For most people, one of the most challenging aspects of the LDS Church is the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
Quite often, potential investigators will say they can accept our faith in Christ, our definition of the Godhead, our ordinances, and all our other doctrines. But they can't accept the Book of Mormon. What they don't realize is that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon is actually one of the things that uniquely identifies the LDS Church as the kingdom which Christ, through the prophets of the Bible, promised anciently He would establish in the latter days.
Let's look at some biblical prophecy concerning the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
Jacob - Joseph's Blessing
Jacob blessed his son Joseph, and in so doing, prophesied that his posterity would "run over the wall" and be "separate from [that of] his brethren", that they would be a "fruitful bough" and have the "blessings of heaven above":
"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob... even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren." (Genesis 49:22-26)
The Lord uses the symbols of "boughs", trees, and vines to represent the spiritual condition of His people. (see Jeremiah 2:21 and John 15:4-6 for examples) The Lord meant for the descendants of Joseph to be a "fruitful bough", to take the fullness of the gospel to the distant land He had prepared for them. There, the prophets would continue the tradition of their forbears and write down their visions and prophecies and teachings.
Isaiah - A Witness Nation Destroyed
Isaiah used names, places, and events of his time to prophecy of events that would come to pass in his lifetime as well as events pertaining to other nations and times in the future.
One example of this is his prophecy about a nation that would become drunken with the spirit of vengeance and spiritual darkness, and be destroyed because of iniquity - just as he knew Israel would be. This nation would record the words of its prophets - words which would "speak out of the ground... as one that hath a familiar spirit... [and] whisper out of the dust". Its government would be corrupted and then destroyed, their prophets and seers removed from among them. He prophesied that the enemies of that nation would become "as a dream of a night vision":
"Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices. Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel. And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly. Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered." (Isaiah 29:1-10)
Isaiah - A Sealed Book
Isaiah prophesied that the visions, prophecies and doctrines of this "Ariel" would be compiled into a book and sealed. The day would come when that sealed book would be given to a "learned" man who would say he cannot read it:
"And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed..." (Isaiah 29:11)
After that, the book was to be given to one was "not learned", who would read it by the power of God:
"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned." (Isaiah 29:12)
Isaiah - The Life-Changing Power of the Sealed Book
Isaiah saw a time when the Savior's atoning sacrifice would mark the beginning of the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, that all the nations of the earth - both Jew and Gentile - would be given the opportunity to "consider" that which they had never heard before:
"So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isaiah 52:15)
Isaiah prophesied that the day would come when this sealed book would open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf:
"And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isaiah 29:18)
He prophesied that, because of the sealed book, people in the latter-days would have access to God's answers for their questions:
"But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. (Isaiah 29:23-24)
Ezekiel - The Stick of Joseph
Ezekiel prophesied that the prophets of Judah would write and their words would be kept. He prophesied that the descendants of Joseph would do the same. He foretold that the two written records would come together and be as one:
The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. ...say unto them, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. (Ezekiel 37:15-19)
Latter-Day Saints believe the Book of Mormon to be the stick of Joseph, or the stick of Ephraim, because the Lord declared it to be so, through His latter-day prophet:
"Behold, this is wisdom in me; wherefore, marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel, to whom I have committed the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim..." ( Doctrine and Covenants 27:5, original spelling preserved)
John the Revelator foresaw a time when an angel would come, bearing the fullness of the gospel to preach to the earth:
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters..." (Revelation 14:6-7)
Latter-Day Saints believe Moroni is the angel whom John saw, and The Book of Mormon, given by the angel, is Isaiah's very same sealed book.
The Angel Moroni and The Sealed Book
Joseph Smith tells us of his encounter in September of the year 1823 with the angel Moroni, who entrusted to his care a sealed book, written on plates of gold, containing the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
"While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant... When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people. He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants..." (Joseph Smith History 1:27-54)
Joseph Smith - Sealed Book "Read" by the Unlearned
After further training from Moroni, Joseph Smith received the gold plates into his possession. He tells us how in 1828 he copied characters from the Book of Mormon and took them to a local linguistic expert:
"...I commenced copying the characters off the plates. I copied a considerable number of them, and... I translated some of them, which I did between the time I arrived at the house of my wife’s father, in the month of December, and the February following. Sometime in this month of February, the aforementioned Mr. Martin Harris came to our place, got the characters which I had drawn off the plates, and started with them to the city of New York. For what took place relative to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the circumstances, as he related them to me after his return, which was as follows:
I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him. He then said to me, ‘Let me see that certificate.’ I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, ‘I cannot read a sealed book.’ I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.” (Joseph Smith History 1:62-65)
Subsequently, the Lord sent Joseph a scribe by the name of Oliver Cowdery, and together, this farmer and school teacher translated the gold plates into English by the power of God. They went on to publish their manuscript, known today as "The Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ".
