Of Great Worth

For the past few months I have been trying to write each Sunday about something related to the Restoration in response to President Nelson’s invitation: “Select your own questions. Design your own plan. Immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration. As you do, general conference next April will be not only memorable; it will be unforgettable.”  Today I thought I would seek to answer the question in this week’s Come, Follow Me manual: “Why is the Book of Mormon of great worth to you?”  This question comes from Nephi’s prophecies about the Book of Mormon in the latter days.  Speaking specifically about his own words he said, “Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them” (2 Nephi 25:8).  He also declared of the whole Book of Mormon in general: “And the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men” (2 Nephi 28:2).  In his final testimony he once again asserted the value of his words and the Book of Mormon for us: “But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth” (2 Nephi 33:3).  At the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni gave the same witness as he finished the book: “The record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless” (Mormon 8:14).  The prophets of the Book of Mormon were sure that its words would indeed be of great worth to us in the latter days. 

               One of the most important ways that the Book of Mormon is of great worth for me is that through it we have the very words of the Savior.  Reading His words contained in the Book of Mormon is one of the great ways we have to “hear Him” as President Nelson invited us to do.  Not only does the Book of Mormon contain over five hundred pages of writings by prophets inspired by Him, it also contains in many instances His exact words written verbatim that we can study and ponder.  The most obvious place of course is in 3 Nephi 9-28 where we have the account of His ministry among the Nephites and the teachings He gave them.  Among those chapters, here are some of the most powerful words for me:

·        “I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end…. Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved” (3 Nephi 9:18,22).

·        “O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart” (3 Nephi 10:6).

·        “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, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning” (3 Nephi 11:10-11)

·        “And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit…. Therefore come unto me and be ye saved” (3 Nephi 12:19-20).

·        “Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life” (3 Nephi 15:9).

·        “And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you. Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy” (3 Nephi 17:6-7).

·        “And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one” (3 Nephi 19:23).

·        “And 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, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil” (3 Nephi 27:14). 

How blessed we are to have the witness of these divine words!  These verses, among so many others, testify with a united voice the Jesus Christ is the light and the life of the world, that He suffered death for all those who will repent and come unto Him, that He can heal all our infirmities if we believe on Him, and that through our faith we can become one with Him and be saved.  What thing of greater worth could we have than these testimonies from the Savior Himself of His divinity, goodness, and love for all of us?  His final words to the Nephites that Mormon recorded for us were: “And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men, because of me” (3 Nephi 28:11).  That is a fitting capstone to His Nephite ministry and a promise to all of us that though we may not see Him physically now, the Holy Ghost has been sent by the Father to bear witness of Him to each of us.  As we study and ponder His words to the Nephites contained in the Book of Mormon we can testify with them that we too have heard His voice.