Importance of studying the Book of Mormon

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Introduction:

I am currently studying for a Bachelor’s in Arts and Science in communications with an emphasis on Technical Communication. This study is through Kaplan University Online and I have already successfully accomplished 10 full credit hours of education. This has earned me a 4.0 GPA so far. Yet, the ability to return back to school and utilize modern technology to accomplish something that I thought I would never be able to experience is not why I have decided to create this journal for. Or, at least it is not the main reason behind this journal.

One of the challenges actually has far more significance than earning a higher education and degree. This challenge is to get back into another passion of mine and that is scripture study and devotion. Majority of my problem is that I lack motivation, easily distracted, establishing too high of an expectation, and take on too much than what I am able to handle. Not only that, but I also lack the ability to manage my time effectively.

Thus, at the age of 38 years, I need to reassess what my priorities are, realign my goals, and position myself to be able to establish realistic goals that are manageable and attainable. Within this, I must begin to make serious time with personal scripture study, prayer, and devotion.

Hence, Brigham Young University offers free online enrichment courses in the study of the Book of Mormon, Old and New Testament and Church History. All of which I am deciding to incorporate within my current online studies for my Bachelor degree program. Basically, if I can devote time to my educational goals, how much more ought I to devote my time to reacquainting myself with the Book of Mormon, the basic essentials of the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Old and New Testament, LDS Church History, and rekindle the passion I once had for apologetic and studying the doctrines of the LDS Faith.

Therefore, the purpose of this journal is to document my journey back into the study, reading, and  prayerfull devotion of the Book of Mormon, Messages from the General Authorities, Doctrine and Covenants, Old and New Testaments, and personal experience as I reacquaint myself with sincere thoughtful prayer.

Why begin with the study and reading of the Book of Mormon?

As I started in on the first lesson in the study of the Book of Mormon, a handful of fundamental statements caught my attention. The first is a reference to President Ezra Taft Benson’s Talk A Sacred Responsibility given at the April 1986 General Conference. In this talk, President Benson refers to something very significant that I had personally forgotten about:

Now, in our day, the Lord has revealed the need to reemphasize the Book of Mormon to get the Church and all the children of Zion out from under condemnation – the scourge and judgment. (see D&C 84:54-58) This message must be carried to the members of the Church throughout the world.

According to D&C 84:54-58 we read the following:

And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received – Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.

This passage of scripture is directed towards the early saints of the restored gospel, specifically those who were returning from the mission field and reporting on their labors in spreading the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. And, just as this revelation was important for the early saints, and those who were returning or entering the mission field, it is even more important for us as members of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ to not merely understand the Book of Mormon through casual readings, but to incorporate it into our lives. Meaning, we are not to treat the Book of Mormon lightly. We are to study from it daily. We are to prayerfully and sincerely approach the words with humility and openness that it is the Word of God just as much as the Old and New Testament is the word of God. In fact, when you think about this, our loving Heavenly Father has given us the reason as to why we have the scriptures: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17, King James Version.

Furthermore, those who receive the Book of Mormon as the word of God by faith and abide by its precepts, are blessed. Those who condemn it, harden their hearts against it or reject it because of unbelief, they do so unto their own condemnation (see D&C 20:14-15).

Three reasons as to why a lifelong study of the Book of Mormon:

1) The Book of Mormon as the Keystone:

The Prophet Joseph Smith stated that the Book of Mormon is “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…” (History of the Church, 4:461)

Personally, I never fully understood how and why the Book of Mormon is referred to as the “keystone” of the Latter-day Saint Faith and the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ in these last days. Until recently, I just accepted the fact that the idea of the Book of Mormon being central to my own personal faith and the foundation as to why Heavenly Father had brought about the restoration of the Gospel were part and parcel of the overall plan of the restoration. My perception changed once I delved into this personal study, making a committment to not only read the Book of Mormon, but reaquaint myself with it through prayerful sincere study.

In fact, it is President Ezra Taft Benson that had provided the explanation as to the how and why the Book of Mormon is the keystone of the Mormon Religion - and, furthermore, I shall add, be the purpose and keystone of our own personal faith and testimony.

the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. This was the Prophet Joseph Smith’s statement. He testified that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion” (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). A keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles.

There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony.

President Benson’s words are simple and direct. The more I ponder this, the more I come to realize the true importance and sacredness of the Book of Mormon in the coming forth of how and why the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in these last days. Yet, he expounds on how and why the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion in the areas of our witness of Christ, our doctrine, and testimony.