Mormon - The Nephites and "Ariel"
In the pages of the Book of Mormon, we see fulfillment of the words of Isaiah concerning "Ariel". Book of Mormon prophets foretold that their own nation would become drunken with vengeance and bloodthirst:
"And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood." (1 Nephi 22:13)
Mormon saw his people fall into a "spirit of deep sleep" and "[close their] eyes" in a spiritual sense:
"And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto me again, and I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually" (Mormon 2:15)
The people of the Book of Mormon saw their government corrupted and then destroyed by evil men - multiple times:
"...all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan. And the regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets." (3 Nephi 7:5-6)
"And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God." (Helaman 6:39)
You can read in the Book of Mormon how the Lord visited the Nephites with thunder, fire, floods and earthquakes, just as Isaiah predicted. (see 3 Nephi 8)
Just as Isaiah had prophesied, the Nephites built fortifications to defend themselves from their enemies:
"[Captain] Moroni (not the same Moroni who finished the Book of Mormon)... had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God. Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land." (Alma 48:7-8)
Nowhere else in scripture do you see extensive descriptions of the building of fortifications than in the book of Alma, within The Book of Mormon.
The prophets of the Book of Mormon had the hope that someday their words would "speak out of the dust" to testify that they knew of Christ. Moroni, the final contributor to the record, writes:
"And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?" (Moroni 10:27)
Moroni, the last prophet to contribute to the record, knew that the Book of Mormon would come forth in a time of trouble, of great wickedness, of churches becoming corrupted, of tempests and fires and earthquakes. (see Mormon 8)
When Christopher Columbus landed in America, what he discovered hardly appeared to be the remnants of a once-great people. They had "become as the vision of a night dream". But no matter; through the Book of Mormon, the Lord would bring forth among the Gentiles the means of restoring the native inhabitants of North America to a knowledge of their forefathers and of all they rightfully inherit from them. (see Mormon 7)
Book of Mormon Prophets - Descendants of Joseph
When Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, per the Book of Mormon, they carried with them plates of brass upon which was recorded the Old Testament up to that time as well as their genealogy. They were overjoyed to learn of their own family heritage on those plates:
"And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt... And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers." (1 Nephi 5:14-16, emphasis added)
The brass plates - or scriptures - they carried with them were of great worth because they empowered Lehi and Nephi to be "the fruitful bough" as they ran "over the wall" on their way to the promised land:
"And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us. And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children. Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise. " (1 Nephi 5:20-22)
Captain Moroni made an effort to encourage the people to repent and turn to the Lord prior to a time of battle. In doing so, he reminded them of their ancestry and heritage:
"Behold, we are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; yea, we are a remnant of the seed of Joseph, whose coat was rent by his brethren into many pieces... let us preserve our liberty as a remnant of Joseph; yea, let us remember the words of Jacob, before his death, for behold, he saw that a part of the remnant of the coat of Joseph was preserved and had not decayed. And he said—Even as this remnant of garment of my son hath been preserved, so shall a remnant of the seed of my son be preserved by the hand of God, and be taken unto himself, while the remainder of the seed of Joseph shall perish, even as the remnant of his garment. Now behold, this giveth my soul sorrow; nevertheless, my soul hath joy in my son, because of that part of his seed which shall be taken unto God."
(Alma 46:23-26)
Prophecies of Joseph Recorded By His Descendants
Joseph who was sold into Egypt had many great prophesies and revelations that are not recorded in the last chapters of the book of Genesis. His descendants, who went to the promised land, recorded them for us, and they went on to become part of the Book of Mormon:
"Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our (Nephi and Lehi's) day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom. ...But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins—and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them. Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord." (2 Nephi 3:5-12)
In other words, Joseph prophesied of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon to be a companion volume to the Bible, just as Ezekiel later prophesied. It occurs to me that the prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel concerning the Book of Mormon might have actually been inspired in part by the words of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt.
