Lessons on Missionary Service
Lesson No. Thirty

A Prophet on How to Use the Book of Mormon

The following statements have been taken from the sermons and writings of President Benson while he was the prophet of the Lord:

The Book of Mormon is the most powerful proselyting tool that we have...all we need to do is read it and declare it.
Combined with the Spirit of the Lord, the Book of Mormon is the greatest single tool which God has given us to convert the world. if we are to have the harvest of souls that He expects, then we must use the instrument which God has designed for that task - the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon is the instrument that God designed to "sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out [His] elect" (Moses 7:62). This sacred volume of scripture needs to become more central in our preaching, our teaching, and our missionary work.
We have neither said enough nor have we done enough with this divine instrument - the key to conversion.
I challenge our mission leaders to show their missionaries how to challenge their contacts to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Missionaries need to know how to use the Book of Mormon to arouse mankind's interest in studying it, and they need to show how it answers the great questions of the soul. Missionaries need to read with those they teach various passages from the Book of Mormon on gospel subjects.
The golden question of the Book of Mormon is, "Do you want to learn more of Christ?" The Book of Mormon is the great finder of the golden contact. It does not contain things which are "pleasing unto the world" (1 Nephi 6:5), and so the worldly are not interested in it. It is a great sieve.
The Book of Mormon was meant for us. It was written for our day. Its scriptures are to be likened unto ourselves. (See 1 Nephi 19:23)
The Book of Mormon was written for our day. Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations. If they saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, "Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (of Moroni of Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me in this day and age?
And there is example after example of how that question will be answered. For example, in the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers on the few decades just prior to Christ's coming to America.
It is important that in our teaching we make use of the language of holy writ. Alma said, "I...do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me." (Alma 5:61)
The words and the way they are used in the Book of Mormon by the Lord should become our source of understanding and should be used by us in teaching the gospel principles.
Now, after we teach the great plan of the Eternal God, we must personally bear our testimonies of its truthfulness.
Here, then, is a procedure to handle most objections through the use of the Book of Mormon.

First, understand the objection.

Second, give the answer from revelation.

Third, show how the correctness of the answer really depends on whether or not we have modern revelation through modern prophets.

Fourth, explain that whether or not we have modern prophets and revelation really depends on whether the Book of Mormon is true.

Therefore, the only problem the objector has to resolve for himself is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For if the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was his prophet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation.

Our main task is to declare the gospel and do it effectively. We are not obligated to answer every objection.
This sacred volume of scripture has not been, nor is it yet, central in our preaching, our teaching, and our missionary work. We have not adequately used "the most correct of any book of earth."
I have a vision of thousands of missionaries going into the mission field with hundreds of passages memorized from the Book of Mormon so that they might feed the needs of a spiritually famished world.
We need to read daily from the pages of the book that will get a man "nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" (HC, 4:461).
The Book of Mormon is to be used "for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel," the Lord says, and its words, "shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth." (2 Nep. 29:2) We, the members of the Church, and particularly the missionaries, have to be the "hissers," or the tellers and testifiers, of the Book of Mormon unto the ends of the earth.
Our missionaries are not as effective unless they are "hissing forth" with it. Social, ethical, cultural, or educational converts will not survive under the heat of the day unless their taproots go down to the fullness of the gospel which the Book of Mormon contains.
There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rode, and one who is not.
The responsibility of the seed of Abraham, which we are, is to be missionaries to "bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations." (Abraham2:9) Moses bestowed upon Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple the keys to gather Israel. (See D&C 110:11)

Now, what is the instrument that God has designed for this gathering? It is the same instrument that is designed to convince the world that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith is His prophet, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. It is that scripture which is the keystone of our religion.

It is that most correct book which, if men will abide by its precepts, will get them closer to God than any other book. It is the Book of Mormon.
Can you imagine what would happen with an increasing number of copies of the Book of Mormon in the hands of an increasing number of missionaries who know how to use it and who have been born of God? When this happens, we will get the bounteous harvest of souls that the Lord promised. It was the "Born of God" Alma who as a missionary was so able to impart the word that many others were also born of God (See Alma 36:23-26).
In 1832, as some early missionaries returned from their fields of labor, the Lord reproved them for treating the Book of Mormon lightly. As a result of that attitude, He said, their minds had been darkened. Not only had treating this sacred book lightly brought a loss of light to themselves, it had also brought the whole Church under condemnation, even all the children of Zion. And then the Lord said, "And they shall remain under condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon." (D&C 84:54-57)
I bless you with increased understanding of the Book of Mormon. I promise you that from this moment forward, if we will daily sup from its pages and abide by its precepts, God will pour out upon each child of Zion and the Church a blessing hitherto unknown -- as we will plead to the Lord that He will begin to lift the condemnation -- the scourge and judgment. Of this I bear solemn witness.
Satan rages in the hearts of men and has power over all of his dominions. (See D&C 1:35) But the Book of Mormon has greater power -- power to reveal false doctrine, power to help us overcome temptations, power to help us get closer to God than any other book.
Read the Book of Mormon if you don't know how to do missionary work. Reading the Book of Mormon is one of the greatest persuaders to get men on missions. We need more missionaries but we also need better-prepared missionaries coming out of the wards, branches and homes where they know and love the Book of Mormon. A great challenge and day of preparation is at hand for missionaries to read and teach with the Book of Mormon. We need missionaries to match our message.
Now, by the virtue of the sacred priesthood in me vested, I invoke the blessing of the Lord upon the Latter-day Saints and upon good people everywhere.

I bless you with added power to endure in righteousness amidst the growing onslaught of wickedness.

I promise you that as you more diligently study modern revelation on gospel subjects, your power to teach and preach will be magnified and you will so move the cause of Zion that added numbers will enter into the house of the Lord as well as the mission field.

I bless you with increased desire to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon, to gather out from the world the elect of God who are yearning for the truth but know not where to find it.

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