Chapter 6

Emily Jean Stone graduated from high school last night.  The graduation exercises were in the Marriot Center on the BYU campus.  She looked so happy and proud in her red robe and cap.  She wore the gold ropes of a 4.0 scholar.  With her diploma was a scholarship certificate from Utah State University.  I could go on and on about how proud we are of her.  But it sufficeth me to say that she is a Daughter of God!  She is also, like Nephi, a descendant of Joseph.   

Chapter 5

Having obtained the Plates of Brass from Laban, Nephi and his brothers returned to the tent of their parents.  Sariah had complained bitterly to her husband thinking the worst regarding her sons. Yet when they returned her heart turned forever, she would never again doubt her husband or the Lord.  Lehi’s tender treatment of his wife’s complaints is inspirational.  Once he had the Brass Plates in hand, he searched them finding the writings of the prophets from Adam to Jeremiah.  He also ascertained his lineage:  he was from Joseph.  The importance of keeping a record of sacred things was taught to our ward this last Sunday by Emily.  She gave her senior talk in sacrament meeting.  She placed on the pulpit a large stack of varied sized books.  She explained that they were her journals.  She had recorded in her “gratitude” journals something from each day that she felt was a tender mercy or blessing from the Lord.  She filled the pages of all these journals by doing this daily from the time she was twelve.  Her talk was well received from the ward members, many of whom commented to Jean and I on Sunday and subsequently throughout the week.  We were very proud of her and felt the Spirit as she spoke. 

Chapter 4

There is a law regarding exceptions to God’s laws.  The law of exceptions is this:  God will allow exceptions from time to time regarding his laws for the good of his children.  He is the only one who can grant an exception.  For Nephi, it was the killing of Laban. “Thou shalt not kill,” was going through Nephi’s mind when the Spirit said, “Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes.”  Jean and I received an exception when we decided to be married in a civil rather than temple ceremony.  For a wise purpose, known to Him, he whispered to our hearts a reassurance that he was not opposed to our decision.  We also sought for and gained approval from our parents, bishop, and stake president.  Two months later, we were sealed in the temple.  It was on the anniversary of Jean’s baptism.  You may find that a situation will arise in your life where you need to petition the Lord for an exception.  Don’t proceed without his approval.  The Spirit will whisper when the coast is clear.

Chapter 3

Nephi:  “I will go and do.”  Laman: “murmur.”  On balance, I hope that in my life I do more doing than I do complaining.  Maybe murmuring comes from being afraid.  Fear causes me to avoid doing something.  When I get through my fears and go and do, I find that the thing I was afraid of wasn’t so bad, in fact I usually enjoy myself.  An example is two weeks ago our high priest group leader asked for volunteers to work at the welfare garden behind the Lindon Cannery.  I didn’t raise my hand.  I was afraid it would be all day.  I could picture myself on my knees weeding.  But, I started listening to the voice of faith and asked if I could be included in the work crew.  I went on a Saturday morning early.  It was raining.  When I got there and looked at the muddy field I almost turned around and left.  But, I got out of the car and discovered they needed someone to bring plants from the warehouse to the field.  I went and got involved with that.  Then they needed someone to dig small holes for the plants to go in.  At the end of an hour we had planted 1600 cabbage plants!  Yes, we were muddy, but a crew of about 20 men was also happy and bound together in the spirit of work.  Go and do!

Chapter 2

Because of faith in Christ and our Father in Heaven, Lehi departed from Jerusalem into the wilderness.  Retirement and old age await me.  What will I do with this new wilderness?  Will I shrivel and murmur and moan.  Or will I stand tall and walk in faith?  Nephi inspires me, but even more, Lehi’s example beckons me forward.  He went forward with faith, nothing wavering.  Sariah stood by his side; her faith his equal.

THE FIRST BOOK OF NEPHI-Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Emily graduated from seminary last night.  She was invited to share her testimony along with five of her classmates.  She stood tall, full of grace and truth.  Her testimony was simple and strong.  “I know the Book of Mormon is true,” she said with enthusiasm.  “Joseph Smith is a prophet,” she stated with dignity.  She even paid homage to her dad for being her first seminary teacher and getting her off to a good start.  I was beaming.  We had a brief moment of mirth, when her name was not read:  She leaped to her feet from her place on the stand and I jumped to my feet too.  The high councilor saw that he had missed her and shouted her name into the microphone.  “EMILY STONE, EMILY STONE!”   Everyone chuckled, including Emily.  My daughter knows the Book of Mormon is true because she has been reading it every night since the ninth grade.  She has also kept a journal faithfully as Nephi did. 

