Gospel Doctrine Commentary
Lesson No. One
The Book of Mormon - Keystone of Our Religion
Introduction and Testimony– President Ezra Taft Benson’s landmark sermon entitled "The Book of Mormon - Keystone of Our Religion" was given at the October 1986 General Conference and can be found in the November 1986 Ensign. It is an inspired sermon which we should review on a regular basis. Because it is very detailed and comprehensive I found that an outline is helpful when studying this sermon.
I hope the following outline will help you better understand and appreciate the marvelous blessings President Benson promised us if we will make the study of the Book of Mormon a life time pursuit. I have studied the Book of Mormon for many years and have received the blessings he promised.
President Benson taught that there are three great reasons why Latter Day Saints should make the study of the Book of Mormon a lifetime pursuit:
The first reason we should make the study of the Book of Mormon a lifetime pursuit is that it is the keystone of our religion. The keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles. There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.
It is the keystone of our witness of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon teaches in plain and unmistakable terms about the truth of the Savior’s miraculous birth, his perfect life and the reality of his glorious resurrection. It provides the most complete explanation of the doctrine of the Atonement.
It is the keystone for understanding the essential doctrines of salvation. The Book of Mormon teaches the doctrines of salvation plainly and simply so that even children can understand. The Book of Mormon offers so much that broadens our understandings of the doctrines of salvation. Without it, much of what is taught in other scriptures would not be nearly so plain and precious.
It is the keystone of our testimony of the Lord’s Restored Church and all that it teaches. If the Book of Mormon can be discredited, the Prophet Joseph Smith goes with it. So does our claim to priesthood keys, and revelation. However, if the Book of Mormon is true then all the claims of the Restoration are true, including “that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory” (Book of Mormon – Introduction page).
The second reason we should make the study of the Book of Mormon a lifetime pursuit is that it was written for our day. Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations. 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. More than anywhere else, we see in the Book of Mormon the dangers of materialism and setting our hearts on the things of the world.
The third reason we should make the study of the Book of Mormon a lifetime pursuit is that it draws us nearer to God than any other book. It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that too. But there is something more. There is power in the book that will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called the “words of life” (D&C 84:85), nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.
Do eternal consequences rest upon our response to this book? Yes, either to our blessing or our condemnation. Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of the Book of Mormon a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life.