Latest / Scripture Central / Introductory Pages of the Book of Mormon | Book of Mormon Insights: Revisited

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Introductory Pages of the Book of Mormon | Book of Mormon Insights: Revisited · Scripture Central

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Welcome to Scripture Central. We're thrilled to have you here.
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Just a quick note, this video is a revamped edition of this video
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series from four years ago. The content, however, is as
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relevant and insightful as ever. We also invite you to explore
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our extensive collection of resources and programs designed
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to enhance your study of the scriptures.
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You can do this by visiting Scripture central.org.
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Now let's dive into the lesson. So as.
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We embark on a. A study of this incredible book.
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The very first page you come to is this title page.
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Now let's be honest, how many of you have had the experience of
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saying I'm going to read the Book of Mormon?
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So you open it up and then you come to this title.
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Page. And you almost get a feeling.
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Of I. Have to just kind of slog my way
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through this this introductory material in order.
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To get to the scriptures. In order to get to the good
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stuff, first Nephi Chapter One. Have any of you ever?
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Had that. Experience.
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Here's the question where. Did we get this title page from
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who wrote it? What is its significance?
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Why should we care about the title page?
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If you look at the beginning. Part it says the.
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Book of Mormon An account written by Hand of Mormon upon
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plates taken from the plates of Nephi.
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So when we start asking this question of.
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Who wrote it? Where did we get it from?
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You could. You could begin to surmise that
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perhaps it was Mormon who. Wrote the title page, there's.
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At the very bottom, it says, translated by Joe Smith Junior.
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You could say, hmm, maybe Joseph.
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And Oliver Cowdrey created the title page.
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But. One of our early sources.
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A journal entry from an individual who spoke with Joseph
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gives us this insight that. Joseph told.
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Him that the title page was translated off of the plates.
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That it this these two. Paragraphs are not created by
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Joseph nor Oliver. That they're actually
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translated. And it went one step.
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Further to. Say that it was taken from the
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very last. Leaf of.
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The unsealed portion of the plates, which means it was the
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final thing. Likely to be written written
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before the plates were buried. In the Hill, Kimora, and If You.
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Look a little closer. Into the title page you'll
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notice things like paragraph. Two starts.
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With an abridgement taken from the.
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Book of Ether also. There's one person who did the
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abridgement. To the book of Ether.
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And he was all alone when he did it.
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And his name was Moroni. Now what does that mean?
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That. That means that it seems that
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Mormon did. All of this work gave the place
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to his. Son Moroni, who then finished
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off chapters 8:00 and 9:00 in the book called Mormon.
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Then he opens up the Book of. Ether and he abridges ether.
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And then he writes his own little book called The Book of
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Moroni, and when he's all finished, he now writes on the
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very. Last leaf the title page.
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This is what is. In this book, why is that
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significant? Because now you.
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Could look at the title page as if.
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You're reading Moroni. Chapter 11.
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It's the Last. Thing he wrote.
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It's the thing that comes after chapter 10.
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It was intended to be this, this introduction to this book and
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who? Better to write it.
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Than the man who's finishing the book and he knows everything
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start to finish that's contained in the book.
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Now as you embark on A. Study of the book of.
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Mormon Keep in mind that President Ezra Taff Benson,
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clear back in 1988, said. This.
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The Book of Mormon is the instrument that God designed to.
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Sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out his elect.
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This isn't just another book. This isn't just history.
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This isn't just a nice. Quote book of of.
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Nice statements that you can share in talks and in lessons.
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Two years before that. 1986 President, Benson said.
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This there is a power. In the book, which will begin to
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flow into your lives the moment you begin a.
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Serious study of the book you will find greater.
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Power to resist temptation. You will find the.
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Power to avoid. Deception.
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You will find the power to stay on the.
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Straight to narrow path. Pretty.
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Amazing promise that you don't. Have to read chapters.
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And hundreds of pages in order to start feeling a difference in
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your life, he said. The moment you begin a.
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Serious study of this book. You're going to feel that power
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come into your life now. Our.
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Witness today is that power can begin on page one.
