Book of Mormon – Establishing the Cause of Zion

Great are the Words of Isaiah

When the Savior ministered to the Nephites, He said the Book of Mormon would come forth in the last days to try the Gentiles’ faith:

“And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation” (3 Nephi 26:9-10).

Christ spelled out the conditions: if they believe these things, they will receive the greater (sealed) portion; if they do not, it will be withheld unto their condemnation. This resembles the pattern described by Alma concerning the mysteries of God; he who hardens not his heart will receive the greater portion until he knows the mysteries in full, but he who does harden his heart will receive a lesser portion until he knows nothing concerning his mysteries (Alma 12:9-11; D&C 50:24).

The principle is this: When God speaks, there is no longer middle ground. We must either repent and reconcile ourselves to His light and word, or come under condemnation for sinning against it. We will either move into greater light, or greater darkness.

An example of this in the scriptures is when the Lord invited Israel (in the wilderness) to come into His presence. They had an invitation to receive the “greater” blessings of the high priesthood, but “hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence,” and so the Lord took Moses and the Holy Priesthood out of their midst, and they were left with a “lesser” portion (D&C 84:23-26).

When Nephi was shown in vision the events of our day, he saw a short period of time when the gospel would go to the Gentiles in the last days. At “that day,” the angel told Nephi, the Gentiles would either harden their hearts against His word, or they would not (1 Nephi 14). This is the question on heaven’s mind in our day. Will we harden our hearts, like the children of Israel before? Or will we receive the word of God with gladness?

In 1832, only two years after the Gentiles had received the Book of Mormon, the Lord told the Church they had come under condemnation for “vanity and unbelief,” because they had treated lightly the things they had received (most notably the Book of Mormon). He declared that this condemnation would remain until they “repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written” (D&C 84:54-58).

This condemnation remains for as long as we continue to harden our hearts. If we repent and remember the Book of Mormon individually, greater things will be made manifest to us. When the Gentiles come together “that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord,” the Lord will reveal the sealed portion (Ether 4:6-7).

Though most people understand the sealed portion will not come forth until we make full use of the Book of Mormon, some may still be surprised at the idea of condemnation. However, the two ideas go hand-in-hand, as the scriptures indicate.

This sobering truth ought to give us pause and cause us to wonder, “In what ways have I hardened my heart against the Lord’s words in the Book of Mormon? How can I repent and receive more of what He wants to give me?”

The answer to this question will largely be personal because repentance is an individual matter. However, there is one thing that I believe applies almost universally that adds to our condemnation, resulting in our minds being darkened.

The Savior’s Commandment

When Jesus ministered to the Nephites following His resurrection, He gave us the following commandment regarding the prophecies of Isaiah: “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi 23:1).

Isaiah is the only book of scripture we’ve been directly commanded to study by Christ Himself, and unfortunately, it is the only one we make fun of.

We joke in quasi-hushed tones about “the Isaiah chapters” in the Book of Mormon, or talk about how we normally skip them, or don’t get much of out of them. There’s of course the joke of the soldier who was shot, but the bullet stopped in about 2 Nephi of his pocket Book of Mormon; “nothing gets through Isaiah.”

Of course, the jokes aren’t inherently immoral, but I believe the attitude we have towards Isaiah, both in and out of the Book of Mormon, is reflective of the Savior’s rebuke for “treating lightly” the things we have received, and contributes to our unbelief about its message.

Why does understanding Isaiah matter so much to the Savior? He tells us: “For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake” (3 Nephi 23:2-3; emphasis added).

All things that he speak have been (in the past) and shall be (in the future). In other words, he selectively prophesied of events in his day that would also come to pass in the latter-days. When he speaks of the destruction of wicked cities anciently, they serve as a precedent (or mirror image) of future wickedness and destruction. When he prophesies of Assyria’s world conquest in his day, he is also speaking of a latter-day superpower that will play the same role.

