The Intent

In Mormon’s final words on the large plates, before handing them off to his son Moroni, he gave one of the main reasons that he had written what would become the Book of Mormon. He had spent years if not decades abridging the enormous quantity of Nephite records into the book, and he summarized his message with a plea to us in the last days in Mormon 7. What was his “intent” in writing? I think his statement would be surprising to most people, especially to other Christians who are not familiar with the book. Here is what he said: “Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you. For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them” (Mormon 7:8-9). In other words, he invited us to repent, be baptized, and lay hold on the gospel of Jesus Christ that is found in the Book of Mormon and in the Bible. And he declared that his intent in writing was for us to “believe that,” meaning the Bible. One of the great purposes of the Book of Mormon is to convince us of the truthfulness of the testimony of the apostles and prophets recorded in the Bible. The Book of Mormon was always meant to be a companion to the Bible and to testify together of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon does not replace the Bible—it reaffirms it.  

                Momon’s message about the Book of Mormon and the Bible in the last days echoed the words of the angel to Nephi as he showed the young prophet the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Bible hundreds of years in the future. He declared to Nephi, “These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved” (1 Nephi 13:40). In other words, the Book of Mormon (the “last records”) will help to establish the truth of the Bible (the “first” records). And what is their purpose together? It is to make known to all the world that “the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world.” Later Lehi quoted the words of Joseph of Egypt who also spoke of the joining of these two records and said, “Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord” (2 Nephi 3:12). This imagery of two books which “grow together” suggest to me two vines that grow up and wrap around each other in such a way that you cannot distinguish one from another. The two records were meant to be joined, consistent with the words of Ezekiel: “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand” (Ezekiel 37:16-17). We give thanks to the Lord for the miracle of the Book of Mormon, another testimony of Jesus Christ, and for its witness that the words of the Bible—and especially those of the four gospels—are true. Both sacred books of scripture join together with this invitation summarized by the final words of Mormon: “if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment” (Mormon 7:10).