The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon's Origin and Purpose in Latter-day Saint Theology
Jun 27, 2009
One thing that makes Mormons unique in Christianity is their acceptance of the Book of Mormon. But many people don't know much about what the book is or why Latter-day Saints place such great emphasis upon the Book of Mormon..
What is the Book of Mormon?
Latter-day Saints accept the Book of Mormon as the word of God. It is a record of God's dealings with people living in ancient North and South America.
The Book of Mormon begins in Jerusalem during the years when Zedekiah was king of Judah (about 600 B.C.) and ends in the Americas around 421 A.D.
Contents of the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is organized into books, chapters and verses. It begins with the record of a prophet named Lehi and was passed down from one prophet to another to engrave the spiritual history of their people.
One highlight of the Book of Mormon is Christ's visit to the people in the Americas being resurrected. It is believed that these people are some of the "other sheep" spoken of in John 10:16. Another highlight of the Book of Mormon is Moroni 10:4, which promises that if "ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true... he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost."
The wars between two factions of Lehi's posterity, known as the Nephites and Lamanites, is also recorded. Ultimately the Nephites are killed, and Mormons believe the surviving Lamanites are the ancestors of at least some of today's Native Americans.
Where Does the Name "Book of Mormon" Come From?
Mormon was a prophet and historian who compiled and abridged the prophets' records on gold plates in 385 A.D. He delivered the finished product to his son Moroni, who added some of his own words before burying the Book of Mormon to protect it from being destroyed.
What is the Origin of the Book of Mormon?
In 1820, a 14-year-old boy named Joseph Smith in upstate New York prayed about which church he should join. In what Latter-day Saints often call the first vision, he visited in response by God and Jesus Christ and instructed to join none of the existing churches.
Several years later, Smith said he was visited by the angel Moroni (the same person who had buried the plates in 421 A.D.) and instructed to retrieve and translate the plates, which were written in reformed Egyptian. The Book of Mormon is the resulting translation, and began the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
How Does the Book of Mormon Compare to the Bible?
Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon are part of the LDS canon. The Eighth Article of Faith reads: "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."
Mormons believe that the Bible as it was originally written was the perfect word of God, but has since gone through thousands of years of translations and religious politics. The Book of Mormon claims that many "plain and precious" truths were lost in that process [1 Nephi 13:26.]
Because the Book of Mormon has undergone only a single translation, Joseph Smith said that it is "the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion.” [History of the Church, vol. 4.] As former church president Ezra Taft Benson explained, "a keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles." The Book of Mormon holds together the gospel truths contained in the Bible.
What is the Purpose of the Book of Mormon?
The introduction to the Book of Mormon states that its purpose is "the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ." It serves as an additional witness to the gospel as given by Jesus Christ in the New Testament, and clarifies often misunderstood points of doctrine like infant baptism and the fall of Adam and Eve.
In the Bible, the Lord says in Ezekiel 37:19 that he "will take the stick of Joseph... and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand." Latter-day Saints interpret the "stick of Joseph" to mean the Book of Mormon and the "stick of Judah" to mean the Bible. Together, the books contain the fullness of the gospel. Mormons believe that other records will probably come forth from the lost Ten Tribes of Israel in due time.
The Book of Mormon is a book of scripture in the canonized works of the LDS church. Mormons believe that it was recorded by prophets in the ancient Americas, translated by their first prophet Joseph Smith in the early 19th century, and is essential to their religion even today.
Sources:
- The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve,1981.
- The Holy Bible, King James Version. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 1979.
- History of the Church, Vol. 4. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1978.
