What is the Book of Mormon? Transcription and Sources: Hi, and welcome to “Precept Upon Precept.” I’m Alexa and today we’ll be answering the question, “What is the Book of Mormon?” The Book of Mormon, subtitled “Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” is considered a book of holy scripture by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is read in addition to the Holy Bible as a second witness of the divine mission of Jesus Christ. The Introduction to the book itself says that it, “puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.” The Book of Mormon begins in about 600 BC with a family who fled Jerusalem before the Babylonian captivity and built what would become a great civilization in the Americas. Over the course of nearly a millennium, prophets of Jesus Christ who ministered to the people of this ancient American civilization recorded their words, experiences, and teachings by carving them onto thin sheets of metal referred to as “plates.” A prophet named Mormon abridged and summarized these writings into a single set of plates which became known as The Book of Mormon. When this ancient civilization came to an end, Mormon’s son, named Moroni, buried the plates, trusting that God “would preserve the records” and “bring them forth in his,” meaning God’s, “own due time” (Enos 1:16). In 1823, that same Moroni appeared as an angel to the modern-day Prophet Joseph Smith, guided him to the buried plates and directed him regarding the book’s eventual translation from its ancient script into English. Joseph Smith, under the Lord’s direction, translated the entire book in approximately 60 working days. The first English edition of the Book of Mormon was published in 1830 in Palmyra, New York. Since then, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has occasionally released updated editions with the purpose of eliminating human error (https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/understanding-the-process-of-publishing-the-book-of-mormon) and adding resources for study and clarity. The current edition is organized into “Books,” most often named after the primary author of that collection, such as “The Book of Nephi” which shares the teachings of Nephi, the prophet. Each book is split into chapters, then into verses, much like the Bible, so a member of the Church may reference a scripture by saying, “Second Nephi, chapter 25, verse 26.” Copies of the Book of Mormon also include footnotes and other tools to aid in studying. To learn more about the Book of Mormon, visit www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist and join us next time when we answer the question, “Why do we have the Book of Mormon?” Until then, this has been “Precept Upon Precept.” Thank you for listening. Resources For Additional Study: - The Book of Mormon: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng - Come Unto Christ.org: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe/book-of-mormon - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Topical Guide: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/tg/book-of-mormon?lang=eng - Gospel Topics: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/book-of-mormon?lang=eng - Russell M. Nelson, "The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?" https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/10/the-book-of-mormon-what-would-your-life-be-like-without-it?lang=eng
