Brothers and sisters, it is an honor to be here today. In a published sermon entitled, “What Think Ye of Christ,” my father-in-law, B. West Belnap, told the following story:
Once I was in a far city, far from home, on Mother’s Day, and I was alone. I went into a church . . . in town, as there was no Latter-day Saint Church nearby. The minister gave a very fine sermon, and in the course of his address he said, ‘Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy.’[1] My ears pricked up at this. Afterward I went up to him and said, ‘I’m interested in that statement ‘Adam fell that men might be.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Are you a Mormon?’ I said. ‘Yes, I am.’ He said, ‘come with me.’ He took me back to his office and pulled down a Book of Mormon and said, ‘there is a lot of good stuff in here; I just don’t tell them where it comes from.’[2]
Today I would like to talk about some of that “good stuff” in the Book of Mormon. I hope to offer encouragement to follow President Boyd K. Packer’s counsel when he said, “life moves all too fast. When you feel weak, discouraged, depressed or afraid, open the Book of Mormon and read. Do not let too much time pass before reading a verse, a thought, or a chapter.”[3]
The Book of Mormon was prepared for three audiences: The Jews, the Lamanites, and the Gentiles. According to Book of Mormon usage of these terms, everyone on earth can be placed under one of these three designations. In his last writings, recorded in 2 Nephi chapters 25-30, Nephi systematically addresses each group, foretelling the problem of apostasy. He also reveals a two-fold common solution: (1) the Savior Jesus Christ, and (2) a book that would come forth in the last days to teach and testify of him—the Book of Mormon.
Speaking first to the Jews, Nephi reveals the problem:
But, behold, they shall have wars, and rumors of wars; and when the day cometh that the Only Begotten of the Father, yea, even the Father of heaven and of earth, shall manifest himself unto them in the flesh, behold, they will reject him, because of their iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks.
Behold, they will crucify him . . .
Wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all nations.[4]
Nephi then teaches the solution to this problem:
And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.
Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words [the Book of Mormon] unto them [the Jews], which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them.[5]
And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.[6]
This is target-audience persuasion at its best. Nephi is appealing to a Jewish audience, an audience that commonly looks to Moses and the Exodus story for affirmation of the Lord’s love and care for the house of Israel. In Nephi’s rhetoric he uses the ancient Hebraic oath, “as the Lord God liveth,” to swear on the truth of three sacred exodus events that salvation only comes through Jesus Christ. The events themselves are symbols or types of the Savior. The use of the oath and the Exodus accounts reveals Nephi’s culture—this is a Jew speaking to Jews. Although Nephi was a genealogical descendent of Joseph of old, he came out from the Jews, he was from Jerusalem, and his family were citizens of the Kingdom of Judah.
In short, the problem Nephi foretells is that because of iniquity Judah would reject Jesus Christ, the true Messiah; the solution Nephi teaches would be the Book of Mormon, a record written to convince Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
We do not preach the gospel extensively to the Jews. We are not flooding Jewish population centers with the Book of Mormon. Nephi’s words give us a glimpse into the use of the Book of Mormon among the Jews at some future day. Considering the role of the Book of Mormon in the millennial gathering of Jews, perhaps the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell apply when he stated that “the best days of the Book of Mormon are still up ahead.”[7]
Nephi then shifts his attention to his own people, again foretelling the problem of apostasy:
But the Son of righteousness shall appear unto them; and he shall heal them, and they shall have peace with him, until three generations shall have passed away, and many of the fourth generation shall have passed away in righteousness.
And when these things have passed away a speedy destruction cometh unto my people; for, notwithstanding the pains of my soul, I have seen it; wherefore, I know that it shall come to pass; and they sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction.[8]
Nephi again specifies that his writings about Jesus Christ would be a central element of the solution to the problem:
Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never perish as long as the earth should stand.[9]
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God.[10]
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.[11]
Nephi clearly teaches that his reason for writing about Christ is to save his descendants, a branch of the seed of Joseph. Lehi, in a blessing to his youngest son Joseph, prophesied of the success of the Book of Mormon in saving his latter-day lineage: “Wherefore, because of this covenant thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the book.”[12]
Finally, Nephi addresses the Gentiles. In 2 Nephi chapters 26–29 he prophesies concerning the apostate conditions “in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles,”[13] namely: pride, envy, strife, malice, priestcraft, multiple churches, secret combinations, false teachers, false doctrines, being drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations, and drawing near unto the Lord with words, but having hearts that are far away.
