Know Your Book of Mormon

The title page of the Book of Mormon tells us that it was restored 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.” A book with such a powerful purpose should be understood in its plainness so that all can come unto Christ. The purpose of the “Know Your Book of Mormon” collection is to uncover its plainness and help awaken those with eyes to see and ears to hear to the real power of this message that is contained in this book. The message of the Book of Mormon is illuminated when we read anything contained in it that we ask ourselves, “how is this related to the original covenant?”

“That they may know the covenants”

It is alway an awesome experience to sit with our kids and teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ–after all, it is our responsibility not the responsibility of any other person or institution.  We learn by repetition.  So today we went to the title page of the Book of Mormon and helped our kids discover again the real reason for the Book of Mormon record being restored.  With eyes to see and ears to hear, they were able to see it again.  Do you?

Let’s start by understanding how the Book of Mormon is connected to “the covenants”:

THE
BOOK OF MORMON
AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY
THE HAND OF MORMON
UPON PLATES TAKEN FROM THE PLATES OF NEPHI

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 [Joseph Smith]—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

Ponder:  The record was preserved by three groups of people–which three?  Which one are you?

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 [everyone since Adam and Eve until now]; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever [they can be “saved” instead]—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.

TRANSLATED BY JOSEPH SMITH, Jun.

Ponder:  Per “that they may know the covenants of the Lord”, what were these covenants that were offered to Adam and Eve forward?…so that we do not have to be “cast off forever.”

The record of Moses walks us through the entire covenant and path to receive the promises.  Keep in mind that this is a record of Moses in chapter five learning directly from the Lord (in His presence)–Moses is seeing this in the spirit and recording afterward.  Learning in the spirit is a continuation of each person’s spiritual awakening–which is to understand who, and even what, your spirit really is and what role you play in the history of this earth.

Moses 5: 1 And it came to pass that after I, the Lord God, had driven them out, that Adam began to till the earth, and to have dominion over all the beasts of the field, and to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow, as I the Lord had commanded him. And Eve, also, his wife, did labor with him.

2 And Adam knew his wife, and she bare unto him sons and daughters, and they began to multiply and to replenish the earth.

3 And from that time forth, the sons and daughters of Adam began to divide two and two in the land, and to till the land, and to tend flocks, and they also begat sons and daughters.

4 And Adam and Eve, his wife, called upon the name of the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them, and they saw him not; for they were shut out from his presence.

Step in Covenant Path:  First step in the plan of redemption is to be separated from the Lord.

Step in Covenant Path:  Once separated, Adam and Eve called upon the name of the Lord as they were taught.  Calling on the hame of the Lord is prayer with the purpose of seeking for personal guidance (revelation).

5 And he gave unto them commandments [personal revelation in various ways], that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.

Step in Covenant Path:  Obedience to personal revelation

6 And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.

7 And then the angel spake, saying [teaching]: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.

Step in Covenant Path:  Learning

8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.

Step in Covenant Path:  Make the Savior your personal Prophet, High Priest and King.

Step in Covenant Path:  Repent–which is to turn away from what the world and arm-of-flesh offers (which is nothing saving) and instead turn, or return, to the Lord and what He offers (which is salvation).

Step in Covenant Path:  Call upon God unceasingly for personal redemption.

9 And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.

Step in Covenant Path:  Receive personal redemption through a baptism of fire and Holy Ghost.  See also Moses 6:64-68 which is a record of Adam receiving his own personal redemption.

10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.

Step in Covenant Path:  Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and learn to open your spiritual eyes through the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Step in Covenant Path:  Be mentored by the Savior, Himself, until He brings you back into His personal presence while you are “in the flesh” (in mortality) to “see God” and receive eternal life from Him.

11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.

12 And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters.

Step in Covenant Path:  Teach Christ’s doctrine to your children and to others that they too would receive personally from the Lord.

13 And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish.

Ponder:  What does Satan do immediately upon truth being taught or revealed (See also Mark 4:14-15)?  Why would he teach against this with so much effort?

14 And the Lord God called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent;

15 And as many as believed in the Son, and repented of their sins, should be saved [receive personal redemption]; and as many as believed not and repented not, should be damned; and the words went forth out of the mouth of God in a firm decree; wherefore they must be fulfilled.

Oh how great the Book of Mormon is that “shows unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers [everyone since Adam and Eve until now]; and that [you] may know the covenants of the Lord, that [you] are not cast off forever [you can be “saved” instead]—And also to the convincing of [you] that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God” that He is not a respecter of persons because He does and will  “manifest himself unto all nations.”  “Wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless [received personal redemption] at the judgment-seat of Christ.”

You are forever invited to learn, believe, live and teach the doctrine of Christ which is the covenant taught to the fathers and personally fulfilled by many.  The Book of Mormon was restored for this very reason.

 

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