Book of Mormon – Page 4 – What Do Mormons Believe?

Open Book Test

In August, I arrived in Des Moines, for medical school. Since I’ve been here, I’ve had a test just about every week. They’ve sure kept me busy and I’m always studying for the next exam. One morning as I was about to run out the door to school I noticed a card on my dresser. It was a picture of the scriptures with a little saying, “Life is an open book test. Find your answers in the scriptures.” And then it quoted from 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon.

I thought about that saying all day. I’ve always liked open book tests in school. If you were ever unsure of an answer, you could flip through the pages and find it. It also seemed that professors only gave open book tests on the hardest of materials.

Life truly is a test. We are tested every day, to see if we are willing to choose Christ and follow him. He has given us the scriptures to show us the answers for our life’s test.

The Book of Mormon Made Simple

See MormonsMadeSimple.com for more of these illustrative videos.

A Book of Mormon Synopsis: Anno Domini

This is the final part in summarizing the Book of Mormon. Part 1 and Part 2 are also available to read.

By 1AD, most of the people described in the Book of Mormon did not believe in Jesus Christ nor His prophets. One of those prophets named Samuel prophesied boldly on the city walls of the signs of Christ’s birth and death (Helaman 14). On the night that Christ was born into the world, an irrefutable sign was given. A day, a night, and a day became one continuous day without darkness. This was to the relief of the believers and utter astonishment to the rest.

It didn’t take long for people to forget about the sign and continue life normally. More wars happened, particularly against the now very large society of robbers, and around 30AD, just as Christ was beginning His earthly ministry among the Jews, the entire Nephite government was overthrown and the people divided into tribal states. Then, three years later, one the greatest events of the Book of Mormon began to occur. At the time of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross of Calvary, Samuel’s prophecy of storms, earthquakes and destruction did indeed happen. Cities were leveled, burned, buried, and sunk into the ocean. Darkness covered the land for three whole days (3 Nephi 8).

After the three days, Christ’s voice was heard by the survivors. He was calling them to Him and lamenting their destruction. Of all events told in this book, what happened next far outshines the rest. Christ, Himself, descended from Heaven and proclaimed His divinity. He had drunk the bitter cup and glorified the Father. He taught the people, blessed them and healed them. For several days, He did so. I would encourage all to read even just a few of these passages from 3 Nephi 11 to 28. Before He left, He chose twelve men to teach and guide the people in His absence.

Then, for two hundred years, there was peace. After three hundred years, however, the people had digressed so far from Jesus Christ and his Gospel, that civilization had degenerated to a state of total war. The final prophets of God among the people, Mormon and his son Moroni, were left to witness the decay of their once great civilization into war and disorder. It was during this time that Mormon took all the historical records of his people and compiled them into a single history so that it could be available to us.

A final battle between Nephites and Lamanites took place. During this battle nearly all of the Nephites were killed. The only Nephite we know of surviving, other than those that joined the Lamanites, was Moroni. For many years, Moroni carried the record his father had made and wandered. During this time, Moroni completed his father’s work by summarizing the record of the Jaredite people whose records had been found early in Nephite history. The Jaredites were brought to the same land as the Nephites by the Lord somewhere around 2500BC, when the language of the people was corrupted at the tower of Babel. They crossed the ocean and lived for many centuries of alternating periods of righteousness and wickedness until finally they refused to repent and were destroyed as a society.

After finishing the story of the Jaredites, Moroni then buried the record, written on plates made of gold, on a small hill in upstate New York, now called the Hill Cumorah. 1500 years later, he appeared as an angel to the boy Joseph Smith and directed him to where the plates were buried. They were found, translated, published and have been printed for the past 179 years as the Book of Mormon–Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

The Book of Mormon continues to be a guide to everyone who reads it. Just before Moroni buried the plates in the ground, he wrote a promise to anyone who would read the book. He promised us that when we read and ponder on the things of the book, and ask God in the name of Christ, then we will know the truth of it by the power of the Holy Ghost. This is an extraordinary promise and one that has been tested and tried by millions of people. It is my invitation that you do the same. Read a portion of the Book of Mormon and ask God to know for yourself. I know of myself the truth of this book and know that you can know as well.

A Book of Mormon Synopsis: Before Christ

In a previous post, I recounted briefly the story of the first part of the Book of Mormon. Now, I would like to outline more of what happens in the book.

At the beginning of the book of Mosiah (circa 121 BC), the people of Nephi and Zarahemla had recently merged together to form a single society, ruled by the righteous Nephite kings, Mosiah, his son Benjamin and later by grandson Mosiah. During the time of the first Mosiah, a group had left to return to the city that Nephi himself had founded.

For three generations they lived there and three kings ruled during that time. Zeniff, the first of those kigns, made a treaty with the Lamanites in the land and gained use of the city of Nephi. He and his people were righteous and grew and defended themselves against the eventual Lamanites offensive.

Zeniff’s son, Noah, ruled after his father but was self-indulgent and ruined the kingdom through corruption and immorality. A prophet named Abinadi testified of Jesus Christ against Noah but was put to death (see picture above). Abinadi’s influence caused Alma, one of Noah’s priests, to see the error of his ways and so he began to secretly teach the people about Christ. Alma’s followers were true believers of Christ and were forced to flee when Noah sent his army to destroy them. Noah was soon displaced when the Lamanites overran their city and he was killed by his own people.