Nephi’s solution for the Gentiles is the same: “And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.”[14]
He then quotes the prophecies of Isaiah to foretell the restoration of the gospel and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the Lord’s convincing instrument to bring Gentiles to Christ:
Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, yea, a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.[15]
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.[16]
Can the Book of Mormon really do all that Nephi said? The Book of Mormon surely must have big shoulders to bear the weight of being a cental factor in the solution to the great apostasy. Of course a book cannot save souls; salvation comes only to Jews, Lamanites, or Gentiles “through the Atonement of Christ . . . by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”[17] Salvation comes individually to those who are born again, and who endure to the end.
So how can the Book of Mormon have such a dramatic influence? As a part of his last testament, Nephi gives some indications as to how the Book of Mormon would accomplish its mission: “And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.”[18]
The writing, translation, publication, and distribution of the Book of Mormon is in fact God the Father’s effort to persuade his children to come unto his Son Jesus Christ, repent of their sins, and be saved. I would like to discuss two of Nephi’s points about how the Book of Mormon carries out its appointed errand. First, the Book of Mormon speaks of Jesus and persuades readers to believe in him, and second, the Book of Mormon persuades readers to do good.
Number One: The Book of Mormon speaks of Jesus and persuades readers to believe in him.
Jesus is the central character in the Book of Mormon—he is everywhere; and we should look for him on every page. His name-titles, which are instructive in and of themselves, total over one-hundred: He is the “Rock,” the “Creator,” the “Savior,” the “Redeemer,” the “Messiah,” the “Eternal Judge,” the “Sure Foundation,” the “Good Shepherd,” the “Founder of Peace,” the “King of Heaven” and the “light and the life of the world.” The principal authors and abridgers of the Book of Mormon—Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, and Moroni—saw Jesus and knew personally of whom they wrote. The stories in the Book of Mormon that they included are interesting, but they are secondary to the witness of Christ that comes from them. And it is the witness of Christ that persuades, soften hearts, and changes lives.
Try looking for Jesus Christ and central truths concerning him as I retell two familiar stories. In Lehi’s dream Lehi sees a man dressed in a white robe who invites him to follow him. As Lehi follows he observes that he is in a dark and dreary waste. In this darkness he prays for mercy, after which he is shown a tree with beautiful white fruit. Upon tasting this fruit Lehi feels great joy and desires to share the fruit with his family. Pause for a moment and one can see echoes of Jesus’ central message to all people. Could the man in the white robe typify Jesus Christ, who beckons all to “come follow me?” Inasmuch as the fall of Adam and Eve brought sin, death, and mortal probation—a dark and dreary waste—our prayer must be for mercy, for all sin, and all are subject to the exacting demands of divine justice. To obtain this mercy we must partake of the fruit of the tree of life, or the love of God. The greatest manifestation of this love is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, “for God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son.” [19]
Let’s consider another story in Alma chapter 14. This is the story of Alma and Amulek in prison in Ammonihah. As I read verses 18 through 20 try to find the witness of Christ.
And when they had been cast into prison three days, there came many lawyers, and judges, and priests, and teachers, who were of the profession of Nehor; and they came in unto the prison to see them, and they questioned them about many words; but they answered them nothing.
And it came to pass that the judge stood before them, and said: Why do ye not answer the words of this people? Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames? And he commanded them to speak; but they answered nothing.
