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student manual religion 121­122

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book of mormon student manual religion 121­122 published by the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints salt lake city utah

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cover art christ in the land bountiful by simon dewey © 2003 iri comments and corrections are appreciated please send them including errors to seminaries and institutes of religion curriculum 50 e north temple street floor 8 salt lake city ut 84150-2722 usa e-mail ces-manuals@ldschurch.org please list your complete name address ward and stake be sure to give the title of the manual then offer your comments © 2009 by intellectual reserve inc all rights reserved printed in the united states of america english approval 1/07

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contents chapter introduction 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 the keystone of our religion 4 1 nephi 1­5 12 1 nephi 6­11 19 1 nephi 12­15 26 1 nephi 16­18 34 1 nephi 19­22 42 2 nephi 1­3 49 2 nephi 4­8 58 2 nephi 9­10 65 2 nephi 11­16 72 2 nephi 17­24 81 2 nephi 25­27 92 2 nephi 28­30 101 2 nephi 31­33 107 jacob 1­4 113 jacob 5­7 122 enos­words of mormon 130 mosiah 1­3 136 mosiah 4­8 142 mosiah 9­17 149 mosiah 18­24 156 mosiah 25­29 163 alma 1­4 170 alma 5­7 178 alma 8­12 184 alma 13­16 191 alma 17­22 198 alma 23­29 205 alma 30­31 213 alma 32­35 222 alma 36­39 232 alma 40­42 242 alma 43­51 248 alma 52­63 256 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 helaman 1­4 262 helaman 5­9 268 helaman 10­12 274 helaman 13­16 281 3 nephi 1­7 288 3 nephi 8­11 295 3 nephi 12­14 302 3 nephi 15­17 312 3 nephi 18­19 317 3 nephi 20­22 323 3 nephi 23­26 331 3 nephi 27­30 337 4 nephi 341 mormon 1­6 348 mormon 7­9 354 ether 1­5 361 ether 6­10 369 ether 11­15 375 moroni 1­6 382 moroni 7 388 moroni 8­9 395 moroni 10 401 appendix book of mormon plates and records 407 nephite record keepers 408 the witnesses of the book of mormon plates 409 possible route taken by lehi s family 410 book of mormon pages and time periods 411 the stick of judah and the stick of joseph 412 flashbacks from omni through mosiah 413 the cycle of righteousness and wickedness 414 brief history of the scattering of israel 415 the gathering of israel 416 subject index 417 iii

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introduction the book of mormon testifies of jesus christ and teaches us how to become his disciples the prophet joseph smith 1805­44 affirmed that a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts than by any other book history of the church 4:461 book of mormon introduction as you study the book of mormon and are prayerful the holy ghost continually bears witness to your heart and mind of the savior s divine role as the redeemer of mankind the book of mormon exerts a powerful influence on the hearts of those who receive it and ponder its message elder parley p pratt 1807­57 an early convert of the restoration and an eventual member of the quorum of the twelve apostles related the following regarding the first time he read the book of mormon i opened it with eagerness and read its title page i then read the testimony of several witnesses in relation to the manner of its being found and translated after this i commenced its contents by course i read all day eating was a burden i had no desire for food sleep was a burden when the night came for i preferred reading to sleep as i read the spirit of the lord was upon me and i knew and comprehended that the book was true autobiography of parley p pratt ed parley p pratt jr [1938 37 modern prophets have continually emphasized the need for every latter-day saint to read and reread the book of mormon president gordon b hinckley 1910­2008 declared i promise you that if each of you will [read the book of mormon regardless of how many times you previously may have read the book of mormon there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the spirit of the lord a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to his commandments and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the son of god a testimony vibrant and true ensign aug 2005 6 president boyd k packer president of the quorum of the twelve apostles shared how he learned that studying the book of mormon leads to personal revelation i found [the book of mormon to be plain and precious i learned that anyone anywhere could read in the book of mormon and receive inspiration some insights came after reading a second even a third time and seemed to be `likened to what i faced in everyday life in conference report apr 2005 6 or ensign may 2005 7 inspiration as president packer testified will come as you consistently read from the book of mormon the purpose of this manual this student manual supplements your reading and study of the book of mormon and should not replace it the manual contains a compilation of prophetic insights and inspired counsel to assist you as you seek direction to liken all scriptures unto yourself 1 nephi 19:23 evaluate your learning habits and determine how this manual best complements your personal reading and study of the book of mormon possible study options may include 1 referring to the manual while you read 2 reading the manual after you have read several chapters in the book of mormon or 3 reviewing the manual before you read the scriptures to strengthen your comprehension of the assigned chapters how this manual is organized the student manual contains 56 chapters covering the entire book of mormon each chapter has five parts introduction commentary study questions in callout boxes points to ponder and suggested assignments introduction a brief introduction at the beginning of each chapter places the story in context identifies themes and 1

