The Power of the Word of God

One of the themes of the Book of Mormon is the power and importance of the scriptures.  We see this from the very beginning as Nephi and his brothers risked their lives—and were nearly killed by Laban—trying to follow the Lord’s command to bring the scriptures with them on their journey.  As soon as they did obtain the plates, Lehi made the amazing prophecy: “That these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed. Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time” (1 Nephi 5:18-19).  And the plates did go forth to all those who were his seed, miraculously being preserved for a millennium.  King Benjamin, nearly 500 years later, emphasized the importance of the brass plates to his sons: “I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief” (Mosiah 1:5).  Alma similarly told his son Helaman that the plates of brass were being miraculously preserved by the hand of God: “Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be… kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon. And now behold, if they are kept they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ” (Alma 37:4-5).  These metal plates were still readable after hundreds of years because the Lord had preserved them so that the scriptures could go forth to all people.  Because of this preservation, the scriptures “convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls” (Alma 37:8). 

               Several other passages in the Book of Mormon emphasize the supreme importance and power of the scriptures.  When Alma saw the great wickedness of his people, he did “preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people” (Alma 4:19).  He believed that “the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them” (Alma 31:5).  That “word” of course was the scriptures which Alma implored the Zoramites to study: “Do ye believe those scriptures which have been written by them of old?... Now behold, my brethren, I would ask if ye have read the scriptures? If ye have, how can ye disbelieve on the Son of God?... Ye ought to search the scriptures” (Alma 33:2, 12, 14). 

The missionary labors of Alma’s companions the sons of Mosiah were successful because of the scriptures, for “they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God,” and this along with their prayer and fasting allowed them to teach “with power and authority of God” (Alma 17:2-3).  It was through the scriptures the King Lamoni and his father were both converted, for Ammon “rehearsed and laid before [King Lamoni] the records and the holy scriptures of the people, which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem….  He expounded unto them all the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem down to the present time” (Alma 18:36, 38).  When Aaron taught the king over all the land he similarly “began from the creation of Adam, reading the scriptures unto the king—how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had fallen. And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam” (Alma 22:12-13).  What the sword had not been able to do, the scriptures did, bringing lasting conversion to thousands of the Lamanites.  A later group of Lamanites were described by Samuel the Lamanite as having been similarly changed because of the scriptures, for they were “led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them—Therefore, as many as have come to this, ye know of yourselves are firm and steadfast in the faith” (Helaman 15:7-8).  It was the belief in the scriptures that led to true faith and repentance.  Many others in the Book of Mormon witnessed to the same powerful effect of the word of God, to which the Nephites said they did “owe all [their] happiness” (Alma 44:5).  If it has any message for us, surely it is that the word of God found in all scriptures are of supreme importance for our happiness today.