Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories: A Reference Guide for Speakers, Teachers, Students, and Parents

27 Nov

Connections Between the Bible and The Book of Mormon – Part 2

This entry is a continuation of the comparison chart that I prepared to answer my Russian friend’s question of how The Book of Mormon (New World) is related to the Bible (Old World). (See Part 1, posted Feb 21.) Both books of scripture record God’s dealings with man through prophets – on two different continents.

The first prophet mentioned in The Book of Mormon is Lehi, who was contemporary with Jeremiah and other Old Testament prophets who prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity of the kingdom of Judah. Jeremiah’s imprisonment was documented in the scriptures of both the Old and New Worlds (Jeremiah 37:15-17; 1 Nephi 7:13-14).

Lehi, though not mentioned in the Bible (3 Nephi 15:13-14), was rejected by the Jews and was warned of God to escape from Jerusalem with his family to save his life. The Lord commanded him to send his sons back to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates from Laban. (See Story 4 in my book.) These plates contained many of the books of our Old Testament along with additional scriptures we don’t have (1 Nephi 5:10-16;19:10; Alma 33:15).

The brass plates were needed by the family of Lehi to preserve their language, their genealogy, and the laws and commandments of God as they sojourned in their new land across the ocean (1 Nephi 5:21-22; 19:23). The words of several Old Testament prophets, quoted from the brass plates are included in The Book of Mormon. For example:

Moses – Compare 1 Nephi 5:11; 19:23; Mosiah 13:33; Alma 33:18-19; Helaman 8:13-16 with Numbers 21:8-9; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

Isaiah – Compare 1 Nephi 19:23; 20; 21; 2 Nephi 7; 8; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 27 with Isaiah 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 29; 48; 49; 50; 51; 52:1-2.

Jeremiah – Compare 1 Nephi 5:13; Helaman 8:20 with Jeremiah 26:20.

Malachi – (These words were not in the brass plates because Malachi lived after Lehi left Jerusalem, but they were repeated to the Nephites by the Savior Himself when He visited them after His resurrection.) Compare 3 Nephi 24; 25 with Malachi 3; 4.

As Jesus ministered in Palestine, He told the Jews of His future visit to the Nephites when He said, “Other sheep I have… and they shall hear my voice” (John 10:14-16). When Jesus appeared to the Nephites after his resurrection, He explained that they were, in fact, the other sheep of which He spoke (3 Nephi 15:14-17 and 21-22).

The Book of Mormon is truly Another Testament of Jesus Christ, who is the God of the Old and New Testaments. The Lord explained that He would speak unto the Jews and also unto the Nephites and that each nation would have the words of the other (2 Nephi 29:12-13). Check back for Part 3 of this series on the connections to see how the life and mission of the Savior are reflected in both books of scripture.

21 Feb

Connections Between the Bible and The Book of Mormon – Part 1

Before the Russian Federation outlawed proselyting, we missionaries met as “English Clubs” with Russian people interested in practicing English speaking on Gospel topics. One man in our club asked how The Book of Mormon was related to the Holy Bible. In response, I worked up a chart with two columns: The Bible (Old World) and The Book of Mormon (New World). I invite you to look up the following scriptures taken from my chart to see the links between the two books.

Going chronologically, the first connection between the two holy records is the Tower of Babel, ca. 2200 BC (Genesis 11:1-9; Ether 1:3, 33-35; Helaman 6:28). Story 72 in my book, Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories, summarizes how the language of Jared and his family and friends was not confounded, and Stories 73 through 75 relate how the Jaredites were led by the Lord across the great waters from the Old World to the New.

Next is a prophecy by Isaiah, ca. 720 BC (Isaiah 29:11-12), about a book (The Book of Mormon) coming forth and a future incident in 1827 AD when Joseph Smith was translating it (Joseph Smith History 1:63-65). Some characters copied from the gold plates were presented to a learned man who made a statement nearly identical to Isaiah’s prophecy.

Another Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel, spoke ca. 570 BC (Ezekiel 37:15-20) of a future time when The Book of Mormon (stick of Joseph) and the Bible (stick of Judah) would be combined. In our time, this prophecy has been fulfilled literally as the record of Lehi (descendant of Joseph) is joined “one in thine hand” with the Bible (from the Jews) as we carry our Standard Works to church.

