How to Come Unto Christ – The Final Plea of Book of Mormon Prophets

In my recent reading, I was noticing that the final plea of many Book of Mormon prophets were all about the invitation to Come Unto Christ !

2 Nephi 2:6–8, 26-30 : Lehi’s Final Plea

6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they reredeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen.

2 Nephi 33:4, 10-11: Nephi’s Final Plea

4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.

10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.

11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.

Omni 1:25–26: Amaleki’s Final Plea

25 And it came to pass that I began to be old; and, having no seed, and knowing king ^aBenjamin to be a just man before the Lord, wherefore, I shall ^bdeliver up ^cthese plates unto him, exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are good; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil.

26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

Mormon 7:5–9 : Moroni’s first final plea

5 Know ye that ye must come to the ^aknowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.

6 And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment-seat.

7 And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the ^echoirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are ^fone God, in a state of ^ghappiness which hath no end.

8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.

9 For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.

Moroni 10:30, 32-33 : Moroni’s second final plea

30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God.

President Russell M. Nelson's Challenge to Read all the References about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide and How to Mark Your Scriptures about the Savior

In his talk, "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives," Pres. Nelson explains why he wants us to take this challenge:

Earlier this year, I asked the young adults of the Church to consecrate a portion of their time each week to study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the standard works. I invited them to let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become their personal core curriculum.

I gave that challenge because I had already accepted it myself. I read and underlined every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide. When I finished that exciting exercise, my wife asked me what impact it had on me. I told her, “I am a different man!”

I felt a renewed devotion to Him as I read again in the Book of Mormon the Savior’s own statement about His mission in mortality. He declared:

“I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross.”

1. Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives - President Russell M. Nelson’s Challenge

2. Promises of Daily Reading the Book of Mormon as Given by Prophets and Apostles in General Conference

Below are some ideas on how you could mark your scriptures about the Savior.

I bought the cheap, paperback copies of the 4 standard works. Then I copied the references to Jesus Christ from the Topical Guide and pasted them into a Word document. After I marked a verse in my scriptures, I crossed out the reference on my print out of the Topical Guide. 

Jesus Christ in the Scriptures

·         Attributes of Christ

o   Faith, Hope, Charity, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence, Obedience, Leadership & Teaching, Discernment

·         The Strengthening aspect of Jesus’ Atonement (Grace)

·         The Redeeming aspect of Jesus’ Atonement

·         Christ’s doctrines, laws, and parables

·         The Life of the Savior

·         Symbolism & Prophecies, His Mission, Creator, Antemortal

·         Christ’s Second Coming

·         Divine Sonship, power & authority, titles of Jesus Christ

·         Rejecting the Savior

·         How we can draw the power of Jesus Christ into our lives. 
   (1)  We begin by learning about Him.

 (2)  We choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.

 (3)  We make sacred covenants and keep those covenants with precision. 
(4)  We reach up to Him in faith.

In order to mark "each verse" as President Nelson challenged, first I include the categories above for the major references and second, I use yellow to highlight every other reference to Him along with a couple of words around that reference. I am now in 2 Nephi and I feel that by marking "each verse," I am learning so much about the Savior and His love, His attributes, and His power. After I finish, I will read the Book of Mormon, focusing on what patterns and themes I can learn from my markings.

Great Faith has a Short Shelf Life

Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady by Elder Henry B. Eyring

"Great faith has a short shelf life."

Most of us have thought about how to prepare for storms. We have seen and felt the suffering of women, men, and children, and of the aged and the weak, caught in hurricanes, tsunamis, wars, and droughts. One reaction is to ask, “How can I be prepared?” And there is a rush to buy and put away whatever people think they might need for the day they might face such calamities.

But there is another even more important preparation we must make for tests that are certain to come to each of us. That preparation must be started far in advance because it takes time. What we will need then can’t be bought. It can’t be borrowed. It doesn’t store well. And it has to have been used regularly and recently.

So, the great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage.

We will need to have developed and nurtured faith in Jesus Christ long before Satan hits us, as he will, with doubts and appeals to our carnal desires and with lying voices saying that good is bad and that there is no sin. Those spiritual storms are already raging. We can expect that they will worsen until the Savior returns.

However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. 