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identifies a few of the doctrines and principles found in the scripture block commentary the commentary section clarifies doctrines and principles found in the scripture block a careful reading of the commentary allows you to further identify and analyze the inspired messages of the book of mormon prophets you will see how prophets in our day liken the truths in the scriptures to modern conditions and prevalent worldly situations the commentary also frequently quotes from correlated church publications including true to the faith a gospel reference 2004 for the strength of youth fulfilling our duty to god 2001 guide to the scriptures available on the internet at www.scriptures.lds.org and the topical guide and bible dictionary apostles affirmed that pondering the scriptures will bring valuable results as you ponder and pray about doctrines and principles the holy ghost will speak to your mind and your heart from events portrayed in the scriptures new insights will come and principles relevant to your situation will distill upon your heart in conference report oct 2000 19 or ensign nov 2000 18 you may wish to have a scripture journal or separate notebook to record responses to some of these questions and impressions from your reading suggested assignments at the end of every chapter are additional assignments that encourage personal application of truths from the scriptures some of these assignments may be incorporated into your class by your teacher if you are enrolled in a book of mormon religion or institute course please note that these assignments are suggestions and should be adapted according to your individual needs and direction from the holy ghost study questions throughout the commentary section you will find study questions in shaded boxes like the one below these questions will help you search and understand particular verses information for those with disabilities alternative formats of this student manual may be available at www.ldsces.org if you have difficulty using this manual due to a disability please contact your instructor for additional resources mosiah 18:21­29 what did alma teach his people to do to walk uprightly before god v 29 scripture mastery this manual contains a scripture mastery icon which designates scripture mastery passages during seminary students are asked to become familiar with 100 scriptures identified as being doctrinally significant each time one of the 100 scripture mastery verses is listed you will see the symbol identifying it points to ponder the points to ponder section will help you reflect deeply on some items from your reading elder russell m nelson of the quorum of the twelve 2

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chapter 1 the keystone of our religion introduction the prophet joseph smith 1805­44 stated i told the brethren that the book of mormon was 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 than by any other book history of the church 4:461 book of mormon introduction elder jeffrey r holland of the quorum of the twelve apostles wrote that the book of mormon should be considered the most remarkable and important religious text to be revealed since the writings of the new testament were compiled nearly two millennia ago indeed in its role of restoring plain and precious biblical truths that had been lost while adding scores of new truths about jesus christ and preparing the way for the complete restoration of his gospel and the triumphant day of his millennial return the book of mormon may be considered the most remarkable and important religious text ever given to the world christ and the new covenant [1997 9­10 as you begin your study of the book of mormon look for the great truths it contains specifically the book of mormon testifies of jesus christ s divinity and the reality of his atonement furthermore the book of mormon reaffirms god s covenant with the house of israel and demonstrates the need for us to make and keep sacred covenants by prayerfully studying this volume of scripture you will gain depth and power in your testimony of the gospel of jesus christ and its restoration to the earth in the latter days authored by the book of mormon prophet moroni son of mormon the prophet joseph smith explained that the title-page of the book of mormon is a literal translation taken from the very last leaf on the left hand side of the collection or book of plates which contained the record which has been translated the language of the whole running the same as all hebrew writing in general [that is from right to left and that said title page is not by any means a modern composition either of mine or of any other man who has lived or does live in this generation history of the church 1:71 to come forth in due time · thefirstparagraphofthebookofmormontitle page declares that the sacred record will come forth in due time president ezra taft benson 1899­1994 testified that the timing of the coming forth of the book of mormon shows its significance in the restoration of the gospel a powerful testimony to the importance of the book of mormon is to note where the lord placed its coming forth in the timetable of the unfolding restoration the only thing that preceded it was the first vision in that marvelous manifestation the prophet joseph smith learned the true nature of god and that god had a work for him to do the coming forth of the book of mormon was the next thing to follow think of that in terms of what it implies the coming forth of the book of mormon preceded the restoration of the priesthood it was published just a few days before the church was organized the saints were given the book of mormon to read before they were given the revelations outlining such great doctrines as the three degrees of glory celestial marriage or work for the dead it came before priesthood quorums and church organization doesn t this tell us something about how the lord views this sacred work in conference report oct 1986 3 or ensign nov 1986 4 · elderl.tomperryofthequorumofthetwelve apostles explained that the book of mormon was written for our day the major writers of the book of mormon fully understood that their writings were commentary title page · thebookofmormontitlepagebegins the book of mormon an account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi this is followed by two paragraphs believed to be 4

