Origins of the Book of Mormon - Research Paper Example

Introduction The Book of Mormon is a sacred book of scripture used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Members of this church are commonly referred to as Mormons. The Book of Mormon is one of four texts that Mormons hold sacred. They also believe The Bible (specifically the King James Version), The Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price are the word of God given to mankind through the words of holy prophets. Together, these four books are referred to as the “standard works” of the church. As will be discussed hereafter, the Book of Mormon has a special place of reverence, practice and study in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For this reason, this paper will focus solely on The Book of Mormon and not on the Pearl of Great Price or the Doctrine and Covenants. Origins of the Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is the record of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent. It is a collection of the writings of prophets much like the Bible. Teachings about the requirements for salvation are mixed with history, records of wars and accounts of social upheavals. The record begins with a prophet named Lehi. He and his family are commanded to leave Jerusalem round about the year 600 BC1 and to travel into the wilderness. They are faithful and travel in a steady southwest direction from Jerusalem for a number of years before coming to a great body of water. They are commanded to cross the waters in order to establish a righteous society in a promised land. Eventually, Lehi’s family and some friends are able to cross the ocean and start a new civilization in the America’s. But trouble soon starts as a rift forms between the sons of Lehi. Nephi and Sam choose to follow their father and remain true to God. Laman and Lemuel plot to kill their younger brother Nephi, who has established himself as the leader of the new society. The two groups separate from one another. The followers of Nephi become known as Nephites. The followers of Laman become known as Lamanites. Over the course of the next 1000 years, the Lamanites and Nephites do battle with one another. The Nephites appear to follow a continual cycle of righteousness, followed by prosperity, which is then followed by pride, wickedness and a falling from grace with God. At these times the Lamanites are able to exert control over the Nephites. When the Nephites repent as a nation, they are forgiven and strengthened so they can withstand the aggressive Lamanites. Successive prophets record their messages from God to the Nephites and Lamanites. Finally, the two civilizations assemble for a great and final battle. The leader of the Nephites is a prophet named Mormon. His name is given to the book because he was given the task of editing and compiling only the most important writings of all the prior prophets. In a way, he is the editor of The Book of Mormon. The final battle is waged and the Lamanites are victorious. The only remaining Nephite is Moroni, the son of Mormon. He records a few of his own thoughts and translates some other writings before burying the records in the ground. Translation of the Book of Mormon The early 19th century was a time of great religious revival in the United States. Some historians have called this time period the “Second Great Awakening”2. An intense religious fervor gripped individuals in towns large and small as Protestant ministers worked to bring salvation to the soul of each American. It was during this time of religious activity that a fourteen year-old boy in New York has a remarkable experience. The boy’s name was Joseph Smith and his story is important to the translation of the Book of Mormon into English. In his own history, Joseph describes himself as being confused about all of the different religious claims about salvation. He was raised in a religious family that read from the Bible, but they did not attend any one congregation. They mostly went to hear the preaching of itinerant preachers of the day. Some of Joseph’s family began to attend the Methodist congregation and he considered doing so. But he was not sure which church was right. One morning Joseph went to pray alone in the woods. He records that upon kneeling to pray he was seized upon by some evil force that tried to kill him. He could not pray but he did exercise faith in God, knowing God would save him from anything evil. After exercising faith, he records seeing a pillar of light descending from the sky. I his own words he says: When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!3 Mormons commonly refer to this experience as the “First Vision”. In it, God told Joseph Smith that he was not to join any of the churches, that they had all become corrupted and that he would be an instrument in God’s had in reestablishing the true Gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. Translating the Book of Mormon was an important part of this work. Subsequent visitations followed this “First Vision”. Many of these were by the angel Moroni; the same Moroni that buried the writing of Book of Mormon prophets complied by his father Mormon. Moroni eventually leads Joseph Smith to the place where the records of the Nephites were buried. They were located near the top of a hill referred to as Cumorah in the Book of Mormon. The location was near Joseph Smith’s home in New York state. After receiving the records, Joseph Smith set about translating them by the “gift and power of God.” This translation utilized some ancient artifacts called Urim and Thummim that were buried with the records. Smith also records that the records were engraved on sheets of metal that had the appearance of gold. Mormons often refer to the Nephite records as the Golden Plates. Joseph Smith received the Golden Plates from Moroni on September 22, 1827. Translation began in earnest on April 7 of the same year and was completed in June. The first copies of the Book of Mormon became available to the public on March 26, 1830.4 Teachings and Events in the Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon claims to contain the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, the full title of the book is