The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ but rather than taking place in the Middle East like the Bible, it takes place on the American Continent. The Book of Mormon testifies of the divinity of Christ and emphasizes his ministry here on earth. In the first verse of 1 Nephi, the first book of the Book of Mormon, Nephi, an ancient prophet, writes a brief summary of the purpose of the book. He emphasizes the who, the what, and the how of the Book of Mormon. The who being himself, Nephi, who was “born of goodly parents.” The what is “a record of the proceedings in [his] day.” The how is through having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God.” In this book, Nephi fulfills his purpose of testifying, or bearing witness, of the truthfulness of the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise nicknamed the “Mormon Church”). The Church today is the same church that Christ established on this earth in His day. By reading the Book of Mormon, the Spirit of the Holy Ghost has born witness to me that the words Nephi has written are true.
That which was relevant in his day is just as or even more relevant to us in our day. We can learn so much from the Book of Mormon, such as why we are here, where we are going, and how we can accomplish the greatest goal of attaining eternal life, living in the presence of God, once more. I know that we dwelt with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in a life previous to this earth life. We each individually chose to come to this earth, be born into families, and we chose to be tested and tried to allow us to live with Him again. We will someday have the opportunity to return to the glory of living with our Father in heaven through obedience to the commandments He has set forth for us. The commandments are not there to hinder our progression and make our lives difficult, but they are there to uplift us spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Nephi was a great example of obedience. When asked to do drastic unexplainable things by the Lord, he set any doubts he could have had and aligned his will with the Lord’s will. He chose to be as perfectly obedient as he was able to be. I am grateful for the example of strict obedience that Nephi was. He was a great prophet and leader of his people, and his example is as important today as it was then. I bear witness that if you read the Book of Mormon and seek the answers to unanswered questions, you will find them within those pages. I am grateful to be part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and invite those seeking truth to study this gospel, as it will bring greater light into anyone’s life.
This artcle was written by Yuki L., a student at Brigham Young University and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.