Nephi Quotes from an Older Version of Isaiah
According to the version of Isaiah that Lehi and Nephi took with them to the promised land, our Isaiah chapter 29 is missing some details that more clearly identified the Book of Mormon as the sealed book:
Read how the Dead Sea Scrolls validate the Book of Mormon version of Isaiah
Nephi - The Witness of Two Nations
Through Nephi, the Lord warned that the day would come when people would scoff at their words - the Book of Mormon - saying they already had the Bible and that they didn't need another one. Nevertheless, the Lord speaks to his prophets in any nation, wherever they may be, and whenever He speaks, His words become scripture. One of the messages of the Book of Mormon is that, despite what men have taught for centuries, God is not done doing His work - and spreading His Word - among men!
"But behold, there shall be many—at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them... that shall say: We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible. A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible." (2 Nephi 29:1,3-4)
To this, the Lord answers:
"Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth? Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever." (2 Nephi 29:7-9)
The Apostle Paul put it this way:
"...by the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established..." (2 Corinthians 13:1)
These are the Words of Christ
The prophets of the Book of Mormon were instructed by Christ, through personal revelation, just as we can be. Near the end of his life, the prophet Nephi concluded his contribution to the Book of Mormon with his affirmation that the things he taught were the words of Christ:
"I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation. 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. 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." (2 Nephi 33:9-11)
Witnesses are Chosen to Testify of the Book of Mormon
While the Book of Mormon was being translated, there were rumors circulating about Joseph Smith and his gold plates. Three men - Martin Harris, Peter Whitmer, and Oliver Cowdery - came to either be directly involved in the translation or to help Joseph Smith move to a new home where he could better focus on the project at hand. When Second Nephi chapter twenty-seven was translated, indicating that the book would be shown to a handful of witnesses according to the will of God, these three men asked if it were possible that they could be the three witnesses.
The Lord answered their request with this revelation, given to the three men through Joseph Smith:
"Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates... And it is by your faith that you shall obtain a view of them, even by that faith which was had by the prophets of old. And after that you have obtained faith, and have seen them with your eyes, you shall testify of them, by the power of God; And this you shall do that my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., may not be destroyed, that I may bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men in this work. And ye shall testify that you have seen them, even as my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., has seen them; for it is by my power that he has seen them, and it is because he had faith. And he has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true. Wherefore, you have received the same power, and the same faith, and the same gift like unto him; And if you do these last commandments of mine, which I have given you, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; for my grace is sufficient for you, and you shall be lifted up at the last day. And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it unto you, that I might bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men. Amen." (Doctrine and Covenants 17)
A short time later, Joseph chose eight more men to also bear their witness to the world of the existence of the gold plates.
After witnessing these things and offering their testimony to the world, even though some of these men later left the faith, the never recanted their testimony despite great persecution and pressure to do so.
Read a history of the eleven witnesses in greater detail.
Read the Testimony of the Three Witnesses.
Read the Testimony of Eight Witnesses.
My Testimony of The Book of Mormon
Outside the Jews, the Nephite nation is the only people that recorded words of their prophets that have been said to "whisper out of the dust". Their record is the only one to have been described as a "sealed book" that spoke "as with a familiar spirit". I testify that, in fulfillment of the words of John the Revelator, this same record was brought forth by the resurrected Moroni and given to young Joseph Smith. It was translated by the power of God and published as "The Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ".
I testify that the "familiar spirit" so many people feel when they read the Book of Mormon is the power of the Holy Spirit confirming to us its truthfulness and divine nature. Within the pages of the Book of Mormon, I came to find my Savior. Taken together with the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon teaches us and gives new meaning to the life-changing, saving power of the infinite grace of Jesus Christ. I once was lost but now am found, and, in addition to the likes of Paul and Isaiah, I credit the prophets of the Book of Mormon - most especially Nephi, Ammon, Amulek, and Alma the Younger - for showing me the way.
Find Out for Yourself: The Book of Mormon Came From God!
Since the time of its publication, there have many things discovered that corroborate the Book of Mormon and confirm that it is what it purports itself to be.
