Thursday, December 30, 2010

Moroni 20

Moroni knows that the Book of Mormon will come to us in our time. He also knows that Satan is the great imitator and will imitate religion with all its gifts, powers, revelations and even the Lord himself. So Moroni urges us to find out the only sure way we can that what has been written is true. In those famous first verses at the beginning of the chapter, Moroni gives the perfect sequence for going to the only source that can tell us what is true and that source is the Lord. First he asks us to read the Book of Mormon, and read it remembering that the Lord is merciful, that he won't withhold anything from someone who is sincerely seeking to know truth. Then he says to ponder what we read, think about it and don't judge. An open mind is always critical when you want to learn something because so often what we didn't think was true turns out to be valid. When we have done this, then Moroni says to ask with a sincere heart, with a real intent to know, and then he will manifest the truth in such a way that there will be no doubt as to it's irrefutable verity. The answers won't always come immediately or in the way we expect, but they will come. If they don't come immediately, we should be patient and not let questions and doubts deter us from finding out. Questions and doubts along the way are normal, but shouldn't be stepping stones and not roadblocks. Moroni witnesses to the whole earth that these things will come forward and fulfill all of the prophecies of the scriptures concerning the latter days.

The Book of Mormon is also one of the tool to do what Moroni counsels us at the end of the chapter, to come unto Christ. Verses 32 and 33 should be our guidelines for life and the way to keep those guidelines is explained no better than in the Book of Mormon. This is a lifelong process that will continue after this life. There is no more important book or writing to come forward in the last 2,000 years, perhaps for all time. Countless lives were sacrificed for it to be written, preserved and brought to us. I truly hope that each of you will read it often. If you haven't read it all the way through, start it now. If the Isaiah chapters are too confusing, skip them. You can always come back to them. When you do, you will eventually see why they were included and why they are so important to the Book of Mormon's message and how they establish the truthfulness of the book. I love the Book of Mormon and each time I read it, I'm am more amazed with it. It is one of two bedrocks of my testimony. I always have questions, and sometimes doubts, but I always come back to the bedrocks of my testimony because they are undeniable. How fortunate we are to have this marvelous writing. I hope that what I have written about it has helped your testimony in some small way.

1 comment:

Jettboy said...

I want you to know that I have enjoyed reading this blog and have included it in My personal list of Faithful blogs. Thank you.