The Book of Mormon in the Doctrine and Covenants

D&C 125 is a very short section that gives “the will of the Lord concerning the saints in the Territory of Iowa” (v1).  The Saints here were across the Missouri River from Nauvoo where the majority of the Saints lived.  The Lord commanded, “Let them build up a city unto my name upon the land opposite the city of Nauvoo, and let the name of Zarahemla be named upon it” (D&C 125:3).  I’m interested in the fact that the Lord would use the name of a Book of Mormon city for the name of this settlement of the Saints, and I think it is an indirect testimony from the Lord of the reality of the actual historical events in the Book of Mormon.  Throughout the Doctrine and Covenants we see other references to people, places, and things in the Book of Mormon that are a further witness of the reality of the events in that sacred record. 

                One of the most common references in the Doctrine and Covenants to something in the Book of Mormon is the Lamanites.  Speaking of the record the Lord said, “Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant (D&C 19:27).  Before He revealed the location of Zion, He said, “And now, behold, I say unto you that it is not revealed, and no man knoweth where the city Zion shall be built, but it shall be given hereafter. Behold, I say unto you that it shall be on the borders by the Lamanites” (D&C 28:9).  He referred to the Lamanites again a few verses later as He told Oliver of his mission there: “And thou shalt assist to settle all these things, according to the covenants of the church, before thou shalt take thy journey among the Lamanites” (D&C 28:14).  Others were likewise called to preach to the Lamanites, including Peter Whitmer who was told about Oliver, “for I have given unto him power to build up my church among the Lamanites” (D&C 30:6).  Later the Lord said, “But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose” (D&C 49:24).  All of these references are evidence to the fact that there were really Lamanites who lived and that the Book of Mormon’s account of them is true. 

                There are a few other references in the Doctrine and Covenants that give evidence to the reality of the Book of Mormon.  The Lord mentioned “the Nephites, and the Jacobites, and the Josephites, and the Zoramites” (D&C 3:17-18).  He spoke of “the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face, and the miraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the Red Sea” (D&C 17:1).  King Benjamin is mentioned once and Nephi is spoken of twice (D&C 10:41).  The Lord told Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweet, “Open your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as Nephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness” (D&C 33:8).  He also spoke of “the law I gave unto my servant Nephi” (D&C 98:32).  When the Lord wanted to warn us of the dangers of pride, He referred back to the Nephites: “And if ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old” (D&C 38:39).  All of these references to the Book of Mormon in the Doctrine and Covenants are a sign that the Lord places great importance on the Book of Mormon.  As He said to Joseph, “as your Lord and your God liveth it is true” (D&C 17:6).