After Nephi and his family arrived in the promised land, he shared many scriptures with his brothers, including passages from the books of Moses and from the writings of Isaiah. He tells us that he "likened" the scriptures to them, helping them apply scriptural lessons to their current circumstances (1 Nephi 19:23). He actually began "likening"... Continue Reading →
“Of Great Worth” – 1 Nephi 5:21
After Lehi's sons obtained the brass plates and brought them to their father in the wilderness, Lehi searched them to understand their contents. As a result, "he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy" (1 Nephi 5:17). Lehi concluded that the scriptures "were desirable; yea, even of great worth" (1 Nephi 5:21). As... Continue Reading →
Abiding by Its Precepts
precept — A general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought (Oxford English Dictionary) On Sunday, November 28, 1841, Joseph Smith spent the day with the apostles and with Joseph Fielding, who had recently returned from a four-year mission in England, at the home of Brigham Young in Nauvoo, Illinois. He made the following declaration to... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Fulfill?
This is the fourth of six posts answering a series of questions suggested by President Russell M. Nelson. So far I have written about what the Book of Mormon is, what it affirms, and what it refutes. Today, I am writing about what it fulfills. "The eyes of the blind" The prophet Isaiah wrote about... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Refute?
This is the third of six posts answering a series of questions raised by President Russell M. Nelson in the October 2017 general conference. So far, I have discussed what the Book of Mormon is and what it affirms. Today, I am listing some of the fallacies it refutes. It refutes the concept of original sin,... Continue Reading →
What Is the Book of Mormon?
In 2017, President Thomas S. Monson challenged us to reinvigorate our study of the Book of Mormon: I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome... Continue Reading →
Why Do Quotes from the King James Version Appear in the Book of Mormon, Even Ones that Joseph Smith Later Altered in his Translation of the Bible ?
This question came from one of my daughters. She is well aware that some passages in the Book of Mormon (such as quotations from the Book of Isaiah) come from the same sources as the Bible. For example, the brass plates, which Lehi and his family carried with them from Jerusalem, contained many of the... Continue Reading →
What Is the Book of Lehi?
The first 116 pages which Joseph Smith translated came from a record known as the Book of Lehi. As he wrote in the preface to the first edition of the Book of Mormon: I would inform you that I translated, by the gift and power of God, and caused to be written, one hundred and sixteen... Continue Reading →
Who Wrote the Title Page of the Book of Mormon?
In the History of the Church, Joseph Smith made an important clarification about the Title Page of the Book of Mormon: I wish also to mention here, that the Title Page of the Book of Mormon is a literal translation, taken from the very last leaf, on the left hand side of the collection or... Continue Reading →
Why Does the Book of Mormon Quote from the Bible?
Prophets quote other prophets. That's part of how they teach. This serves two purposes: It emphasizes the unity of the word of God. It allows the Lord to build upon things we've already learned to reveal more truth to us. During His mortal ministry, the Savior frequently quoted from the scriptures available in His time,... Continue Reading →