There’s an apocryphal quote attributed to Mark Twain that my US History teacher would read at the start of every class: “History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” In other words, the same events may not transpire again, but similar events played by different actors will.

In Hebrew thinking history is not linear, but cyclical. Solomon noted, “What has been will be again… there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). People follow patterns, and everything that will happen in the future has happened before in the past.

Consider what is commonly referred to as “the pride cycle,” as such a pattern. Whether its the Jews, the Nephites, or the United States, the pattern is the same:
1) Righteousness and prosperity
2) Pride and wickedness,
3) Destruction and suffering
4) Humiliation and repentance
As Isaiah carefully structured his writings, he used ancients events to predict future ones.

“Great are the words of Isaiah, ” said Jesus Christ.

As we keep the Savior’s commandment to “search these things diligently,” we are filled with a clearer understanding of how God interacts with His people, and what things will inevitably comes to pass again – as history repeats itself, and God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

By keeping this commandment, we will also gain greater light regarding the Book of Mormon and its purpose.

The Backbone of the Book of Mormon

One can know the Book of Mormon is true by a witness of the Spirit, but they will come to know why it’s true as they study the words of Isaiah.

The prophets of the Book of Mormon were very fluent in Isaiah’s prophecy, and its meaning was plain to them. They would apply or “liken” Isaiah’s words to their own events that fit the same patterns. It’s actually not dissimilar to how modern meme culture will take quotable lines from a movie and apply them to everyday life.

27 Hilariously Relatable Memes That May Actually Hit Too Close To Home

Isaiah is more or less the quotable movie you have to have seen in order to get the references. For instance, Isaiah 29 speaks of a sealed book coming forth. In Isaiah’s own context, he is referring to the book of Isaiah. However, Nephi likens this prophecy to his own people, and uses the same language as a meme to talk about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 27.

By becoming fluent in Isaiah’s concepts and phraseology, the Book of Mormon opens up in an entirely new way. Every time a Book of Mormon author prophesies of the last days, they quote or nuance some aspect of Isaiah’s prophecy. As you become familiar with the themes and phrases from Isaiah in their own context, you will begin to recognize and understand their significance in the Book of Mormon.

Furthermore, Mormon himself states a handful of times that he was including less than 1% of his people’s history. This of course begs the question, what was the criteria by which events were included or excluded? The answer is: that which typifies the endtime. Nephi and Mormon both craft their history to highlight the themes and events spoken of by Isaiah.

As just one example, consider this sequence of events:
1) A people is wicked and ripe for destruction
2) God sends a messenger to preach repentance
3) The righteous are gathered out and separated from the wicked
4) The wicked are destroyed
5) The righteous are preserved and begin a new people

We see this pattern unfold in the story of both Noah (the flood) and Abraham (Sodom and Gomorrah). This is a theme that Isaiah prophesies will repeat in the endtime. Consequently, the Book of Mormon records a similar sifting of the righteous and wicked in the story of Lehi (Jerusalem), Abinadi (the people of Nephi), and others.

Isaiah speaks of several such patterns that we see throughout scriptural history, but perhaps the most astonishing part is that he indicates that every pattern and theme he speaks of will repeat in the endtime – almost simultaneously. Within the span of a handful of years, everything Isaiah has prophesied will repeat in a grand crescendo. The historical events spoken of by Isaiah, and those included in the Book of Mormon, are all types and shadows of a great work to be accomplished within a single generation preceding Christ’s second coming.

Conclusion

There’s a price to be paid to unlock the message of Isaiah, but every person who does so will learn things that cannot be known or understood in any other way.

There are some great study tools that have been provided by Avraham Gileadi and the Isaiah institute. If you are interested in learning Isaiah, IsaiahExplained.com and IsaiahInstitute.com are great places to start.

For as long as we neglect this commandment, we risk hardening our hearts against the Lord’s words. This is a dangerous place to be, as “they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries” (Alma 12:11). Our minds are turned to the parable of the talents, wherein Christ remarked, “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matthew 25:29).

