Lessons on Missionary Service
Lesson No. Thirty-One

The Way the Book of Mormon Brings Us to Christ

“The Book of Mormon brings men to Christ through two basic means.  First, it tells in a plain manner of Christ and His gospel….It bears witness of the Fall and the Atonement….

“Second, the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ.  It confounds false doctrines and lays down contention.  (See 2 Nephi 3:21)  It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrine of the devil in our day.  The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon is similar to the type we have today.  God, with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious, and philosophical concepts of our time” (Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and a Warning).

President Benson also taught that the Book of Mormon will fortify our families against the world. “Now we have not been using the Book of Mormon as we should.  Our homes are not as strong unless we are using it to bring our children to Christ.  Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book to expose and combat the falsehoods in socialism, organic evolution, rationalism, humanism and so forth” (Ibid).

The Book of Mormon exposes the false philosophy of humanism – This philosophy teaches that mankind is so capable, talented, and learned that we do not need God.  We can, without any help, do all that is necessary to make us happy and successful.  The Book of Mormon exposes this falsehood.

  • Korihor, an anti-Christ in the Book of Mormon, taught the philosophy of humanism:  “Behold, ye cannot know of thing which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.  Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins.  But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the tradition of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of this which are not so.  And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime” (Alma 30:15-17).  Many people believe this in our day.
  • When Korihor demanded a sign, as humanists often do, Alma answered:  “Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God?  Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets?  The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God” yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:43).
  • Humanism is the “cunning plan of the evil one”  because often “when [men] are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness…And they shall perish” (2 Nephi 9:28).
  • The truth is that men are “fools before God” (2 Nephi 9:42); but we can “become a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things the Lord seeth fit…” (Mosiah 3:19)

The Book of Mormon exposes the falsehood of easy salvation which denies the need for repentance –       

  • Nehor, another anti-Christ, taught the falsehood of easy salvation which is “that all mankind should be saved… and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life” (Alma 1:4).
  • The Book of Mormon teaches the truth which is that “the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.  And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance…which bringeth unto them the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls” (Helaman 5:10-11).

The Book of Mormon exposes those who “declare…that there should be no Christ” and seek to “overthrow the doctrine of Christ” (Jacob 7:1) –

  • These people, like Sherem, “use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil” with the “hope to shake us from our faith.”  They say, “show us a sign” (Jacob 7:1-13).
  • Jacob answered Sherem with his testimony:  “It has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost” (Jacob 7:12).  When challenged about our belief in Christ, like Jacob, the best way to respond is by bearing testimony.

Testimony – There is power in the Book of Mormon.  On our mission we prayed to be able to know our missionaries.  Our prayers were answered.  We came to know their names and also the hearts of almost 500 missionaries.  We learned that their hearts would change, and they would be powerful ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ if they would read and pray about the Book of Mormon, and then use it to teach and testify of Christ and the Restoration.