Read These Things

To my son, 

                This year I made a goal to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover in French, and I finally finished it today. The last chapter is one of my favorites because of the powerful invitations and promises that Moroni gave us. He was at this time all alone, wandering on the North American continent and trying not to be killed by the Lamanites. He had charge of the records from his father Mormon, and he decided to write to us in our day specifically. Consider this incredible statement that he made: “Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing” (Mormon 8:35). He was writing for the people of our day, and he even had a vision of you and me given him by the Savior. So he knew what was most important for us to have, and we should pay attention to his writings! I love the words he left us in the final chapter. The most famous of his invitations and promises is found in verses 3-4: “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” That is an incredible promise. Here are four things specifically that he asked us to do: 

·         “Read these things”—he invited us to first read the Book of Mormon. He and his father and many others labored tirelessly to record their testimonies and experiences for us to have today, and we must take the time to read their inspired words.

·         “Remember how merciful the Lord hath been”—Moroni wanted us to remember the mercies of the Lord in the lives of those who have gone before us and in our own lives. We can do this as we thank the Lord for our blessings in our prayers and think about how blessed we are to have the gospel of Jesus Christ today to guide us.

·         “Ponder it in your hearts”—he invited us here specifically to ponder the blessings the Lord has given us, but I believe his invitation was meant as well to apply generally to our reading. As we read in the Book of Mormon, we should take the time to reflect and think about how the words apply to us. We can do this by asking questions about things we don’t understand and looking for ways to follow the counsel of these ancient prophets in our own lives. I know that as we think deeply about the words of the Lord, He will place thoughts and feelings into our mind and heart.

·         “Ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true”—after we read and ponder and remember the blessings of the Lord, we can ask Him in the name of Christ if the Book of Mormon is indeed true. Mormon promised that if we will do this with “a sincere heart” and with “real intent” and “faith in Christ,” the Lord will manifest to us that it is true through the Holy Ghost. This is an incredible promise that countless people have put to the test and found out the truthfulness for themselves. 

I want to invite you today to follow these invitations from Moroni. Specifically, I want to encourage you to start reading in the Book of Mormon and set a goal to read the whole thing from cover to cover. As you do so, taking time to ponder its words and remember the great blessings of the Lord, you will feel of the power and truthfulness of these words. And as you ask God directly through prayer to manifest the truth of the book to your soul, I know that the Holy Ghost will indeed confirm to you that it is true. I know that I have felt the Spirit confirm this to me many, many times as I have read, pondered, and memorized its words. I have found this testimony of a modern prophet, Ezra Taft Benson, about the Book of Mormon to be true: “There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life’ (see D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon.” I urge you to find time each day to read and study in the Book of Mormon and I know that the Lord will indeed bless you both with power to meet your challenges and with the Holy Ghost to testify of its truthfulness.

Love,

Dad