Isaiah is required reading for every Latter-day Saint. If you have made a covenant to obey Christ, you are under covenant to “search these things diligently.” I testify that there is greater power in understanding Isaiah, and that the Lord has not given this commandment to be a burden, but a blessing. Your faith will be increased and renewed, your understanding enlightened, and your soul enlarged. Like the fruit of the tree of life, it will be delicious (Alma 32:28).

What the Book of Mormon Says About Us

As a missionary, it seemed like the Book of Mormon really had one sole purpose. We’d hand out copies to anyone who would listen to our message, ask them to read a chapter (maybe the Introduction, 1 Nephi 1, 3 Nephi 11, etc.), and then pray about it to see if it was true.

The old training manuals included a self-report scale where we could measure how effective we were on a scale from 1-10. One of the items was “I invite investigators to be baptized on the first or second lesson.” I usually felt uncomfortable doing that unless the Spirit was there, but some missionaries would. They’d typically say something like, “if you get an answer that the Book of Mormon is true, will you be baptized, (etc.)?” Some missionaries were as bold as to suggest a date they could start working towards. Something like, “If you receive an answer before this day, will you be baptized on this day?” It usually felt like we were showing up and putting a lot of pressure on them to suddenly join the Church. It kind of just felt like really aggressive sales tactics.

Elder Ballard announced in a Mission Leadership Seminar last June that it was in fact inappropriate, and that baptismal invitations ought to be led by the Spirit. The Church News reported on it. You can read about it here.

How I Used to Understand the Book of Mormon

But that’s really besides the point. The point is, the Book of Mormon was just used as a thing we asked investigators to pray about to see if they should join the Church. That felt like its primary purpose.

For members, it was an additional volume of scripture we bore our testimonies about in a testimony meeting, but its content didn’t seem all that ground breaking. It felt like all of the lessons we had already had in Sunday School. Anytime it mentioned baptism, for example, I mentally sort of checked out. I had already been baptized, so I assumed whatever Nephi or Alma or Jesus was about to say didn’t apply to me.

Faith? I believed in God. I assumed I already had faith, so I checked out for that too. Repentance I knew I needed, but it seemed like as long as I kept doing my best and taking the sacrament every week, I was good. That was supposed to renew my baptismal covenant anyway, so I was basically being made clean again every week. Right?

I got the Holy Ghost the same day I was baptized, so all of this talk of being “baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost” was old news too. Right? Huh… it somehow seems like this book was written for investigators more than it was for me – although the funny part was, most investigators decided whether or not to be baptized before they read very far. It didn’t seem like most of them made it out of 1 Nephi before they either confessed they weren’t interested or accepted the invitation to be baptized. This was especially true if we were asking them to be baptized on the first or second lesson.

So now the primary audience, in my mind, isn’t even reading what was written for them. And once they get baptized, all those verses about being baptized and getting the Holy Ghost will basically be obsolete, right? I mean, I guess its possible that they could be a little stubborn and the missionaries would need to read all of those chapters with them before they were convinced. But even then, we put so much emphasis on having a spiritual – revelatory – experience, that what the book said almost felt like an afterthought.

And then there were all those confusing Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi. Those never really made any sense. We have them in the Bible, why did Nephi have to include them? You’d hope your friend or investigator who was reading the Book of Mormon you gave them got an answer before they got to Isaiah (they might lose interest!).

I already believe Jesus is the Christ, and Moroni says that’s the whole purpose of the book! So basically I don’t need it right? It’s supposed to convince you to join the Church, and I’ve already done that. Check.

