Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations.
On the title page, Moroni lays out the three purposes of the Book of Mormon:
- To remind us how the Lord has blessed the people who have gone before us.
- To teach us about the covenants of the Lord, so that we will understand the steadfastness of God’s love for us.
- To convince us that Jesus is the Christ, and that He is active in the world.
This past week, as I’ve studied parenting, I’ve been struck by the importance of being involved in our children’s lives, teaching them the truths of the gospel with sincerity, praising their righteous actions and attributes, and being mindful of them in my prayers.
As Mormon points out on the title page, one of the messages of the book is that the Savor is involved in our lives, that he manifests himself to us and is mindful of us. He suffered nearly 2,000 years ago, in order to have the power to save us, but His work of salvation is ongoing. His ministry continues today.
For the remainder of this year, I will focus my study on the Savior. I will learn as much as I can about His attributes and character and will strive to emulate Him more fully. I will also learn what I can do to receive in my life the gifts and blessings He offers to all people through His Atonement.
As Mormon points out on the title page, one of the messages of the book is that the Savor is involved in our lives, that he manifests himself to us and is mindful of us. He suffered nearly 2,000 years ago, in order to have the power to save us, but His work of salvation is ongoing. His ministry continues today.
For the remainder of this year, I will focus my study on the Savior. I will learn as much as I can about His attributes and character and will strive to emulate Him more fully. I will also learn what I can do to receive in my life the gifts and blessings He offers to all people through His Atonement.
I realize I am late to your effort, but in light of your focus on the Savior this coming year, I would suggest that you might keep a tally or record of what terms each person in The Book of Mormon uses for Jehovah or to describe Him. As you do, ask yourself “why does Nephi, son of Lehi, (or Alma the son of Alma) use such terms?” Often a phrase may be unique to the speaker/writer. This experience amazed me that each person emphasized an attribute or character trait in Jehovah with which they seemed to relate more than others, consistent with what we know about such individuals. It became an assurance (testimony) to me (in my heart and my mind) that The Book of Mormon is what it claims to be. Enjoy!
What a wonderful suggestion! One of the reasons I wanted to study by author this year is because i have noticed individual voices with distinct personalities and styles. I have not paid attention to the different ways that the authors talk about Christ or the different names they use to refer to him. However, I'm still on my first author. After I finish Mormon's writings and begin to read the other authors, I will pay attention to their verbiage as they discuss the Savior. Thanks for the suggestion!