A Study of the Book of Mormon

1 Nephi 2:17-19 The next step for Nephi, after having obtain a personal knowledge of the things that Nephi's father taught, was to share that with his brothers. Sam believed his words. Laman and Lemuel did not. This prompted Nephi to his next action -- to pray for his brothers who didn't believe. Upon praying to the Lord, Nephi then received even greater light and knowledge than what he had already received. The profoundness of the simplicity of Nephi speaking to his brothers cannot be understated. He opened his mouth and shared his personal witness to validate his father's claims. Now with Nephi, there were two witnesses to validate the journey that they had undertaken--that it was a commandment of God, not the vain imagination of their father. If Nephi had been unable to open his mouth, the remainder of their party may have been persuaded by Laman and Lemuel. Tomorrow, more on the pattern of revelation employed by the Lord with both Lehi and Nephi.

1 Nephi 2: 14-16 Yesterday I had mentioned characteristics that Lehi prized in his own life. There is nowhere in the record that gives us any insight into Lehi before this time. Yet I am assuming that Lehi prized these characteristics because they where a part of his own personal character. Thus demonstrating his own integrity and virtue. Verse 14, however, is the best evidence so far of his personal discipline. Now his faith was being taxed by his own sons. That he was able to harness spiritual power to chastise them is proof of his worthiness, proof of his integrity, proof that God trusted him enough to know that Lehi would not break out in a fit of rage and abuse his position as a father and spiritual leader to his sons. The juxtaposition (or contrast) of this verse where Lehi exerts such spiritual power to the next verse is beautifully simple. This is a reminder that in all things, Lehi was willing to submit himself to the will of the Lord, even to the point of living in a tent. N...

1 Nephi 2:10-13 After counseling Laman to always be a source of righteousness, he instructs Lemuel to be "firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!" Clearly these are characteristics that Lehi prized in his own life and in the lives of others. Laman and Lemuel murmured "because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them." So that was their problem--easily diagnosed by Nephi. Yet how did Nephi come to this conclusion? Because they could not understand their position before God, they lacked the perspective to see anything else clearly. Their priorities and prerogatives, the things that they valued as important in their young lives, had been altogether stripped from them in following their father into the wilderness. Of course, they were on the defensive. Their failure to see the larger picture consequently led them to murmuring and violence.

1 Nephi 2:5-10 "O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!" Lehi spoke these words to his eldest son Laman. Lehi describes righteousness as a body of water which had to be replenished constantly by a consistant source such as a river. Righteousness is then something to be maintained constantly.

1 Nephi 2:1-4 Chapter two, verse one validates what we discussed yesterday about Lehi's faith requiring him to do something. The Lord has now again appeared unto him in a dream and calls him "Blessed" because of the things which he did. We also learn that he went and prophecied before the people because the Lord had commanded him to. Because of Lehi's faithfulness to the commandments, the people now sought his life. Therefore the Lord gave him a commandment to protect him. Commandments are protection. Nephi felt it important to point out that his father was obedient to the commandments, and that is why he fled with only his family away from Jerusalem. Motives are important. Lehi was not fleeing out of fear. He was leaving out of obedience.

1 Nephi 1:16-20 Lehi because of the things that he read and saw in the book from his vision, consequently went among the people to preach to them. His faith in the Messiah required him to do something about it. He was met with strong opposition in this public cry of repentance. Nephi's purpose in including this in his account is to demonstrate that, because of his father's faith, the Lord was able to extend unto them mercies, or power, to make them mighty. Faith was the turn key to God's mercy and in this case to their literal deliverence.

1 Nephi 1:4-15 Last evening I was considering the home that my children are being raised in. They are being taught faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, obedience, daily prayer, etc. They are taught that this is a way of life. Now as Nephi begins his account, he relates the initiating event in his father's life that determined the course of events that his family were about to undertake. There is a vision, wherein Lehi sees God on his throne, and communes with the Son of God. In praying whole-heartedly in behalf of his people, Lehi learns from the Lord that the people among whom he dwells are about to be destroyed because of their abominations. The vision continues and Lehi sees and read things which are not accounted for in the record. Lehi rejoices or gives mighty praises unto the Lord. Then he concludes that the Lord is merciful to those who come unto him. The Lord had prepared the way for their deliverance.