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Because you're reading scripture written.
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By Moroni, translated by Joseph, and now brought to us today.
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In fact, I like. Looking at these two paragraphs.
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Not just. As paragraphs I like.
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Looking at them as. Verse one and verse 2.
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Even though they're not labeled. As such.
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To me their scripture and it changes.
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The way I look. At them and the way I engage
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with them and read them now when you go.
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To a title page. Traditionally in a.
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Book you expect. To have some questions answered.
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Who is this book about? What is this book about?
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When, where, how? And my favorite of the
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questions, why? Why?
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Should I care to read this book? Give me some reason to pull me
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in. To actually.
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Engage with the book. That's.
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What a title. Page can do, that's how it
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functions. So notice in the very first line
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of this. First paragraph, wherefore?
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It is. In other words, we're answering
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that question. What is it?
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It is an abridgement. Of the record of the.
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People of Nephi and also of the Lamanites.
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So you now know that this is not a complete history.
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Book. Of the this thousand year.
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Period. It's just an.
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Abridgement. We're getting excerpts through
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that through that time. Period of this people.
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You'll notice who it was, the Nephites and the Lamanites, and
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it's written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house.
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Of Israel and. Also to Jew and Gentile.
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So we know who it was about. We now know to whom it is
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addressed and he included everybody in that, the primary.
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Or the? Principal audience is the
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Lamanites, but it's to Jew and Gentile which takes up everybody
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in the world today. It's written how.
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By. Way of commandment and also.
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By the spirit of prophecy. And of Revelation, brothers and
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sisters, This changes things when you understand that the
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Book of Mormon isn't simply a bunch of compilations from
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various Diaries or journals that people.
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Just were. Keeping haphazardly through this
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thousand year history when you. Realize that it was actually.
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A commandment that God gave. Each of those groups of.
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People at those various times. To record their history.
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And to record their preachings and their prophesying, and the.
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The the way that the Lord was. Dealing with those people in
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various circumstances, it changes the way we engage.
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With this book. Notice it was written and.
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Sealed up. And hid up unto the Lord that
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they might not be. Destroyed.
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To come forth by the. Gift and power of God.
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Unto the interpretation thereof. Once again, you know it was.
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Moroni who wrote the the. Final chapters of Moroni, one
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through 10, then this title page.
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Then he seals it up, and he's going to be the one to bury it
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in the Hail Kimora, sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up
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unto the Lord to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile,
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the interpretation thereof. By the gift of God.
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Can you picture Moroni? He speaks his his verbal.
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Language is a reformed Hebrew, and his written language is a
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reformed Egyptian. He knows that there's no chance
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anybody's going to be. Able to read this book it it's
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it's chicken scratch to everybody.
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But him and. Those writers who?
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Have come before him in this Nephite nation, and he
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recognizes that it's going to take a miracle.
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It's going to. To take the gift.
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Of God-given to somebody in order to make sense of what's
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written on these plates. And I love the fact that he
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tells you that at the the. Bottom of verse one, the
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interpretation thereof. By the gift of God.
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This is not going to make sense to anybody unless God.
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Helps that person do the work this.
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Gentile, who's going to bring this?
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Work forth the way he he describes it there.
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Most of those questions have been answered in paragraph one.
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And now we get. Paragraph 2 Where the focus.
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Is going to be on Why? Why do I need a Book of Mormon
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when I already? Have a Bible.
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Why do I need? This this record from the.
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Nephites and the Lamanites over in the New World.
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Why should I engage with it? Watch as Moroni engages us with
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that question and gives us a series of answers.
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First of all, he. He.
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Continues a little bit more about the What is it?
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It includes an abridgement taken from the book.
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Of ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared who were
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scattered. At the time the Lord confounded
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the language of the people when they were building a tower to
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get to heaven, which is to show now here we go under the
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remnant. Of the House of Israel what
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great. Things the Lord hath done.
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For their fathers. So he wants us to.
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Read this book. So that when we.
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Look back through the history. Of time we can see.
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Great. Things that God has done.