If you want proof that the Hebrews visited America anciently and brought with them Egyptian influence, you can read about it here.
If you want archeaological, geographical, genetic proof that the Book of Mormon is of ancient origin, just as Joseph Smith purported it to be, you can read up on discoveries made in the North American heartland or videos about studies done on those discoveries.
If you want a legal proof that the Book of Mormon is the Stick of Joseph and Ephraim, you can read about a law student who presented - and won - The Case for the Stick of Joseph.
If you want evidences of the Book of Mormon found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, you can read this study, conducted by the Maxwell Institute of Religion at BYU.
But the only witness that will truly satisfy the human soul as to the divine origin and authenticity of the Book of Mormon will be a spiritual witness - the kind that has been available through prayer since long before it was published - and that can only come from God Himself.
How to Obtain a spiritual witness
How to Pray
Also of Interest
BYU TV: The Impact of the Book of Mormon
Preparing for the Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon - a chapter out of a student manual that provides extensive details about the history of events preceding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon
The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon - the next chapter out of the same student manual gives the history of events that resulted in the translation and publication of the record of the ancient inhabitants of North America containing the fullness of the gospel.
The Challenge of the Book of Mormon - this will give you an idea of how utterly impossible it would be to fraudulently produce a document that has the same kind of structure, complexity, historical accuracy, provability - both secular and spiritual, and world impact as the Book of Mormon.
Mormon Scholarship and Evangelical Neglect - Losing the Battle and Not Even Knowing It?
LDS Living Magazine - Paraguayan tribe recognized Book of Mormon stories passed down by ancestors
Get a free copy of the Book of Mormon
Meet with LDS missionaries
Come to church with us
Quite often, potential investigators will say they can accept our faith in Christ, our definition of the Godhead, our ordinances, and all our other doctrines. But they can't accept the Book of Mormon. What they don't realize is that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon is actually one of the things that uniquely identifies the LDS Church as the kingdom which Christ, through the prophets of the Bible, promised anciently He would establish in the latter days.
Let's look at some biblical prophecy concerning the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
Jacob - Joseph's Blessing
Jacob blessed his son Joseph, and in so doing, prophesied that his posterity would "run over the wall" and be "separate from [that of] his brethren", that they would be a "fruitful bough" and have the "blessings of heaven above":
"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob... even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren." (Genesis 49:22-26)
The Lord uses the symbols of "boughs", trees, and vines to represent the spiritual condition of His people. (see Jeremiah 2:21 and John 15:4-6 for examples) The Lord meant for the descendants of Joseph to be a "fruitful bough", to take the fullness of the gospel to the distant land He had prepared for them. There, the prophets would continue the tradition of their forbears and write down their visions and prophecies and teachings.
Isaiah - A Witness Nation Destroyed
Isaiah used names, places, and events of his time to prophecy of events that would come to pass in his lifetime as well as events pertaining to other nations and times in the future.
One example of this is his prophecy about a nation that would become drunken with the spirit of vengeance and spiritual darkness, and be destroyed because of iniquity - just as he knew Israel would be. This nation would record the words of its prophets - words which would "speak out of the ground... as one that hath a familiar spirit... [and] whisper out of the dust". Its government would be corrupted and then destroyed, their prophets and seers removed from among them. He prophesied that the enemies of that nation would become "as a dream of a night vision":
"Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices. Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel. And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly. Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered." (Isaiah 29:1-10)
Isaiah - A Sealed Book
Isaiah prophesied that the visions, prophecies and doctrines of this "Ariel" would be compiled into a book and sealed. The day would come when that sealed book would be given to a "learned" man who would say he cannot read it:
"And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed..." (Isaiah 29:11)
After that, the book was to be given to one was "not learned", who would read it by the power of God:
"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned." (Isaiah 29:12)
Isaiah - The Life-Changing Power of the Sealed Book
Isaiah saw a time when the Savior's atoning sacrifice would mark the beginning of the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, that all the nations of the earth - both Jew and Gentile - would be given the opportunity to "consider" that which they had never heard before:
"So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isaiah 52:15)
Isaiah prophesied that the day would come when this sealed book would open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf:
"And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isaiah 29:18)
He prophesied that, because of the sealed book, people in the latter-days would have access to God's answers for their questions:
"But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. (Isaiah 29:23-24)
Ezekiel prophesied that the prophets of Judah would write and their words would be kept. He prophesied that the descendants of Joseph would do the same. He foretold that the two written records would come together and be as one:
The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. ...say unto them, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. (Ezekiel 37:15-19)
Latter-Day Saints believe the Book of Mormon to be the stick of Joseph, or the stick of Ephraim, because the Lord declared it to be so, through His latter-day prophet:
"Behold, this is wisdom in me; wherefore, marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel, to whom I have committed the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim..." ( Doctrine and Covenants 27:5, original spelling preserved)
John the Revelator - An Angel Flying in the Midst of Heaven
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters..." (Revelation 14:6-7)
Latter-Day Saints believe Moroni is the angel whom John saw, and The Book of Mormon, given by the angel, is Isaiah's very same sealed book.