Let me suggest to you four settings in which to practice quick and steady obedience. One is the command to feast upon the word of God. A second is to pray always. A third is the commandment to be a full-tithe payer. And the fourth is to escape from sin and its terrible effects. Each takes faith to start and then to persevere. And all can strengthen your capacity to know and obey the Lord’s commands.

There is a better way to prepare, because great faith has a short shelf life. We could decide to persist in studying the words of Christ in the scriptures and the teachings of living prophets.

How to Improve our Scripture Study

1.     Do We Feel Like We Fail at Scripture Reading?

LDS.org - Understanding the Difference Between Guilt and Shame, Davis

“For most of my life, I’ve misunderstood guilt. I knew on some level I needed to feel guilt in order to bring me to repentance. I thought true repentance meant I had to feel really bad about myself for a long time. That’s how it works, right?    Wrong. I was mistaking guilt for shame. 

Guilt = I did something bad, something not in line with my values.

Shame = I am bad.

For example, let’s say you haven’t read your scriptures all week. If you think, “Ugh! I’m the worst! I’m never righteous enough,” that is shame. If you think, “Hmm, this business of not reading my scriptures all week—that is not in line with my values. I made a mistake. I better fix it,” that is guilt.”

2.     Why Study our Scriptures More Deeply?

Elder Kim B. Clark, “Encircled About with Fire”

Whatever level of spirituality we now enjoy in our lives; whatever degree of faith in Jesus Christ we now have; whatever strength of commitment and consecration, whatever degree of obedience or hope or charity is ours..., it will not be sufficient for the work that lies ahead.... •We need to educate the rising generation more deeply and more powerfully than we have ever done before or than anyone has ever done before.... •The rising generation needs that deep learning.

Deep learning is inherently a spiritual experience. The rising generation will learn deeply only insofar as the redeeming and strengthening powers of Christ work in their lives, purifying, sanctifying, and qualifying them to receive His grace and the gifts He has prepared for them. They must diligently work and seek learning, but they must also be cleansed through the atoning blood of Christ so that they can receive more light and be taught by the Holy Ghost.

The rising generation needs that deep learning because the world they will face will be both great and terrible—there will be increased light and power from heaven, and there will be even more terrible wickedness and turmoil and confusion. They will need to be grounded in the plain and simple truths of the gospel, the gospel will need to be deep in their hearts, and they will need what President Russell M. Nelson has called resilient faith in Christ: “Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint.

President Russell M. Nelson, “A Plea to My Sisters”

Attacks against the Church, its doctrine, and our way of life are going to increase. Because of this, we need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation.

Elder Neil L. Andersen, “A Compensatory Spiritual Power for the Righteous”

When I was a young man growing up in southeastern Idaho, I remember frequently hearing a quote from Elder Heber C. Kimball given in 1867: 

“To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess his personal knowledge or witness will fall. … The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to [stand] on borrowed light.”¹²

More than ever in the 64 years of my life, this prophetic statement by Heber C. Kimball is coming to pass. Deep, continuing conversion is becoming much more important for those desiring to keep their covenants. It is becoming more and more precarious to stand on borrowed light.

As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight.

My brothers and sisters, as evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory power, an additional spiritual endowment, a revelatory gift for the righteous.

I like to think of it this way: If two people are walking together along a very gentle terrain, one lantern is often sufficient. But when the time comes, as it does with each child, that he or she steps away from us to take his or her own journey, our light is no longer sufficient to light his or her way. And while one may be linked tightly to a companion—if you are fortunate enough to have a companion of faith—if we unexpectedly face jagged rocks and uneven cliffs, each needs his or her own lantern to light the path.

3.     How Can We Improve our Study? Here are a couple of ideas that have worked for me. Bring some ideas that have worked for you.

1.      Pray to know how to study better: Pres. Nelson, The Price of Priesthood Power

Are you willing to pray to know how to pray for more power? The Lord will teach you. Are you willing to search the scriptures and feast on the words of Christ—to study earnestly in order to have more power? If we will humbly present ourselves before the Lord and ask Him to teach us, He will show us how to increase our access to His power.

