The Book of Mormon

What Church Leaders Are Saying

aboutThe Book of Mormon

“ hen I think of the Book of Mormon, I think of the word power,” said President Russell M. Nelson. “TheW truths of the Book of Mormon have the power to heal, comfort, restore, succor, strengthen, console, and cheer our souls.” 1 As another testament of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon is a witness to the divinity and majesty of the Savior. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared, “I told The testimonies of Church the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most leaders can remind us of correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our the great blessings that religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding come from this miraculous by its precepts, than by any other book.” 2 book of scripture. As we prayerfully study the Book of Mormon this year, blessings will pour into our lives and into our homes. The testimonies of General Authorities and General Officers of the Church herein stand as witness.

30 Ensign A Fifty-Year Habit of Daily Study “Since I was a young boy, I have felt the witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that the Father and the Son appeared and spoke with Joseph Smith, and that ancient Apostles came to the Prophet Joseph to restore priest- hood keys to the Lord’s Church. “With that testimony, I have read the Book of Mormon everyday for more than 50 years.” 3

—President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency

Serious Study Invites Revelation A Testimony Comes by Study and Prayer

“Scripture is a source of truth, and it fosters personal revela- “The beginning of my testimony occurred tion. You have probably had the same experience that I have when I lived in Göteborg, Sweden. I was 11 had when pondering a verse. Sometimes new light comes with years old. The mission president issued an greater understanding of what I am reading, and at other times invitation to all the young people to read the a little burst of truth springs forth that is quite unrelated to the Book of Mormon. I accepted that challenge words on the page. Either way, being in the scriptures, espe- and started to read it. Somewhere in my read- cially the Book of Mormon, puts us in a condition to ing, one of the mission president’s counselors receive gifts of greater light and knowledge.” 4 told us that we should pray about what we read. I remember very well the evening that I —Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles acted on that invitation. I knelt at the bedside, and I began a very simple prayer to know whether the Book of Mormon is true. “I did not hear a voice, but it was as if God told me, ‘I have been telling you all along that it is true.’ That experience changed me; it changed my life. It began a process of belief, a process of being on the covenant path and trying to do more and trying to do better.” 5

—Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

January 2020 31 Joseph Smith Couldn’t Have Written It The Voice of Christ

“I was a business professor for almost 20 years. “Our Savior told His New Testament As a part of my work, I wrote books. . . . [One of the disciples, ‘Other sheep I have, which are not books I wrote with a colleague] is 650 pages long, of this fold’ [ John 10:16]. In the Americas, the it contains 17 chapters, and it took us two years to resurrected Lord testified to Lehi’s covenant write. The colleague with whom I wrote this book children, ‘Ye are my sheep’ [3 Nephi 15:24]. also has a Ph.D., which means that we each went to And Jesus said yet other sheep would hear His college for eight years or more—a voice [see 3 Nephi 16:1, 3]. What a blessing total of more than 16 years of formal higher edu- the Book of Mormon is as another cation between the two of us. It is a remarkable testament witnessing the voice of experience to receive a box of these brand-new Jesus Christ!” 8 books from the publisher. . . . I opened up the box —Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the and thumbed through one of the books. As I did Twelve Apostles so, I looked out the window of my office and asked myself the question, ‘Why did you write this book?’ When you really think about it, investing so much time and effort in a project that so quickly becomes obsolete is rather foolish. As I posed that question to myself and as I was pondering, the thought came to me, ‘Because now you know by experience that Joseph Smith could not have written the Book of Mormon.’ ” 6

—Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Scripture Study: A Positive Habit

“If you have not begun a lifelong commitment to study daily from the scriptures, I invite you to begin today. . . . I plead with you to make the Book of Mormon a large part of that daily commitment. “When you slip, start again. Don’t let one missed day turn into two and then three and four. This will be a blessing to you, and it will also bless your children.” 7

—Elder Michael T. Ringwood of the Seventy

32 Ensign CHRIST IN THE LAND BOUNTIFUL, BY SIMON DEWEY NOTES Presidency —Lisa L. Harkness,FirstCounselorinthePrimaryGeneral Christ.” Jesus with relationship personal avery have and witness personal a to receive wehave of the opportunity tify heard thewordscorrectly. . . . I certain torewind tobe that Istopped declaration hell’ [2 Nephi 33:6].Iwassodeeplytouchedbyhis in myJesus, for hehathredeemed mysoulfrom intruth; Iglory inplainness;Iglory tion, ‘Iglory throughout Iwasstruck hiswritings, atdeclara witnessNephilistening tothepowerful shares oftheprophetwritings Nephi in2 Nephi 33.After asIlistenedtothefinal experience I hadaspecific recorded voicesofthevarious prophets’ messages. listeningtothewordsof remarkable experience ofMormonof theBook fora thefirst time.Ihad However, recently Ilistenedtotheaudioversion ofMormonBook manytimesthroughout mylife. A PersonalRelationshipwithChrist 11. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

“I have messageswithinthe read thepowerful May 2019,98. Feb. 2017,69. byui.edu. Young University–Idaho Jan. religion symposium, 29,2000), JesusChrist.org. devotional for young adults,Jan. 13,2019),broadcasts.Churchof May 3,2019). Me Great (address Things” given atBYU Women’s Conference, withoutIt?” Like Be Jeffrey R. Holland, “Safety for theSoul,” Michelle Craig, Facebook Jan. post, 28,2019. Lisa L. Harkness,Lisa L. Facebook May post, 27,2018. Gerrit W. ofGod,” Shepherd,Lamb Gong,“Good Michael T. “You Ringwood, Knowfor Can Yourself,” Bednar,David A. “ComeuntoChrist,” (address given atBrigham (worldwide Renlund,“DoubtNot, Believing” Dale G. butBe D. Todd Christofferson, “For He That Is Mighty HathDone To Eyring, “FearHenry B. Not toDoGood,” ofMormon. totheBook Introduction of Book Mormon: What Russell M. Nelson, “The Would Life Your Ensign, Nov. 2017,62. Like Ites Nephi, Ensign, 9 Ensign, Nov. 2009,90. Nov. 2017,100. Ensign, Ensign, -

every mention of Jesus Christ within the the within Christ of Jesus mention every again, cil! AsIhave ofMormon toread theBook started myred pen at howmanytimesIhadtosharpen ence totheSavior, Iwashonestlyquitesurprised refer strengthened. AsImarkedevery has been of Mormon ofJesus asanothertestament Christ challenge]. . . . toPresident[in response Russell M.Nelson’s [2018]alongwithsomanyofyou December Another Testament ofJesusChrist Twelve Apostles —Elder Jeffrey R. Holland oftheQuorum the travail ofthelatterdays.” given tothefaithful tobringhappinessandhope in forth theway forth Joseph andwas saiditcame true of is Mormon the Book that summon, language I could straightforward the in most to the world, Ideclared that God of bar the judgment before Istand when angels inheaven. . . . be recordedbymenonearthand oath andoffice, and allthatitimplies,given todayundermyown A BookThatBringsHappinessandHope General Presidency —Michelle Craig, FirstCounselorintheYoung Women you aswell.” of Peace, andmylightinthewilderness. He isfor withtheFather,Christ ismyadvocate myPrince book of this pages “My testimony of the truthfulness of the Book “My testimonyofthetruthfulness oftheBook of “I finished reading theBook Mormon in “I ask that my testimony of the Book ofMormon “I askthatmytestimonyoftheBook I find myself drawn once more to to more once drawn I find myself 10

I want it absolutely clear clear absolutely it I want . . . .IknowthatJesus 11 January 2020 , that it came , thatitcame

33 - -