And it came to pass that they departed and went their ways, but came again on the morrow; and the judge also smote them again on their cheeks. And many came forth also, and smote them, saying: Will ye stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law? If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?[20]
The silence before the wicked judge, the threat of the judge using his authority to deliver the prisoners to death, the smiting on the cheeks, and the invitation for the prisoners to use their own power to save themselves, are all echoes of scenes of Christ before his Jewish and Roman persecutors and words spoken when he was on the cross.
After much suffering, Alma cries to the Lord concerning their bondage:
How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them.[21]
In this story we have both an implicit and explicit witness of Christ—implicit in Alma and Amulek being types of Christ in prison, and explicit in the teaching that deliverance from bondage comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Christ is the solution to whatever bondage we might find ourselves in during our mortal lives; the cords that hold us captive are loosened on a timetable of the Lord’s choosing, sometimes only after a period of what we might describe as imprisonment or bondage.
Jesus said “seek and ye shall find.” As we seek for Jesus in the pages of the Book of Mormon we find a repeated emphasis upon his mission and message throughout. Illustrative of such searching are the observations of Professor Richard D. Rust who wrote:
Nephi was like Christ in being resisted as the rightful spiritual ruler, in being a factor in the stilling of a turbulent sea, in fulfilling his father’s mission, and in guiding his people to a promised land. King Benjamin typified Christ in that he was a mortal representation of a heavenly king. Abinadi, too, exemplified Christ, as an innocent person who is cast into prison for three days, whose blood is shed for his testimony, and who at his death says, ‘O God, receive my soul’.[22] The three-day deathlike trances and spiritual rebirths of Alma and king Lamoni were types of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.[23]
Mormon masterfully weaves testimony and truths about Jesus Christ into his narrative. Consider, for example, what is learned about Jesus from the preaching of Alma and Amulek to the apostate Zoramites in Alma chapters 32 to 34. The central theme of the Zoramite account is the answer to what Amulek calls “the great question, . . . whether the word be in the Son of God, or whether there shall be no Christ.”[24] In Alma 32, Alma teaches a formula detailing how one can know that Jesus is the Christ. In chapter 33 he quotes the prophets Zenos[25] and Zenock and refers to an event in the ministry of Moses to further support his testimony concerning Christ.[26] In chapter 34, Amulek testifies of redemption from the fall through Christ;[27] the infinite nature of Jesus’ Atonement;[28] the meaning of the law of Moses, “every whit pointing to [Jesus’] great and last sacrifice”;[29] and how mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, in order that the repentant can be encircled in the arms of Jesus’ safety.[30]
The Christ-centered doctrinal content of these few chapters exemplifies the teaching of Elder Neal A. Maxwell who wrote:
The doctrinal density of the Book of Mormon clearly overshadows the portion that is given over to history . . . The book’s structure is clearly and intentionally secondary to its substance, and its plot to its principles. The Book of Mormon’s innumerable insights and doctrinal declarations constitute their own witness. Clearly, this book came through but not from Joseph Smith. It is translated language, but its substance is of the Savior.[31]
For skeptics of the biblical witness of Christ’s divinity, his virgin birth, his miracles, his death for sin, and his resurrection on the third day, the Book of Mormon provides another written testament. Chapters such as 1 Nephi 11 and Mosiah 3 bear testimony of key aspects of the Savior’s life that are critical to an individual’s testimony that he is literally the Son of God and the Savior of the world. These aspects are found in the Bible, but they are questioned, doubted, and outright denied by some Christian scholars, teachers, and even some clergy. After surveying this scepticism concerning Christ in a Time magazine article, religion editor, David Van Biema, concluded: “Every new book, every new theory seems to wear away some long-cherished relic in this battle between faith and knowledge. Those who would come to Jesus’ rescue must ask, Is it too late? Can that which has been rejected be restored?” [32]
As a professor of ancient scripture I am grateful for the Qumran scrolls, but they are nothing compared to Cumorah’s plates—Another Testament of Jesus Christ—which was brought forth to restore faith in cherished biblical truths concerning the reality and divinity of Jesus Christ. Truly the Book of Mormon speaks of Jesus and persuades readers, even skeptics, that Jesus is the Christ.
