The Book of Mormon

A record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, brought forth by the grace and power of God in our day as a second witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and redeemer of all mankind.

As part of the Restoration of the gospel, God brought forth the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. By the power of God, Joseph Smith translated this book from an ancient record written on gold plates. The Book of Mormon is “a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel” (Introduction to the Book of Mormon).

The Book of Mormon is a powerful witness of Jesus Christ. It helps us understand His teachings, including those in the Bible. Examples of Book of Mormon witnesses of Christ include:

•Nephi, who saw the birth and death of Christ in a vision ( 1 Nephi 11:13–15).
•The brother of Jared, who saw the Lord because of his great faith ( Ether 3:7–16).
•The prophet Samuel the Lamanite, who prophesied of Christ’s coming and gave the signs of His birth and death ( Helaman 13–14).

•Christ Himself, who, after His Resurrection, appeared to the people of ancient America and invited them to come forward one by one to see and touch Him until “they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves” ( 3 Nephi 11:13–17).

In the Bible, Jesus told His Apostles, “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” ( John 10:16). Soon after He was resurrected, the Lord visited these “other sheep”—the inhabitants of ancient America. During this visit to the American continent (recorded in the Book of Mormon), Jesus Christ:

•Invited people to feel the wound marks in His hands and feet and side.
•Taught His gospel.
•Called twelve disciples to teach His gospel.
•Healed the sick.
•Prayed for the people.
•Performed miracles.

In September 1823, Joseph Smith was visited by a heavenly messenger named Moroni, in the same way that angels often appeared to Church leaders in the New Testament. Moroni informed Joseph that God had a work for him to do and told him that a record of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent was buried in a nearby hill. He stated that the record contained the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ ( Joseph Smith—History 1:27–34).

In September 1827, Joseph received the record, which was written on thin plates of gold. Joseph translated the book into English by the inspiration of God and called the book the Book of Mormon.

It is named after Mormon, an ancient prophet who compiled the sacred record. The book verifies, as another testament of Christ, the reality and divinity of Jesus Christ. It is, then, a second witness that affirms the truth of the Bible.

Since its publishing in 1830, the Book of Mormon has blessed the lives of millions of people through its powerful message about Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Jesus Christ established his Church

Prior to His death and Resurrection, the Savior established His Church again on the earth, built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Himself as the chief cornerstone.

Holy Bible, Ephesians 2:20

A few hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, people had fallen into apostasy. When the Savior began His mortal ministry, He restored His gospel and established His Church again on the earth. He built His Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, He himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).

Jesus Christ called twelve men to be His Apostles—including Peter, James, and John—and laid His hands on their heads to give them priesthood authority ( Matthew 10:1; John 15:16; Matthew 28:19-20). Before the Savior’s death and Resurrection, He gave His Apostles priesthood authority to teach His gospel, perform the ordinances of salvation, and continue to establish His Church in the world.

The Savior's coming fulfilled prophecy. He set a godly example and showed men what Heavenly Father was like. Yet He was rejected of men and crucified. He made the Atonement by suffering for the sins of all men. After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ guided His Apostles through revelation, making the Church of Jesus Christ a church led by God and not by men ( Acts 10; Revelation 1:1).

In addition to the Twelve Apostles, Christ appointed other leaders to assist the Apostles in the work of His Church. These included:

Seventies (missionaries)
Evangelists (patriarchs)
Pastors (presiding leaders)
Elders
Bishops
Priests
Teachers
Deacons

These officers were given the authority (or priesthood) necessary to do the work of Christ’s Church. They did missionary work, performed ordinances such as baptism, presided over congregations, and instructed and inspired Church members. As long as those who had the priesthood were alive, the Church grew and prospered.

When His followers asked Jesus Christ what kind of people He wanted them to be, His answer was simple: “Even as I am” ( 3 Nephi 27:27).

Jesus showed you by His example and His teachings how you should live to be able to return to your Father in Heaven. Although you make mistakes, as you sincerely repent of your mistakes and try to follow the example of Jesus Christ, your life will be filled with peace and inner joy, regardless of the circumstances around you.

From the beginning, God has called special witnesses, known as prophets, and commanded them to keep records of His dealings with His children. Both the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon are such records. The Holy Bible contains a record of Jesus Christ’s dealings with and ministry to the people in the Holy Land. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is a record of Christ’s dealings with and His appearance to the people of ancient America. Both books teach about our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and of Their love for us.

You lived with God

God is literally the Father of our spirits, and we lived with Him as His spirit children in a premortal existence before we were born on this earth.

Your life did not begin at birth, nor will it end at death. You have a spirit body (sometimes called the soul) and a physical body. Heavenly Father created your spirit, and you lived with Him as a spirit before you received your physical body and were born on earth. This period is called pre-earth life or premortal life.

Throughout your pre-earth life, you were taught the principles and commandments that would lead to happiness, with freedom to choose to grow in intelligence and love of the truth, or not. During this pre-earth life, Jesus Christ, then known as Jehovah was chosen as the Savior and you learned that, through Him, you would be able to overcome the effects of any wrong choices.
God’s purpose—His work and His glory—is to bring to pass the immortality (resurrection) and eternal life (life with God) of His children. He desires every one of His children to find peace in this life and a fullness of joy in His presence after this life. Heavenly Father knew that you could only progress to a certain point without the experience of mortality. In order to become more like Him, you would need to receive a physical body.