I mean, obviously its good to read your scriptures everyday. They say it’s like food for your spirit, so that’s a good reason to read. It’s a good reminder that God will answer my prayers, and motivates me to “endure to the end.” I’m in the Church, so now all I have to do is not “fall away,” or go less-active. Like Bruce R. McConkie said,

“What you have to do is stay in the mainstream of the Church and live as upright and decent people live in the Church–keeping the commandments, paying your tithing, serving in the organizations of the Church, loving the Lord, staying on the straight and narrow path. If you’re on that path when death comes–because this is the time and the day appointed, this the probationary estate–you’ll never fall off from it, and, for all practical purposes, your calling and election is made sure.” (“The Probationary Test of Mortality,” Jan. 1982)

Or like BYU author Stephen E. Robinson said,

“What I want to emphasize in this regard ought to be self-evident, but apparently a lot of us miss it. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, these critical steps, which are the equivalent to entering into the kingdom [baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, etc.], are already behind us. They are history. Therefore we are not waiting to see what some future verdict will decide. If we are in the covenant, the verdict is already in, and so are we.

“Relative to the kingdom of God, most people are ‘out until they’re in.’ That is, they are not members of the kingdom until they have accepted the gospel and enter into the covenant relationship. But in stark contrast to this, the members of the Church are ‘in until they’re out.’ That is, all who are in the covenant are God’s children now, and they will remain in the kingdom until they choose to leave. And if we accept his training and discipline–if we endure to the end–we will still be his children at the great day.” (Stephen E. Robinson, Following Christ, p. 15)

Because becoming a member of the Church is synonymous with salvation, any valuable message the Book of Mormon has to offer either needs to convince us to join the Church, or stay in it. Does it have a message beyond that? If the above quotes are true, does it need to have any other purpose?

Growing up, this was how I understood it. Was I missing something here?

I mean, it seems like Mormon, Moroni, and Joseph went through a whole lot to get us this book. The Lord seemed to think it was pretty important we have it. Are we using it the right way? Is its message relevant to us if we already have the prize every sermon and story points to? Who exactly is it written to?

“I Will Try the Faith of My People”

As it turns out, the Book of Mormon offers a litmus test we can apply to see if we as a people are using it correctly. Mormon recorded the Savior saying:

“And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation. Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.” (3 Nephi 26:9-11)

The Book of Mormon comes forth as a trial. If we pass, we receive the greater things. If we fail, they’re withheld, and we come under condemnation.

Therefore, we can simply ask ourselves: have we received the greater things? And the answer is no, we haven’t. The Lord confirmed our condemnation two short years after we received the Book of Mormon, which has still not been lifted:

“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.” (D&C 84:54-58)

So Christ says the Book of Mormon will come forth in the last days, and one of two things can happen. Do you think the Lord saw this coming? More specifically, do you think Nephi, Mormon and Moroni saw this coming? If so, what do you anticipate their perception of us was? What do you think they thought about “the mainstream of the Church?” Do you think they looked at us and said, “They’re awesome. Chosen generation. The Church is restored. They’ve got nothing to worry about?”

Speaking of the “greater things,” Moroni wrote: “For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord” (Ether 4:6). To Moroni, we were the people who received “this” [Book of Mormon] “to try their faith,” but to whom the greater things were withheld “unto their condemnation.” To Moroni, we’re the people who need to “repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.”

To all the Book of Mormon prophets, and to the Lord, we’re a people under condemnation. After all, is it not the “mainstream of the Church” that came under the Lord’s condemnation?

As a sidenote, sometimes we read “the gentiles” in the Book of Mormon and just assume it’s referring to non-members. However, Jospeh Smith affirmed in the Kirtland Temple Dedicatory prayer that even the members of the Church “are identified with the Gentiles” (D&C 109:60). In the last days, the gospel goes to the Gentiles. This doesn’t just mean its preached to them, but it means they receive it. When Moroni looks forward in time, he sees us. To him, we’re Gentiles.

Gentile Blessings — There’s a bit of a hierarchy when it comes to the Gentiles. The broadest group encompasses anyone from a nation other than Israel. A more specific group that comes from those Gentiles who inhabit America. Within that group are those who receive the Book of Mormon and the Fulness of the Gospel, or the “Covenant Gentiles.”