His son, Limhi, ruled over the conquered people who were forced to pay tribute of half of all they had to the Lamanites. After several unsuccessful battles, Limhi emptied the city and fled to Zarahemla. Alma and his people also found their way back to Zarahemla. Both groups were guided in their escape through the power of the Lord.

Now in one body in the land of Zarahemla, Alma received permission from king Mosiah (the second) to organize a church and became the chief priest. Years later when Mosiah needed an heir to the throne, none of his sons were willing to be king because they left to become missionaries to the Lamanites. Without an heir, Mosiah created a system of laws and elected judges to govern the people after he died.

Alma’s son, Alma (a.k.a. Alma-the-Younger), who was the chief priest of the Church after his father, was selected to be the first chief judge over all the land. In that position, he watched the dealings of the people. He executed a militant false prophet (Alma 1), defended his people against insurrectionists as well as Lamanites and then stepped down from his political office to teach the people as the chief priest (religious office) where he still guided the religious aspect of the people. As priest, he selected teachers, silenced anti-Christs (literally, Alma 30)and set right the affairs of the Church for many years.

During this time, the missionary sons of Mosiah had been teaching the Lamanite people about Jesus Christ. Due to some very miraculous events, thousands had come to have faith in Him, burying their weapons of war in order to have peace (Alma 24:15-19). Their conversion invoked the anger of others who did not believe. To avoid prolonged conflict, the Lamanites who believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ left their homes and settled in a land that the Nephites gave them.

Throughout the entire story, various rebellious groups became unsatisfied with Nephite religion and way of life and so went to the Lamanites to cause them to form an army to fight the Nephites. This happened several times, particularly with the case of a man named Amalickiah, who caused a twelve year long war (Alma 46 through Alma 62) between Lamanites and Nephites. The Nephite people grew over the years, spreading out and covering more land. A secret society of robbers and assassins was formed in their midst which was never completely extinguished for almost a hundred years. The Nephites grew wicked and righteous in cycles and Lamanites were converted to believe in Jesus Christ at various times.

It is important to understand that all throughout the Book of Mormon, there were prophets of God among the people. Those prophets always testified of Christ. They saw His coming and told the people about the signs of His birth. The righteous believers of Christ understood His purpose in their own lives and the Atonement. Thus, by revelation from God, the people had access to a correct view of what was to happen and what their role in life was. Today, there is a prophet on the earth and that same opportunity to access the same spirit that guided the Nephites anciently.

“And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.” —Alma

This synopsis is continued in part 3.

Book of Mormon Christians

The Nephite people of the Book of Mormon that inhabited the Americas between 600 B.C. and 400 A.D. were, at most points in history, a righteous people. That is, they had Christ’s church established among them in which they were taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. They lived by the law of Moses and kept the commandments given to them by the prophets of God. In times of wickedness, they were humbled by the Lord through sword or famine. In times of righteousness, they prospered and were given strength to protect themselves from their enemies. This was according to the promises made by the Lord. “And [the Lord] hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence” (2 Nephi 1:20).

There were many prophecies and scriptures that the Nephites had and all of them pointed to a Jesus Christ who had not yet come. A prophet named Nephi, who lived around 600 B.C., wrote, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins”(2 Nephi 25:26). They were looking forward toward Christ much in the same way we look back at His life here on earth and look forward to His second coming. Other prophets such as Benjamin, Abinadi, Alma and many others taught the people concerning Christ, giving their testimonies as well. They all knew of Christ and knew that He would come to redeem His people.

Of all the stories, lessons and prophecies in the Book of Mormon, none are as powerful nor of so great importance as when Jesus Christ Himself visited the people here in the American continent. Only five years preceding His birth, a prophet was sent among the people named Samuel. His prophecies were exceptionally plain and precise.

And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name. And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day. Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day… and it shall be the night before he is born. And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld. And behold this is not all, there shall be many signs and wonders in heaven.

Helaman 14:2-6

Prophecies and signs of Christ’s death were also given.

But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death, behold…the sun shall be darkened…and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death…to the time that he shall rise again from the dead. Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble…and there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains…And many highways shall be broken up, and many cities shall become desolate. And many graves shall be opened…and many saints shall appear unto many.

Helaman 14:20-25

Samuel also explained the mission of Christ on the earth and the importance of His coming. Most people did not believe Samuel’s words but that did not stop them from coming to pass. The night stayed lit five years later and a new star was seen. Thirty-three years after that, earthquakes and storms leveled cities and darkness prevailed for three days. To the survivors, however, Christ Himself appeared.

Chapters 11 through 28 of 3 Nephi contain His words and deeds among the people. He allowed them to come to Him to be first-hand witnesses of the reality of His resurrection. He chose 12 men to be teachers and leaders, giving them the authority and commandments pertaining to baptism. Then, He gave to all the people the words that He gave to the Jews on the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5 and 3 Nephi 12).

Over the next few days, He continued to teach them the scriptures, heal their sick, give them the sacrament, and pray with them. I would encourage everyone to read these words because they are such touching examples of Christ’s love for His people. The effect that this visit had on the people was not forgotten. For hundreds of years, the people were diligent in following the words that Jesus had given to them and it wasn’t until they had turned away from those words that they did fail, just as predicted many times beforehand.

The Book of Mormon is a remarkable book and contains many lessons that are applicable in our lives. It also shows the sublime truth that Jesus is the Christ, and that He communicated Himself to His people here anciently. They knew He was their Savior from death and sin and they heeded His words and were blessed. The same holds true for us today as well. By their testimony and the testimony of the Holy Spirit, we can know those same truths.