The Book of Mormon is the keystone in our witness of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the cornerstone of everything we do. It bears witness of His reality with power and clarity. Unlike the Bible, which passed through generations of copyists, translators, and corrupt religionists who tampered with the text, the Book of Mormon came from writer to reader in just one inspired step of translation. Therefore, its testimony of the Master is clear, undiluted, and full of power. But it does even more. Much of the Christian world today rejects the divinity of the Savior. They question His miraculous birth, His perfect life, and the reality of His glorious resurrection. The Book of Mormon teaches in plain and unmistakable terms about the truth of all of those. It also provides the most complete explanation of the doctrine of the Atonement. Truly, this divinely inspired book is a keystone in bearing witness to the world that Jesus is the Christ (see title page of the Book of Mormon).

The Book of Mormon is also the keystone of the doctrine of the Resurrection. As mentioned before, the Lord Himself has stated that the Book of Mormon contains the “fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (D&C 20:9). That does not mean it contains every teaching, every doctrine ever revealed. Rather, it means that in the Book of Mormon we will find the fulness of those doctrines required for our salvation. And they are taught plainly and simply so that even children can learn the ways of salvation and exaltation. The Book of Mormon offers so much that broadens our understandings of the doctrines of salvation. Without it, much of what is taught in other scriptures would not be nearly so plain and precious.

Finally, the Book of Mormon is the keystone of testimony. Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The enemies of the Church understand this clearly. This is why they go to such great lengths to try to disprove the Book of Mormon, for if it can be discredited, the Prophet Joseph Smith goes with it. So does our claim to priesthood keys, and revelation, and the restored Church. But in like manner, if the Book of Mormon be true—and millions have now testified that they have the witness of the Spirit that it is indeed true—then one must accept the claims of the Restoration and all that accompanies it.

Yes, my beloved brothers and sisters, the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion—the keystone of our testimony, the keystone of our doctrine, and the keystone in the witness of our Lord and Savior.

After reading this (or the entire talk given by President Benson at the October General Conference in 1986), how does this change your perception to the reality and sacredness of the Book of Mormon in your own personal life? Have you neglected to read and study this set of Scripture that is ordained of God and given for our own edification in the building of our own personal faith and testimony as well as that of our family and community?

The interesting aspect of this, that I also have discovered, is that President Benson declares that the Book of Mormon contains the Fulness of the Gospel, which does not mean it contains every teaching, every doctrine ever revealed. His plain understanding and revelation is that the Book of Mormon contains the fulness of those doctrines that pertain to salvation.

Furthermore, the Book of Mormon is not something that has come to replace the Bible – Old and New Testament – but to compliment it as “another Testament to Jesus Christ”. Even more interesting, the Old Testament refers to the Old Covenant. This covenant being the Mosaic Law, the Levitical Priesthood and the dealings of God with Man through the Prophets of Israel. The New Testament being the New Covenant where Christ comes in mortality to live a sinless and perfect life, to take upon himself the sin of the World, to redeem mankind from their fallen state, to provide mortal man the ability to move from mortality and into immortality. Much like how the New Covenant did not replace the Old Covenant, but to fulfill the Old Covenant as to a coming redeemer and messiah, so also the Book of Mormon is another Covenant of Jesus Christ that helps us understand the Old and New Covenant, their purpose and reason as to how our loving Heavenly Father guides and directs his children in times of old as well as in our own time.

It is even more evident that President Benson addresses much of the critic’s arguments as to the Book of Mormon. Some have proclaimed that the Book of Mormon is being the “fulness of the gospel” but that much of the doctrines of the Mormon Faith is not found within the text of the Book of Mormon (i.e. Celestial Marriage, Priesthood Authority). Not only that, but most critics even discount and attempt to prove that the Book of Mormon is nothing more than a deceptive work produced by a person who is and never was a Prophet of God. And, how it does not teach true Biblical Doctrines.

The reality is that these critics have hardened their hearts against the plain and precious truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their hearts are hardened in unbelief that a loving Heavenly Father could not have communicated with other nations. They view and believe that the Bible is without error, while turning their backs on recent scholarship that has proven how much of the Old and New Testament is not truly reflective of the original context of those writers who had received direct revelation from the Lord. Much of this deception has come from a long established tradition of closed canon. A canon based upon man’s authority as to what is and is not considered the word of God.

 

Conclusion – my own personal thoughts

The question I ask here to ever member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a question that I myself must answer as well) is this: Have we treated the Book of Mormon lightly? Furthermore, have we approached it without sincereity and humility? My answer to this question is Yes.

It is my own personal hope and prayer that Heavenly Father will rekindle a love and passion for the Book of Mormon as I begin to not just merely read the pages, but study them prayerfully, sincerely and with an open heart. It is only then that this sacred work will become my own keystone in my personal life.

As always, your thoughts, comments, questions, suggestions and concerns are always welcomed here.

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Tags: Belief, Bible, Book of Mormon, Christianity, Companionship, Covenant, Doctrine, faith, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Keystone, Latter-day Saint, LDS, Mormon, Mormonism, Religion, restoration, Sacred, scripture, Testimony, Witness