Joseph Smith tells us of his encounter in September of the year 1823 with the angel Moroni, who entrusted to his care a sealed book, written on plates of gold, containing the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
"While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant... When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people. He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants..." (Joseph Smith History 1:27-54)
Joseph Smith - Sealed Book "Read" by the Unlearned
After further training from Moroni, Joseph Smith received the gold plates into his possession. He tells us how in 1828 he copied characters from the Book of Mormon and took them to a local linguistic expert:
"...I commenced copying the characters off the plates. I copied a considerable number of them, and... I translated some of them, which I did between the time I arrived at the house of my wife’s father, in the month of December, and the February following. Sometime in this month of February, the aforementioned Mr. Martin Harris came to our place, got the characters which I had drawn off the plates, and started with them to the city of New York. For what took place relative to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the circumstances, as he related them to me after his return, which was as follows:
I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him. He then said to me, ‘Let me see that certificate.’ I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, ‘I cannot read a sealed book.’ I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.” (Joseph Smith History 1:62-65)
Subsequently, the Lord sent Joseph a scribe by the name of Oliver Cowdery, and together, this farmer and school teacher translated the gold plates into English by the power of God. They went on to publish their manuscript, known today as "The Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ".
Mormon - The Nephites and "Ariel"
In the pages of the Book of Mormon, we see fulfillment of the words of Isaiah concerning "Ariel". Book of Mormon prophets foretold that their own nation would become drunken with vengeance and bloodthirst:
"And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood." (1 Nephi 22:13)
Mormon saw his people fall into a "spirit of deep sleep" and "[close their] eyes" in a spiritual sense:
"And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto me again, and I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually" (Mormon 2:15)
The people of the Book of Mormon saw their government corrupted and then destroyed by evil men - multiple times:
"...all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan. And the regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets." (3 Nephi 7:5-6)
"And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God." (Helaman 6:39)
You can read in the Book of Mormon how the Lord visited the Nephites with thunder, fire, floods and earthquakes, just as Isaiah predicted. (see 3 Nephi 8)
Just as Isaiah had prophesied, the Nephites built fortifications to defend themselves from their enemies:
"[Captain] Moroni (not the same Moroni who finished the Book of Mormon)... had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God. Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land." (Alma 48:7-8)
Nowhere else in scripture do you see extensive descriptions of the building of fortifications than in the book of Alma, within The Book of Mormon.
The prophets of the Book of Mormon had the hope that someday their words would "speak out of the dust" to testify that they knew of Christ. Moroni, the final contributor to the record, writes:
"And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?" (Moroni 10:27)
Moroni, the last prophet to contribute to the record, knew that the Book of Mormon would come forth in a time of trouble, of great wickedness, of churches becoming corrupted, of tempests and fires and earthquakes. (see Mormon 8)
When Christopher Columbus landed in America, what he discovered hardly appeared to be the remnants of a once-great people. They had "become as the vision of a night dream". But no matter; through the Book of Mormon, the Lord would bring forth among the Gentiles the means of restoring the native inhabitants of North America to a knowledge of their forefathers and of all they rightfully inherit from them. (see Mormon 7)
Book of Mormon Prophets - Descendants of Joseph
When Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, per the Book of Mormon, they carried with them plates of brass upon which was recorded the Old Testament up to that time as well as their genealogy. They were overjoyed to learn of their own family heritage on those plates:
"And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt... And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers." (1 Nephi 5:14-16, emphasis added)
The brass plates - or scriptures - they carried with them were of great worth because they empowered Lehi and Nephi to be "the fruitful bough" as they ran "over the wall" on their way to the promised land:
"And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us. And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children. Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise. " (1 Nephi 5:20-22)
Captain Moroni made an effort to encourage the people to repent and turn to the Lord prior to a time of battle. In doing so, he reminded them of their ancestry and heritage:
"Behold, we are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; yea, we are a remnant of the seed of Joseph, whose coat was rent by his brethren into many pieces... let us preserve our liberty as a remnant of Joseph; yea, let us remember the words of Jacob, before his death, for behold, he saw that a part of the remnant of the coat of Joseph was preserved and had not decayed. And he said—Even as this remnant of garment of my son hath been preserved, so shall a remnant of the seed of my son be preserved by the hand of God, and be taken unto himself, while the remainder of the seed of Joseph shall perish, even as the remnant of his garment. Now behold, this giveth my soul sorrow; nevertheless, my soul hath joy in my son, because of that part of his seed which shall be taken unto God."