Both “sticks” tell of prophecies ca 600 BC of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. Lehi (1 Nephi 1:4, 18-20) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 21:1-10) were contemporaries who, along with other prophets, testified against the Jews of their wickedness and impending doom. Lehi was warned of the Lord to take his family into the wilderness to escape the destruction of Jerusalem and was eventually led across the deep to the New World. Stories 1-6 and 9-12 in my book summarize the travels and trials of this group.

Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 BC ( Jeremiah 52:12-14; 2 Kings 24:14; Helaman 8:20-22) during the reign of Zedekiah, King of Judah, who was forced to witness the execution of his sons, after which, his eyes were put out by the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 52:10-11 and 2 Kings 25:7). But the Bible does not record that one of Zedekiah’s sons, Mulek, escaped and was led by the Lord to the New World (Helaman 6:10; 8:21; and Omni 1:15-16). See Story 16.

These connections explain the three, ancient, New-World nations, with roots in the Old World, that we read about in The Book of Mormon: the Jaredites, Lehi’s party (later divided into Nephites and Lamanites), and the Mulekites (people of Zarahemla). But there are more links between the Bible and The Book of Mormon on my chart. Join me for Part 2 as the discussion moves into the time-frame of the New Testament.

31 Jan

I’m an RV (Returned Volunteer)

I’m back, after serving with my wife as a “volunteer”* in the office of the Russia Rostov-na-Donu Mission for 18 months. What I have discovered after two book signing events since my return is that there are still a lot of people who know me but don’t realize that I’ve published a book. Well, it wouldn’t be exactly appropriate for me to announce it over the pulpit, now would it? Sorry to admit, social media is not really my forte for getting the word out either.

We have been counseled to read The Book of Mormon each day. Might I suggest that my book, Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories, is a Reference Guide that can make daily scripture study come alive, whether you find it easy or hard to get in the habit, and no matter how may times you have been through The Book of Mormon before – first time or 100th. It will surely give you a different approach – to study the stories and what they teach. As my wife and I study together, this method is one that we are enjoying once again now for variety’s sake rather than just plowing through, chapter by chapter.

As you follow the stories outlined in my book, you will get a view of the overall flow of the characters and events in The Book of Mormon. Then if you need a quick way to remember something you have read, you can use the two indices in the back to locate it. I have found many useful ways to use my own book. Be sure to look in the Introduction, “How to Get the Most Out of this Reference Guide,” on Page xv for other suggestions.

If you have a copy of Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories and like it, I would appreciate it if you would help spread the word by letting your friends know about it. Copies are available at The Book Table and Deseret Book in Logan, at Seagull Book in several locations, on-line at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as well as from my publisher iUniverse via a link on my website www.BookofMormonStories.net. To get a signed copy, look for me at upcoming author events throughout Utah. Watch the blog on my website for announcements of these events. Thank you for reading my blog.

*The Russian Federation passed a law in 2016 outlawing proselyting for faiths other than the Russian Orthodox church. Consequently, to comply with the law, LDS Missionaries became Volunteers for our church.

21 May

Don’t Be Deceived by Contrary Findings

In the supplemental study material for the D&C/Church History Gospel Doctrine Lesson 13, I discovered a fascinating piece under the “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham.” It is a devotional speech given at BYU-Hawaii by Kerry Muhlestein, Egyptologist and Associate Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU on November 12, 2013. Beyond giving some interesting findings about the papyri that Joseph Smith used to “translate” the Book of Abraham, Muhlestein provides a treatise on a more important principle that applies today as well as yesterday. He compares how we come to know things, viz., the relationship between academic knowledge and what we know by revelation and testimony.

He points out that many theories that scholars were so sure about 20 to 30 years ago have been overturned by newer findings. Examples are given over which some LDS academicians have lost their testimonies of the gospel because of theories that conflict with what Joseph Smith claimed. When fragments of the papyri from the mummies that Joseph possessed turned up, modern translators showed that the text in the Pearl of Great Price did not match up. This was a challenge to the faith of some scholars. However, Muhlestein explains that the assumptions used by the theorists were in error. Sadly, by the time the theories were disproved, those who had left the Church were no longer sensitive to spiritual guidance. To get the details, I recommend that you read or listen to the lecture. Here is the link – http://devotional.byuh.edu/media131112.

