Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of Mormonism, first published by Joseph Smith, Jr. in March 1830 in Palmyra, New York. The book's self-declared main purpose is to testify of Jesus Christ, through the writings of ancient American prophets. It asserts that it was abridged and compiled by the prophet Mormon and his son Moroni in the 4th century, for "the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God." Joseph Smith claimed to have translated the record by divine inspiration with assistance from the Urim and Thummim.

Content

Organization

The format of The Book of Mormon is similar to the Bible, with separate books written by different authors who recorded the interactions of God with people. Generally the book is composed of the following books, though editorial divisions in different churches' editions vary:

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• Second Book of Nephi
• Book of Enos
• Book of Jarom
• Book of Omni
• Words of Mormon
• Book of Mosiah
• Book of Helaman
• Book of Mormon
• Book of Ether
• Book of Moroni

The book's sequence is primarily chronological. Notable exceptions include the "Words of Mormon," which is an editorial insertion (authored by Mormon), and the "Book of Ether," which is an abridgement by Moroni of an earlier civilization's record. The books of First Nephi through Omni are first-person narratives, as are Mormon and Moroni. The remainder of the Book of Mormon is a third-person historical narrative, compiled and abridged by Mormon.

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In the version published by the LDS Church ("The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ"), the book also contains a title page (written by Mormon and Moroni), a modern day introduction written by church leaders, the "Testimony of Three Witnesses," the "Testimony of Eight Witnesses," the "Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith" concerning the Book of Mormon, "A brief explanation about the Book of Mormon," chapter headings written by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, a "pronouncing guide" to names and places, footnotes and cross-references to the Bible, and an index.

Related Topics:
Three Witnesses - Eight Witnesses - Apostle - Bruce R. McConkie

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Investigation of the book

Interestingly, the book makes reference to its own personal investigation on the part of the reader. This can be found in the 10th chapter of Moroni, verses 3-5 http://scriptures.lds.org/moro/10#3-5. Moroni's promise is that if one desires to know of the truthfulness of the record, they need to pray in faith and ask God whether or not it is true. For a more thorough investigation into this technique for gaining knowledge, see Epistemology.

Related Topics:
Pray - Epistemology

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Title Page

The title page, allegedly translated from the last of the golden plates, states:

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:"The Book of Mormon - an account written by the hand of Mormon upon plates taken from the Plates of Nephi

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:"Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites ? Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile ? Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation ? Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed ? To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof ? Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile ? The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

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:"An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven ? Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever ? And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations ? And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ."

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Brief narrative summary

The dates and people in the following summary are things the Book of Mormon claims are historical. Critics would argue that the work was written in the 1820s and that the supposed authors never existed.

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• 1 Nephi begins in ancient Jerusalem around 600 BC, at roughly the same time as the Book of Jeremiah in the Bible. It tells the story of a prophet, Lehi, his family, and several others as they are led by God from Jerusalem, across the Arabian peninsula, and then to the Americas by ship. The books from 1 Nephi to Omni recount the group's dealings from approximately 600 BC to about 130 BC, in which the community splits into two main groups, the Nephites and the Lamanites, and grow into separate sizeable civilizations that war with each other.
• The Words of Mormon, written in AD 385 by Mormon, is a short introduction to the books of Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 3 Nephi, and 4 Nephi, all of which he abridged from a large quantity of existing records that detailed his nation's history from the time of Omni to his own life.
• 3 Nephi is of particular importance because it contains an account of the resurrected and glorified Jesus's visit to the Americas, sometime after his 40-day ministry and ascension into heaven at Jerusalem. During his American ministry, Christ repeated much of the same instruction given in the Gospels of the Bible and established an enlightened, peaceful society which endures several generations.
• Mormon is an account of the events during Mormon's life, after the enlightened society of 3 Nephi and 4 Nephi deteriorated yet again into warring groups.
• Ether is an abridgment by Moroni, written shortly after the death of Mormon, his father. The account describes a group of families, headed by a man named Jared and his unnamed brother, as it is led by God to the Americas. The Jaredite civilization existed on the American continent long before Lehi's family arrived in 600 BC, and it was much larger and more developed. Some have noticed that the rise and fall of the Jaredite empire seems to correspond with that of the Olmec.
• Moroni details the final destruction of the Nephites and the idolatrous state of the remaining society. He adds a few spiritual insights and mentions some important doctrinal teachings, then closes with his testimony and an invitation to pray to God for a confirmation of the truthfulness of the account.

The book's major themes

Stated purposes

The purpose of The Book of Mormon, as stated on its original title page, "is to show the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers" and to convince "Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself to all nations."

Related Topics:
House of Israel - Jew - Gentile - Jesus - Christ - God - Manifesting

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Another Witness of Christ

Every prophet in the Book of Mormon teaches about Jesus Christ. The crowning event of the Book of Mormon is the visitation of the resurrected Christ to the Nephites around 34 AD, shortly after his 40-day ministry in Jerusalem (3 Nephi 11-26).

