Soap Box Sunday

This week I taught Gospel Doctrine. It was a great lesson from the words of Moroni (Mormon 7-9) in which he talks about the purpose of the Book of Mormon, our charge as Latter-Day Saints, and how the words he and his father compiled for US are what the Lord would have us know.

Mormon 8:34-35

"Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.

Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing."

Ezra Taft Benson said:

"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?’ And there is example after example of how that question will be answered.

For example, in the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers on the few decades just prior to Christ's coming to America. By careful study of that time period, we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible judgments that preceded His coming and what brought others to stand at the temple in the land of Bountiful and thrust their hands into the wounds of His hands and feet.

From the Book of Mormon we learn how disciples of Christ live in times of war. From the Book of Mormon we see the evils of secret combinations portrayed in graphic and chilling reality. In the Book of Mormon we find lessons for dealing with persecution and apostasy. We learn much about how to do missionary work. And more than anywhere else, we see in the Book of Mormon the dangers of materialism and setting our hearts on the things of the world. Can anyone doubt that this book was meant for us and that in it we find great power, great comfort, and great protection?”

More than anything, I know that as I read the Book of Mormon, I need to be constantly pondering those words and how they apply to my life. Why did Mormon add this account? Why did he preach of this topic? How does this apply to me?

I am so grateful for Mormon and his son Moroni. If you are ever unable to think of how a certain part of the Book of Mormon applies to you, you at least have one thing--gratitude. Gratitude for your own circumstances, your own life. When you think about how Moroni lost his father, his wife, children, kin, friends, etc....although some, just temporally, but many others in a spiritual sense as well... THEN he walked from Central America to the New York area, wandering for at least 20 years...all alone. And always fighting for survival. Your life may not seem too bad or too difficult or too much to handle. I know mine isn't, and I'm grateful for that.

What are we to do with the knowledge that we have been given? Elder Holland said:

"The task of the children of God in these concluding days of the world's history is to proceed with 'unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save,' to 'press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men . . . feasting upon the word of Christ, and endur[ing] to the end. This is the way; and ther eis none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved int eh kingdom of God.' (2 Ne. 31:17-18) No other book helps us do this so well. No other book was ever divinely produced and protected solely for that purpose. No other book has ever been written with such a full view of the future dispensation to which that record would eventually come."