For the purpose of this post, I’m going to label each group in bold or italics or both. Both the nations of the Gentiles as well as those who have have inherited America (Americans) will be bold. The House of Israel, Jews, or Lamanite remnant will be italicized. The covenant Gentiles who receive the Book of Mormon and Fulness of the Gospel (Mormons) will be italicized bold.

An example of this is in Ether 12:22, “my fathers have obtained the promise that these things [the Book of Mormon] should come unto their brethren through the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus Christ.” In other words, the Book of Mormon comes first to the Gentiles, and then the Gentiles take it to the Lamanites. We’re the Gentiles.

“Upon My House Shall it Begin”

Another example of this is in 3 Nephi 20. The Savior says:

“…then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed—unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles, which blessing upon the Gentiles shall make them mighty above all, unto the scattering of my people, O house of Israel. And they shall be a scourge unto the people of this land. Nevertheless, when they shall have received the fulness of my gospel, then if they shall harden their hearts against me I will return their iniquities upon their own heads, saith the Father.” (3 Nephi 20:27-28)

The latter-day Gentiles who receive the Book of Mormon are warned that if they harden their hearts against Christ, there will be consequences. He does not guarantee that once they receive the fulness of the gospel, staying in the mainstream of the Church will be enough. He also said,

“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.

“And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel.

“But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel. And I will not suffer my people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread them down, saith the Father. But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel.” (3 Nephi 16:10-15)

There are a few clues in this passage that help us identify these Gentiles as the 3rd group (those who receive the gospel), and not just “non-Israelites” or “Americans.”

First, He says that the Gentiles will “sin against” His gospel. You can’t sin against a gospel you haven’t learned. This isn’t just referring to non-members hearing the missionaries’ message and telling them they’re not interested. They’re sinning “against the greater light” (D&C 82:3). Following their sinning against the gospel, and rejecting its fulness, the gospel is brought from among them.

Further confirming that these Gentiles aren’t “non-members,” they are then told that if they “repent and return,” they can still be numbered among the house of Israel (as opposed to those who will be “cut off from among the covenant people” [3 Nephi 21:11]). You can’t “return” to somewhere you’ve never been.

That these are the “Covenant Gentiles” is even further confirmed by the Lord’s use of symbolism. As He stated to both the Jews in the Sermon on the Mount, and the Nephites in bountiful, “I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men” (3 Nephi 12:13). Salt is a covenantal symbol. It refers to being a covenant people, and salt that “loses it savor” and is “trodden under foot” is the result of violating the covenant with God (the covenant curse).

“When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men; they are called to be the savor of men; therefore, if that salt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.” (D&C 101:39-40)

This passage in 3 Nephi therefore can’t be talking about anyone else. According to Christ Himself, there would come a point in time when the covenant Gentiles sinned against the gospel, and rejected its fulness. When that happened, the Lord would bring the fulness of His gospel from among them, and they’d be cut off from being God’s covenant people. Lastly, if they would not repent, they would be trodden under foot by His people: the House of Israel. That all may look something like this:

“But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant. And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.” (3 Nephi 21:10-12)

The Lord said to the prophet Joseph Smith,

“Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.” (D&C 112:24-26)

In accordance with divine pattern, the judgment begins upon those who had the most light and responsibility, and works outward in that direction. We might expect something like this:

Gentile Condemnation — Both models copied from *here.*

Multiple times in the scriptures, we’re told to study the prophecies of Isaiah. Jesus explicitly commands us to:

“And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles.” (3 Nephi 23:1-2)

Jesus point blank vouches for the words of Isaiah – and yet, how many of us who read the Book of Mormon really “search these things diligently?” Do we grasp their importance? Could this be one way we “treat lightly the things we’ve received?”

