesses, and who the Lord knows we can become. As we trust in the Lord, however, we can find strength in Him, for “he is mightier than all the earth” (1 Nephi 4:1). In the Book of Mormon we find out how to make our weaknesses stronger,

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27)

The Lord truly has, as Nephi testified, provided a way whereby we may accomplish all that He requires of us. By humbling ourselves and coming to Him we can overcome the tendencies of the natural man.

Lesson 3: Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ all mankind may be saved.

The Lord knows that “the natural man is an enemy to God” (Mosiah 3:19). We need to be continually reminded of the things of God or we have a tendency to revert back to our ‘natural man’ state. In the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley,

“We are all so busy with our mundane pursuits which pull us this way and that. We all need, the whole world needs, the opportunity to meditate and reflect on the things of God and to listen to words that inspire and help.” (link to talk)

The Law of Moses was established anciently, as a physical reminder of the forthcoming sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and as a reminder to remember the things of God. After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Savior appeared to the Nephites on the American continent and announced a change from the Law of Moses. From the book of Mormon we read the words of Jesus Christ.

“Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name….

“And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled.

“I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

“And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit….” (3 Nephi 9:15, 17-20; emphasis added)

To be contrite means “feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming” (link). As we humble ourselves before the Lord, acknowledge our faults and shortcomings, and have faith in Him, we can gain access to the power of His atoning sacrifice. Partaking of the sacrament each week is one place we can think of this sacrifice – a sacrifice He made for us. 

The prophet Alma, in the Book of Mormon, also speaks of the Law of Moses being fulfilled through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

“And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law [of Moses], every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

“And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

“And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety…” (Alma 34:14-16)

Through the foresight and mercy of our Heavenly Father we have been blessed to have a Father in Heaven, and our Elder Brother, who love us more than we can fathom. "We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (Article of Faith 1:3). Through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ we can have hope of repentance. The scriptures have been preserved for our day, and the Book of Mormon has been written specifically for us, as noted by Moroni, the last prophet from the Book of Mormon. 

“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing” (Mormon 8:35).

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But, you don’t have to take my word for it. Moroni, in his final chapter in the Book of Mormon, records the following promise. 

“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:3-5)

This is another one of the Lord’s promises; specifically about the Book of Mormon. Prove the Lord, and find out for yourself.