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For people at various phases. Why?
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Why would he care that? We know how good, how kind, how
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merciful God has been in the past.
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Isn't that interesting. Moroni is inviting you to look
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into the past. But he told us.
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In his writing that he was looking.
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To the future he was. Looking to our day he was
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seeing. Our our situation.
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And he was writing directly to us, so this corridor of time.
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We we do this crisscross. And he's saying, I've seen your
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day and I've seen God's goodness in your day, and I've seen the.
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Struggles that you're. Facing in your day.
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And you will be greatly. Benefited by looking into the
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past and recognizing the hand of God in all of these things, so
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that it makes your your eye more capable of seeing His hand in
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your own world, in your own life, in your own circle of
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influence. In the latter days, notice the
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second why, and that they may know the covenants of the Lord
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He, He. Wants us to to discover.
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What God on High has promised to men and women on the earth?
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What? What is?
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What is he promised? What does he bound himself by
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covenant to do? One of the things I love about
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the title page of the Book of Mormon is Moroni's invitation
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for us to learn about God's covenants, to know that the Book
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of Mormon is a witness of God's covenants, that we can be
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brought back into His presence. Now there are many covenants.
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We could talk about the covenant of baptism, the covenant of
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sacrament. What I'd like to focus on, just
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briefly, are two of the most important covenants that show up
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in the Old Testament, which Moroni and the Book of Mormon
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writers would have been very familiar with.
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I want to cast your mind back to Genesis chapter 12, and that is
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the introduction to the Abrahamic covenant.
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If you look at verses one through three, that is where God
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offers Abraham and his posterity and all the world incredible
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promises. So you might want to pause.
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Now just go back and look at those verses.
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Remind yourself what God has bound himself to do for you.
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So two of the most important covenants that you should be
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aware of in the Bible are the Abrahamic covenant, and you can
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see that initiated in Genesis chapter 12.
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And this is God's duties and his promises to Abraham and his
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posterity, which actually includes all people around the
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world. Then we have the Mosaic covenant
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that's probably best summarized in Exodus 20, the 10
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commandments. This is what we promise to do.
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It's our duties. And if we keep those
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commandments or any update to those commandments, A revelation
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that God has given by subsequent prophets or by modern day
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prophets, we Get full access to the free gift that God promised
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us through the Abrahamic promises.
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And the summary statement for the Mosaic covenant that you can
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look for throughout scriptures and particularly in the Book of
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Mormon is if you keep the commandments, ye shall prosper
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in the land. The summary statement you will
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look for for the Abrahamic covenant throughout scriptures
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is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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This is the God who does great things.
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He keeps his promises. The scriptures are written and
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preserved as a witness of all that God has done to bless our
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lives and to be there for us to open the path of our salvation.
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The scriptures were also written to instruct us on our covenantal
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duties. So if you pay attention as you
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read through the Book of Mormon this year, you can look for what
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evidence do I have of God's characteristics and his
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trustworthiness and the great things that he has done for his
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people. And then you can also look for
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What does God ask of me? I know what God does for me.
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What does he want in return? And you might just, throughout
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your study this year, look for those two things.
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What do I learn about God and what do I learn about His
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duties? Those are two of the most
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important covenants we can look for.
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And as Moroni says on the title page, the Book of Mormon was
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preserved to remind us of these two great covenants so we can
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follow the covenant path. Let me pause here and ask a
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simple question that's that's not.
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Directly related, but it's very. It's tangential to what we're
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talking about here. Do any of you know what the most
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frequently asked question here in In Provo UT happens to be?
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And I know this. Is this is specific to this?
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Geographic location, but any of you are aware the answer?
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Is or the the? Question that is asked more
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frequently in Provo than any other is so ubiquitous that we
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even put it on the mountain and it's been there for decades.
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The question is why. It's on our mountain.
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It's on our football fields. It's on our basketball court.
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It's on hats and. Shirts everywhere you turn,
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you're. Being confronted with or asked
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this question. Why Now, this isn't a play on
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words, it's a play on a letter in this case.
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But that's a really really. Profound question.