To keep from being deceived, Muhlestein proposes a model: “We must sift our learning through the gospel rather than sift the gospel through our learning…. Remember that revelation is our most trustworthy source of learning and not abandon that when something doesn’t make sense to our limited minds.” Or as President Uchtdorf has said, “Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.”

In the lecture, Muhlestein admits he could give many more examples where academic findings and theories seem to contradict what we know by faith, including authorship of the book of Isaiah, which he discusses somewhat. Other examples come to my mind where man’s theories or philosophies in the physical or social sciences seem in conflict with revealed truths, such as: carbon dating vs. the creation, Israelite dna findings vs. Lamanites, polygamy, relativism, secular progression, ordained women, same-sex marriage, and gender change.

The article includes several good scriptural references showing that: God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9), when men are learned they think they are wise (2 Nephi 9:28-29), we shouldn’t put our trust in the precepts of man (2 Nephi 28:31). These sources confirming that revelation is the most trusted source of knowledge. Don’t be deceived!

12 Feb

New Study Materials

The Church has provided new, informative, and interesting materials for the study of The Doctrine and Covenants and Church History in Gospel Doctrine Sunday School class this year. Check them out!

To find these articles, pictures, and videos, use the Gospel Library app. In the Library, choose “Lessons” then “Sunday School” then “Doctrine and Covenants and Church History: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual.” Under each Lesson, the “Preparation” section contains links to the extra study materials, including “Church History Study Guide,” which is on history.lds.org.

Items that have piqued my interest thus far (through Lesson 7), include:

Lesson 3 – An essay introducing the several different accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision (4 self-published by Joseph and 5 second-hand accounts written by contemporaries).
Lesson 5 – “Oliver Cowdery’s Gift,” an article that explains, among other background, his use of a divining rod, called “the gift of Aaron” in our current version of D&C 8:6. Earlier versions of the D&C described it as the “gift of working with the sprout,” and then later “sprout” was changed to “rod.” Interesting? I found it so!
Lesson 7 – “Rare Footage of First Baptisms in West Africa.” This is a must-see! In September 1978, three months after the announcement of the revelation received by President Spencer W. Kimball allowing all worthy male members of the Church to receive the priesthood, two couple missionaries were called to West Africa. With a handheld video camera “they captured some very significant events in modern Church history.” Included were images of one of the largest baptismal services in Nigeria, “117 people were baptized the first day and 67 the next!”

Are you worried that you might be cheating on your Sunday school teacher by looking up these extra resources from the teacher’s manual? No way! There is never time enough in the class to cover all of the material in the lesson. It’s up to you to do your own studying at home. If you don’t do that, you won’t get the full benefit of this rich treasure trove of information to strengthen your knowledge and testimony of the restored gospel.

14 Jan

Perpetual Study

The quote by Pres. Ezra Taft Benson I referred to in my previous post is found on the last page of the Class Member Study Guide: “The Book of Mormon is studied in our Sunday School and seminary classes every fourth year. This four-year pattern, however, must not be followed by Church members in their personal and family study. We need to read daily from the pages of the book that will get a man ‘nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book'” (Ensign, Nov. 1988, 4).

So how do we follow his counsel, especially since there is so much new and interesting material to study in the Gospel Library app for this year’s gospel doctrine class on Church history?

Here is what works for us. In the morning is individual study. Since I’m currently serving as Sunday School president, I like to keep up with the reading assignments for all three classes, gospel doctrine, gospel principles, and Come Follow Me for youth. I might not get it all done, but I do what I can, a little bit each day, in the time I have set aside for study. The Gospel Library app is great for this because, working from the teachers’ manuals, I can quickly pull up the scripture references. On Sunday afternoons I finish reading the priesthood lesson.

In the evenings, right after dinner, or at latest, just before bed, we study The Book of Mormon together for a few minutes. We are empty nesters so there are just two of us for family study. Our approach has varied over the years – variety is the spice of life! Right now, we are using my book to read the Story Outlines, then the References, then the Gospel Principles. With great interest, we have worked our way up to Story 53 so far.

After we have reviewed all of the stories, we will start over on The Book of Mormon again, with one of the approaches we’ve used before. We may read from cover to cover, or share our marked passages, or review sequentially the sermons in the book.

