This is the last week of the transfer, so we will see if I leave or stay for my last transfer.
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| Costco! |
I want to share a message with you all about... The Book of Mormon! It is a great book! Haha. I wrote a message to a man of a different faith who asked about what it was. He didn't exactly ask in the nicest way and things, so I kind of let loose. Here is a portion of what I shared:
I will do my best to share what I have learned through years of prayerful study of the King James Version of the Bible and The Book of Mormon together, as well as the words of modern day prophets.
The Book of Mormon speaks of the ancient covenants God made with His children; the Bible tells of great prophets who also received these covenants by faith. The Book of Mormon testifies of Christ and His Atonement; the Bible provides the account of His birth, ministry, death, Atonement, and Resurrection. Thus, the Bible and Book of Mormon complement and enrich each other.
The Bible teaches the following about the law of witnesses: “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1). In harmony with this law, both the Book of Mormon and the Bible testify of Jesus Christ.
Here are 3 references from the Bible I would like to share with you.
The prophet Ezekiel from the Old Testament prophesied of the Bible and the Book of Mormon coming together to provide one witness of Christ. In Chapter 37, he recorded,
"15 ¶ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
16 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:
17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand."
The word 'stick' in these scriptures refer to wooden tablets on which people were known to sometimes keep records at this time. The 'stick of Judah' is a reference to the Bible, which is a record of the descendants of Judah, the Jews, as you know. The 'stick of Ephraim' is a reference to the Book of Mormon, which is a record of the descendants of Joseph, especially Ephraim's tribe part of which were known as the Nephites and Lamanites who were among the inhabitants of ancient America (if you would like to research this more, or the history regarding the "sticks" go ahead and look here: https://www.lds.org/
The next reference I will make is in Isaiah 29. There are two references, both being prophecies. One was fulfilled by the Book of Mormon. Isaiah 29:1–6 tells about a group of people who “speak out of the ground” after the destruction of Jerusalem. Isaiah said they would be “visited … with earthquakes, and great noise, with storm, and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire” (Isaiah 29:6). If you read 2 Nephi 26:15–17 in the Book of Mormon, you can recognize how the Book of Mormon fulfilled this prophecy, as it also originally came from descendants of Jerusalem, which explains the 'familiar spirit' that Isaiah referenced, as it also preaches the Gospel of Christ.
The second part is described in verses 11-12, which say
"11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned."
This prophecy was fulfilled as Joseph Smith was working on the translation of the Book of Mormon. His short experience is recorded in his personal history (if you don't have a copy, it can be found here in passages 61-65 if you would like to take a look.: https://www.lds.org/scr
The last reference is one I made already, but I will mention it again. In John 10:16, Christ mentions,
"16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
We believe that those other sheep include the Nephites, who like their brethren in Israel "talk of Christ... rejoice in Christ.. preach of Christ... prophesy of Christ, and [who] write according to [their] prophecies, that [their] children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (Book of Mormon, 2nd Nephi 25:26).
On Kakao talk you also mentioned that it was either Joseph Smith or Jesus Christ, and asked which side I am on. This is like asking if I am on the side of Moses or Christ, or Peter or Christ, etc. When viewed in that light, it is obvious-- Moses, Peter, Joseph Smith, and all prophets testify of the truth and divinity and saving power of our Saviour Jesus Christ! There is not two sides, as Moses, Peter, and Joseph are all on Christ's side. Why? No one but Christ can save, succinctly explained by one Book of Mormon prophet, "remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world." (Helaman 5:9).
If you have other questions at this time, I would encourage you to refer to the following sources. They are talks given on the Book of Mormon at our worldwide meeting we have twice per year called General Conference. Each one will take you 7-10 minutes to read, or 15 minutes or so if you choose to watch them, which I would recommend. However, far greater than any of these is reading the actual Book of Mormon yourself, praying to know if it is true, and basing your conviction on your own research of the Book.
'Safety for the Soul' Jefferey R. Holland
'What think Ye of the Book of Mormon?' Bruce R. McConkie
'God's Compelling Witness' Tad R. Callister
"
Anyway, I was kind of bold, but I felt good about it! I love the Book of Mormon and have learned so much as I study that book!
Love,
Elder Beckett
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