The Book of Mormon Was Written for Us

During Sunday School today, a certain verse in the Book of Mormon caught my attention. Moroni wrote this:

"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

As with other prophets, Moroni saw our day. He is speaking to us, those who read the book! With the audience (us) in mind, Moroni, Mormon, and other prophets wrote down their revelations, prophesies, and the events that transpired around them. What better book to read than one written for you, personally?

Not only does this verse clearly state that he was speaking to us "as if [we] were present," but it also tells us that the Lord showed us and our day to him. When he warns us about the snare of pride, it is because he can see the influence of pride all around us and its evidence in our own lives.

So we should read the Book of Mormon because it is God's word through his chosen prophets to us today, in our own time. It speaks to me. It speaks to you. In the same way that the Bible was written for the Jews, the Book of Mormon was written (according to the title page) for "Jew and Gentile"--which includes you and me.

There are links on the side bar of this blog to get your own free copy of the Book of Mormon.

Oh, one last insight that I had from this verse today. Moroni and other prophets saw our day; they saw us and knew what we are like. Let us not forget the more important truth that God knows us perfectly. He always sees us and knows more than just our actions; he knows our intentions and thoughts. If we always keep in mind that God is watching us, we are bound to behave in a more righteous manner in our day to day activities. We are also more likely to heed counsel that comes to us from His chosen servants, the prophets.

The Resurrection - Will I be resurrected?

One of the big three questions that most everyone asks at some point in their life is "What happens after death?" We wonder if life stops at death, or if it continues eternally. If it continues, what will it be like? Will our mortal actions determine our eternal future?

To be honest, the scriptures are full of answers to these questions. A New Testament verse gives an important insight:

"And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
John 5:29

John teaches us here that EVERYONE will be resurrected. If we are good, we'll have the resurrection of life, meaning eternal life. If we are evil, we'll have the resurrection of damnation. We will be rewarded according to how we live on this earth.

What is the resurrection?
Simply put, resurrection is the reuniting of the body and spirit. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was the first to resurrect, breaking the bands of death for all mankind.

The Book of Mormon also teaches this doctrine very clearly:

"Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption."
Alma 11:45

I wish I had more time to continue examining the scriptural teachings about the resurrection, but here are two other great resources about life after death and resurrection and judgment.

Because of the righteous, your city is saved

"Yea, wo unto this great city of Zarahemla; for behold, it is because of those who are righteous that it is saved; yea, wo unto this great city, for I perceive, saith the Lord, that there are many, yea, even the more part of this great city, that will harden their hearts against me, saith the Lord."
Helaman 13:12

Background
Samuel the Lamanite is on Zarahemla's wall prophesying to the wicked Nephites. As he prophesies, he is speaking for the Lord.

My Thoughts
Basically, Samuel is telling the Nephites that if it weren't for the few righteous people among them, the Lord would destroy them. He clearly states that the majority of the inhabitants are wicked, which means the city is ripe for destruction.

This reminds me of Abraham's conversation with the Lord in Genesis of the Old Testament. In response to the Lord's intention to judge and possibly destroy Sodom and Gomorrah:

"And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
Genesis 18:23

Abraham convinces the Lord to spare the cities if there are enough righteous people found therein. Originally they agree on 50 people (in a large city), but Abraham soon haggles the number down to 10. As we know from the next chapter (Genesis 19), Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their wickedness and lack of righteousness.

Basically what I learn from this is that in modern times, the righteous people of the earth are insurance for the wicked. I believe that the times we live in are every bit as wicked as the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Perhaps the only real difference between now and then is the strength of the righteous people upon the earth. If there is ever a time when a city, state, or country decides to exile or kill all of the righteous living within its boundaries, there will be nothing to stop God from destroying the entity just as He did Sodom and Gomorrah.

So, to those of us who are striving to live righteously- you are protecting the lands in which you live. To those who live in wickedness- you had better show some respect and appreciation to those around you who are obediently living God's laws because without them your fate would be no different than those of Sodom and Gomorrah. Luckily for you, there is still time to repent and change. You can still be counted among the righteous. Click here for more information.

ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity

Samuel the Lamanite risked his life to be obedient to the Lord in calling the Nephites to repentance. Under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, he tells them that they will be destroyed if they do not repent. About 40 years later, this prophecy is fulfilled with a tremendous destruction among the Nephites when Jesus Christ is crucified by the Jews on the other side of the world. One point that I want to think out loud about a little bit is part of Samuel's great speech:

"...yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head."

Helaman 13:38

What Samuel says here can be related to people of all parts of the world and in all times. EVERYONE seeks for happiness. Period. That is what motivates us in most everything we do - we think we will be happier as a result. He goes on to explain that the Nephites at this time were looking in all the wrong places. They were trying to find happiness in sin. Analyzing it this way may seem intuitive, but when it's happening to you, it is significantly less obvious.

I want to make two points here:
1. How do people look for happiness in sin today?
2. Where can we find true happiness?

1. How do people look for happiness in sin today?
There are so many things that people do for "pleasure" and instant gratification that cannot possibly last and will inevitably leave a deeper sense of unhappiness. My goal is not to list everything that we can do to look for happiness in the wrong places, but rather identify a few that we might not realize.

Anything we do or use that can cause addictions is a sure sign we are looking for happiness in a place it cannot be found. The obvious addictive substances include drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Less obvious are coffee and black tea, though they both contain high quantities of addictive caffeine. A common plague that fits this category in society today is pornography. How many people turn to their pornography in hopes of happiness, when in reality they are only satisfying a sinful lust and damning their own souls as they distance themselves further from the Lord and his Holy Spirit?

There are other ways we vainly seek for happiness such as vanity and feeding our pride. We think that if our house is bigger, our car is faster, and our toys are more expensive, then we will be happier. Whoops, that's definitely wrong. The cliche that money can't by happiness it true. How often do we look at future events and say to ourselves, "When such-and-such thing happens or is attained, then I will be happier?" Living for tomorrow will not bring happiness, nor will living in the past. Happiness must be found in the now!

2. Where can we find true happiness?
I'm reminded of a verse in the Book of Mormon that describes the Nephites at a much earlier period in their history when they were living righteously. Nephi describes his people:

"And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

2 Nephi 5:27

This is the how we want to live. What can we learn about Nephi's people that made them so happy? Here are just a few things that they did: building a temple to worship God, being industrious and laboring with their hands, and being obedient to God's commandments. These things truly bring happiness. As we put God first in our lives and seek to learn of him and follow his commandments, he will bless us with happiness. Without God we cannot be happy. Period.

So, righteous living brings happiness. Giving meaningful service also brings happiness. To share something personal, one of the absolute happiest periods in my life was when I was fully engaged for a couple years sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others and serving people that I did not even know. I learned to love everyone around me and had a deep desire to help them in their lives and share the happiness that I had found with those around me.

If you are looking for happiness and have been unable to find the lasting happiness that God wants for you, then you need the true Gospel of Jesus Christ in your life. I can promise you that it will help you find Christ in such a personal way that your life will forever be blessed. You will be happy. To learn more, I encourage you to let missionaries visit you and teach you the Gospel of Jesus Christ. From their very first visit, you will feel a difference in your heart and in your life. Click here to arrange for missionaries to share more with you. Also, please feel free to visit www.mormon.org to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.