One reason this is important is because they offer us a prophetic perspective into the last days. Isaiah’s prophecies are always relevant to both his day and ours (the last days). He speaks in such a manner that applies to his world as well as ours. Understanding much of Isaiah is a matter of identifying the modern day players. One key, for example, is knowing that when Isaiah speaks about “Israel” he’s referring to a covenant people. In his day, it obviously means the nation of Israel. In the latter-days, he’s referring to the Covenant Gentiles. Nephi confirms this when he quotes Isaiah and adds commentary like:

“Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness.” (1 Nephi 20:1)

Searching the words of Isaiah is important. Jesus commands us to do it. That’s a topic beyond the scope of this post.

The truth is, we, the Covenant Gentile readers, are one of the primary audiences of the Book of Mormon. We, those who have “received this” and have come under condemnation (3 Nephi 26:9), are those who need to apply the message of the Book of Mormon. As long as we continue to read it and say, “these verses about repenting and coming unto the Lord belong to non-members,” we are in danger of missing the whole point. We are in danger of becoming those who Nephi saw:

“And others will [Satan] pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell… Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!” (2 Nephi 28:21, 24-25)

The Purpose of the Book of Mormon: Nearer to God

The Book of Mormon is a historic record of an actual civilization who populated the American continent. Their dealings with one another, and encounters with God, are in fact literal events that affected real people. Christ appeared and ministered to many people following His resurrection, and the Book of Mormon is a record of one these visits.

However:

The historicity of the Book of Mormon is not its primary feature, nor is it the most relevant. Many books that are historically authentic will not bring you closer to Christ. They are inspired by false spirits conspiring to lead you astray. The Quran, for example, was written in actual history. The encounters Muhammed had with spiritual beings may have even been legitimate, but it does not ensure they were of God. Historical authenticity does not guarantee something is “true,” in the sense that it is from God. Even those who have had authentic spiritual experiences with beings on the other side are not necessarily inspired by a true spirit.

Conversely, many of the parables taught by Jesus did not take place in actual history, but do teach true principles about the Kingdom of God. They’re inspired by the Spirit of God, and are intended to bring you closer to Him. The most important factor is not whether these parables actually happened somewhere in space and time, but rather that they are inspired by a true spirit. Does abiding their precepts bring you closer to God?

Try the Spirits

Like John wrote to the early Christians, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:1-2). There is some historical context to this verse that gets overlooked sometimes, and that is that there were Gentile converts to Christianity who were pushing for the idea that Christ did not come in the flesh to die. They felt it didn’t make sense to have a God who could be killed, so they tried to conform Christianity to their paradigm. John was giving them a key to discern false spirits.

Here’s Joseph’s claim about the Book of Mormon: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (Book of Mormon, Introduction).

What is the “spirit” of the Book of Mormon? Whether you believe the Book of Mormon or not, I’d suggest reading through it with the intention of discerning its spirit. As you do, compare it to the spirit that inspired the Sermon on the Mount, and other teachings of Christ. Does it help you better understand God’s character? Does it fill you with more light? Does it edify you? Does it comfort you the way God has? Does living the way it invites you to live fill you with pure love for those around you?

Remember that no important truth God asserts will go unopposed by Satan. He will stop at nothing to prevent you from getting any closer to God than you presently are. Therefore, as you read, ask yourself which spirit compels you to reject the Book of Mormon. Is it one of fear? Pride? If it makes you uncomfortable, why? Is it because it dulls your sensibilities and leads you away from God? Does God’s spirit urge you to disbelieve it?