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To face everywhere you look. Why?
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Because if you can answer that, you're no longer going to go
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through the motions. You're no longer going to be
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just. Robotic in your discipleship?
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If you can answer the question why, you now know.
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What the purpose is for? Why You're doing the things that
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you're doing. You don't just do the right
18:21
things anymore. You do the right things for the
18:24
right reasons. Which?
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Leads to greater spiritual growth.
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Which leads to you actually becoming more.
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Like the Savior. Because you see, you see the end
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goal. You know why?
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You're living those elements of the gospel, and the more of
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those questions you can answer then.
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You very. Soon become wise.
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Another silly play on words, but.
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But it's true. The more of the why you can
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answer. The wiser you.
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Become the the more. Purposeful life.
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Becomes the more meaningful. Your scripture.
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Study becomes no longer are you opening up the Book of Mormon in
19:18
order. To read for a certain.
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Number of minutes to. Check a box to say OK.
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I did my reading for today, which is good, but it's not a
19:27
bad thing to read the Book of Mormon for any reason.
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But as President Oaks would say, there's good, then there's
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better, and then there's best. The best is when we dive into
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our scripture. Study with deep purpose.
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And deep meaning and and search out the why.
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So we've started with the. 1st 2 answers to this question of why
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the Book of Mormon. First one is, he says, We want
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you to see God. 'S.
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God's hand His goodness in the past, to know of all of those
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those amazing great things which God hath done.
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For their fathers. And the second was what Taylor's
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been talking about, that we might know the covenants of the
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Lord, that he doesn't want these covenants to be isolated for
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Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Therefore.
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All the world, in fact. The scripture that is repeated.
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As many times in in all. Of the the Bible?
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Both. Old Testament, New Testament,
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Book of Mormon, Doctrine Covenants.
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Pearl A great price. Comes from Genesis 22 that
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promised to Abraham that. Through your seed all.
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Nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.
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Of the earth will be blessed. How will they be blessed?
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Through the covenant given to Abraham and then the the
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combination of the the covenant on on Mount Sinai as well added
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to that and then taken out to the whole world.
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Through our scriptures, it's beautiful.
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And now for the third. Reason.
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Why we need to be Mormon that they are.
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Not cast off forever. So it's this.
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It's. This sub reason it's A tag on to
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the covenant. Look at the.
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Wording there carefully. That they may know the covenants
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of the Lord, that they are not. Cast off forever.
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It's. It goes with this covenant that
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God has not forsaken you and He's not cast you off forever
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now. If you look at that phrase.
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And you consider who wrote it. It becomes a lot more meaningful
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of all of the prophets through the entire.
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History of the Book of. Mormon The One.
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Who could scratch those? Those.
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Characters into those golden plates with the most
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authenticity and the most meaning and depth of feeling has
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to be Moroni. Think about it.
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In four O1 AD, he tells us that he remains all alone, all alone.
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His, his father, his family have all been killed.
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His nation has been destroyed, and he's.
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Left to tell his sad. Tale all alone.
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And here he's telling you that one of the reasons we need this
22:40
book is to know the covenants that were not cast off.
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Forever. Now here's a guy who knew the
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covenants, and he could. Feel pretty discouraged and
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pretty. Down.
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Feel pretty cast off. Left.
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Left alone forever. But he's the one telling you and
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me in the latter days. You're not cast off.
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There is a God. Who has promised some things and
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he's. Very good at keeping.
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His promises he will not. Cast you off forever if just.
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Come to him, then you'll notice the fourth reason, and also to
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the convincing of the Jew and. Gentile, That's everybody.
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That Jesus is the Christ the. Eternal God manifesting himself
23:32
unto. All.
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Nations, this is so beautiful. That the.
23:38
Reason we need the Book of Mormon is to help convince Jew
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and Gentile that. Jesus is the.
23:47
Christ the Son of God, and that He manifests himself to all
23:53
nations. That this is a beautiful element
23:57
of the Book of Mormon as the second witness to the Bible.
24:00
That it's not just. For.
