The Book of Mormon's Affirmation of Biblical Figures

In the last general conference, President Nelson spoke of the Book of Mormon and said this: "I’ve made lists of what the Book of Mormon is, what it affirms, what it refutes, what it fulfills, what it clarifies, and what it reveals. Looking at the Book of Mormon through these lenses has been an insightful and inspiring exercise! I recommend it to each of you."  I thought I would look today at what the Book of Mormon affirms or confirms to be true.  What first comes to mind for me is the truthfulness of the Bible.  Often outside Christians want to see the Book of Mormon as some kind of Biblical competitor, but that's not at all what it is; rather it confirms that the words of the Bible are true.  In the Doctrine and Covenants we read that the Book of Mormon was "given by inspiration, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and is declared unto the world by them—Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true" (D&C 20:10-11).  This is one of the key purposes of the Book of Mormon, even more so today than when it came forth in 1830: to affirm to the world that the holy Bible is true. 

            One of the ways that the Book of Mormon affirms the truthfulness of the Bible is by simply confirming the reality of many of the key individuals of the Bible.  In a day where secular scholars often want to discount even the existence of Biblical figures, the Book of Mormon stands as a witness that they were real.  Of course the most important of those figures is Jesus Christ.  The Book of Mormon adamantly declares that He did in reality live and "dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and [did] go forth amongst men" (Mosiah 3:5).  Nephi saw in vision "the Son of God going forth among the children of men" and witnessed that he "he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world" (1 Nephi 11:31, 33).  Christ Himself witnessed to the Nephites the truth of His mortal existence: "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world....  My Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me (3 Nephi 11:10-11, 27:14).  In a time when many question the reality of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, the Book of Mormon affirms He did live, die, and was resurrected as the Bible claims.

             The Book of Mormon similarly affirms the reality of many other Biblical figures.  Lehi testified of John the Baptist prophesying of "a prophet who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord" (1 Nephi 10:7).  Nephi saw in vision the "a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white" who was "the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh," and King Benjamin further witnessed that "[Christ's] mother shall be called Mary" (1 Nephi 11:15-18, Mosiah 3:8).  Nephi also saw in vision the "twelve apostles of the Lamb" who carried on the work of the Savior after His death as the Bible recounts (1 Nephi 11:35).  We also have a witness of the reality of the prophet Isaiah, with many of his writings recorded in the Book of Mormon and Nephi's declaration that "he verily saw [the] Redeemer," affirming the truth of Isaiah's prophecies of the Savior (2 Nephi 11:2).  Nephi the son of Helaman affirmed the reality of Abraham, telling us that "Abraham saw of [Christ's] coming, and was filled with gladness and did rejoice" (Helaman 8:17).  Both also mentioned Jeremiah, and references to other prophets and historical figures of the Bible abound (1 Nephi 7:14, Helaman 8:20).  There is mention of Adam and Eve (2 Nephi 2:19), Cain and Abel (Helaman 6:27), Noah (Ether 6:7), Isaac (Jacob 4:5), Jacob (1 Nephi 6:4), Joseph (Alma 46:24), Moses (1 Nephi 4:2), Samuel (3 Nephi 20:24), David (Jacob 1:15), Solomon (2 Nephi 5:16), Zedekiah (Helaman 8:21), and Malachi (3 Nephi 24:1).  Other historical figures such as Ahaz, Jotham and Uzziah are also mentioned in the quotations of the prophet Isaiah (2 Nephi 18).  The Book of Mormon stands as a clear witness that these numerous Biblical figures were real and the account of their lives in the Bible is true.