I trust that you have found, as we have, that each time we go through The Book of Mormon, we find new insights and/or rediscover precious concepts that may have slipped from our memory banks.

It’s a life-long study. I testify that it will continuously bring us to a higher spiritual plane.

16 Dec

Keeping It Straight in Ether

Well, I hope you have been using my book all year as we have studied The Book of Mormon in Gospel Doctrine Sunday School class. Further, I hope you will continue to make good use of it in the years ahead.

Among the last few lessons of the year, we will study the fate of the Jaredite nation in the book of Ether. It is a history covering a millennium and a half condensed into only fifteen chapters. The story outlines in Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories can help you keep things straight as you review this epic rise and fall of a great nation.

Perhaps the most confusing part of the Jaredite story is how it fits into the rest of The Book of Mormon, which deals mostly with the Nephites and Lamanites. In my book, there are two Stories that illuminate the connections: Story 27, Limhi Discovers the Twenty-four Gold Plates of the Jaredites and Story 71, The History of the Jaredite Nation Is Revealed. A review of these two chapters will help you keep in mind how the pieces fit together.

In the latter story, under the Gospel Principle of Records, we read: “We know about the Jaredite nation from four sources: a) The stone that was found, b) The bones and ruins in the land northward, c) The witness of the lone survivor, Coriantumr, and d) The twenty-four gold plates. The Lord made sure that the record of these people was preserved and revealed for our benefit. (See Mosiah 28:13-15 and 18-20.)”

My book breaks down the chapters in Ether into eight stories. Besides the suggested Gospel Principles that can be taught from these stories, the story lines themselves help keep the sequence of events in one’s mind. Particularly useful in this respect are the two chapters on the long line of succession of kings, Stories 76 and 77. In this instance it would be handy to have the book at your fingertips to follow along in class and answer questions about these kings, their wars and captivities.

President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Heavenly Father wants you to continue to learn from the Book of Mormon every day.” He encouraged us to do that even when the course of study was of one of the other canonized books of scripture. May you find my book useful as you follow his counsel.

16 Oct

Diligence

It’s been a while since I added a new post. My wife and I have been very busy as the office couple in the Russia Rostov-na-Donu mission. I brought two copies of my book with me plus my e-copy and we are putting them to use. Each night we study together using it, first reading the Story Outline, then the References, then the Gospel Principles that apply to the story. It’s one of several ways we have used to study The Book of Mormon. I can recommend it.

In preparation for our upcoming zone conference, our mission president asked each of us volunteers (the proper term in Russia under the new law) to prepare a brief talk on the subject of diligence. Naturally, I turned to Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories for my preparation. The Index of Gospel Principles shows lots of examples of diligence in The Book of Mormon.

Nephi was diligent. He said, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded…” (1 Nephi 3:7) He persisted until the commandment to obtain the brass plates was accomplished. “He went to Laban three times even though his brothers strove to stop him even unto smiting him with a rod.” (Story 4)

The Liahona worked according to the diligence that was shown it by Lehi’s family, traveling in the wilderness, finding food, and crossing the great waters. When Nephi broke his bow, he did not give up. He made a new bow, asked his father where to go, followed the directions on the ball, and obtained food. (Stories 9, 10, and 12)

King Benjamin persisted until all obstacles, from external enemies and from internal strife, were removed and peace was established in his kingdom. (Story 17)

Ammon offered to be a servant to King Lamoni. After he saved the king’s flocks, Lamoni was impressed that Ammon was diligently carrying out the orders to prepare the king’s horses. Ammon stuck to the task. (Story 40)

Samuel the Lamanite was among the diligent prophets who preached repentance. Barred from the city, he did not give up. He climbed up on the wall to deliver his divine message. (Story 61)

Nephi, son of Helaman, abdicated the judgement seat to devote the rest of his life to preaching the word of God. Though arrested and imprisoned, he preached with diligence. As a result, most of the Lamanite nation was converted. (Stories 56 and 58) The Lord was pleased and told him, “Because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever…” (Helaman 10:5)

Mormon and Moroni and the prophet, Ether, continued to labor on the Lord’s errand even though it was for an apparent lost cause as they watched the destruction of their entire nations due to wickedness.