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The Jews in Jerusalem or in the the Old?
24:06
World it's also for scattered. Israelites and.
24:09
Those who are with. Them in the New World, and then
24:12
in our latter days, That message now goes to both Jew and
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Gentile. Notice how he concludes this now
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if there are. Faults.
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They are the. Mistakes of Men.
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It's Moroni who in Ether chapter 12, spends a lot of time talking
24:31
about his weakness in writing and about.
24:33
How the the latter day? Gentiles are going to mock him
24:37
because of his weakness in writing, and the Lord tells him
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that he'll make weak things become strong.
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These are not God's mistakes. These are these are human
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weakness that might come through in this record.
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Notice his conclusion. Wherefore, condemn not the
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things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment.
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Seat of Christ. I think it's interesting that.
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The very. Last thing that Moroni wrote.
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Is. That ye may be found spotless at
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the judgment seat. Of Christ.
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That's his. That's his closure.
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It. Seems if this, if this.
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Is on the last. Leaf, which we're told it was.
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The bottom line of the Book of Mormon is Moroni wants us to be
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found spotless at the judgment. Seat of Christ.
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It's almost as if. All all of these YS here.
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Are intended for the ultimate. Y it's for you.
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To be found spotless at the judgment seat of.
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Christ. Now, how in the world can
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reading a book and learning these things?
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Help me to be spotless. It's not in the reading of the.
26:08
Book that that happens. It's in the reading of the book.
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That we have the Lord Jesus Christ revealed.
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That his goodness is manifest, that his covenants become clear.
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That all of a sudden? We feel some things we
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understand some things, we connect some dots that haven't
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been connected before, and all of a sudden we have a reason to
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to repent. We have a.
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Reason to increase our faith in Christ.
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We have a reason to move forward on the covenant path with
26:44
greater trust in Him than we've. Ever had before?
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And as we make this. Serious Study the book.
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President Benson's promise. There is a power in the book.
26:53
Which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin
26:57
a serious study of it it now. Starts to take root.
27:01
In our soul and we actually change our life, which then
27:06
over. That course of of a.
27:10
Lifetime of relying on the. Lord Jesus Christ.
27:14
His infinite mercy, his merits. His grace he.
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Is the one who makes. US Spotless.
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We don't. We don't do this cleansing
27:24
process on our own. It's this beautiful interaction
27:28
between US and the God who was sent to save us that is the
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reason we need a Book of Mormon sitting next.
27:39
Side by side with the Bible the 2nd.
27:41
Witness to to help us on that journey.
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Let's return now to the top of the title page.
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It says the Book of Mormon. Now, it's very important to know
27:55
that in ancient Hebrew, ancient Israelite writings, the scribes
27:59
would often use names, the meaning of the name as a lesson,
28:04
as a key principle, key thesis. Now, if we apply this to the
28:08
Book of Mormon, because the writers come out of an ancient
28:10
New Year's to an environment, and the Book of Mormon is an
28:14
authentic ancient witness for Jesus Christ, the word Mormon is
28:19
and should be very significant. Now I'll just point out that
28:25
Mormon probably comes from 2 Egyptian words, more which might
28:32
be related to the word Mary which means love, and the
28:37
Egyptian word for enduring or everlasting.
28:49
So the word Mormon would mean love.
28:53
It endures forever. And whose love are we talking
28:56
about? It's the love of God.
28:58
It's the whole point of the Book of Mormon.
29:02
So when we look at the title page, we actually can hear the
29:05
entire purpose of the Book of Mormon, if we could translate it
29:09
back into the Egyptian, the name Mormon, and we could actually
29:12
translate the title as the Book of God's love endures forever.
29:20
Now, as you embark in this study, in your study of the Book
29:22
of Mormon, we invite you to consider how that thesis
29:26
statement, how the meaning of the title of the Book of Mormon,
29:30
how that pervades the totality of the Book of Mormon.
29:34
We invite you to look for how God's love endures forever.
29:38
Look for examples as you're reading of how God's love is
29:43
everlasting, how it endures forever.