Number Two: The Book of Mormon persuades readers to do good.
One way the Book of Mormon persuades readers to do good is by repetitively illustrating the blessings of choosing good as opposed to the negative consequences of choosing evil. The Book of Mormon repeatedly teaches the truth that humankind is free to choose the path that leads either to eternal life and happiness or to eternal death and misery. Samuel the Lamanite told wicked Nephites to:
remember . . . that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself . . . for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free. . .
and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good . . . or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.[33]
As we read the Book of Mormon, we can learn throughout its pages about Christ and the path to happiness, or Satan and the path to misery. The Book of Mormon contains stories of individuals and groups who make choices that put them on one path or the other, and then it shows the consequences that follow inevitably from these choices. Behaviors, attitudes, practices, and people representative of the two paths are contrasted so readers can clearly see what leads away from Christ as opposed to what leads to him. For example, while Lehi’s dream teaches about the path to the tree of life, which is a symbol of “the love of God,”[34] it also teaches and warns about the “great and spacious building,” a symbol for “the pride of the world.”[35]
Many such contrasts fill the pages of the Book of Mormon: humility versus pride;[36] sacred covenants versus secret combinations;[37] priesthood versus priestcraft;[38] the messianic teachings of the prophets Jacob and Alma versus the teachings of the antichrists Sherem and Korihor;[39] the character and actions of the Nephite chief captain Moroni versus the character and actions of the dissenter Amalickiah;[40] the deceit of the Gadianton chief robber Giddianhi versus the integrity of chief judge and prophet Lachoneus;[41] the characteristics and principles governing Zion versus the evil beliefs and practices that can destroy Zion.[42]
The Lord’s promise throughout the record is that if the Nephites kept the commandments, they would prosper in the land, and if they did not, he would cut them off.[43] The Book of Mormon contains a record of the literal fulfillment of the Lord’s promise: its people were blessed, prospered, and preserved as they obeyed, or eventually scattered, smitten, and destroyed as they disobeyed. The righteousness and wickedness of the Nephites make up two histories, dual narrative threads, that illustrate the reality and consistency of the consequences of making right and wrong choices.
Righteousness afforded the Nephites safety from their enemies, deliverance from their captors, refuge from destruction, and a knowledge of the mysteries of God through the power of the Holy Ghost. Conversely, disobedience brought difficulty, sorrow, suffering, bondage, and eventual destruction.[44] With the negative consequences of sin and the positive consequences of obedience convincingly illustrated, the Book of Mormon does much to persuade readers to choose good which leads to eternal life and happiness rather than evil which leads to eternal death and misery.
At BYU-Hawaii I was standing outside a religion class in the hallway and a student came out of his Book of Mormon class and said: “I hate that class.” I asked him “why, is it the teacher?” He said no, and then explained: “I can’t stand to read the Book of Mormon and to continue to live my life the way I am living it.” Sometimes reading the Book of Mormon is like a two-edged sword—you are either soothed and settled by the sweetness of the Lord’s spirit, or cut in the heart, for, as Nephi taught, “the guilty [take] the truth to be hard.”[45]
Another way the Book of Mormon persuades us to do good is by providing personal counsel. Readers receive one-on-one instruction from the Savior, or from him through the voice of his servants. Try personalizing the following instruction by inserting your own name just before the counsel. For purposes of illustration I will impose a reader’s name before each example:
Eric: Think of your brethren like unto [yourself], and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.[46]
Robert: But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.[47]
Jason: For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.[48]
Ashley: Seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand.[49]
Maryann: To be learned is good if [you] hearken unto the counsels of God.[50]
Rachel: Remember . . . the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.[51]
Kelly: I would that ye should remember, that whosoever among you borroweth of his neighbor should return the thing that he borroweth, according as he doth agree, or else thou shalt commit sin; and perhaps thou shalt cause thy neighbor to commit sin also.[52]
Daniel: If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?[53]
Matthew: Are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.[54]
Alan: Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?[55]
Kristene: Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.[56]
Just as the personalized instructions Lehi received on the Liahona changed from time to time according to the people’s faith and diligence, reading the Book of Mormon can be a source of continuing revelation. No matter how many times we read the Book of Mormon, personal application of passages can change because we change; we can receive continuing revelation as we continue to read. The Book of Mormon is thus forever relevant and always applicable.