2

.      Use Colors to Mark Your Scriptures

Example:

·         The Strengthening aspect of Christ’s Atonement

o   Strength, power, grace

·         The Redeeming Aspect of Christ’s Atonement, repentance

·         The Savior

·         Holy Ghost, revelation

·         Strategies of Satan, sin, and evil

·         Family

3.      Three Approaches to Scripture Study – Elder Bednar, Reservoir of Living Water

I want to review with you three basic ways or methods of obtaining living water from the scriptural reservoir:

(1) reading the scriptures from beginning to end,

(2) studying the scriptures by topic, and

(3) searching the scriptures for connections, patterns, and themes.

4.      Always begin with some time in the Book of Mormon:

PRESIDENT MONSON:

This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you.

My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so:

1.      We will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit,

2.      to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and

3.      to receive heaven’s help in our lives.

I so testify with all my heart.

PRESIDENT NELSON

3 Promises by President Nelson: My dear brothers and sisters,

1)    I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. 

2)    I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life.

3)    I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions.

PRESIDENT HINCKLEY:  I promise you [if you] read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives:

1.      An added measure of the Spirit

2.      A strengthened resolution to obey

3.      A stronger testimony of Jesus

   

    PRESIDENT BENSON: 

    President Ezra Taft Benson, Cleansing the Inner Vessel, April 1986

“ I counsel you... to make reading in the Book of Mormon a few minutes each day a lifelong practice. 

There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book.  The power:

1.      To resist temptation

2.      To avoid deception

3.      Stay on strait path

When you begin to hunger and thirst after the Book of Mormon, you will find life in greater and greater abundance. 

PRESIDENT KIMBALL:

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball

I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away.  If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns.

Promises of Daily Reading the Book of Mormon as Given by Prophets and Apostles in General Conference

Prophetic Promises of the Book of Mormon

Joseph Smith:

“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.” 

President Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?,” October 2017 [See more from Pres. Nelson below.]

3 Promises by President Nelson: My dear brothers and sisters,

1)    I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. 

2)    I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life.

3)    I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions.

PRESIDENT MONSON:

President Thomas S. Monson, “The Power of the Book of Mormon,” April 2017

This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated.

I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you.

My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so:

·         We will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit,

·         to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and

·         to receive heaven’s help in our lives.

I so testify with all my heart.

     It is my testimony that the Book of Mormon changes lives. May each of us read it and reread it. And may we joyfully share our testimonies of its precious promises with all of God’s children.

PRESIDENT HINCKLEY:  I promise you [if you] read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives:

1.      An added measure of the Spirit of the Lord

2.      A strengthened resolution to walk in obedience

3.      A stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.

PRESIDENT BENSON: 

President Ezra Taft Benson, Cleansing the Inner Vessel, April 1986

“The Book of Mormon has not been, nor is it yet, the center of our personal study, family teaching, preaching, and missionary work. Of this we must repent. [President Marion G. Romney] concluded: ‘And so I counsel you... to make reading in the Book of Mormon a few minutes each day a lifelong practice. I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children:

·         the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein.

·         The spirit of reverence will increase;

·         mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow.

·         The spirit of contention will depart.

·         Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom.

·         Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents.

·         Righteousness will increase.

·         Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives.”

President Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion,” October 1986

There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book.  The power:

1.      To resist temptation

2.      To avoid deception

3.      Stay on strait path

When you begin to hunger and thirst after the Book of Mormon, you will find life in greater and greater abundance. 

President Henry B. Eyring, “Fear Not to Do Good,” October 2017

Last April, President Thomas S. Monson gave a message that stirred hearts across the world, including mine. He spoke of the power of the Book of Mormon. He urged us to study, ponder, and apply its teachings.

He urged us to study, ponder, and apply its teachings. He promised that if we dedicated time each day to studying and pondering and kept the commandments the Book of Mormon contains, we would have a vital testimony of its truth, and the resultant testimony of the living Christ would see us through to safety in times of trouble.

 Like many of you, I felt the prophet’s encouragement and his promise invite me to make a greater effort. Many of you have done what I did: prayed with increased intent, pondered scripture more intently, and tried harder to serve the Lord and others for Him.

 The happy result for me, and for many of you, has been what the prophet promised. Those of us who took his inspired counsel to heart have heard the Spirit more distinctly. We have found a greater power to resist temptation and have felt greater faith in a resurrected Jesus Christ, in His gospel, and in His living Church.