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the keystone of our religion primarily for the people of a future generation rather than for the people of their own generation moroni wrote to our generation `i speak unto you as if ye were present mormon 8:35 in conference report oct 2005 5 or ensign nov 2005 6­7 · speakingofourneedtoapplythebookofmormon in our lives president ezra taft benson declared if they saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us is not that how we should study the book of mormon we should constantly ask ourselves `why did the lord inspire mormon or moroni or alma to include that in his record what lesson can i learn from that to help me live in this day and age in conference report oct 1986 5 or ensign nov 1986 6 elder perry also suggested an important practice when reading the book of mormon each time we read the book we should probably ask ourselves `why did these writers choose these particular stories or events to include in the record what value are they for us today in conference report oct 2005 5 or ensign nov 2005 8 the word sarah he could not pronounce at first but had to spell it and i would pronounce it for him when he stopped for any purpose at any time he would when he commenced again begin where he left off without any hesitation and one time while he was translating he stopped suddenly pale as a sheet and said emma did jerusalem have walls around it when i answered yes he replied oh [i didn t know i was afraid i had been deceived he had such a limited knowledge of history at that time that he did not even know that jerusalem was surrounded by walls edmund c briggs `a visit to nauvoo in 1856 journal of history jan 1916 p 454 although the prophet would polish his skills over the years emma acknowledged that joseph possessed only rudimentary literacy at the time he translated the gold plates joseph smith could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter let alone dictating a book like the book of mormon and though i was an active participant in the scenes that transpired it is marvelous to me a marvel and a wonder as much so as to any one else ibid a treasured testament ensign july 1993 62­63 interpretation by the gift of god · thegoldplatesthemselvescontainedapromisethat they would be interpreted by the gift and power of god book of mormon title page elder russell m nelson of the quorum of the twelve apostles shared some remarkable information about the book of mormon s translation the details of this miraculous method of translation are still not fully known yet we do have a few precious insights emma smith who acted as an earlier scribe for joseph gave this account in 1856 when my husband was translating the book of mormon i wrote a part of it as he dictated each sentence word for word and when he came to proper names he could not pronounce or long words he spelled them out and while i was writing them if i made any mistake in spelling he would stop me and correct my spelling although it was impossible for him to see how i was writing them down at the time even the book of mormon affirms god s covenant with israel · inadditiontotestifyingofjesuschrist,thebook of mormon demonstrates that god remembers his covenant with the house of israel the guide to the scriptures describes the house of israel its scattering and its gathering the lord gave the name israel to jacob the son of isaac and grandson of abraham in the old testament gen 32:28 35:10 the name israel can refer to jacob himself his descendants or to the kingdom those descendants once possessed in old testament times the twelve tribes of israel abraham s grandson jacob whose name was changed to israel had twelve sons their descendants have become known as the twelve tribes of israel or the children of israel 5