These first verses Nephi endeavors to establish his credentials that qualify him to make the record that he is about to make. Good upbringing under his parents' mentorship Experienced in many afflictions Highly favored (or blessed) of the Lord Possessing a knowledge of the mysteries of God I'm looking at this from another perspective this evening though. Instead of listing his credentials, I feel that this is a recognition of his blessings, a thankful acknowledgment at the front this record which sets the tone and position of the author of this text -- gratefully humble and divinely inspired. Doctrine & Covenants 78:19 expresses well the principle that Nephi embodies here at the beginning of this book. "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more." Gratitude is a precursor to receiving blessings. Where then does obedience fit in to this equation?

This is one of the few books in the Book of Mormon that features an introduction by the author of the text. Curious enough, he focuses exclusively on an overview of the historical events of this first book. It really only constitutes half the record and is arguably the lesser part of the account. Though these personal life lessons that Nephi highlights in his account are extremely beneficial to the entire record, so I won't discount them.

As is the case with the two previous testimonies, the Prophet Joseph's testimony of the Book of Mormon also deals with the origins of the book and the events that he deemed most important in the book's coming forth. With that in mind, the bulk of his testimony deals with the ministering visits of the Angel Moroni. Perhaps the bulk of the first paragraph which describes the angel's appearance, could have been fabricated, if we wanted to approach it from that angle. But there are specific descriptions in the second that seem to be beyond fabrication. Essentially, Joseph saw an angel in the 1820's and was reflecting back to that occasion in 1838 when he made his record of the events. Joseph describes the angel's countenance as lightning. I don't quite know how to envision a countenance as lightning except that it had the effect of being striking. The angel's mode of teaching is notable. Four visits: three at night, one the next day. In the first visit, Moroni ...

Eight men, family and friends of the prophet Joseph Smith, attached their simple witness of the gold plates. They had "handled" and "hefted" these plates, which served as the source material for the Book of Mormon. As fantastical as the claim may seem, eight men have legitimately testified of the physical evidence which validates it: that the Book of Mormon was a translated work -- and not a made-up, fictitious work. This witness seems to pale in comparison to the testimony of the three witnesses as to its spiritual significance. Yet for those seeking the proof of the gold plates, this testimony is offered. The Testimony of Eight Witnesses

The Testimony of the Three Witnesses The three witnesses' testimony of the origin of the Book of Mormon is compelling. Though all three later in life became disaffiliated with the LDS Church, none ever revoked their witness attached to this record. To the contrary, towards the end of their respective lives, they were clear to validate their previous testimony of the book. Their testimony of the Book of Mormon is based on two specific points: They had received a visit from an angel who presented to them the golden plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. They saw the plates that this heavenly messenger carried. They saw the engravings on the plates. They heard the voice of God tell them that the translation taken from those plates was done "by the gift and power of God". Towards the end of their testimony it seems that perhaps after having received the angelic visitation, they would have been disposed to keep these sacred events close to their hearts without mu...

The title page of the Book of Mormon was penned by, or better said, engraven by Moroni, the final prophet-historian of the Book of Mormon. As the history goes, it was actually included on the last page of the plates from which the Book of Mormon were taken. So having had just summed up the history of his people, Moroni now revisits in abbreviated fashion the central themes of the book with the purpose of introducing it to readers he will never meet in his lifetime. As an introduction, I'm impressed with the way that Moroni presents certain topics: The Lamanites - a remnant or descendants of the house of Israel. The target audience for the Book of Mormon. The spirit of prophecy and of revelation - the means or manner in which the record was edited. Upfront, without really explaining what they are, Moroni is stating that this record was written by commandment, and by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation . Is this something that I should already understand? Or is this somethi...