The Introductory Pages of the Book of Mormon

With only about 23 Sunday School lessons across the year, you might be forgiven for wondering why a whole lesson has been given over to studying the title page, contents, testimonies and introduction which precede the actual Book of Mormon text. Well, I think of it as the pre-title sequence: it sets us up for what is to come. There is important information here.

We also talked about the book's provenance. Provenance means the history of something which serves to authenticate it. In art, for example, it might include past owners and valuations. The Bible has a rich and full provenance - we know it is a collection of historical documents and there is no doubt of its authenticity. The Book of Mormon, on the other hand, has little to no provenance. Essentially, these introductory pages are its entire provenance. They tell us where it came from, and how, but really its authenticity has to be taken entirely on faith.

Personally I find that to be one of its strengths. The reader is the one who must decide whether this is a genuine and true historical document. The book has to speak for itself. And it has, countless times, and it continues to do so.

A year or two ago I ran into an old family friend who had been a leading light in the church where I first became a Christian when I was 14, and is now the pastor of another church. He's a lovely guy, and had been dismayed to learn that I had abandoned the "Christian" path to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 20 years ago. We had a bit of a chat, and I think I was able to reassure him that I still believed in those same core doctrines he had introduced me to (that Jesus died for my sins, etc.), and was still following the path he had set me on, but there was one sticking point, and that was when I said that I believe the Book of Mormon was also scripture. He asked, "Can't you do it without that book?" Read to the end to see how I replied.

Contents

A little bit of fun first. How can you remember how many books are in each volume of scripture? You know, for quizzes and the like?

Title Page

Right at the beginning of the Book of Mormon we have this page which consists of just two paragraphs. The first paragraph shows us why the book is important.

• It is "an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites". I believe all history is important, especially when, as in this case, it's the only surviving record of these people.
• Christine noticed that it was written "to the Lamanites" and I said I'd look into what that meant. Here's a good blog I found on the subject. However, it was also written "to Jew and Gentile" which shows that it’s for everyone. 
• It was "written by way of commandment". If God commanded that it be written, then it's obviously important
• "Also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation." God was involved in the writing. 
• It was "sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed … sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord." So God commanded that it be written, for everyone, was involved in its writing, and protected so that it could come forth and serve its purpose at the right time.

The second paragraph tells us about its purpose.

• "Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers." It's a reminder to the Jews, and to us (as a remnant) that God has been with us in the past)
• "and that they may know the covenants of the Lord." It contain important knowledge about our relationship with Him, knowledge that we need to have.
• "that they are not cast off forever." I love this, because it tells us that the message of the Book of Mormon is one of hope. Despite all that we have done, despite how often we go wrong, we are not abandoned. If you did the exercise suggested in Come, Follow Me you'll see that there are several words used to describe the plan of salvation in the Book of Mormon. It is variously referred to as the great plan of God, the eternal plan of  deliverance from death, the plans of redemption, the plan of restoration, and the plan of mercy. What all these say to me, however, is that it's the plan of hope.
• "and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations." This is the big one. The main purpose of the Book of Mormon is to testify of Christ. I think that's why it says "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" right on the cover.

Introduction

Moving on, the introduction gives a brief outline of what the Book of Mormon is, what it contains, how it came about, and how the reader should approach it. The very first sentence says that it "contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel”. How are we to understand this when it doesn't say anything about temple ordinances, eternal marriage, the word of wisdom, or the degrees of glory? I found a good answer to this question here, but we came to the conclusion in class, pretty quickly, that the "fulness of the everlasting gospel" is the principles of faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Spirit, the atonement, love, charity, and enduring to the end. These are the central and pivotal foundation doctrines, and are contained in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

A lot of those outside the church think that the Book of Mormon either replaces (for us) or contradicts the Bible. It does neither. It actually reaffirms beautifully and completely supports the Bible, aand can and should be read alongside it. The only thing we could think of in class (thanks Pan) where it makes a major doctrinal stand is when Moroni makes a statement  against infant baptism (Moroni 8).

In a recent message our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson asked us to “Ponder important questions such as, “How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?”

Testimonies of the Witnesses

The three witnesses testified that "an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon." The eight witnesses said, "Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates ... [which]we did handle with our hands."

Why might God have called some witnesses to have a direct and glorious angelic experience--including hearing the voice of God--and others simply to handle the plates? I think it shows that all experiences of testimony, in all their forms and diversity, are equally valid. You might be someone who has heavenly visions, you might hear the voice of God, or you might feel a sensation of peace, you might be moved by spiritual music, or simply feel comfortable and happy in a church setting. You might someone for whom feeling the spirit means ready tears, or someone who experiences the spirit most through its confirmation to you of the testimonies of others. Whatever your own testimony of the plates might be, it's as valid and genuine as anyone else's.

I mentioned, too, that I was initially frustrated that eight witnesses plus three witnesses makes eleven witnesses. Didn't we say, in the last letter, that the Jewish perfect number was 12? Well, Joseph Smith himself also saw and handled the plates, of course, so that makes twelve.

Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith

We didn't have time to go through this in class, but I would encourage you to read it, if you haven't already.

Using Gospel Library to aid your study

Gospel Library is available online, and as an app for your device. If you sign in wherever you use it, it will keep your notes, highlights and annotations across devices. There are several great things about it which can make your study time easier and richer.

• It contains everything the church publishes, it's free, and items are often available before the paper copy comes out. For example, you can already read select articles from February's Ensign.
• You can open more than one screen, maybe having the scriptures on one, and the Come, Follow Me guide on another, so that you can easily flip between the two. 
• Within the text you can easily view footnotes, scriptures, related content, and even video.
• You can easily highlight text in a variety of colours and styles, make notes as lengthy (or short) as you like, and even link to other notes or sections.
• As Sue Day showed us, there's also a study plan tool which will schedule your study, help you know what you are reading each day, and let you tick it off when you've done it.

The Gospel Library app is constantly being updated, so keep it up to date and there could be even more useful features soon.

So, what did I say to the friend who asked whether I really needed the Book of Mormon? I asked him whether he loved Jesus, and whether he loved reading about Him, and learning about Him, and coming closer to Him. He replied that yes, yes he did.

That being the case, I suggested, shouldn't he be terribly excited to learn that more teachings of Jesus had come to light? That we now have more information about the saviour's life and ministry? That it can help us learn more of Him and draw closer to him? Shouldn't he be overwhelmed with wonder at this news and at the very least want to check it out? Shouldn't he be biting off the hand of anyone offering him a copy of this work? If you love Jesus, why wouldn’t you want more of Him?

I might have added (don't we all think of the right thing to say after the event?) that if, having checked out this new volume, he joyfully came to believe that this new document was indeed true, and did indeed bring him closer to Christ and inspire and thrill him and bring him peace just as the Bible did, how would he feel about relinquishing it? How would he respond if a dear friend asked him to continue in faith without it. Could he? Well, yes, but...  How would he feel if I asked him never to read John's gospel again?

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, but you have to read it to know that for yourself.