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chapter 1 the scattering of israel the lord scattered and afflicted the twelve tribes of israel because of their unrighteousness and rebellion however the lord also used this scattering of his chosen people among the nations of the world to bless those nations the gathering of israel the house of israel shall be gathered together in the last days before the coming of christ a of f 1:10 the lord gathers his people israel when they accept him and keep his commandments guide to the scriptures israel · membersofthechurchofjesuschristoflatter-day saints are the portion of the house of israel that has been gathered to the knowledge of their fathers and to the covenants of the lord the lord has declared for ye are the children of israel and of the seed of abraham d&c 103:17 · concerningthebookofmormon sroleinthe gathering of israel in the last days elder bruce r mcconkie 1915­85 of the quorum of the twelve apostles wrote as far as the gathering of israel is concerned the book of mormon is the most important book that ever has been or ever will be written it is the book that gathers israel and that reveals in plainness and perfection the doctrine of the gathering of the chosen seed it is the book given of god to prove the truth and divinity of his great latter-day work it contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel and carries with it the evidence of its own divinity every person who is truly converted knows by the revelations of the holy ghost to the spirit within him that the book of mormon is the mind and will and voice of the lord to the world today it is the book of mormon that causes people to believe the gospel and join the church and as we have heretofore seen it is the power that brings to pass the gathering of israel if there were no book of mormon from a practical standpoint the gathering of the lord s people in the last days would come to a standstill the lost sheep of israel hear the voice of their shepherd as it is found in that book and heeding that voice come into the true sheepfold there is no way of overstating the importance of this book of nephite scripture in the salvation of men in the last days a new witness for the articles of faith [1985 554 convincing jew and gentile that jesus is the christ · accordingtothetitlepage,thepurposeofthe book of mormon is to bring jew and gentile to the conviction that jesus is the christ the eternal god manifesting himself unto all nations the book of mormon subtitle another testament of jesus christ emphasizes its paramount purpose president boyd k packer president of the quorum of the twelve apostles explained the significance of the subtitle by recent decision of the brethren the book of mormon will henceforth bear the title `the book of mormon with the subtitle `another testament of jesus christ the stick or record of judah the old testament and the new testament and the stick or record of ephraim the book of mormon which is another testament of jesus christ are now woven together in such a way that as you pore over one you are drawn to the other as you learn from one you are enlightened by the other they are indeed one in our hands ezekiel s prophecy now stands fulfilled in conference report oct 1982 75 or ensign nov 1982 53 · presidentezrataftbensonexplainedthemeaning of the word testament do we remember the new covenant even the book of mormon [see d&c 84:57 in the bible we have the old testament and the new testament the word testament is the english rendering of a greek word that can also be translated as covenant is this what the lord meant when he called the book of mormon the `new covenant it is indeed another testament or witness of jesus this is one of the reasons why we have recently added the words `another testament of jesus christ to the title of the book of mormon in conference report oct 1986 4 or ensign nov 1986 4 · elderrussellm.nelsonofthequorumofthe twelve apostles counseled when you read the book of mormon concentrate on the principal figure in the book from its first chapter to the last the lord jesus christ son of the living god in conference report oct 1999 87 or ensign nov 1999 69 6

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the keystone of our religion elder jeffrey r holland gave further explanation the lord has offered us one last covenant given us one last testament as part of his final outreach to fallen man he has offered us one last written witness of his love and his mercy extended for the final time that testament and culminating witness that `new covenant offered to the children of men but once more is the message of the book of mormon no record teaches more of god s promise to those in the last days those promises focus on his only begotten son on `the merits and mercy and grace of the holy messiah [who shall make intercession for all the children of men and they that believe in him shall be saved [2 nephi 2:8­9 the task of the children of god in these concluding days of the world s history is to proceed with `unshaken faith in him relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save to `press forward with a steadfastness in christ having a perfect brightness of hope and a love of god and of all men feasting upon the word of christ and endur[ing to the end this is the way and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of god [2 nephi 31:19­21 no other book helps us do this so well no other book was ever divinely produced and protected solely for that purpose no other book has ever been written with such a full view of the future dispensation to which that record would eventually come in its message of faith in christ hope in christ and charity in christ the book of mormon is god s `new covenant to his children for the last time christ and the new covenant 8­10 book of mormon title page what facts recorded on the title page testify of the miraculous nature of the book how the book of mormon is the keystone · theprophetjosephsmithidentifiedthebookof mormon as the keystone of our religion history of the church 4:461 book of mormon introduction president ezra taft benson explained the role of a keystone as follows 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 in conference report oct 1986 4 or ensign nov 1986 5 · presidentjamese.faust1920­2007ofthefirst presidency expanded the idea of the book of mormon as our doctrinal keystone the book of mormon is a keystone because it establishes and ties together eternal principles and precepts rounding out basic doctrines of salvation it is the crowning gem in the diadem of our holy scriptures it is a keystone for other reasons also in the promise of moroni namely that god will manifest the truth of the book of mormon to every sincere inquirer having faith in christ we have a key link in a self-locking chain del parson © 1996 iri 7

