Quote of the week:
"For me, the reading of the scriptures is not the pursuit of scholarship. Rather, it is a love affair with the word of the Lord and that of His prophets."--Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, June 1986
Tools to Help You Ponder:
Historical context
Overall story
Story and application to us
Meaning of an individual chapter
Individual verse
Individual words/meanings are important
Overall story
Story and application to us
Meaning of an individual chapter
Individual verse
Individual words/meanings are important
Develop Your Own Marking System:
Handouts:
Further reading suggestions:
Make it your own
Search for all the references to Christ by name
Cross-reference insight to your journal where you can elaborate
Search for all the references to Christ by name
Cross-reference insight to your journal where you can elaborate
Handouts:
“If they saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, ‘Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?’”
“I have noted within the Church a difference in discernment, insight, conviction, and spirit between those who know and love the Book of Mormon and those who do not.That book is a great sifter.”
“The central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His son, Jesus Christ. . . . Faith comes by the witness of the Holy Spirit to your souls, Spirit to spirit, as we hear or read the word of God. Faith matures as we continue to feast upon the word."
"Let us consider the miracle of the translation of the Book of Mormon by the Prophet Joseph Smith, with Oliver Cowdery acting as his scribe.
After the 116 pages were lost when Martin Harris was allowed to take them home, the real translation began on April 7, 1829, two days after Oliver Cowdery arrived in Harmony, Pennsylvania, to serve as the Prophet’s scribe. By May 15, five weeks later, they had reached the account of the Savior’s ministry to the Nephites as contained in 3 Nephi, chapter 11.
By June 11 they had translated the last plates of Mormon, and it was on June 11 that the Prophet applied for a copyright. By June 30 the book was finished—from start to finish, no more than eighty-five days in translation time. However, with all that went on during these eighty-five days, it is apparent there were only sixty to sixty-five days in which the actual translation could have occurred.
Remember that during that time the Prophet moved from Harmony to Fayette, made several trips for supplies, received and recorded thirteen sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, restored the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods, converted and baptized several people, and on and on. They had no time to consult libraries to study the content. There was no time to revise or refine, no time to cross-reference dates or intervals and details. Instead, the text came, as Oliver recorded, day after day, uninterrupted, as the words fell from the Prophet’s mouth.
This was an astonishing achievement! The text came through final copy, one time, dictated and left as it stood with only minor, stylistic editing to this day. It is no simple book dashed off from the top of a young man’s head, but reflects the best of a thousand years of colonization and inspiration.”
What Became of the Witnesses to The Book of Mormon
Martin Harris
Excommunicated in 1837
Final testimony on his deathbed, 1875:
“Yes, I did see the plates on which the Book of Mormon was written; I did see the angel; I did hear the voice of God; and I do know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, holding the keys of the Holy Priesthood.” New Witness for Christ, 1:253-54
Oliver Cowdery
Excommunicated in 1838
Returned to fellowship in 1848
Oliver died in 1850 while preparing to leave for the West
Final testimony: “What did Oliver Cowdery say, after he had been away from the Church years and years? He saw and conversed with the angels, who showed him the plates, and he handled them. He left the Church because he lost the love of truth; and after he had traveled alone for years, a gentleman walked into his law office and said to him, ‘Mr. Cowdery, what do you think of the Book of Mormon now? Do you believe it is true?’ He replied, ‘No, sir, I do not!’
‘Well, I thought as much, for I concluded that you had seen the folly of your ways and had resolved to renounce what you once declared to be true.’‘Sir, you mistake me; I do not believe that the Book of Mormon is true; I am past belief on that point, for I know the Book of Mormon to be
true!’”
David Whitmer Excommunicated in 1838
Never returned to the Church
David died 1888
Final testimony: “It is recorded in the American Encyclopaedia and the Encyclopaedia Brittanica that I, David Whitmer, have denied my testimony as one of the three witness to the divinity of the Book of Mormon, and that the other two witnesses, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, denied their testimony to that book. I will say once more to all mankind, that I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part thereof. I also testify to the world, that neither Oliver Cowdery nor Martin Harris ever at any time denied their testimony. They both died reaffirming the truth of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon."