 In a season of increasing tumult in the world, those increases in testimony have driven out doubt and fear and have brought us feelings of peace. Heeding President Monson’s counsel has had two other wonderful effects on me: First, the Spirit he promised has produced a sense of optimism about what lies ahead, even as the commotion in the world seems to increase. And, second, the Lord has given me—and you—an even greater feeling of His love for those in distress. We have felt an increase in the desire to go to the rescue of others. That desire has been at the heart of President Monson’s ministry and teaching.

PRESIDENT KIMBALL:

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball

I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away.  If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns.

ELDER HOLLAND:  I testify that not one of us can find the fullest measure of peace & comfort in our times until he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of Mormon & the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it testifies.

ELDER NELSON:  We who are privileged to have the Book of Mormon, to have His gospel, & to keep His commandments know something of God’s infinite love. We know how to make His love our own.

ELDER ANDERSON:  We need our own secure and settled faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we need help in strengthening our families so that this faith flows into the hearts of our children and grandchildren. This is an important part of the divine mission of the Book of Mormon.

ELDER CHRISTOFFERSON:  Studying the Book of Mormon invites the Spirit, and the Spirit is the medium of revelation. This suggests that we study in a thoughtful, meditative fashion—pondering, praying, and perhaps making notes as we read. This puts us in a condition to receive added light and understanding, both about what we are studying and about other matters.

Why Study the Book of Mormon Daily? By Elder Oaks

 The Book of Mormon is Christ-centered. That is its essential feature, and that is the reason we are commanded to study it continually. 

 In my opinion, one of the principal reasons our Heavenly Father had his prophet direct us into a more intensive study of the Book of Mormon is to help us counteract this modern tendency to try to diminish the divinity and mission of our Savior.

 President Benson has stressed this key point again and again in his messages as President of the Church. “Let us read the Book of Mormon and be convinced that Jesus is the Christ. Let us continually reread the Book of Mormon so that we might more fully come to Christ, be committed to Him, centered in Him, and consumed in Him” (Ensign, Nov. 1987, p. 85).

President Russell M. Nelson, “Because I Know the Book of Mormon is True”

In their separate remarks, the Nelsons recounted a question that was once posed by a nurse to Dr. Russell M. Nelson after he performed a difficult surgery: “Why are you not like other surgeons?”

Some surgeons, the nurse knew well, could be short-tempered and profane as they performed their pressure-filled duties. Dr. Nelson’s reply?: “Because I know the Book of Mormon is true.”

That answer prompted the nurse and her own surgeon-husband to study the Book of Mormon. President Nelson later baptized the nurse.

Decades passed and President Nelson lost contact with the couple. The husband later died and his wife eventually remarried. While presiding over a stake conference in Tennessee shortly after being called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Nelson enjoyed an unexpected reunion with the nurse who, years earlier, had asked why he was not like some of his colleagues.

That woman’s conversion, brought about by the influence of the Book of Mormon, brought about the conversion of 80 more people, said President Nelson.

President Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?” October 2017 [Here is what Pres. Nelson said in outline form]

I testify that

·         the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God.

·         It contains the answers to life’s most compelling questions.

·         It teaches the doctrine of Christ.

·         It expands and clarifies many of the “plain and precious” truths that were lost through centuries of time and numerous translations of the Bible.

·         The Book of Mormon provides the fullest and most authoritative understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere.

·         It teaches what it really means to be born again.

·         From the Book of Mormon we learn about the gathering of scattered Israel.

·         We know why we are here on earth.

·         These and other truths are more powerfully and persuasively taught in the Book of Mormon than in any other book.

·         The full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is contained in the Book of Mormon. Period.

The Book of Mormon both illuminates the teachings of the Master and exposes the tactics of the adversary.

·         The Book of Mormon teaches true doctrine to dispel false religious traditions—such as the erroneous practice of performing infant baptisms.

·         The Book of Mormon gives purpose to life by urging us to ponder the potential of eternal life and “never-ending happiness.”

·         The Book of Mormon shatters the false beliefs that happiness can be found in wickedness and that individual goodness is all that is required to return to the presence of God.

·         It abolishes forever the false concepts that revelation ended with the Bible and that the heavens are sealed today.