Book Review: The Book of Mormon

Preface: It feels very odd to "review" the Book of Mormon. I wrote this post so that those not of my religion might understand what the book is, and see a few of my favorite quotes.  Of course I am biased, I believe this book to be scripture, the word of God.  So writing a "secular" review is unlikely to happen, but this is my attempt. Here is the official description by the LDS church.  This post is my personal view.

Here are my thoughts.

This is not a short, easy book.  It's 531 pages with over 500 words per page.  It refers to 210 different people by name, 167 different locations, and covers 1000 years of history.

It is not the Bible.  It is not a retelling of the Bible nor an interpretation of the Bible.  It is a completely separate book, also written by ancient prophets, also teaching about Jesus.

It starts in Jerusalem for the first 36 pages, then the rest is all on the American Continent from 600 B.C. to 420 A.D.  It's a lot like the Old Testament in that way - It's written by many different prophets who are all telling the stories of what happened to them and their people over many generations.  Since the people in the Book of Mormon came from Jerusalem, they brought with them a copy of the sacred writings up to that point (the books of Moses, Isaiah, etc.)  So there are 21 complete chapters of the book of Isaiah (from the Bible) as well as other citations and quotes.

The story of the Book of Mormon is too big to tell, but I'll give a little synopsis.  I don't think I need to worry about "SPOILERS" so here goes:

It starts with one family.  The dad has a vision that Jerusalem is going to be destroyed, so he takes his family and leaves.  They build a boat and sail to ancient America (600 BC)  They populate, separate, get into wars, troubles etc.  There are good times and bad times.  There are great sermons by some prophets, there are also sad accounts of prophets being burned at the stake, etc.  The people are righteous and prosper, then they become get prideful and sin and fight and start killing each other.  There are accounts of wars, spies, and explanations of battle tactics and armor.  Throughout the book, the prophets are trying to prepare their people for the birth of Christ.  Some believe Christ will be born and the promised signs will happen, others don't believe and decide to persecute and kill everyone that believes.  If the signs of Christ's birth don't appear by a certain date, all the believers will be killed.  Then the night comes - Christ is born and they know because they see the star in the sky and many other signs.  They know he's been born on the other side of the world.  33 years later they see the signs of his death.  The darkness, earthquakes, etc... They are told that he will be resurrected, and come to visit them.

 

This is the whole point and crux of the book.  It details the story of what happened after Christ was resurrected in Jerusalem.  We know he visited his apostles and instructed them to go and teach all creatures, and then he ascended into heaven... The Book of Mormon tells about what happened after his death and resurrection - when Christ descended in the America's where all these people had been waiting and hoping it was all true.  Among the ancient people on this continent Christ calls 12 disciples, ordains them and gives them the right to preach and work in his name.  He teaches the people, and reiterates many things he said during his life. (so many chapters are similar the New Testament).  Christ blesses the children, heals the sick, makes the lame walk, makes the blind see, teaches about baptism, and introduces the sacrament.  He shows them the scars in his hand, feet, and side.  They know it's him and they are happy beyond belief.  Then he ascends to heaven, telling them that he still has more people to visit in other lands besides the Americas and the Middle East.  

Then for about 200 years after Christ's visit the people lived in perfect peace and harmony.  They were honest and good, and everyone shared everything with everyone else.  Everyone worked hard, everyone shared, and everyone was blessed and enjoyed the good life.  Then they started to get prideful, and evils started to creep back in - class distinction, envy, persecution, and secret groups who would scheme, steal, and murder.  The people fall back into war and destruction until the very last prophet (named Mormon) and his son are in hiding.  They are the only followers of Christ left.  They have all the records of the prophets for the last 1000 years since that first family left Jerusalem.  Mormon combines all those records and abridges them to write one book, engraved on metal plates, which he calls "The Book of Mormon."  He gives it to his son, who buries it in a hillside.

That's where the book sat for 1400 years until Joseph Smith was told by an angel where to find it, and how to translate it into English.

So the whole book is a religious history of the ancient inhabitants of North and South America.  It's all about Christ: prophecies that he'll come, his teachings, his resurrection and visit to those people.

The book is excellent. I've read it, and it has made me a better person.

Here are some of my favorite quotes  - and explanations why.

Moroni 8:8,11,15 -  Little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin... and their little children need no repentance, neither baptism...for awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism.

God doesn't judge little kids based on whether or not their parents had them baptized as a baby.  Little children are incapable of sin and therefore can't go to hell, they are saved.

2 Nephi 25:26 - And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

They are Christians, He is the entire basis of the book and the religion.

Moroni 10:3,4 - When ye shall read these things...ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

If you want to know if these are really God's words - if the Book of Mormon really is scripture - pray and ask God.

2 Nephi 4:17,18,31 - O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities… because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me…O Lord…Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

Even prophets still have temptations and sins.  Temptation is a part of life, as is sin and repentance.

2 Ne 9:14 - Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness.

Resurrection doesn't mean everything is erased.  You still lived your life, you still have happiness or guilt depending on your actions.

Jacob 2:18 - 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—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

It's not a sin to be rich, but riches shouldn't be our first priority.  If we become rich we should use our riches to help others.

Alma 60:13 - For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked

God let's bad things happen to good people.  Men have agency, and sometimes God doesn't stop them from doing bad things knowing that it will be evidence against them at the judgment day.

 

Helaman 12:15 - surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun.

1500 years before Copernicus,  a prophet knew the earth revolved around the sun.

3 Nephi 11:10,14 - I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world...

Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

Christ wanted them to have no doubt of who he was; that he had been crucified in Jerusalem, resurrected, and was now appearing to them in this resurrected form.

Ether 12:27 - I give unto men weakness that they may be humble... for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

There is a reason we all have weaknesses - so we'll stay humble, look to God, and let him make our weaknesses into our strengths.

Moroni 7:29 - Have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.

There are still Miracles and people are still visited by angels.