Words alone do not make the difference unless confirmed by the Holy Ghost, whose mission it is to bear witness of Jesus Christ. Nephi said that “the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them.”[57] It is the Holy Ghost that makes the words in the Book of Mormon strong. The Book of Mormon is saturated with the Spirit of God, persuading readers to believe in Christ, remember him, and to do good. It is strong medicine to make the spiritually weak well, and it is preventative medicine to protect and retain the faithful. Reading the Book of Mormon can be like attending a great testimony meeting that is centered in Christ, a meeting that inspired greater commitment, increased love for the gospel, and more resistance to worldly influences.
When Jesus came to the Americas he descended from the heavens before the eyes of all the assembled people. Yet his ministry among them may be described as one-on-one. He invited those present to come forth individually so that they might see, feel, and know him personally. Coming unto Christ for Jews, Lamanites, and Gentiles is similar. One persuaded reader at a time repositions himself or herself from sand to rock, from error to truth, from the kingdom of the world to the kingdom of God. One persuaded reader at a time puts off the natural man and becomes “a saint through the atonement of Christ.”[58]
I would like to share two examples of the one-on-one persuading power of the Book of Mormon. The first comes from a letter a student of mine received from her sister:
It came as an incredible shock to me one day to find my testimony gone. I was studying in Paris at the age of nineteen. Culture shock, removal of familiar faces, places, and habits all took their toll. Discussions with ‘intellectual’ associates left me grappling for words to support my religious beliefs. The Church seemed narrow and naive in the wake of the wide, wide world I was discovering.
It was after many long weeks that I sat down one afternoon in my little Paris room and opened the Book of Mormon. Alma 32 says that the beginning of faith is desire. Did I desire to believe? I turned to 3 Nephi and began to read the account of the resurrected Christ visiting the Nephites. Suddenly I was struck with a realization. No man could have written this from his own mind! A rush of hope and light came pouring back into my hungry spirit. The Book of Mormon could not be explained away. It had a divine origin.
I mark that point as a profound beginning in my life. The testimony I have now has its roots in the warmth and hope of that moment. Twelve years have passed, during which time I have married in the temple, had five beautiful children, and served in many Church callings. I wonder where life would have taken me had I not reopened that wonderful book. I have heard it said that the Book of Mormon is the most correct book ever written. To me it was a lifesaver.
The second example comes from a Book of Mormon student of mine who wrote:
Nephi’s words testify of the divinity of Christ in clear and concise terms. I have witnessed in my own life and those who I taught on my mission how Nephi’s words have softened our hearts and filled our minds with light. Before my mission I began to read the Book of Mormon for the first time. I was undecided whether to serve a mission or not. Almost imperceptibly I felt anxious and a great desire to serve a mission. Where once only doubt and confusion which led to sin filled my life, a new sense of peace and wanting to fulfill the commandments entered into my mind and heart. I still had questions but I also had a peace that urged me forward to preach the gospel.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught:
Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of [the Book of Mormon] a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life. There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rod, and one who is not . . . It will hold us as close to the Spirit of the Lord as anything I know.[59]
The apostle Paul wrote: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].”[60] In such a wrestling match as this, against such an organized foe as Lucifer, we might well ask ourselves: Do I have within me the Book of Mormon difference that President Benson spoke of, so that when Satan sends “forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon [me], it shall have no power over [me] to drag [me] down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which [I am] built [?]”[61]
Eighteen months after becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I went on a mission to Ireland at the age of twenty-two. In the Salt Lake City mission home, just three days prior to my departure, it became apparent to me that I lacked a very important missionary aid. I knew through prayer that the Church was true, so I knew that the Book of Mormon must be true. But the Book of Mormon had not been a part of my conversion and I hadn’t read it. I started reading that day and finished my first reading about a month later. I knelt down by my bed in Dublin, Ireland, and reported to the Lord that I had read the Book of Mormon and desired a spiritual witness of its truth. After a period of pondering in my prayer I received a revelation through the power of the Holy Ghost that was strong, clear, and definite. Brothers and sisters, I know that the Book of Mormon is true. And I know that it has nourished my spirit, and it has strengthened my conviction, as I have continued to read and to study over the years.
