On the night of September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith knelt by his bed and began to pray. A light suddenly filled his bedroom and he saw Moroni, a resurrected Book of Mormon prophet. Moroni told Joseph that a book buried nearby contained the “fullness of the everlasting Gospel as delivered by the Savior.” This night would change the world forever. Through the Book of Mormon, a loving Heavenly Father can bless each of our lives in ways He never before has.
President Benson, quoting President Marion G. Romney, said in General Conference, “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”.
These promises as quoted from President Benson are not idle promises but exactly what Joseph Smith meant about the Book of Mormon when he said we would “get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book.”
Matthew, from the Bible, wrote that “by their fruits you shall know them”. The Book of Mormon is the fruit by which we can know that Joseph Smith is a prophet, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Christ’s restored church, and that that the priesthood ordinances necessary for salvation are available to all.
From the day it was first published down to today, the Book of Mormon has stood as a second witness to the Bible that Jesus is the Savior of the World and that through Him we can find happiness in this life and in the eternal life to come.
Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon taught that they were writing for future generations. They testified that they saw our day, even the conditions we would live under and the struggles each of us would face. We should continually ask ourselves as we read, “Why did Nephi feel it was important for me to know this, or that?” How can I apply what Mormon is teaching here to my own daily life?”
Have you ever read your scriptures and wondered why you highlighted a particular verse? Maybe you’ve read a scripture and it meant so much to you that you quickly highlighted it while wondering why you never noticed it before? It seems that the verses within the Book of Mormon will speak differently to us each time we read them and provide the answers or words of strength and encouragement we need at that exact moment of our life.
Elder Holland testified, “I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven. I hope I have a few years left in my “last days”, but whether I do or not, I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgement bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days.”
Tom Pettit
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