Book of Mormon authors wanted us to learn how to engage productively with the Old Testament. For example:
- When Lehi obtained the brass plates and began studying their contents, “he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy … that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time” (1 Nephi 5:17, 19). He subsequently taught his family important truths about God’s plan and the role of the Messiah which he learned from these writings. (See 1 Nephi 10, 2 Nephi 2.)
- Nephi tells us that he read to his brothers “many things … which were written in the books of Moses” as well as many passages from Isaiah, “for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23).
- King Benjamin testified to his sons that the writings on the brass plates had been “kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries.” He urged them to “search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby” (Mosiah 1:5, 7).
- When Jesus visited the Nephites and the Lamanites after His resurrection, He quoted extensively from Old Testament prophets, including Isaiah, Micah, Moses, and Malachi, combining them and treating them as part of a rich tapestry of divine communication. He synthesized content from these prophets, and “expounded all the scriptures in one,” admonishing the people to “search the prophets” (3 Nephi 23:5, 14).
- Moroni urged us to “search the prophecies of Isaiah,” and then added, “Behold, I cannot write them” (Mormon 8:23). He must have known that about a third of the book of Isaiah was already included in his father’s book. What did he want us to search? The entire book, not just the portions included in the Book of Mormon.
- Mormon ends his record with a powerful message to the descendants of his enemies, the Lamanites. He implores them to “lay hold upon the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Where will they find it? “Not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.” Then, he adds this declaration about the purpose of the Book of Mormon:
This [the Book of Mormon] is written for the intent that ye may believe that [the Bible]; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know … that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant.
Mormon 7:9-10
The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, just like the Old Testament and the New Testament. Book of Mormon authors appreciated the power of the biblical message to bring us closer to God and to His saving power. They also understood the sense of belonging that comes from connecting with ancient believers and participating in intergenerational covenants God has made with His children.
This year, as we study the Old Testament, let’s look for the treasures which Lehi and Nephi found “desirable; yea, even of great worth” (1 Nephi 5:21). Let’s “search these things diligently,” as the Savior urged us to do (3 Nephi 23:1). Let’s learn more about how God has interacted with His children in every era, “from the creation of Adam even down until [the present day], and ponder it in [our] hearts” (Moroni 10:3), so that we can better understand God’s purposes for us and the divine context for our missions in life. Most importantly, let’s learn how the Old Testament affirms that Jesus is the Christ, so that, like Nephi, we can “delight” in inspired words which lead us to the source of life and salvation. (See 2 Nephi 11:2, 4; 25:5, 13, 26.)
This week, we’ll consider the Old Testament as a whole: it’s content, structure, and origins. We’ll also look at the differences and similarities between the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, and the brass plates.
I’m excited to embark on this journey of learning and growth!
Note: Four years ago, we also studied the Old Testament, and I wrote daily blog posts connecting our Old Testament study with the Book of Mormon. Here is a summary I wrote at the end of that year:
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