1 Nephi 1: 1-4
1 Nephi 1: 1
1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I wastaught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.
Revelation and the Book of Mormon
That same gift of revelation has influenced my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I have read, studied, searched, and feasted upon it again and again. The Holy Ghost has revealed to me its truth and divinity.
President Gordon B. Hinckley called the Book of Mormon one of the four essential cornerstones of the Church, the others being Joseph Smith’s First Vision, the restoration of the priesthood, and of course our testimony of Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone (see Ephesians 2:19–21). “These four great God-given gifts,” he explained, “are the unshakable cornerstones which anchor The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as the individual testimonies and convictions of its members” (“Four Cornerstones of Faith,” Liahona and Ensign, Feb. 2004, 7).
These four God-given gifts have become the anchors to my faith and testimony, each one confirmed to me by revelation through the Holy Ghost. However, for a few minutes I would like to focus on two of these cornerstone gifts—the First Vision and the Book of Mormon. It is significant that each begins in a family setting where children were born of goodly parents and were taught well by them (see 1 Nephi 1:1). Events in the lives of Lehi and Joseph Smith parallel each other (see 1 Nephi 1 and Joseph Smith—History 1):
- • Each has a specific need. Lehi’s is to save himself and his family from Jerusalem’s imminent destruction, and Joseph Smith’s is to know which church is true.
- • Each prays.
- • Each has a vision of the Father and the Son.
- • To each is given a book.
- • Both preach.
- • Each receives revelation from the Holy Ghost and by visions or dreams.
- • Finally, wicked people threaten them. Lehi and his people escape and survive. Joseph is martyred.
Is it any wonder that missionaries invite sincere seekers of truth to begin their study of the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi? This book is saturated with the Spirit of the Lord. In these early chapters there is a clear message that revelation and the Holy Ghost are given not only to prophets but also to fathers and mothers and children.
The message about revelation and the Holy Ghost continues throughout the Book of Mormon. These truths are summarized by the Prophet Joseph Smith: “Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We have none” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 196).
As Latter-day Saints, we have testimonies of the Book of Mormon given to us by revelation, assuring us that this religion and its doctrines are true (see introduction to the Book of Mormon).
The things of the Spirit are sacred and hard to express. We, like Ammon, declare, “Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel” (Alma 26:16).
However, I witness that the Holy Ghost is real and He is the testator, revelator, comforter, guide, and supernal teacher.
Humbly I bear witness that this true and living Church, this religion, rests on these four cornerstones. I testify that Jesus Christ is in very deed the chief cornerstone (see Ephesians 2:19–21). PresidentThomas S. Monson is the Lord’s prophet, and these 15 men seated behind me are prophets, seers, apostles, and revelators. They hold the holy priesthood and keys of the kingdom. I love, honor, and sustain them. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
To read Jay E Jensen's full talk click here
1 Nephi 1: 2
2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
One of the underlying premises of Lehi’s vision is that faithful members must hold fast to the rod of iron to keep them on the strait and narrow path leading to the tree of life. It is essential for members to read, ponder, and study the scriptures.17 [See John 5:39.]
The Book of Mormon is of seminal importance.18 [See Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 4; or Liahona and Ensign, Oct. 2011, 52.] There will, of course, always be those who underestimate the significance of or even disparage this sacred book. Some have used humor. Before I served a mission, a university professor quoted Mark Twain’s statement that if you took “And it came to pass” out of the Book of Mormon, it “would have been only a pamphlet.”19 [Mark Twain,Roughing It (1891), 127–28. Each new generation is presented with Twain’s comments as if they were a significant new discovery. There is usually little reference to the fact that Mark Twain was equally dismissive of Christianity and religion in general.]
A few months later, while I was serving a mission in London, England, a distinguished Oxford-educated teacher at London University, an Egyptian expert in Semitic languages, read the Book of Mormon, corresponded with President David O. McKay, and met with missionaries. He informed them he was convinced the Book of Mormon was indeed a translation of “the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians” for the periods described in the Book of Mormon.20 [1 Nephi 1:2.] One example among many he used was the conjunctive phrase “And it came to pass,” which he said mirrored how he would translate phraseology used in ancient Semitic writings.21 [I met Dr. Ebeid Sarofim in London when the elders were teaching him. See also N. Eldon Tanner, in Conference Report, Apr. 1962, 53. Many scholars of ancient Semitic and Egyptian writings have noted the repetitive use of the conjunctive phrase “And it came to pass” at the beginning of sentences; see Hugh Nibley, Since Cumorah, 2nd ed. (1988), 150.] The professor was informed that while his intellectual approach based on his profession had helped him, it was still essential to have a spiritual testimony. Through study and prayer he gained a spiritual witness and was baptized. So what one famous humorist saw as an object of ridicule, a scholar recognized as profound evidence of the truth of the Book of Mormon, which was confirmed to him by the Spirit.
To read Quentin L. Cook's full talk click here
1 Nephi 1: 3
3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.
No Specific Reference
1 Nephi 1: 4
4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.
No comments:
Post a Comment