God our Father is the creator of our spirits, and we are created in His likeness physically when we are born.
Our mortal life also provides us with an opportunity to:

Gain experience from overcoming trials and temptations.
Learn to walk by faith.
Learn to choose between good and evil.
Thus, our Heavenly Father instituted His plan to help us reach our divine potential.

God has a plan for your life

Such questions as “What is the purpose of life?” or “Why am I here?” can be answered by understanding God’s plan for the happiness of His children.

In the scriptures God's plan is called the plan of salvation, the plan of redemption, the plan of happiness. The plan is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Throughout time, people have often pondered questions such as “Where did I come from?” “What is my purpose in life?” and “Where will I go after this life?” God has a plan for the happiness of His children: the plan of salvation, which is centered on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As you follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, you will find answers to these questions, gain lasting inner peace in this life, and earn eternal joy after death.

Before you began your life on Earth, you lived with your Heavenly Father as one of His spirit children. Although it was a joyful existence, God knew that you could not continue to progress unless you left Him for a time.

He allowed you to come to Earth, where you would gain a physical body and would have experiences that would help you to learn and grow, fulfilling the purpose of the plan of salvation: to help you become more like your Heavenly Father.

According to the plan, you could not continue to progress continually without the opportunity to enter mortality and receive a physical body. Here on earth you would have experiences that would help you learn and grow, and you would be proven to see if [you would] do all things whatsoever the Lord would command (Abraham 3:25). The purpose of the plan is to help you become more like your Heavenly Father. The fact that you are living on Earth means that you accepted Heavenly Father’s plan and came here wanting to do all you could to receive all He has to offer.

Knowing that we would commit sin in mortality, your loving Heavenly Father provided a Savior, Jesus Christ, who by His sacrifice would make it possible for all people who would comply with His gospel teachings to be forgiven through repentance and return to live with Him. Having a divine nature as a child of God, you can with the assistance and power of Christ, progress to become one day even as He is.

Understanding this eternal perspective can help you find happiness in your life, even amid trials and challenges. As a child of a loving Heavenly Father, you can view your struggles as stepping-stones bringing you closer to Him. As you ask for help and strength in earnest prayer, you can have the assurance that you are not alone. God loves you and will help you as you turn to Him.
God has blessed us with gifts to help us navigate our lives. One of the most precious gifts He has given everyone is the ability and power to make choices. Your Heavenly Father respects your freedom to choose and will never force you to choose what is right, nor will He stop you from being able to make poor choices. He will however, invite and endeavor to entice you ‘to do good continually’ (Moroni 7:13).

He knows that whatever your choice, you are also choosing a consequence. Consequences may appear immediately or may come much later. But choosing good eventually leads to happiness, and wrong choices eventually lead to unhappiness. Heavenly Father allows you to make choices and experience their consequences so you may learn the difference between good and evil. In learning to choose good, you are creating a pattern that will help you become more like your Heavenly Father.

How finding the Church has impacted my life

Finding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has changed my life beyond description.
I am so blessed to have found the Lord's true Church on earth!
I used to be selfish and self centered, but now I try my best to dedicate my life to the Lord and his work.

I used to have a void in my life I tried to fill for years with buying things for my car and racing my car every chance I got. Now that I have found the Church I have finally filled the void in my life. Now I am at peace and feel so much more in tune with my life and the Lord.
I love the way the Church helps others every chance they get. I also thought I would have a problem with tithing 10% of my salary to the Church, but once I started doing it I started receiving many more blessings in my life, now I cannot imagine how hard life would be without tithing to the Church and helping others every chance I get.

My life is so much better I wish I had the words to describe how it has had a positive affect on my life.

How can I know if this is true?

Well here are some ways to find this out for yourself, because everyone has a different way of finding out. It is a personal experience, the Lord does not let everyone know in the same way.


“I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:4

Your Heavenly Father is the source of all truth. He loves you and wants to answer your questions. Therefore, He will help you recognize the truth as you sincerely seek it and ask Him for guidance. You can know if the things you are learning are true if you ask your Heavenly Father in prayer. He desires for you to know the truth, and you can receive an answer from Him through the Holy Ghost. As taught in the Bible, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance” (Galatians 5:22–23). These feelings from the Holy Ghost are personal revelation to you that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true. You will then need to choose whether you will live in harmony with the knowledge you have received.

As the Savior taught in the Bible, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7). Feelings from the Holy Ghost are personal revelation to you that confirm the truth of the Book of Mormon and the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

The last prophet of the Book of Mormon, a man named Moroni, gave this remarkable promise to anyone who wants to know whether the Book of Mormon is true: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 10:4).

You can discover for yourself that what you’ve been learning is true by:
Sincerely praying to your Heavenly Father and asking Him if what you are learning is true.
Continuing to study and give thoughtful consideration to what you are learning.
Listening with your heart for the Holy Ghost to whisper the truth to you.
Following God’s commandments so you can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost.