The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

“But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.”

Like the previous quote, this one expresses faith in God’s willingness to uphold and bless human efforts to keep his commandments. This quote also speaks to the theme of The Progression of History Along God’s Plan of Salvation, reminding the reader that God has his own purposes that play out amidst the ups and downs of humanity’s experiences, all of which lead inexorably to the fulfillment of God’s plan for the world.

“For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.”

This quote again emphasizes the way that God works in history, but here the emphasis is placed on the constancy of God’s ways, namely, that any person can seek God’s presence and encounter his work in their life, just as God became present to those who sought him in the past. The end of the quote illustrates the poetic qualities of some portions of The Book of Mormon’s text, with its use of repetition and archaic constructions, which has often been compared to the language of the King James Version of the Bible.

“And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.”

This is one of the most well-known and often-quoted passages from The Book of Mormon. It expresses the idea that God’s wisdom and sovereignty work through all things, and that everything is being led along toward a glorious fulfillment of his plan for the world. Here even the fall—humanity’s descent into sin—is reinterpreted in a positive sense, as part of the course of events that led to humanity’s freedom to choose, and that freedom led to the potential for humans to bring blessings on themselves by freely choosing God’s ways. This concept, known as the felix culpa or “happy fall,” is found in Catholic and Protestant Christian theology as well.

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed 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.”

This is one of the most well-known and often-quoted passages from The Book of Mormon. It expresses the idea that God’s wisdom and sovereignty work through all things, and that everything is being led along toward a glorious fulfillment of his plan for the world. Here even the fall—humanity’s descent into sin—is reinterpreted in a positive sense, as part of the course of events that led to humanity’s freedom to choose, and that freedom led to the potential for humans to bring blessings on themselves by freely choosing God’s ways. This concept, known as the felix culpa or “happy fall,” is found in Catholic and Protestant Christian theology as well.

“And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded […] And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation.”

Here we see a quote from Joseph, one of the sons of the patriarch Lehi, prophesying about another Joseph who would come in the distant future. This is clearly a reference to Joseph Smith (whose father’s name was also Joseph, as the prophecy predicts), foretelling not only his name but also the fact that he will face resistance, and yet through him God will bring about a movement to lead people to salvation.

“For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.”

This is one of the most controversial passages in The Book of Mormon. It describes a divine judgment enacted against the Lamanites, who had turned away from God’s ways. The controversy surrounds the nature of the judgment, which some interpret as being a racist reference to people with darker skin tones. The passage has been interpreted as referring to both Black and Indigenous Americans. This passage, among other factors, continues to complicate the LDS movement’s relationship with people of color despite new teachings in the late 20th century that aimed to dispel this interpretation.

“And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.”

This quote gives a helpful summary of the main content of Nephite preaching and prophecy: the call to repent and believe in the coming Messiah. Here recorded in the words of Jacob, one of the earliest prophets, this passage comes as part of a larger section of prophecies about Jesus and the importance of putting one’s faith in him, thus emphasizing the theme of faith in Jesus as necessary to salvation.

“And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered. […] But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these words unto another.”

This quote is an apparent prophecy of the emergence of The Book of Mormon in the 19th century, referencing its nature as a book that tells the story of a people who have long since died. This ties in with the theme of The Progression of History Along God’s Plan of Salvation, in which even the passing away of the Nephites and the loss of their sacred records is not an insurmountable obstacle to the goals that God will bring about.

“But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good.”

LDS theology has a strong moral and ethical strain, characterized as much by its conduct as by its dogma, and this trait goes back to Book of Mormon sayings like the one above. This text apparently makes a prophetic (or anachronistic) reference to the first-century saying of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 6:33 in the Bible—“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (KJV). Many texts in The Book of Mormon echo passages from the Bible, both from the Old Testament (which the Nephites could plausibly have known) and from the New Testament (which they could not have known except by divine revelation).

“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.”

Here we see an example of the theme of faith in Christ as the means of salvation, expressed as the most important exhortation of the writer. The desire that lies behind this expression also speaks to the fervency that undergirds another theme in The Book of Mormon, that of Missionary Service as a Core Expression of Faith. To desire the salvation of others is a constituent part of LDS spirituality, and that desire is often shown in missionary service.

“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

This is another of the most famous verses from The Book of Mormon, often quoted in a variety of contexts, since it touches both on LDS spirituality and on the ethics of public life. This quote is from King Benjamin, as he explains his view of his own role as being one of service, and its opening line demonstrates his similarity with the biblical King Solomon (both renowned for their wisdom). Here he suggests that service to others is a key virtue, as it is itself a form of service to God.

“And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.”