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chapter 1 a confirming testimony of the book of mormon convinces `that jesus is the christ the eternal god and also spiritually verifies the divine calling of joseph smith and that he did see the father and the son with that firmly in place it logically follows that one can also receive a verification that the doctrine and covenants and the pearl of great price are true companion scriptures to the bible and the book of mormon all of this confirms the restoration of the gospel of jesus christ and the divine mission of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints led by a living prophet enjoying continuous revelation from these basic verities an understanding can flow of other saving principles of the fulness of the gospel the keystone of our religion ensign jan 2004 3­4 were a little uneasy they were afraid i would lose my faith i wanted to practice law but i had an even greater desire to keep my testimony and so i decided upon a little procedure which i recommend to you for thirty minutes each morning before i began the day s work i read from the book of mormon i read also from all the other standard works of the church but i am talking now about the book of mormon and in just a few minutes a day i read the book of mormon through every year for nine years i know that it kept me in harmony so far as i did keep in harmony with the spirit of the lord in conference report apr 1949 36 the reader determines what is learned · readingthebookofmormonhasthepotentialto bring marvelous blessings there is however a great responsibility that rests with the reader elder dallin h oaks of the quorum of the twelve apostles spoke about one s need to read with the properly positioned heart and attitude what we get from a book especially a sacred text is mostly dependent on what we take to its reading in desire and readiness to learn and in attunement to the light communicated by the spirit of the lord in conference report apr 2006 78 or ensign may 2006 77 nearer to god by abiding by its precepts · onsunday,november28,1841,theprophetjoseph smith spent the day in council with the twelve apostles at the house of president young while talking with them on a variety of subjects he declared that a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its [the book of mormon precepts than by any other book history of the church 4:461 book of mormon introduction · presidentezrataftbensontaughtthatthebookof mormon helps us discern truth from error we should know the book of mormon better than any other book not only should we know what history and faith-promoting stories it contains but we should understand its teachings if we really do our homework and approach the book of mormon doctrinally we can expose the errors and find the truths to combat many of the current false theories and philosophies of men i have noted within the church a difference in discernment insight conviction and spirit between those who know and love the book of mormon and those who do not that book is a great sifter jesus christ gifts and expectations ensign dec 1988 4 · presidentmariong.romney1897­1988ofthe first presidency related how study from the book of mormon preserved his spiritual safety a few years ago as i began to practice law members of my family receiving a personal testimony of the book of mormon · thelastprophettoengraveontherecordofthe nephites was moroni mormon s son as a prophet of god moroni gave a formula whereby readers may receive a personal witness from the holy ghost that the book of mormon is sacred scripture this promise given to all who sincerely read the book of mormon and desire to know of its truthfulness is found in moroni 10:3­5 · asincerereadermaynotimmediatelygaina testimony when reading the book of mormon further some people may not recognize the testimony that is growing as they study and pray over this tremendous text but the promise of moroni will come president boyd k packer president of the quorum of the twelve apostles shared his personal experience and counsel for those seeking a testimony 8