29:45
And then we invite you to document for yourself in your
29:48
own life how God's love endures forever, because the stories
29:52
that we have here are people that are just like you.
29:57
At some point they were alive, and they had hopes and dreams
30:01
and worries and concerns and weaknesses.
30:03
But they learned through personal experience that God's
30:06
love endures forever. And they documented those
30:09
stories of their lives, of how God's love endures forever for
30:14
others. And we encourage you to do the
30:16
same, Not because your book will be buried, can be brought forth
30:20
in some future time, but because those stories will matter to you
30:24
and to those you love. So again, just this invitation
30:28
to know the power of the Book of Mormon may be summed up by the
30:32
meaning of Mormon's name. Let me just share my witness
30:36
briefly that the Book of Mormon is an ancient, authentic witness
30:42
of Jesus Christ. And one example that is an
30:46
ancient, authentic witness of Jesus Christ is that the title
30:50
page was found on the last leaf of the plates.
30:54
Now, if we consider in Joseph Smith's day, if somebody was
30:57
writing a book and they wanted to provide a summary or an
31:00
introduction to the book, where would they place it?
31:03
They would place it at the front of the book, not on the last
31:07
leaf. But if you were an ancient
31:10
Israelite scribe, or if you've been trained as the Nephite
31:14
writers had in the ancient Israelite Scribal tradition, you
31:18
would place the summary of your book on the last leaf.
31:23
That was how things were done. So again, as evidence that the
31:27
Book of Mormon is an ancient, authentic witness to Jesus
31:31
Christ, we have right there the title page that it was the last
31:35
leaf, and it was written as a summary, just as an ancient
31:39
Israelite scribe would and should have done.
31:42
So as you read the Book of Mormon, consider how these
31:45
ancient people are authentically witnessing to us today that
31:50
Jesus is the Christ for us. I have here a.
31:55
Replica. It's an 1830.
31:58
Replica copy of the book. Of Mormon.
32:01
So the original edition was printed by EB Grandin's print
32:08
shop from from August of 1820, Ninth.
32:10
Through March of 1830. When it completed 5000 copies of
32:16
a book that. Would have looked a lot like
32:18
this cost 3. $1000 Martin Harris provided the the financing for
32:25
that. If you open up one of the 1830
32:29
edition, the very first thing you see is.
32:32
That title page that we've just covered.
32:36
The next thing you see is a. Description of the copyright
32:39
that. Joseph Smith Junior.
32:41
Held for this book. And then you get this preface
32:45
that we don't have in any of our modern editions of the Bible or
32:49
of the Book of Mormon. Which is where?
32:51
Joseph Smith is describing what happened very briefly with the
32:55
Lost 116 pages, and then it jumps right into first Nephi
33:00
chapter one in our current edition of the Book of Mormon.
33:05
The next thing after. The title page is the.
33:09
Introduction. This introduction was added in
33:13
the 1981 edition, so it wasn't written by.
33:17
Joseph Smith or Oliver Cowdrey? It wasn't translated from the
33:21
plates. It wasn't inscribed by Mormon or
33:23
Moroni. It was.
33:25
It was added in 1981 as an as an introduction to this book.
33:30
Let me give you an example. Of of the.
33:33
Fluid nature of the introduction.
33:36
So if you look at a 1981 edition of the Book of Mormon, like mine
33:41
is at the bottom of the second paragraph, it tells you.
33:46
That this group. Is known as the Jaredites and
33:50
after thousands. Of years.
33:51
All were destroyed. Except the Lamanites, they are
33:55
the principal ancestors of the American Indians since 1981.
34:01
The Church and and the archaeologists and other
34:05
scholars found all kinds of other evidence to suggest that.
34:11
The New World? Was not just occupied by the
34:15
Jaredites, the Nephites and the Lamanites and the.
34:18
Mulkites, but there were a lot of people over here.
34:22
And so they changed the the wording in the bottom of that
34:27
second paragraph. It no longer.
34:29
Says they are the. Principal ancestors of the
34:31
American Indians. It says they are among the
34:34
ancestors of the American Indians.