Related Topics:
Prophet - Resurrected - Nephites - 34 AD - Jerusalem

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An angel prophesied to Nephi that Jesus's birth would be 600 years from the time he and his family left Jerusalem (1 Nephi 10:4, 19:8; See 3 Nephi 1). Many prophets in the Book of Mormon, beginning with Lehi and Nephi, saw in visions the birth, ministry, and death of Christ in visions (1 Nephi 11), and were told his name. Mosiah 3:8). At the time of King Benjamin, the Nephites were called "the children of Christ" (Mosiah 5:7). The faithful members of the church at the time of Captain Moroni (73 BC) were called "Christians" by their enemies, because of their belief in Christ (Alma 46:13-15). For nearly 200 years after the Christ's appearance at the temple in the Americas, the land was filled with peace and prosperity because of the people's obedience to Christ's commandments (4 Nephi). The great prophet-general Mormon worked to convince the faithless people of his time of Christ (360 AD), and Moroni buried the plates with faith in Christ (See title page). Many others also bore witness to the reality of the Messiah.

Related Topics:
Angel - Nephi - Jesus - Jerusalem - Prophets - Lehi - King Benjamin - Captain Moroni - 73 BC - Temple - Mormon - 360 AD - Moroni - Plates - Messiah

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Some doctrinal teachings

The following teachings are especially notable in The Book of Mormon:

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• Christ spoke to the Jews in Jerusalem of 'other sheep' (referring to other Hebrews, not Gentiles) who would hear his voice (see John 10:16), which the Book of Mormon explains meant that the Nephites and other remnants of the lost tribes of Israel throughout the world were to be visited by Christ after his resurrection. The various groups had their own prophets, and each recorded their history and dealings with God. These records will eventually be had among men, and will complement the Bible and Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 15:13-24, 3 Nephi 16:1-4, 2 Nephi 29:7-14).
• The land of the Jaredites, Nephites, and Lamanites, which is the American continent, is choice above all other lands (1 Nephi 2:20; 13:30; 2 Nephi 1:5; 10:19; Jacob 5:43; Ether 1:38, 42; 2:7; 2:10-12, 15; 9:20; 10:28; 13:2).
• "Inasmuch as ye keep commandments, ye shall prosper in the land, but inasmuch as ye keep not my commandments, ye shall be cut off from my presence" (1 Nephi 2:20; 4:14; 2 Nephi 1:20; 4:4; Jarom 1:9; Omni 1:6; Mosiah 1:7; 2:22; 2:31; Alma 9:13; 36:1; 36:30; 37:13; 38:1; 48:15; 48:25; Helaman 3:20; 50:20; 3 Nephi 5:22).
• All mankind must be born again, for the natural man is an enemy to God until he yields to the holy spirit and is born of Christ, being changed to a state of righteousness, becoming his son or daughter (Mosiah 3:19; 27:25; Alma 22:15-18; Moroni 10:34).
• Between death and the resurrection the spirit returns to God and awaits the resurrection in either a place of rest or a place of darkness and torment. At the resurrection, the spirit and body shall be reunited, not one hair of the head shall be lost, and this resurrection shall come to all (Alma 11:42-45; 40:11-14, 23).
• Giving to the poor (charity) is emphasized as a necessity aspect of living the gospel of Christ (2 Nephi 9:30; Mosiah 4:26).

Dominant narrative themes

The following narrative themes are especially consistent in The Book of Mormon:

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• The Pride Cycle. When God blesses his people most, they forget him in pride until by tribulation they are brought to humility and repentance, which brings the blessings of God. Pride of heart because of exceeding riches unto wearing costly apparel and despising the poor is a sure sign of wickedness (2 Nephi 26:20; 28:13; Jacob 2:13; Alma 1:6, 27, 32; 4:6-13; 5:53; 31:28; 32:2-3; Hel. 4:12; 6:39; 4 Nephi 1:24; Mormon 8:37).
• The danger of secret combinations, organizations which meet secretly and use secret signs and oaths, committing crimes for personal gain. Notable examples include the Gadianton robbers in the Book of Helaman and the secret combination of Akish in the Book of Ether. Prevalent modern interpretations of this term include gangs, Mafia, and terrorists.
• The scattering and gathering of Israel. Because the Nephites consider themselves a remnant of the House of Israel, a great many passages refer to its scattering and gathering; Nephi quotes heavily from Isaiah concerning the subject, too. Many of the prophecies in the book refer to the last days, when Israel will be gathered for one final time.
• God's mercy to the faithful. Throughout the book, references to God's mercy in forgiving the sins of those who repent and honoring those who have faith in him is shown. Several narratives involve stories of people who give up their sinful lives and adopt the gospel. Other narratives show what lies in store for those who reject the prophets and teachers of the gospel. Many narratives show the kind of power God will exercise in behalf of those who believe in Him.
• America as the promised land. The Book of Mormon portrays the Americas as a favorable, promised land, to which the Lord leads favored groups of people, including the Jaredites, the Mulekites, the Nephites, and early European colonists of the New World.