(Alma 46:23-26)
Prophecies of Joseph Recorded By His Descendants
Joseph who was sold into Egypt had many great prophesies and revelations that are not recorded in the last chapters of the book of Genesis. His descendants, who went to the promised land, recorded them for us, and they went on to become part of the Book of Mormon:
"Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our (Nephi and Lehi's) day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom. ...But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins—and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them. Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord." (2 Nephi 3:5-12)
In other words, Joseph prophesied of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon to be a companion volume to the Bible, just as Ezekiel later prophesied. It occurs to me that the prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel concerning the Book of Mormon might have actually been inspired in part by the words of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt.
Nephi Quotes from an Older Version of Isaiah
According to the version of Isaiah that Lehi and Nephi took with them to the promised land, our Isaiah chapter 29 is missing some details that more clearly identified the Book of Mormon as the sealed book:
| King James Bible - Isaiah 29 | Book of Mormon - 2 Nephi 27:5-14 |
| 10. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep asleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. | 5. For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity. |
| 11. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: | 6. 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. |
| 7. And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof. | |
| 8. Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore the book shall be kept from them. | |
| 9. 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; | |
| 10. But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof. | |
| 11. And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth. | |
| 12. Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein. | |
| 13. And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men; for the Lord God hath said that the words of the faithful should speak as if it were from the dead. | |
| 14. Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God! | |
| 15. But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall say unto him to whom he shall deliver the book: Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he may show them unto the learned, saying: Read this, I pray thee. And the learned shall say: Bring hither the book, and I will read them. | |
| 16. And now, because of the glory of the world and to get again will they say this, and not for the glory of God. | |
| 17. And the man shall say: I cannot bring the book, for it is sealed. | |
| 18. Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it. | |
| And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. | 19. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will deliver again the book and the words thereof to him that is not learned; and the man that is not learned shall say: I am not learned. |
| 20. Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee. | |
| 21. Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time; for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work. | |
| 22. Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and obtained the witnesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read, until I shall see fit in mine own wisdom to reveal all things unto the children of men. |
Read how the Dead Sea Scrolls validate the Book of Mormon version of Isaiah
Nephi - The Witness of Two Nations
Through Nephi, the Lord warned that the day would come when people would scoff at their words - the Book of Mormon - saying they already had the Bible and that they didn't need another one. Nevertheless, the Lord speaks to his prophets in any nation, wherever they may be, and whenever He speaks, His words become scripture. One of the messages of the Book of Mormon is that, despite what men have taught for centuries, God is not done doing His work - and spreading His Word - among men!
"But behold, there shall be many—at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them... that shall say: We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible. A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible." (2 Nephi 29:1,3-4)
To this, the Lord answers:
"Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth? Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever." (2 Nephi 29:7-9)
The Apostle Paul put it this way:
"...by the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established..." (2 Corinthians 13:1)
These are the Words of Christ
The prophets of the Book of Mormon were instructed by Christ, through personal revelation, just as we can be. Near the end of his life, the prophet Nephi concluded his contribution to the Book of Mormon with his affirmation that the things he taught were the words of Christ:
"I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation. 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. 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." (2 Nephi 33:9-11)
Witnesses are Chosen to Testify of the Book of Mormon
While the Book of Mormon was being translated, there were rumors circulating about Joseph Smith and his gold plates. Three men - Martin Harris, Peter Whitmer, and Oliver Cowdery - came to either be directly involved in the translation or to help Joseph Smith move to a new home where he could better focus on the project at hand. When Second Nephi chapter twenty-seven was translated, indicating that the book would be shown to a handful of witnesses according to the will of God, these three men asked if it were possible that they could be the three witnesses.