07 Jul

Feeling Like Amulek

For me the most dramatic story in the whole Book of Mormon is “Alma and Amulek Preach in Ammonihah” (Story 36 in my book and Lessons 23 and 24 in the Gospel Doctrine Sunday School class). How can anything else equal the pathos of these two men having to witness the martyrdom by fire of the women and children of the believers? (Alma 14:8-11) Try to imagine this horrific scene of iniquity!

Sometimes, as I see the evil that is happening in the world today, I feel like Amulek who said to Alma, “How can we witness this awful scene?” He wanted to call upon the power of God to save the righteous believers from the flames. The flames of legislation, unrighteous judgement, and persecution against the family and religious freedom are all around us in almost all countries in the world.

I suppose my situation does not compare in severity to that of Alma and Amulek, who were mocked, spit upon, imprisoned, smitten, and starved. However, I sometimes find myself wishing that God would shake the earth and make the prison walls fall down upon the perpetrators of wickedness. (Alma 14:14-27) In my prayers I follow the admonition of Amulek to “…cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.” (Alma 34:23)

But Alma’s reply to Amulek at the scene of martyrdom was “…the Lord… doth suffer that they may do this thing… according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just…” (Alma 14:11)

“The Chief Judge of Ammonihah and his supporters were allowed to mock and punish Alma and Amulek for many days before they were destroyed. Their earthly destruction took place swiftly, but their eternal punishment was just beginning. It often seems that the wicked go on, unpunished, persecuting the righteous. But, their day of judgement too will come, though not necessarily in this life.” (Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories, p. 122)

Speaking of drama, I love the part of the story when the power of God comes upon the prisoners and they break the cords with which they were bound. Their persecutors came to a sudden realization that they were in the wrong. Their fear was so great that they had not the strength to escape their destruction.

The message I get from this story is to press on in righteousness, continue to pray for good to overcome evil, be patient, wait upon the Lord and trust in Him, and all things will eventually be made right. Vengeance is His.

19 Jun

Correct Politically or Politically Correct?

Having Gospel Doctrine Lesson 21 in Russia has made me reflect upon governments. I see a parallel between the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 and Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories (BTLBMS) #32 where Mosiah Ends the Reign of the Kings in favor of a system of judges. I wish I could have understood the comments of the Russian saints in class today, but unfortunately we had no interpreter. Just think, a short 25 years ago this country was under communism. My wife and I just reviewed a bit of the history when democracy and free enterprise burst out here. After being in Rostov for three months, I’m convinced that the people enjoy their freedom. There are myriads of small businesses in this city, and the availability of all kinds of goods is great. Similarly, “Given the chance, the people of Mosiah embraced their liberty and rejoiced in it.” (BTLBMS, p. 109)

This is a turbulent political year in the USA, and the things we learn from this part of The Book of Mormon are certainly cogent to our time. All throughout this book of scripture the connection between righteous living and prospering in the land is clearly pointed out. Always in an election cycle we should be haunted by Mosiah’s warning: “…do your business by the voice of the people. And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.” (Mosiah 29:26-27)

“Liberty (agency) carries with it individual responsibility. (See Mosiah 29:30-34)” (BTLBMS p. 109) Our obligation as citizens is to live righteously and choose good leaders. “Using the examples of King Benjamin and King Noah, Mosiah vividly contrasted the differences between the reigns of righteous and wicked kings. (Compare Mosiah 29:13-14 with Mosiah 29: 18-20.)” (BTLBMS p. 109) Then he pointed out that, “…ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention… For behold, he has his friends in iniquity and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God; and he enacteth laws… yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness… and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.” (Mosiah 29:21-23.) Does this sound a little like modern political machinery?

In BTLBMS 33, The Church Endures Trials Under the Reign of the Judges, “The proper enforcement of the laws brought peace to the land. These (good) laws were made by Mosiah and acknowledged by the people. (See Alma 1:1 and 33.” (BTLBMS p. 111) The system of judges set up by Mosiah provided for dealing with judges who did not judge according to the law. (Mosiah 29:28-29) I’m sad to admit that I have felt helpless in some cases these days when I have felt our judges have overstepped their bounds.

I pray that we will learn the role of proper, righteous government from The Book of Mormon that we may continue to prosper in the land.

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