What is the Book of Mormon? Perhaps the simplest and volumes. It reads: “The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.”
And that’s what it is. As the Old Testament testifies of the coming of Christ, and the New Testament testifies of His ministry among the house of Israel, the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ in the New World.
The book begins in about 600 B.C. and follows a prophet and his family from Jerusalem to the Americas as the Lord commands them. Although they lived hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, they had an understanding of Him and His role as our Savior and believed fully in his future coming. One example of this is found in Jacob 4:4, which says:
For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
Perhaps something like how Christians today anticipate the Second Coming of the Savior, these people – and, as Jacob testifies, those we read of in the Old Testament as well – had a full knowledge of and faith in the coming of our Savior and looked forward to His birth.
The Book of Mormon covers several hundred years of history, including accounts of wars, missionary efforts, and sermons given by their prophets. And then in the book of Third Nephi, as much of Nephite society has become wicked and corrupt while the faithful steadfastly look forward to the coming of Christ, the sign in the heavens – a night where there is no darkness – is given, as prophesied. The faithful understand that their Savior has been born.
Thirty-three years later, wickedness abounds even more than it had at the time of Christ’s birth. Even the government of the people has fallen from corruption. The righteous are persecuted for believing in Christ. Yet in the middle of all this, many are taught the gospel and are baptized.
In the midst of terrible natural disasters at the time of Christ’s crucifixion, the people hear a voice from heaven. It is Christ Himself, inviting men to repent and come unto Him. And later, as the people gather at the temple, they again hear a voice saying:
Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name – hear ye him.
And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe …
And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:
Behold, I am Jesus Christ whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.(3 Nephi 11:7-10)
The people were all permitted to feel the scars in his hands and his side as a witness of the Savior’s crucifixion and resurrection. Christ then went on to call apostles and organize His Church among them, as He had done in Israel. He taught the people the ways of righteousness. And as He had done before, He healed the sick and called the little children unto Him.
What a glorious thing it is to understand that the Lord truly loves all of His children. Not only did He live and serve among the people in Israel in New Testament times, He has also walked among the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. And members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints testify that He still speaks to man today.