The Lord answered their request with this revelation, given to the three men through Joseph Smith:
"Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates... And it is by your faith that you shall obtain a view of them, even by that faith which was had by the prophets of old. And after that you have obtained faith, and have seen them with your eyes, you shall testify of them, by the power of God; And this you shall do that my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., may not be destroyed, that I may bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men in this work. And ye shall testify that you have seen them, even as my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., has seen them; for it is by my power that he has seen them, and it is because he had faith. And he has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true. Wherefore, you have received the same power, and the same faith, and the same gift like unto him; And if you do these last commandments of mine, which I have given you, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; for my grace is sufficient for you, and you shall be lifted up at the last day. And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it unto you, that I might bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men. Amen." (Doctrine and Covenants 17)
A short time later, Joseph chose eight more men to also bear their witness to the world of the existence of the gold plates.
After witnessing these things and offering their testimony to the world, even though some of these men later left the faith, the never recanted their testimony despite great persecution and pressure to do so.
Read a history of the eleven witnesses in greater detail.
Read the Testimony of the Three Witnesses.
Read the Testimony of Eight Witnesses.
Outside the Jews, the Nephite nation is the only people that recorded words of their prophets that have been said to "whisper out of the dust". Their record is the only one to have been described as a "sealed book" that spoke "as with a familiar spirit". I testify that, in fulfillment of the words of John the Revelator, this same record was brought forth by the resurrected Moroni and given to young Joseph Smith. It was translated by the power of God and published as "The Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ".
I testify that the "familiar spirit" so many people feel when they read the Book of Mormon is the power of the Holy Spirit confirming to us its truthfulness and divine nature. Within the pages of the Book of Mormon, I came to find my Savior. Taken together with the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon teaches us and gives new meaning to the life-changing, saving power of the infinite grace of Jesus Christ. I once was lost but now am found, and, in addition to the likes of Paul and Isaiah, I credit the prophets of the Book of Mormon - most especially Nephi, Ammon, Amulek, and Alma the Younger - for showing me the way.
Find Out for Yourself: The Book of Mormon Came From God!
Since the time of its publication, there have many things discovered that corroborate the Book of Mormon and confirm that it is what it purports itself to be.
If you want proof that the Hebrews visited America anciently and brought with them Egyptian influence, you can read about it here.
If you want archeaological, geographical, genetic proof that the Book of Mormon is of ancient origin, just as Joseph Smith purported it to be, you can read up on discoveries made in the North American heartland or videos about studies done on those discoveries.
If you want a legal proof that the Book of Mormon is the Stick of Joseph and Ephraim, you can read about a law student who presented - and won - The Case for the Stick of Joseph.
If you want evidences of the Book of Mormon found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, you can read this study, conducted by the Maxwell Institute of Religion at BYU.
But the only witness that will truly satisfy the human soul as to the divine origin and authenticity of the Book of Mormon will be a spiritual witness - the kind that has been available through prayer since long before it was published - and that can only come from God Himself.
How to Obtain a spiritual witness
How to Pray
Also of Interest
BYU TV: The Impact of the Book of Mormon
Preparing for the Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon - a chapter out of a student manual that provides extensive details about the history of events preceding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon
The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon - the next chapter out of the same student manual gives the history of events that resulted in the translation and publication of the record of the ancient inhabitants of North America containing the fullness of the gospel.
The Challenge of the Book of Mormon - this will give you an idea of how utterly impossible it would be to fraudulently produce a document that has the same kind of structure, complexity, historical accuracy, provability - both secular and spiritual, and world impact as the Book of Mormon.
Mormon Scholarship and Evangelical Neglect - Losing the Battle and Not Even Knowing It?
LDS Living Magazine - Paraguayan tribe recognized Book of Mormon stories passed down by ancestors
Get a free copy of the Book of Mormon
Meet with LDS missionaries
Come to church with us
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