Lessons for Our Day From the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ - 2024
Lesson No. Thirty-Eight

The Book of Mormon is Sweeping the Earth to Gather Israel

Introduction: As we conclude the year 2024 and this year’s study of the Book of Mormon, it is my desire to teach and testify of the importance of The Book of Mormon. I also want to stress our individual responsibility to help with the gathering of Israel. This is the most important thing taking place on earth today.

Over 6,000 years ago the Lord spoke of The Book of Mormon (Moses 7:62 below is in bold)

- “And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth….” Latter day prophets have taught that righteousness from heaven are revelations from God, and the truth out of the earth is the Book of Mormon.

- “to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men….” The Book of Mormon is fulling this prophecy: “In the Book of Mormon, Christ’s name is mentioned every 1.7 verses, His death and crucifixion is discussed 36 times, the resurrection is discussed 88 times, there are 117 names for Christ in the Book of Mormon, and there are 12,021 words spoken by Christ during his visit to the Americas” (Church News Release, 22 April 2024).

- “and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood….” President Ezra Taft Benson taught; “The Book of Mormon is the instrument that God designed to ‘sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out [His] elect’” (Teaching of the Presidents of the Church; Ezra Taft Benson, chapter 10). In the year 2024 publication of The Book of Mormon topped 200 million copies. (Church News Release, 22 April 2024).

- “to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth…” (Moses 7:62). The Book of Mormon has been published in 113 languages. As more copies are printed and translated it will fulfill the Lord’s promise: “For it shall come to pass that in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language” (D&C 90:11).

The Book of Mormon gives the pattern of how Israel will be gathered (see 1 Nephi 22):

- Israel was scattered among all nations, brought into captivity, and spiritually confounded because of wickedness, and because they rejected their Savior (22:3, 5).

- The Lord will raise up a mighty nation (the United States) where He will proceed to do the marvelous work of restoring the gospel and fulfilling his covenant to gather Israel (22:7-9).

- To gather Israel the Lord will bear his arm (show his power) in all nations (22:10-11).

- The Lord will insure that people can gather to the Church in their own nations (22:12).

- They shall come out of darkness, gain a testimony of the Lord, and join his Church (22:12).

The gathering of Israel in the latter days began with the founding United States which was in preparation for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ; 1 Nephi 13-14 reveals the pattern God uses:

- The Colonists were delivered and given their freedom by the power of God (13: 10-19).

- Through the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Latter day Gentles were delivered from their “awful state of (spiritual) blindness…I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb” (13: 32, 34).

- The Book of Mormon will make known to all people that Jesus is the Christ “the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot by saved” (13:40).

- The Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, including the Book of Mormon, is a marvelous work. The doctrines of the Restoration, living prophets, additional scripture, etc. separates those who join the Restored Church and those who do not (14:7).

- The Lord’s Restored Church is in all nations; congregations are small compared to the world (14:12).

- The Lord blesses and protects His people who make and keep temple covenants (14:14).

- This is the pattern the Father follows to fulfill His covenant to gather Israel (14:17).

This pattern which began in the United States is being repeated worldwide:

- People worldwide will have enough political and religious freedom to hear the gospel. Elder Dallin Oaks said: “The United States Constitution was the first written constitution in the world. It has served American well, enhancing freedom and prosperity during the changed conditions of more than two hundred years. Frequently copied, it has become the United States’ most important export. After two centuries [most] nations have adopted written constitutions and the U.S. Constitution was a model for all of them” (Ensign, Feb. 1992, p.68).

- The living prophet holds the keys of the gathering of Israel originally restored to Joseph Smith (see D&C110: 11). This gathering is accelerating worldwide. At the end of 2024 there are approximately 17 million members of the Restored Church and over 74,000 missionaries serving in 450 missions.

We are to labor with the Lord as he fulfills his covenant to gather Israel (see Jacob 5: 69-71):

- Worthy members worldwide provide the leaven which lifts their countries out of darkness as more of their countrymen join the Restored Church and more temples are built. I believe these faithful members are also the salt which will preserve freedom worldwide.

- The house of Israel also blesses the families and the nations of the earth through missionary service. Abraham’s seed have the responsibility to “bear this ministry and priesthood unto all nations” (Abraham 2: 9). “Abraham’s seed have carried out the missionary activity in all the nations since Abraham’s day” (Bible Dictionary, Abraham, Covenant of, p. 602).

President Russell M. Nelson has said the gathering of Israel is the most important work in the world:

- “these surely are the latter days, and the Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty” (Hope of Israel, Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018, emphasis added).

- “For centuries, prophets have foretold this gathering, and it is happening right now! As an essential prelude to the Second Coming of the Lord, it is the most important work in the world!” (Let God Prevail, October 2020 General Conference, emphasis added).

Testimony: It is my great desire, as a servant to the Lord of the vineyard, to work with Him to gather Israel. (See the Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob 5) President Russell M. Nelson has helped me understand how extensive the work of the gathering of Israel is, and yet at the same time how individual it is: “When we speak of gathering Israel on both sides of the veil, we are referring, of course, to missionary, temple, and family history work. We are also referring to building faith and testimony in the hearts of those with whom we live, work, and serve. Anytime we do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel” (Ibid, emphasis added).

The Lord said: “For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul” (D&C 4:4). Salvation, which is eternal life, “is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (1 Nephi 15:36), and it is what we should desire most for ourselves and our families. I testify that if we keep our covenants and serve the Lord to help gather Israel this greatest of all blessings will be ours.

Released on December 28th. 2024.