A Study of the Book of Mormon

Mosiah 18:8-10 I am working to commit this well know passage of scripture to memory. What follows are some of the thoughts and impressions that have come to me in the process of so doing. This verse is frequently quoted out of context as the definitive definition of why we are baptized. That is well. I appreciate however having the historical background fresh in my mind as I study it. The first aspect of the baptismal covenant that impresses me is the commitment to "bear one another's burdens, that they may be light." I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was eight years old. I did not understand, nor do I hardly remember the events on the day of my baptism. However, as I look back at the covenant's significance and the promises that were extended to me, it helps me to understand why my life has taken the course which it has. This point has been reinforced and driven home in several ways over the past week. In a recent leade...

Mosiah 18:1-7 Now at the beginning of this chapter, there is a very brief statement about the repentance of Alma, who was prior to his interactions with the prophet Abinadi a wicked priest. We know very little about the repentance process that Alma underwent. In comparison to the double accounts that the Book of Mormon has about his son, Alma the Elder's change of heart goes virtually without note. However, there is one verse in Mosiah 23:9 which does state: But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests; and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance; There we have it then. As private and personal as the repentance process should be, it is sufficient for us to know that Alma, being a wicked priest in the court of King Noah, had to undergo a sore repentance process before he could begin to establish the church of Christ.  These verses that deal with the people's preparation for t...

Mosiah 17:5-20 See also Jeremiah 26 (vs. 11)  These verses have helped me to recall the mission of prophets in the plan of God. The chapter from Jeremiah is particularly useful in this regard. In the March 2012 Ensign, the First Presidency message also focuses on the topic of prophets. To fully appreciate what is given to us in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one must comprehend what the purpose and mission of a prophet is. Here is an individual who has found the way back to God, whom God then in turn uses to direct and point others in the direction that they should go.The reason for prophets is because God is a loving Heavenly Father, who has provided as many ways as he could to show us how to return home to Him without destroying this perfect test of faith. Prophets are yet another evidence of a loving, caring Heavenly Father. Abinadi knew that he needed to what he had spoken was true and that he could not deny his words. He knew that even with the fate of dea...