34:37
God had brought many people over to the New World.
34:42
Pre pre. Columbian, the thing that makes.
34:48
This particular group or these groups unique the Jaredites.
34:51
The Nephites is that they were literate and they.
34:56
Kept records and they are able to record the history.
35:02
In in a manner on. Plates that could be.
35:05
Preserved and carry their message forward through time.
35:09
So that we could have access to it.
35:11
If you look at paragraph. Six in the introduction.
35:16
They're quoting the Prophet Joseph here.
35:18
I love this statement in paragraph.
35:20
Six, I told the brethren. That the Book of Mormon was the
35:24
most correct of any book on earth and the keystone of our
35:27
religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its
35:32
precepts than by any other book. You'll notice he didn't say a
35:37
person could get nearer to God. By reading this book, he said.
35:43
You get closer to God by abiding by the precepts in this book.
35:48
The Book of Mormon is the most self.
35:51
Aware Book of Scripture that you're ever.
35:54
Going to find it's constantly addressing you.
35:58
The reader it's it's very self aware of it of.
36:03
How it is being produced by those ancient writers?
36:08
Who's. Writing.
36:09
Who's getting the plates next? What is their intent?
36:13
What? Is their purpose for?
36:14
Writing what they're writing, it is constantly engaging us with
36:19
the. Process of.
36:20
How it is being put together, why it is being created and how
36:24
you and I can benefit from it. I love the fact.
36:28
That that the Prophet Joseph is telling us that if you really
36:31
want to get near to. God read it.
36:35
But don't stop. There abide by the precepts that
36:39
you. Learn in this book, which then
36:42
leads to the invitation in paragraph eight.
36:44
We invite all men. Everywhere to read.
36:47
The Book of Mormon to ponder in their hearts the message it
36:51
contains and then to ask God, the Eternal Father in the name
36:54
of. Christ if the book is true.
36:57
And those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a
37:00
testimony of its truth and divinity by the.
37:02
Power of the Holy Ghost brothers and sisters.
37:06
What an amazing thing that you don't have to.
37:08
Take our word for it. You don't have to take.
37:10
Joseph's word for it. You don't have to rely on other
37:15
people. God's invitation through this,
37:18
this book that has been. Prepared to to gather the elect.
37:22
Out of the four corners of the earth in the latter days, his
37:25
invitation is ask him directly. Don't put anyone between you and
37:30
God in seeking truth regarding this book.
37:33
Go straight to the source. Himself and ask him.
37:37
But you have to ask him with real intent, that you really are
37:42
going to act on the revelation that comes with faith in Christ.
37:47
And notice in the in the ninth paragraph there those who gain
37:51
this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to
37:54
know by the same power that. Jesus Christ is the Savior of
37:59
the world. That Joseph Smith is his
38:01
revelator and prophet in these last days, and that the.
38:05
Church of Jesus Christ. Of Latter Day Saints is the
38:07
Lord's Kingdom once again established on the earth,
38:11
preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.
38:15
That now leads us to the testimony of the three
38:18
witnesses, the 8:00 and then Joseph Smith's own testimony in
38:23
the 1830 edition. Of the the book of.
38:28
Mormon You'll notice that at the very end, after maroon I-10
38:35
finishes, it says the end. Then you get the testimony of
38:39
the. 3 witnesses. And then you turn it over and
38:42
you get the testimony of the 8. Witnesses.
38:45
So that's the. Original as as it came forth.
38:50
Now we get the benefit. Of.
38:54
Having the testimony of the three witnesses and then the
38:58
8:00 and then Joseph Smith, you add those up, you get the number
39:03
12. Which is a beautiful Hebrew.
39:08
Number that can symbolize a whole series of things, but
39:11
among them it can represent authority and power and the 12.
39:19
Tribes of Israel? These are.
39:21
It can be this message. Of the 12 are.
39:24
Going to go out and gather all of God's children into the House
39:28
of Israel into into this family where salvation can be found
39:34
now. The three.
39:38
Witnesses experience some amazing spiritual blessings.
