After three weeks summarizing 150 psalms and finding 67 Book of Mormon connections, I discuss four overarching psalmic themes which also appear in the Book of Mormon: tender mercies, the hazards of pit-digging, the sorrows of death and pains of hell, and the importance of approaching God with broken hearts and contrite spirits.
How Did Book of Mormon Authors Use Psalms 1-50?
Book of Mormon authors followed the "performances and ordinances" of the law of Moses, but the psalms gave them a language for spiritual life. They used psalmic language to describe their internal spiritual experiences, to preach sermons, to explain events in their narratives, and to express gratitude and joy.
Psalms 31-40
31. Into Thine Hand I Commit My Spirit 32. I Acknowledged My Sin 33. He Fashioneth Their Hearts 34. Taste and See 35. Plead My Cause 36. The Fountain of Life 37. Fret Not Thyself 38. A Loathsome Disease 39. To Know Mine End 40. A New Song
Psalms 11-20
11. Foundation and Tempest 12. Pure Words Like Tried Silver 13. How Long? 14. None that Doeth Good 15. Who Shall Abide in Thy Tabernacle? 16. Thou Wilt Not Leave My Soul in Hell 17. Night Visit 18. The Steel Bow 19. More Precious than Gold, Sweeter than Honey 20. The Lord Hear Thee
Samson
Samson squandered his gifts with brash and vindictive decisions. Even his final, God-given burst of strength was destructive. The Book of Mormon provides similar stories with alternate endings: Alma and Amulek emerging from a wrecked prison, Nephi and Lehi converting their captors. Samson's tragedy comes into sharper relief when we see what might have been.
Responsive Remnants: Patterns of Righteousness in Sodom and Ammonihah
God promised to spare Sodom if He could find ten righteous people. What did He mean? Evil was rampant in the city, but surely not everyone was equally bad or good. The answer is surprisingly simple: Send messengers and see who is willing to listen. Responsiveness, not perfection, is the measure of righteousness.
Received or Cast Out
In the next life, we will either be received into a state of peace and joy called paradise, or we will be cast out into a state of sorrow and pain. To enter that state of paradise, we must be changed by the grace of God.
Zeezrom and the Mob
Mob mentality means making decisions based on the expectations of a group. The mob in Ammonihah couldn't be convinced by a second witness (Amulek), a third witness (Zeezrom) or a miracle (deliverance from prison). We must make independent decisions.
Faith Halls of Fame
Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon provide lists of people who exercised great faith. These lists illustrate that God provides various blessings through faith, that people can exercise faith together, and that faith can help us grow closer to God.
Imprisoned
Many servants of God have accomplished great things while imprisoned. Elder Stevenson pointed out that these individuals "were defined more by what they were able to do with the Lord's help than by what they could not do as a result of their confinement."