Christian Whitmer and Peter Whitmer, Jr. (d. 1835 and 1836)
Christian had served as a high councilor only about one and one-half years when he died [1835]. Peter Whitmer, Jr., was selected to fill the position of his brother. He, too, had served only a short time, about eight months, when he died[1836]. Both had remained faithful to their testimonies of the Book of Mormon and had endured in faith to the end. Their brother-in-law, Oliver Cowdery, wrote this appropriate tribute to their faithfulness: “By many in this church, our brothers were personally known: they were the first to embrace the new covenant, on hearing it, and during a constant scene of persecution and perplexity, to their last moments, maintained its truth—they were both included in the list of the eight witnesses in the book of Mormon, and though they have departed, it is with great satisfaction that we reflect, that they proclaimed to their last moments, the certainty of their former testimony. … May all who read remember the fact, that the Lord has given men a witness of himself in the last days, and that they, have faithfully declared it till called away.”Latter-day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, 3 (Dec. 1836):426.
Jacob Whitmer (d. 1856) and John Whitmer (d. 1878)
John Whitmer was excommunicated 10 March 1838, for taking personal title to Church property. David was excommunicated one month later for apostasy. Although Jacob Whitmer and Hiram Page were never formally tried for their membership, they too left the Church at this time.
Hiram Page son-in-law to the Whitmers (d. 1852)
Hiram Page left the Church in 1838 faithful to his witness of the Book of Mormon. His son, Philander Page, told Andrew Jenson: “I knew my father to be true and faithful to his testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon until the very last. Whenever he had an opportunity to bear his testimony to this effect, he would always do so, and seemed to rejoice exceedingly in having been privileged to see the plates and thus become one of the Eight Witnesses.” Andrew Jenson, ed., The Historical Record,7 (Oct. 1888), p 614
Joseph Smith, Sr. (d. 1840)
Joseph Smith, Sr., was in tune with the Spirit of the Lord. He knew that his young son spoke the truth. He not only believed the boy’s words but encouraged him in the work he had been called to do. Joseph, Sr., endured ridicule and persecution because of his prophet son’s experiences and claims. Yet, he was unwavering in his loving support and defended his son. He saw and handled the plates of gold from which the Book of Mormon was translated and testified throughout his life to the truthfulness of that sacred book. His name remains firmly affixed, with those of the other witnesses to the Book of Mormon, in the front pages of that second witness of Jesus Christ. On one occasion he was imprisoned and told he would be released if he would deny the Book of Mormon. Not only did he not deny it, but he converted two persons during his thirty-day confinement.M. Russell Ballard, “The Family of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 5
Hyrum Smith (d. 1844)
Hyrum was absolutely true to his convictions. One could clearly see that what he believed in was the way he chose to live his life. Soon after he was killed, the Times and Seasons,the official publication of the Church, offered this assessment of Hyrum Smith: “He lived so far beyond the ordinary walk of man, that even the tongue of the vilest slanderer could not touch his reputation. He lived godly, and he died godly.” At the dedication of the Hyrum Smith Monument in the Salt Lake City Cemetery on 27 June 1918, President Heber J. Grant gave this tribute to the martyred Patriarch: “I can conceive of no life in all the Church of Christ, in our day, that has been more nearly perfect than the life of Hyrum Smith.” cited in “The Legacy of Hyrum,” Ensign 9/94
Samuel H. Smith (d. 1844)
Third person baptized into Church after Joseph and Oliver. Died true to the faith 34 days after riding to Carthage and driving his brothers’ bodies
Despite their apostasy and excommunication from the Church, the Whitmers always remained true to their testimony of the Book of Mormon. They had seen with their eyes and knew without doubt that the book was the word of God. They could not deny their firsthand witness, and never did, even in the face of severe persecution. When the lives of the Saints in northern Missouri were being threatened because of the infamous extermination order, John Whitmer had a confrontation with Theodore Turley. Before some of the mob driving out the Saints, Brother Turley asked John Whitmer point-blank concerning his testimony of the Book of Mormon. John, even though out of the Church, replied, “ ‘I now say, I handled those plates; there were fine engravings on both sides. I handled them;’ and he described how they were hung, and ‘they were shown to me by a supernatural power;’ he acknowledged all.”
Abridged from “The Whitmers,” Ensign 2/89, “Samuel H Smith, Ensign 8/08, “The Legacy of Hyrum,” Ensign, 9/94 and “The Family of the Prophet Joseph,” 11/91
Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, November 1986
“I have noted within the Church a difference in discernment, insight, conviction, and spirit between those who know and love the Book of Mormon and those who do not.That book is a great sifter.”
Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, December 1988
“The central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His son, Jesus Christ. . . . Faith comes by the witness of the Holy Spirit to your souls, Spirit to spirit, as we hear or read the word of God. Faith matures as we continue to feast upon the word."