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the keystone of our religion when i first read the book of mormon from cover to cover i read the promise that if i `would ask god the eternal father in the name of christ if [the things i had read were true and if [i would ask with a sincere heart with real intent having faith in christ he [would manifest the truth of it unto [me by the power of the holy ghost moroni 10:4 i tried to follow those instructions as i understood them if i expected a glorious manifestation to come at once as an overpowering experience it did not happen nevertheless it felt good and i began to believe my experience has been that a testimony does not burst upon us suddenly rather it grows as alma said from a seed of faith `it will strengthen your faith for ye will say i know that this is a good seed for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow alma 32:30 if you nourish it it will grow and if you do not nourish it it will wither see alma 32:37­41 do not be disappointed if you have read and reread and yet have not received a powerful witness you may be somewhat like the disciples spoken of in the book of mormon who were filled with the power of god in great glory `and they knew it not 3 nephi 9:20 do the best you can think of this verse `see that all these things are done in wisdom and order for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength and again it is expedient that he should be diligent that thereby he might win the prize therefore all things must be done in order mosiah 4:27 in conference report apr 2005 6­7 or ensign may 2005 6 8 that these kinds of discoveries do not constitute the substance and truth of the book of mormon president gordon b hinckley 1910­2008 counseled against relying solely on these discoveries for our testimony of the book of mormon the evidence for its truth for its validity in a world that is prone to demand evidence lies not in archaeology or anthropology though these may be helpful to some it lies not in word research or historical analysis though these may be confirmatory the evidence for its truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself the test of its truth lies in reading it it is a book of god reasonable people may sincerely question its origin but those who have read it prayerfully have come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true that it contains the word of god that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel that it `came forth by the gift and power of god to the convincing of the jew and gentile that jesus is the christ book of mormon title page four cornerstones of faith ensign feb 2004 6 blessings of the book of mormon · presidentgordonb.hinckleyexplainedhowthe book of mormon can keep members of the church spiritually sound the book of mormon so clearly illustrates the fact that when men and nations walk in the fear of god and in obedience to his commandments they prosper and grow but when they disregard him and his word there comes a decay that unless arrested by righteousness leads to impotence and death without reservation i promise you that if each of you will [read the book of mormon there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the spirit of the lord a strengthened resolution moroni 10:3­5 reread moroni s promise how will you apply this promise as you study the book of mormon external evidences of the book of mormon · somestudentsofthebookofmormonareinterested in geographical textual or archaeological evidences of the book s ancient origin while these are often fascinating and helpful it must be remembered 9

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chapter 1 to walk in obedience to his commandments and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the son of god a testimony vibrant and true ensign aug 2005 4­6 · presidentjamese.faustrelatedanexperience shared by elder f burton howard of the seventy that demonstrates the converting power of the book of mormon sister celia cruz ayala of the puerto rico san juan mission decided to give the book of mormon to a friend she wrapped it in attractive paper and set out to deliver her present on the way she was attacked by a bandit who stole her purse and with it the wrapped copy of the book of mormon a few days later she received this letter mrs cruz forgive me forgive me you will never know how sorry i am for attacking you but because of it my life has changed and will continue to change that book [the book of mormon has helped me in my life the dream of that man of god has shaken me i am returning your five pesos for i can t spend them i want you to know that you seemed to have a radiance about you that light seemed to stop me [from harming you so i ran away instead i want you to know that you will see me again but when you do you won t recognize me for i will be your brother here where i live i have to find the lord and go to the church you belong to the message you wrote in that book brought tears to my eyes since wednesday night i have not been able to stop reading it i have prayed and asked god to forgive me [and i ask you to forgive me i thought your wrapped gift was something i could sell [instead it has made me want to make my life over forgive me forgive me i beg you your absent friend such is the conversion power of the book of mormon in conference report apr 1996 58 or ensign may 1996 42 book of mormon plates and records · refertothechart bookofmormonplatesand records in the appendix p 407 it shows the individual records written by the different prophets and which plates contained which record nephite record keepers · refertothechart nephiterecordkeepers inthe appendix p 408 it shows the individual writers and the books each one wrote witnesses to the truth of the book of mormon · elderbrucer.mcconkieexplainedthatthelord will always provide witnesses of the divinity of his work whenever the lord has established a dispensation by revealing his gospel and by conferring priesthood and keys upon men he has acted in accordance with the law of witnesses which he himself ordained this law is `in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established 2 cor 13:1 deut 17:6 19:15 matt 18:15­16 never does one man stand alone in establishing a new dispensation of revealed truth or in carrying the burden of such a message and warning to the world in every dispensation from adam to the present two or more witnesses have always joined their testimonies thus leaving their hearers without excuse in the day of judgment should the testimony be rejected mormon doctrine 2nd ed [1966 436 · presidentheberj.grant1856­1945emphasized the importance of the witnesses to the book of mormon i do not believe that in any court of justice in the world if a man was being tried for murder and twelve reputable citizens testified of their knowledge of the circumstances leading to the murder and there was no one who could testify against what they said there would be a failure to convict the man we have the testimony of joseph smith and the testimony of three witnesses to the effect that god gave them a knowledge regarding the book of mormon that an angel of god declared from heaven that the book had been translated by the gift and power of god these men were oliver cowdery david whitmer 10

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