The title page for a book is meant to provide the reader with the book's pupose. The Book of Mormon's Title page reads:
THE
BOOK OF MORMON
AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY
THE HAND OF MORMON
UPON PLATES
TAKEN FROM THE PLATES OF NEPHI
Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.
An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.
TRANSLATED BY JOSEPH SMITH, Jun.
First English edition published in 1830
In this Title Page we are to learn who wrote this book, where it came from, who translated it and what the purpose is. Some key points that I took out of this are as follows:
This book was written specifically to the Lamanite, Jew and Gentile (or in otherwords everyone).
It was written by way of commandment.
To steal a term from Law Enforcement there is a "chain of custody" with this. It was written by Mormon, sealed up by his son Moroni who then presented it to Joseph Smith who translated it by the power of God for us. There was no opportunity for the words to be spoiled or changed by outside influences.
It shows the House of Israel what great things the Lord their God has done for them.
That they, the house of Israel, may know the commandments of the Lord that they may not be cast off forever.
And most importantly, it was written for the "Convincing the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ".
President Ezra Taft Benson made the following statement in the October Conference in 1987,
"The major mission of the Book of Mormon, as recorded on its title page, is 'to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.'One example of these many references to Christ in the Book of Mormon was recorded by the prophet Nephi (2 Nephi 25:23-26)
"The honest seeker after truth can gain the testimony that Jesus is the Christ as he prayerfully ponders the inspired words of the Book of Mormon."
"Ove one-half of all the verses in the Book of Mormon refer to our Lord. Some form of Christ's name is mentioned more frequently per verse in the Book of Mormon than even in the New Testament.
"He is given over one hundred different names in the Book of ormon. Those names have a particular significance in describing His divine nature"
23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.In these verses Nephi mentions why Christ is referred to so many times and that is so "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.
25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.
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.
The Prophet Joseph Smith affirmed that "a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its [the Book of Mormon] precepts than by any other book."
The Book of Mormon is evidence that Joseph smith is a prophet of God and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. If it is true then Joseph has to be a prophet. The Lord would not allow his work to be claimed by a counterfit. If it is true then the Church that Joseph Smith setup under the direction of the Lord is also true along with the ordinances and precepts that come from it.
This leads us into the Book of Mormon Instroduction, which is provided below
The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel.The introduction provides more background into how the Book of Mormon came to be translated and published. In it Joseph Smith mentiones that this book is a "key stone" of our religion.
The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.
The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. 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.
After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the hill Cumorah. On September 21, 1823, the same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language.
In due course the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith, who translated them by the gift and power of God. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto him and obey the laws and ordinances of his gospel may be saved.
Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”
In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for eleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” and “The Testimony of Eight Witnesses.”
We invite all men 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. (See Moroni 10: 3-5.)
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.
What is a "key stone"?
A "key stone" is the stone in an arch that holds the archway together. It by itself is othing though when put together with the others we have a functional arch. Also without it the arch cannot stand. As was mentioned before if the Book of Mormon is true then so are all the elements were put into place by its translator. If it is not true then everything that Joseph Smith has done cannot be the work of the Lord.
There are three elements that make this book a keystone:
- It is a witness of Christ.
- It contains the doctrine of the Lord
- It testifies of Jesus Christ
"...the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. This was the Prophet Joseph Smith’s statement. He testified that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion” (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). A keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles.In what way is the Book of Mormon the "most correct book"?
"There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony.
"The Book of Mormon is the keystone in our witness of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the cornerstone of everything we do. It bears witness of His reality with power and clarity. Unlike the Bible, which passed through generations of copyists, translators, and corrupt religionists who tampered with the text, the Book of Mormon came from writer to reader in just one inspired step of translation. Therefore, its testimony of the Master is clear, undiluted, and full of power. But it does even more. Much of the Christian world today rejects the divinity of the Savior. They question His miraculous birth, His perfect life, and the reality of His glorious resurrection. The Book of Mormon teaches in plain and unmistakable terms about the truth of all of those. It also provides the most complete explanation of the doctrine of the Atonement. Truly, this divinely inspired book is a keystone in bearing witness to the world that Jesus is the Christ (see title page of the Book of Mormon).
"The Book of Mormon is also the keystone of the doctrine of the Resurrection. As mentioned before, the Lord Himself has stated that the Book of Mormon contains the “fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (D&C 20:9). That does not mean it contains every teaching, every doctrine ever revealed. Rather, it means that in the Book of Mormon we will find the fulness of those doctrines required for our salvation. And they are taught plainly and simply so that even children can learn the ways of salvation and exaltation. The Book of Mormon offers so much that broadens our understandings of the doctrines of salvation. Without it, much of what is taught in other scriptures would not be nearly so plain and precious."
- It contains the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- A man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts.
- It testifies of Jesus Christ.
This book preaches the doctrines and precepts of Christ's gospel. If one were to follow the teachings outlined in the book, as Joseph Smith did, then one would be brought closer to him and would be a follower in his footsteps.
Why isn't owning it or reading it enough?
Following in Christ's ways requires action. One must not just read the about Christ but must follow him whole heartedly. A follower must follow otherwise you are just someone that knows about him.
What are precepts?
Precepts are instructions, teachings, commandments and principles.
What are exampls of precepts in the Book of Mormong?
In 1 Nephi 17:3 Nephi says "And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them". In Alma 30:60 Alma teaches us that those that perver the way of the Lord will not be supported by Satan in the end but will fall. Those are just a couple of the many precepts that are in the Book of Mormon.
According to the Prophet Joseph Smith what must we do with tese precepts to draw nearer to God?
We must abide by them. That does not mean to just read about them. Or to try it for a week to see if you like it. It means that you must reform your life so that it is in harmony with these precepts.
In the April 1980 conference President Marion G. Romney made the quote (link):
"I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness. "
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