D. Todd Christofferson, Ensign, May 2010
"Let us consider the miracle of the translation of the Book of Mormon by the Prophet Joseph Smith, with Oliver Cowdery acting as his scribe.
After the 116 pages were lost when Martin Harris was allowed to take them home, the real translation began on April 7, 1829, two days after Oliver Cowdery arrived in Harmony, Pennsylvania, to serve as the Prophet’s scribe. By May 15, five weeks later, they had reached the account of the Savior’s ministry to the Nephites as contained in 3 Nephi, chapter 11.
By June 11 they had translated the last plates of Mormon, and it was on June 11 that the Prophet applied for a copyright. By June 30 the book was finished—from start to finish, no more than eighty-five days in translation time. However, with all that went on during these eighty-five days, it is apparent there were only sixty to sixty-five days in which the actual translation could have occurred.
Remember that during that time the Prophet moved from Harmony to Fayette, made several trips for supplies, received and recorded thirteen sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, restored the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods, converted and baptized several people, and on and on. They had no time to consult libraries to study the content. There was no time to revise or refine, no time to cross-reference dates or intervals and details. Instead, the text came, as Oliver recorded, day after day, uninterrupted, as the words fell from the Prophet’s mouth.
This was an astonishing achievement! The text came through final copy, one time, dictated and left as it stood with only minor, stylistic editing to this day. It is no simple book dashed off from the top of a young man’s head, but reflects the best of a thousand years of colonization and inspiration.”
L. Tom Perry, Ensign, May 19
What Became of the Witnesses to The Book of Mormon
Martin Harris
Excommunicated in 1837
Final testimony on his deathbed, 1875:
“Yes, I did see the plates on which the Book of Mormon was written; I did see the angel; I did hear the voice of God; and I do know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, holding the keys of the Holy Priesthood.” New Witness for Christ, 1:253-54
Oliver Cowdery
Excommunicated in 1838
Returned to fellowship in 1848
Oliver died in 1850 while preparing to leave for the West
Final testimony: “What did Oliver Cowdery say, after he had been away from the Church years and years? He saw and conversed with the angels, who showed him the plates, and he handled them. He left the Church because he lost the love of truth; and after he had traveled alone for years, a gentleman walked into his law office and said to him, ‘Mr. Cowdery, what do you think of the Book of Mormon now? Do you believe it is true?’ He replied, ‘No, sir, I do not!’
‘Well, I thought as much, for I concluded that you had seen the folly of your ways and had resolved to renounce what you once declared to be true.’‘Sir, you mistake me; I do not believe that the Book of Mormon is true; I am past belief on that point, for I know the Book of Mormon to be
true!’”
David Whitmer Excommunicated in 1838
Never returned to the Church
David died 1888
Final testimony: “It is recorded in the American Encyclopaedia and the Encyclopaedia Brittanica that I, David Whitmer, have denied my testimony as one of the three witness to the divinity of the Book of Mormon, and that the other two witnesses, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, denied their testimony to that book. I will say once more to all mankind, that I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part thereof. I also testify to the world, that neither Oliver Cowdery nor Martin Harris ever at any time denied their testimony. They both died reaffirming the truth of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon."
Christian Whitmer and Peter Whitmer, Jr. (d. 1835 and 1836)
Christian had served as a high councilor only about one and one-half years when he died [1835]. Peter Whitmer, Jr., was selected to fill the position of his brother. He, too, had served only a short time, about eight months, when he died[1836]. Both had remained faithful to their testimonies of the Book of Mormon and had endured in faith to the end. Their brother-in-law, Oliver Cowdery, wrote this appropriate tribute to their faithfulness: “By many in this church, our brothers were personally known: they were the first to embrace the new covenant, on hearing it, and during a constant scene of persecution and perplexity, to their last moments, maintained its truth—they were both included in the list of the eight witnesses in the book of Mormon, and though they have departed, it is with great satisfaction that we reflect, that they proclaimed to their last moments, the certainty of their former testimony. … May all who read remember the fact, that the Lord has given men a witness of himself in the last days, and that they, have faithfully declared it till called away.”Latter-day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, 3 (Dec. 1836):426.
Jacob Whitmer (d. 1856) and John Whitmer (d. 1878)
John Whitmer was excommunicated 10 March 1838, for taking personal title to Church property. David was excommunicated one month later for apostasy. Although Jacob Whitmer and Hiram Page were never formally tried for their membership, they too left the Church at this time.