39:46
An Angel appears to them, shows them the plates.
39:50
They hear the voice of God. From heaven, bearing witness of
39:53
the Book of Mormon's truthfulness.
39:56
A table appears. Next to to the Angel and on the
39:59
table they then see the Urim and Thummim, the Leahona, the sort
40:04
of Laban. The breastplate they they see.
40:08
All of these amazing things associated with the Book of
40:12
Mormon, and they're able. To testify.
40:15
To the world that they know, and even though all three of them at
40:19
one point or another are going to leave the church, Martin and
40:23
Oliver come back. David Whitmer never does.
40:27
Even though they. Leave the church, they.
40:30
Never once go back on their testimony of the Book of Mormon.
40:35
They never deny what they knew and what they had experienced
40:40
from the the Angel and seeing the plates and these these
40:45
elements and hearing the voice of God.
40:48
That testimony stays firm to the to their dying day.
40:52
In all three cases, the 8 witnesses, they have a much more
40:58
physical experience. Joseph Smith is is given
41:02
permission to show them the plates, and they are.
41:05
Able to heft? Them.
41:06
They're able to hold them and feel them and turn the the
41:10
pages, the Leafs on those of those plates and it's a very
41:16
physical, tangible experience and they bear witness and none
41:21
of them ever go back on their witness.
41:25
Of the book. And Joseph Smith's testimony is.
41:29
Compiled by by the church. Some of the statements that he
41:34
had made about the miraculous coming forth of the Book of
41:38
Mormon telling his story, and you'll notice he never went back
41:45
on his testimony he gave. His life for this work that that
41:50
he started or that the Lord started.
41:52
Through him. Now here's the question.
41:56
Which one is the most important, important witness?
42:01
Of the book we would suggest to you that the.
42:06
Whole reason for these testimonies is simply a means to
42:14
the end of you being able to gain your own witness of the
42:20
test of of the Book of Mormon. That's the most important
42:24
witness that the Book of Mormon. Is the word of God.
42:28
And it doesn't matter how many million people in the world can
42:32
say they know the. Book is true.
42:35
Until you can stand and. Say that you've.
42:40
Gained your own witness and so as we go.
42:43
Through our. Study of the The Book of Mormon
42:47
with you. It's our.
42:48
Prayer that the everything. We say everything you experience
42:54
will be so that your own testimony can be.
42:59
Strengthened. Or in some cases born and in
43:02
other cases strengthened and solidified and developed in
43:08
breadth and depth as you move forward on that covenant path.
43:12
So I just want to add my witness to the long list of witnesses
43:19
that have come before, and to the to the many witnesses that
43:23
will come. Hereafter that the book.
43:26
Of Mormon. Is the word of.
43:29
God it is. True, it was.
43:31
Translated by the gift and. Power of God it was.
43:34
Written by way of commandment and revelation, in the spirit of
43:37
prophecy by these people, and it will change your life.
43:44
President Henry B. Iron gave an entire talk once
43:47
called The Book of Mormon Will Change Your Life.
43:51
And here's the amazing thing. From my own experience, I have
43:55
found that promise to be absolutely.
43:58
True over. And over and over again.
44:04
It just keeps changing my life as I grow line upon line,
44:09
precept upon precept, as I as I study again and again and again.
44:16
I learn more about the Savior. And in the process, I learn more
44:20
about myself and my loved ones and those around me.
44:24
And it it changes the way I think and it changes.
44:29
The way I live. And I love the Savior with all
44:32
my heart. And that love has come to me in
44:38
large part due to an intense study of the scriptures, and
44:42
especially in particular the Book of Mormon, which is another
44:46
testament of Jesus Christ. I want to add a second witness.
44:52
I love the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon, in my mind,
44:56
is the most literarily beautiful, doctrinally truthful
45:01
and everlastingly applicable book the world has ever seen.
45:07
We encourage you, as you embark on your study of the Book of
45:09
Mormon, to feel God's love that's been so lovingly
45:13
preserved over the ages and now available to us in the Book of
45:18
Mormon. Know that you're loved.