The Book of Mormon does have a lot of good stuff between its covers. The Book of Mormon is a central component of the marvelous work and wonder of the Restoration. The Book of Mormon is a key instrument to bring the Jews, Lamanites, and Gentiles out of apostasy. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion that introduces us to the chief cornerstone of our religion, Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon persuades us to do good; and it speaks of Jesus, and persuades us “to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.”[62]
I pray that each of us will continue to read the Book of Mormon and pray and ponder about its contents. I testify that by so doing we will retain spiritual strength through its witness of Christ, and its persuasion to do good. Again, President Packer said: “Life moves all too fast. When you feel weak, discouraged, depressed or afraid, open the Book of Mormon and read. Do not let too much time pass before reading a verse, a thought, or a chapter.”[63] In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] 2 Nephi 2:25
[2] What Think Ye of Christ, Extension Publications, Division of Continuing Education, BYU, 17
[3] Ensign, May 2005, p. 8
[4] 2 Nephi 25:12-13, 15
[5] 2 Nephi 25:17-18, emphasis added
[6] 2 Nephi 25:20
[7] Neal A. Maxwell, “By the Gift and Power of God,” Ensign, Jan. 1997, 36
[8] 2 Nephi 26:9-10
[9] 2 Nephi 25:21; emphasis added
[10] 2 Nephi 25:23; emphasis added
[11] 2 Nephi 25:26; emphasis added
[12] 2 Nephi 3:23
[13] 2 Nephi 27:1
[14] 2 Nephi 26:12
[15] 2 Nephi 27:26
[16] 2 Nephi 27:29
[17] Article of Faith 3
[18] 2 Nephi 33:4
[19] John 3:16
[20] Alma 14:18-20
[21] Alma 14:26
[22] Mosiah 17:19
[23] Book of Mormon Reference Companion, “Book of Mormon, as literature,” Deseret Book, 2003, 123
[24] Alma 34:5
[25] Alma 33:3-13
[26] Alma 33:15-16, 19-21
[27] Alma 34:8-9
[28] Alma 34:10-12
[29] Alma 34:14, emphasis added
[30] Alma 34:15-16
[31] Plain and Precious Things, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983, 14
[32] Biema, David Van, “The Gospel Truth?” Time, April 8, 1996, 54
[33] Helaman 14:30-31
[34] 1 Nephi 11:21-22, 25
[35] 1 Nephi 8:26-28; 11:35-36
[36] Alma 4
[37] Mosiah 18; Ether 8
[38] Alma 1
[39] Jacob 7; Alma 30
[40] Alma 48
[41] 3 Nephi 3
[42] 4 Nephi
[43] 2 Nephi 1:20
[44] Mosiah 27:16; Alma 9:22; 36:29
[45] 1 Nephi 16:2, emphasis added
[46] Jacob 2:17, emphasis added
[47] Jacob 2:18
[48] Jacob 2:28
[49] Jacob 4:10
[50] 2 Nephi 9:29, emphasis added
[51] 2 Nephi 9:39
[52] Mosiah 4:28
[53] Alma 5:26
[54] Alma 5:28
[55] 3 Nephi 9:13
[56] 3 Nephi 11:10
[57] 2 Nephi 33:4
[58] Mosiah 3:19
[59] Ensign, May 1975, 65
[60] Ephesians 6:12, emphasis added
[61] Helaman 5:12
[62] 2 Nephi 33:4
[63] Ensign, May 2005, p. 8