The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible and is a record of God's dealings with His chosen people in the New World. The main purpose of the Book of Mormon is "to the convincing of Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations." (Book of Mormon Title Page) It was written by ancient American prophets for our day (Mormon 8:35) and is an American testament of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Got Youth? Point them to LDSWhy.com with the questions they won't ask you but that you know they have. I give this site points on the engaging design alone. It's eye-candy and fun to fiddle around with on its own. But the value it carries is priceless when you consider how many LDS youth are ashamed or afraid to ask simple questions about what they learn in Seminary. Why? Fear of what peers will think of them for asking and/or fear of knowing God will expect them to live up to a higher standard while everyone around them seems to be striving to live the lowest standards possible. Just move your mouse over the numbers and it spins like a jukebox of inquiries of eternal import. Your question isn't there? Ask it in the form to the top right. Answers appear in the excellently put together blog. There are other resources on the top left. Of course, there's a book you can buy, as well as an official Facebook page.
On December 4, 2008, Daniel C. Peterson, professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Brigham Young University, presented a lecture at Olivewood Bookstore on the subject of DNA studies and the Book of Mormon. He responded to some of the recent criticism directed against the Book of Mormon based on DNA evidence and spoke about a book that was recently released by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Research entitled The Book of Mormon and DNA Research. I was there and managed to film the presentation.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, an Apostle of the Lord and a special witness to the name of Jesus Christ, passed away yesterday at the age of 91. He lived a long, full life and his testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ will always stand as a witness to the truthfulness of the Gospel of Christ and the Restoration of all things by the hand of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
He will be missed by his friends, family and fellow Latter-day Saints, but we should remember that death is not the end. It is only a transition into the eternal worlds that are to come. Brother Wirthlin's earthly mission may be over, but his eternal mission has just begun.
Below is a video that details Elder Wirthlin's final testimony.
I came across this video on Youtube and found it very inspirational. I think it is only appropriate to post it on this blog.
Along with the comments left by the poster:
The Book of Mormon, like the Bible, contains a record of God's dealings with a part of the House of Israel. It contains prophecies of Christ and also reveals how Christ, after his resurrection and ascension into heaven, later ministered to those who had waited for him in the New World. The Book of Mormon was anciently abridged by a prophet named Mormon and was engraved on gold plates, to preserve the sacred writing for a future time. Joseph Smith received the divine commission to translate the gold plates through the power of God. The translation was published in 1830 as a volume of scripture, a sacred record.
If Joseph Smith were a fraud, the Book of Mormon would be a ridiculous forgery, a silly 500-page witness to the stupidity of the unlearned Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is offered as the most tangible and easiest test of the mission of Joseph Smith: he was either a forger or a con-man of the worst degree, or a prophet of God. There is no middle ground. The Church has no foundation at all if the Book of Mormon is anything other than an authentic ancient document and the word of God. So how does the Church and its membership view the Book of Mormon after 165 years of critical examination? Do we apologize for it, speak of it as metaphorical, ignore it as an embarrassment? No. More boldly than ever, we invite the world to put it to the test - to examine it, to dig into it, to treat it seriously. We solemnly proclaim that it is the word of God, that it can and should be held up for meticulous inspection - linguistically, historically, culturally, theologically, anthropologically, etc., but most importantly, through the power of prayer and inspiration from God as the ultimate test of its veracity. It is because of my personal knowledge that the Book of Mormon is true that I am a member of this Church. If that book is true, then so is the Bible, then so was the claimed restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith, then so is the principle of restored priesthood authority and of modern, living prophets. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.
Many people today scream: But we already have a Bible! We don't need anymore scripture! But didn't God say that we should live by every word that proceeds from His mouth (Matt.4:4, Deut. 8:3)? If He has spoken more - and yet speaks more - that He wants us to know, should we not receive it with gratitude rather than stopping our ears?
How can you know if The Book of Mormon is true? By reading it sincerely and asking the Lord in prayer if it is true. Near the end of the Book of Mormon, the final writer, Moroni, said that if the sincere reader would ponder the things in the book and ask God in the name of Christ if it is true, that God would manifest the truth of it through the power of the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:3-5). Read, ponder, and pray - find out for yourself. Certainly the power of the mind must be used - that's what is meant by ponder. Compare it to the Bible, ask yourself if any man could have written what is in the book, and think about what the writings really mean. Then pray, seeking understanding through the power of God. We invite all people everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.
"The Book of Mormon is true, just what it purports to be, and for this testimony I expect to give an account in the Day of Judgment." (Encyclopedia, 86-87) - Joseph Smith, Jr.
"I did translate the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God and it is before the world; and all the powers of earth and hell cannot rob me of it." (Encyclopedia, 92) - Joseph Smith, Jr.
In April of 2008, I had the opportunity to film Daniel C. Peterson at Olivewood Bookstore as he presented a lecture on evidence for the Book of Mormon. These videos were later posted on Youtube by my friend and acquaintance Tyler Livingston. Now that I have figured out how to post Youtube videos, I will be posting them here for your enjoyment.
I am sorry that the camera is shaky. I, dummy that I am, forgot to bring a tri-pod and therefore there is some shaking. I apologize.
Professor William Hamblin of Brigham Young University, who is the author of several important articles and books relating to the subjects of Mormonism and ancient Near Eastern history*, has posted some Youtube videos of a conversation he had with biblical scholar Margaret Barker. Ms. Barker, a Methodist from Great Britain, has written some excellent books and articles on ancient Jewish and Christian theologies and their relationship to the Temple. She even has written an essay on the Book of Mormon and its ancient Near Eastern background that was presented at the Worlds of Joseph Smith Conference in 2005 at the Library of Congress. Her website can be accessed here.
I am posting these videos for those interested and must say in disclaimer that Professor Hamblin has promised more videos to come in the future, so keep your eyes open.
Part 1
Part 2
* His most recent publication, co-written with David Seely, was published by Thames & Hudson in 2007 and is entitled Solomon's Temple: Myth and History.
The LDS Church has grown in leaps and bounds in the last century since it was founded in 1830. Church growth is often highlighted in news stories that treat various topics of Mormonism. Have a look at this updated video that highlights Church growth on a map of the world. The dots on the map correspond to "stakes", units of the Church that roughly correspond to what in the Catholic church would be called a diocese. A stake is made up of several "wards" (equivalent to a parish). Each ward has around 400 individuals and each stake has between 4,000 and 5,000 individuals.