By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ gave another key to discern false prophets: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

Does making an effort to live its precepts produce good or evil fruit in your life? Paul wrote to the Galatians,

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:19-23, NKJV)

Which effect does doing what it says have on you? Do you feel more inclined towards immorality? Idolatry? Jealousy? Selfishness? Anger? Pride? Contention? Does it cause you to feel that you are better than others? Does it close your mind off to receiving more truth from God? Does it lead you to violate one of the ten commandments, or Christ’s teachings? I personally do not believe the evidence, both internal and external to the text, compels the honest seeker to conclude that Joseph Smith fabricated the Book of Mormon. At the very least, an angel and some plates were involved (I’ll revisit these evidences in another post). The real question is, was the angel from God? The people and events in the Book of Mormon could even be historically authentic, but none of that matters unless they were inspired by a true spirit.

If the prophets of the Book of Mormon lead you to be less Christlike, you can set them down as false prophets. If following the Christ of the Book of Mormon causes you to exhibit the bad fruits from the scripture above, you can conclude He is a false Christ, and that the spirit of the Book of Mormon is a lying spirit.

If on the other hand, accepting and living the teachings of the Book of Mormon bears the fruits of the Spirit, you can know that its prophets and writers are inspired by the same Spirit that motivated and inspired Christ. Does it fill you with pure love? Joy? Peace? Longsuffering? Kindness? Gentleness? Patience?

Determining What’s True

At some point you have to ask yourself why you believe the Bible, if you do. What gives Moses any credibility? Or Isaiah? What gives those guys the right to speak on God’s behalf? How do you know Moses wasn’t fabricating the revelations He received from God? And if he was having an experience with the other-worldly, how can you determine it was from God, and not what we’d call Satan? Ultimately you’ll determine that there’s some aspect of the human experience that’s holier, nobler, and more pure than the rest. You’ll find there’s a pattern and consistency to that spirit. As you strive toward it, you’ll understand it more and more. Your experiences and interactions with it will grow more vibrant and vivid. Certain things the biblical authors teach will harmonize and expand your understanding of that spirit, life, and reality.

This is God.

As you encounter the Book of Mormon, you must ask yourself if the same spirit animates and inspires its authors. Does it fill you with that spirit? Does it make you more humble, submissive, and trusting of God?

If you find something it teaches harmonizes with that spirit, but extends it beyond what is known to you, you have something to pray about. After all, that’s what the entire Bible has done for you thus far. For example, when you read Alma’s explanation to his son of what happens to us in between death and the resurrection, you’ll note it’s a topic the bible says very little about. You can determine whether or not its true by reflecting it off of the same spirit that tells you Moses gave an accurate depiction of the creation and fall, or that Jesus is the Christ.

Lastly, take any event at any time in the Bible. It could be Noah calling the world to repent, join him on the ark, or be destroyed by the coming flood, or later in time during Jesus’ ministry. Take any of those circumstances and ask yourself: Let’s assume that that was happening today. Let’s assume God was doing things today similar to what He was doing back then. What would that look like? How would that unfold? What would be said? What would the response be? How would you react to that if it were going on today? How would you decide if something like that were happening now, whether or not it was authentic and of God? How would you go about deciding that in your own day, in your own time, among your own people, within your own family, what is happening is of God and not of men?

I don’t think that just because something gets enshrined in scripture we should lose sight of the fact that it has always required faith, it will always require faith, and it doesn’t matter what proofs you can muster for or against belief in something. At the end of the day either God is behind it or God is not. And if God is behind it and your heart is open to it, you’ll recognize it, but it takes faith.

If you want to know what the purpose of the Book of Mormon is, Moroni tells you in the title page. It’s ” to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.” The writers in the Book of Mormon don’t even point to themselves. They just want you to have faith in Christ. He’s the focal point.

As you dive in and take it seriously, you will breathe the spirit of the writers. If you ultimately find it to be harmonious with the Spirit of Christ, then it can also become a standard for your faith, and a tool used to determine truth. All that matters is that it’s inspired by the Spirit of God. It’s that Spirit you’re striving to align your life with.

It’s my experience that the Book of Mormon conveys the Spirit of Christ better than any I’ve ever read. It is in fact that most correct book, and a man can get closer to God by abiding its precepts than by any other book.