Hiram Page son-in-law to the Whitmers (d. 1852)
Hiram Page left the Church in 1838 faithful to his witness of the Book of Mormon. His son, Philander Page, told Andrew Jenson: “I knew my father to be true and faithful to his testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon until the very last. Whenever he had an opportunity to bear his testimony to this effect, he would always do so, and seemed to rejoice exceedingly in having been privileged to see the plates and thus become one of the Eight Witnesses.” Andrew Jenson, ed., The Historical Record,7 (Oct. 1888), p 614
Joseph Smith, Sr. (d. 1840)
Joseph Smith, Sr., was in tune with the Spirit of the Lord. He knew that his young son spoke the truth. He not only believed the boy’s words but encouraged him in the work he had been called to do. Joseph, Sr., endured ridicule and persecution because of his prophet son’s experiences and claims. Yet, he was unwavering in his loving support and defended his son. He saw and handled the plates of gold from which the Book of Mormon was translated and testified throughout his life to the truthfulness of that sacred book. His name remains firmly affixed, with those of the other witnesses to the Book of Mormon, in the front pages of that second witness of Jesus Christ. On one occasion he was imprisoned and told he would be released if he would deny the Book of Mormon. Not only did he not deny it, but he converted two persons during his thirty-day confinement.M. Russell Ballard, “The Family of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 5
Hyrum Smith (d. 1844)
Hyrum was absolutely true to his convictions. One could clearly see that what he believed in was the way he chose to live his life. Soon after he was killed, the Times and Seasons,the official publication of the Church, offered this assessment of Hyrum Smith: “He lived so far beyond the ordinary walk of man, that even the tongue of the vilest slanderer could not touch his reputation. He lived godly, and he died godly.” At the dedication of the Hyrum Smith Monument in the Salt Lake City Cemetery on 27 June 1918, President Heber J. Grant gave this tribute to the martyred Patriarch: “I can conceive of no life in all the Church of Christ, in our day, that has been more nearly perfect than the life of Hyrum Smith.” cited in “The Legacy of Hyrum,” Ensign 9/94
Samuel H. Smith (d. 1844)
Third person baptized into Church after Joseph and Oliver. Died true to the faith 34 days after riding to Carthage and driving his brothers’ bodies
Despite their apostasy and excommunication from the Church, the Whitmers always remained true to their testimony of the Book of Mormon. They had seen with their eyes and knew without doubt that the book was the word of God. They could not deny their firsthand witness, and never did, even in the face of severe persecution. When the lives of the Saints in northern Missouri were being threatened because of the infamous extermination order, John Whitmer had a confrontation with Theodore Turley. Before some of the mob driving out the Saints, Brother Turley asked John Whitmer point-blank concerning his testimony of the Book of Mormon. John, even though out of the Church, replied, “ ‘I now say, I handled those plates; there were fine engravings on both sides. I handled them;’ and he described how they were hung, and ‘they were shown to me by a supernatural power;’ he acknowledged all.”
Abridged from “The Whitmers,” Ensign 2/89, “Samuel H Smith, Ensign 8/08, “The Legacy of Hyrum,” Ensign, 9/94 and “The Family of the Prophet Joseph,” 11/91
“I will make you this promise about reading the Book of Mormon: You will be drawn to it as you understand that the Lord has embedded in it His message to you. Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni knew that, and those who put it together put in messages for you. I hope you have a confidence that the book was written for [you]. There are simple, direct messages for [you] that will tell [you] how to change. That is what the book is about. It is a testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Atonement and how it may work in [your life]. You will have an experience this year feeling the change that comes by the power of the Atonement because of studying this book.”
Henry B. Eyring “The Book of Mormon Will Change Your Life,” Ensign, February 2004
Further reading suggestions:
D. Todd Christofferson Ensign, May 2010, p. 34-35
"True to the Book of Mormon--The Whitmers," Ensign, February 1989
"Samuel H. Smith," Ensign, August 2008
"The Legacy of Hyrum," Ensign, September 1994
Boyd K. Packer, "Scriptures," Ensign, 1982
"The Family of the Prophet Joseph Smith," Ensign, November 1991
"Feasting upon the Scriptures," Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, June 1986
"True to the Book of Mormon--The Whitmers," Ensign, February 1989
"Samuel H. Smith," Ensign, August 2008
"The Legacy of Hyrum," Ensign, September 1994
Boyd K. Packer, "Scriptures," Ensign, 1982
"The Family of the Prophet Joseph Smith," Ensign, November 1991
"Feasting upon the Scriptures," Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, June 1986