The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believe literally the scripture that states, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”5 They believe that the Book of Mormon is a second witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ. It is to be the second witness spoken of in scripture. As a result, many of the doctrines spoken of in the Book of Mormon coincide with those presented in the Bible. Indeed, many passages of the Book of Mormon mimic those of the Bible. The writings of the prophet Isaiah are featured prominently. The Book of Mormon explains that the Nephites brought a “record of the Jews”6 with them from Jerusalem that was engraved on brass plates. This had the contents of the Old Testament up to the time of Jeremiah, which is when Lehi’s family departed from Jerusalem. The featured writings of Isaiah are in the Book of Mormon because the authors felt that they were especially important and should be used for teaching and instruction of the Nephites. Several doctrines are clearly presented in the Book of Mormon. The first being a belief that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God and that He is the Savior of the World. This is most powerfully shown by a record of Jesus Christ visiting the Nephites after his death and resurrection in Jerusalem. The record states that Jesus identifies the Nephites as the “other sheep…, that are not of this fold”7 that He spoke of to the Jews. This visitation by Jesus Christ is the climax of the book of Mormon and occurs nearly ¾ of the way through the reading. It highlights the Mormon belief that there truly is one God, that Jesus is his Son and that Jesus is the Savior for all the peoples of the Earth.8 Other doctrines clearly taught are the necessity for baptism by immersion, the need for repentance and forgiveness and that salvation comes through a combination of faith in Jesus Christ and good works. Use of the Book of Mormon The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints holds a special place for the Book of Mormon in their worship services and instruction. It has been described as the “keystone of our religion” and as the “most correct of any book”9. Mormons are quick to point out that they believe all of their Standard Works are the word of God. Indeed, one of their Articles of Faith, penned by Joseph Smith in response to a journalist’s enquiry about Mormon beliefs, states, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” Mormons use all of their Standard Works in instruction and in worship services, but use of the Book of Mormon is encouraged above all else. Even when Joseph Smith was still alive, the members of the Church were chastised for not reading the Book of Mormon often enough.10 More recently, in the semi-annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, addressed the worldwide congregation of the Church. The topic of his text was how parents could act as spiritual guardians for the family. He suggests that there were three things parents could do to prepare themselves for this task. His first suggestion was that the Book of Mormon be studies in the home as a family and that parents read the Book of Mormon in daily devotionals.11 In addition to reading the Book of Mormon in the home, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has incorporated this book into the curriculum of their Sunday School and Seminary classes. Mormon youth are encouraged to attend Seminary instruction each day. In areas where Mormons make-up the majority of the population, it is not uncommon for this to be offered as a part of the school day instruction in public schools. In other areas of the world, students attend classis early in the morning before school starts. The topic of study is a rotating curriculum focusing on one of the Standard Works each year. So, following the standard rotation, students in Seminary study the Book of Mormon every four years. Recently, this pattern has been adopted for all levels of teaching in the Church. Children, youth and adults each study the proscribed Standard Works in a rotating cycle. Conclusion The Book of Mormon is a vital part of the Mormon religion. Members of the Church and critics alike recognize that discrediting the Book of Mormon discredits the entire religion. If the Book of Mormon is false, then Joseph Smith is a false prophet and all of his claims concerning the First Vision and subsequent visitations are suspect. Critics focus on the perceived inaccuracies contained in the book, while members of the Church study it frequently and regard it as the pure word of God. Members and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints look to the Book of Mormon to provide doctrinal clarity and personal guidance. It is an integral part of the curriculum of the Church and adherents to the faith are encouraged by leaders to study it individually as well. The Mormon Church without the Book of Mormon does not exist. This book of scripture’s importance cannot be overstated. Translated originally by Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon now is translated into over 100 languages and is a source of guidance and inspiration for Mormons all over the world. Works Cited Bednar, David A. "Watching with All Perseverance." Official Site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. April 4, 2010. http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1207-15,00.html (accessed April 8, 2010). Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Tayor and Joseph F. Smith. The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1981. Norton, Mary Beth, David Katzamn, Paul Escott, Howard Chudacoff, Thomas Patterson and William Tuttle. A People and a Nation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. Richards, Legrand. A Marvelous Work and a Wonder. Salt Lake City: Deseret Books, 1976. Smith, Joseph, trans. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of LAtter-Day Saints, 1981. The Bible (KLV), Gideons Internatinal, 1973. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Our Heritage. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1996. —. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith. Salt Lake City : The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2007. Read More