Another value lauded in LDS spirituality is that of order, as explained here in a further quote from King Benjamin—maintaining an orderly life, habits, family, etc. This is tied to the virtues of wisdom, which recognizes the limitations of human capacity, and of diligence, which applies effort and discipline fashion to do what can be done within those limitations.

“But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.”

These lines are spoken by Limhi (a descendant of Zeniff, who had led a splinter group of Nephites back into the land of Nephi during the time of the kings), and he gives voice to a common refrain in The Book of Mormon: the necessity of repentance. In Jewish and Christian theology, the idea of repentance is closely tied to that of “turning”—turning away from one’s life of sin, and turning toward God, as shown in this quote. Here again, as in the quote above, we see a reference to the virtue of diligence.

“Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”

This passage comes from Alma’s testament to his son Helaman, and it stands as a clear example of the theme of Missionary Service as a Core Expression of Faith. Alma describes his missionary work in terms of wanting others to be able to experience the same joy in God as he himself has experienced. As with previous quotes, the value of diligence appears yet again (though it is not named as such), in Alma’s characterization of his missionary service as having been unceasing.

“And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.”

This quote comes from the same long extract as the passage above, from Alma’s testament to his son Helaman. Here he illuminates the theological reasoning behind why God offered salvation in the way he did, through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. The idea here is that sin—as a crime against divine justice—needed to be atoned for, and where human abilities to atone for their own sins fell short of the mark, God took on himself the task of atonement, and in so doing met the demands of both justice and mercy.

“But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.”

This quote is taken from the prophecies of Samuel the Lamanite, who exhorted the people shortly before the coming of Christ. As with all the prophets in The Book of Mormon, he has exact future knowledge of God’s plan to be carried out through Christ. This quote shows one of the distinctions in emphasis between traditional Christian theology and LDS theology, with the latter putting slightly more stress on the resurrection of Christ as the element that redeems humanity, where traditional Christian theology would likely speak instead of the death of Christ.

“And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given you a knowledge and he hath made you free.”

This is another quote from the same sermon of Samuel the Lamanite as the preceding quote. Here Samuel emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility. In contrast to certain versions of Christian theology (such as Reformed or Calvinist theology), LDS theology puts a strong emphasis on human freedom and personal responsibility, over against any notion that the sovereignty of God might impinge on human free will.

“And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people […] Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.”

Here we have a quote from the prophet Mormon, adding some commentary of his own to the historical narrative of 3 Nephi. In addition to explaining the provenance of the name Mormon, this quote (and particularly the latter part) is notable because it is often cited and put into use by LDS adherents as an expression of their own sense of self-identity and mission.

“And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him […] And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying: Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.”

This passage is the description of Jesus Christ’s arrival to the Americas, the moment toward which the whole story arc of The Book of Mormon has been building. His manner of arrival is supernatural and therefore might surprise some readers, but it fits with the antecedent accounts in the Bible’s New Testament. Presuming that this visitation takes place shortly after the end of the events of his life as described in the Gospels, it is natural for him to arrive by means of a descent from heaven, because the last reported sighting of him in Roman Judaea was in the context of an ascent into heaven.

“For the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled.”

This aphoristic quote from the prophet Mormon encapsulates the theme of history progressing along God’s plan of salvation. As in this case, that theme is often spoken in a mood of confidence and encouragement, with the writer declaring their trust in the certainty that God’s good purposes for the world will ultimately be fulfilled.

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

These lines are spoken by God to the writer of the account, and they highlight the virtue of humility in LDS spirituality. This quote also illustrates the common tendency in The Book of Mormon for its thematic content, and sometimes its exact phrasing, to echo passages from the Bible. This passage appears to echo both the statement of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 and of the Apostle James in James 4:10. For LDS adherents, this is a demonstration of the harmony between The Book of Mormon and The Bible, giving evidence of the former’s divine inspiration, but for critics it suggests an authorship of the text by someone who was already familiar with the New Testament (and the Nephites, for reasons of geography and chronology, could not have been).

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever, and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”

Here we see another example of the same biblical parallelism shown in the previous quote. Moroni lauds the value of charity (that is, of selfless love) and places it in the context of one’s faith in Jesus Christ, and the terms in which he puts it seem to mirror the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, with certain phrases—“charity never faileth” and “the greatest of all” in reference to charity—as exact matches for Paul’s turns of phrase.

“And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true.”

This expression of the prophet Moroni has found broad practical application in LDS usage, particularly in the arena of personal devotion and the methods used in missionary encounters. In LDS spirituality, the burden of proof for the truth or falsity of the accounts presented in The Book of Mormon is not primarily expected to be borne by historical study; rather, the expectation is that for any sincere seeker who approaches the text with spiritual openness, prayer, and a desire to experience God’s presence, God himself will bear the burden of proof and spiritually convince the inquirer of the truth.