Something new with the latest edition of the Book of Mormon is the change to the paragraph written by Mormon or Moroni at the beginning that starts with, "An account of Lehi...." This paragraph is now printed in regular rather than italicized script. This is to show that this was in the original plates, whereas, the script that was added later at the beginning of the chapters was added by modern day editors.

A Brief Explanation about the Book of Mormon

When you start reading the Book of Mormon you are reading the Small Plates of Nephi.  Mormon left the Small Plates of Nephi unabridged.  His abridgement starts with the Large Plates of Nephi, the book of Mosiah being the first book.    Inserted between the Small Plates and Mormon’s abridgement of the Large Plates is Mormon’s brief explanation of what he did.  This is called the Words of Mormon.  Moroni finished his father’s abridgement and added a short book of his own.  Then he abridged (he may have also translated it) the record of the Jaredite people who came to America at the time of the Tower of Babel.  I know the Book of Mormon is true.  Mormon and Moroni were great father and son prophets!

Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith

Joseph’s experience in his bedroom, seeing and talking to the angel, Moroni, during three interviews, lasting the entire night must have been life changing.  As I read this again, I pictured the scene, putting myself in Joseph’s shoes.  How miraculous and strange!  How life-changing.  His faith was spectacular.  I found myself asking God in my personal prayers if I might receive a spiritual gift wherein I might discern angels nearby.  I want to have a sure knowledge as Joseph did of my life’s mission.  I want to be a holy man.  I want to know my Savior.

The Testimony of the Eight Witnesses

I’m grateful that Joseph Smith’s father and two of his brothers got to see and handle the plates.  I am grateful for the sacrifice of my dear father and brothers.  I love them.  They touch my life as these witnesses touched the plates.  Their influence is real and undeniable.  My dear mother was the most influential.

The Three Witnesses

Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris have the singular honor of being God’s Witnesses to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.  They saw the plates and the engravings.  They heard the voice of God proclaiming that the translation came through his power.  The angel, Moroni, stood before them with the plates.  Think of it!  An angel came from the presence of God to declare the glad tidings.  Because of their witness, I am strengthened in my witness.  They had no reason to lie.  I believe their witness.

Introduction

The Church published an updated version of the LDS SCRIPTURES in 2013.  In this Introduction, I noticed that the pronouns for Jesus, “his” and “him,” are changed to “His” and “Him.”  The next thing I notices was the phrase, "as does the Bible," has been removed from the first sentence. I also noticed that instead of saying the Lamanites are the “principle ancestors of the American Indians,” it now says “they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.” This is an acknowledgment that there are ancestors of the native people of the Americas other than just Lehi’s progeny, although this doesn’t decrease Lehi’s Children’s importance to the history of the western hemisphere.  The House of Israel, particularly the tribe of Joseph, is strongly represented here in the Americas.

I strongly agree with the Introduction statement that, “The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after His resurrection.”  The record of this event is the seminal base of my testimony.

THE BOOK OF MORMON--Title Page

This page was written by Moroni.  The first thing that came to my mind was the aluminum plates we made in seminary.  We would cut out a piece of card-stock about the size we thought the gold plates would be.  Then, on one side of the card-stock we would write our testimonies.  Then we would make up symbols to represent the words of our testimony.  Next, we would attach a sheet of aluminum foil to the other side of the card-stock and carefully engrave the foil with the symbols of our testimony.  It was fun to put ourselves in Moroni’s and Mormon’s shoes.  In this small way we felt a little of what they must of felt as they recorded sacred things. 

When one of my students, Eric Prather, was killed in a car crash, I was asked to speak at his funeral.  I had kept his aluminum plate with his testimony engraved.  I was able to share it with the congregation.  It was a very spiritual and sacred experience for me and them as Eric spoke his testimony “from the dust.” 

As I read Moroni’s title page for the Book of Mormon I was struck with the phrase, “Which is to show unto remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers.”  I feel the Lord has done so many great things for me and my children.  His blessings continue to be manifest every day of our lives here on Mother Earth.  I know, like Moroni, that JESUS is the CHRIST.