Current Lesson No. Twenty-Six

The Battle for the Souls of Men Rages Worldwide

The Book of Mormon plates coming out of the earth signaled the commencement of a great battle for the souls of men – This is the 195 year anniversary of an amazing vision given to Heber C. Kimball, his wife Vilate, and several neighbors on September 22, 1827, the very day the Book of Mormon plates were given to Joseph Smith, and many years before Heber learned of the Book of Mormon.  (September 22 is the Autumn Equinox, and on this night for four years, 1823 – 1827, Moroni visited and instructed Joseph Smith.  An equinox is a heavenly manifestation that ours is a God who puts order in the universe and that through the teachings found in the Book of Mormon He will order our lives if we let Him)  

This vision symbolizes the important role of the Book of Mormon in the battle for the souls of men in the last days.  Heber described this vision as follows: 

“It was one of the most beautiful starlight nights, so clear we could see to pick up a pin.”  Heber stated that they saw a bow form in the sky, and “it grew wide enough to contain twelve men abreast.  In this bow an army moved, commencing from the east and marching to the west.  They continued marching until they reached the western horizon.  They moved in platoons and walked so close that the rear ranks trod in the steps of their file leaders, until the whole bow was literally crowded with soldiers.

“We…could discern the form and features of the men.  The most profound order existed throughout the entire army.  When the foremost man stepped, every man stepped at the same time.  I could hear their steps.  When the front rank reached the western horizon, a battle ensued, as we could hear the report of the arms, and the rush.

“No man could judge of my feeling when I beheld that army of men, as plainly as ever I saw armies of men in the flesh; it seemed as though every hair of my head was alive.  This scenery we gazed upon for hours, until it began to disappear. 

“After I became acquainted with Mormonism, I learned that this took place the same evening that Joseph Smith received the records of the Book of Mormon” (Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, p.15-17).

The Battle for the Souls of Men is intensifying as shown by the attitude of the world toward the teachings found in The Family: A Proclamation to the World – This revelation from the Lord was first given to the world 27 years ago on September 23, 1995.  Certainly, since the Family Proclamation was given and even over the last 9 years since I first wrote on this subject there has been a seismic shift.  Issues in the Proclamation that were hardly thought of then are now front and center, and it is worldwide.  The Lord knew this was coming and He prepared His people so they can abide this very day.  

The Book of Mormon is flooding the earth and gathering the elect in fulfilment of ancient prophesy – In all previous dispensations the gospel has been taught only in relatively small areas of the world.  Now the Lord’s work of gathering Israel is worldwide, and the Book of Mormon is an important part of that great work.  The Book of Mormon has been translated into 115 languages and is flooding the earth. This is in fulfillment of the word of the Lord given anciently to Enoch:  “As I live, even so will I come in the last days….And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth” (Moses 7:60,62).

The “truth…out of the earth” refers to the Book of Mormon.  President Ezra Taft Benson, referring to Moses 7:62, taught:  “The Book of Mormon is the instrument that God designed to ‘sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out [His] elect’” (A Witness and a Warning).  

The Book of Mormon is a weapon in the battle for the souls of men that will bring salvation to many – Some may consider the Book of Mormon a fraud or at best a small and simple thing of no consequence.  But we believe “that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass….And the Lord God doth work by [small] means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37:6-7).

Testimony – The last two paragraphs of the Introduction to the Book of Mormon is a powerful statement for missionaries when they testify of the Book of Mormon.  We add our testimony to this:

“We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true.  Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.  (See Moroni 10:3-5)

“Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.”

(In 2013 I published a book entitled Lessons on Missionary Service.  Lesson 33 of that book is entitled The Book of Mormon and the Battle for the Souls of Men.  The above is an update to that Lesson.  This book and the original Lesson can be found at www.lessonsonlife.net)