The Church is bringing the Book of Mormon stories to life on the screen! I hope you have been watching the weekly installments on YouTube (referenced from the Church’s website ChurchofJesusChrist.org). You might find it fun to follow along the “scripts” of the videos using Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories as I have. Naturally, my book and the videos run in parallel as the stories play out with the book providing synopses of the screen action. Presumptuously, I have wondered if the book would have been helpful to those involved in writing, producing, and directing the videos.
Of course, it is no wonder that the the same stories are coming to life in parallel because the videos and the book are both taken from the ultimate script, the Book of Mormon, which neither the videos nor my book are designed to replace. To get the full effects of the stories, you really have to read the entire scripture accounts. One feature that Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories has that the videos do not is the list of Gospel Principles that naturally are demonstrated by each story.
Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories was published in 2015 just prior to our year-long study of the Book of Mormon in the Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Classes in 2016. Now, after four years, we will be studying the stories again in 2020 through Come Follow Me.May I suggest that my book will again be a useful supplement for the study of the Book of Mormon at home and in Sunday School classes?
I also encourage you to review my previous blogs. I admit I’m not very regular at posting blogs. Right now, I’m using my writing time to work on my sequel, Bring-to-Life Old Testament Stories and my never-ending autobiography. Come to think of it, I would not be surprised to see the Church bringing Old Testament Stories to life in videos after the current project is completed.
Above all, remember that the Book of Mormon is a true Testament of Jesus Christ.
This blog is the third and final installment describing the points on my chart that I assembled to show our Russian friends the relationships between the Book of Mormon, originating in the New World, and the Bible, originating in the Old World.
Jesus’ birth, ministry and Atonement in the Old World (see Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) were prophesied of by Book of Mormon prophets in the New World, for example: (a) Nephi (575 B.C.), see 1 Nephi 11:13–34; 19:8–9, story 7 in Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories; (b) Abinadi (148 B.C.), see Mosiah 13:33–35, story 23; (c) King Benjamin (124 B.C.), see Mosiah 3:5–11, story 19; (d) Alma (83 B.C.), see Alma 7:10–13, story 36; (e) Samuel the Lamanite (6 B.C.), see Helaman 14:1–5, 14–18, story 61.
These few examples show why the Book of Mormon is subtitled, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, and complements and confirms the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. These three testaments show that God loves all of His children, no matter where and at what time they live in the world, and that He speaks to them through prophets (see 2 Nephi 29:6–13, Amos 3:7). That is why both books of scripture contain the Ten Commandments (compare Mosiah 13:11–24, Exodus 20:1–17, Mark 10:19) and the Sermon on the Mount (compare 3 Nephi 12, 13, 14, Matthew 5, 6, 7).
I will conclude this series with an experience I had in Hawaii a while back. A nice woman gave us a ride to church on a Sunday when we were walking around, looking but lost. When she found out what church we were going to, she started saying bad things about the Book of Mormon based on what her preacher had told her. She refused to let me read even one verse to her, behaving like the people of our day that Nephi saw who would say, “A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible” (2 Nephi 29:3, 8, 10). If she had been willing to listen, I would have loved to show her how the Book of Mormon could strengthen her faith in and knowledge of Jesus Christ by reading to her, ” We labor . . . to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God . . . we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ . . . that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:23, 26).
I testify that the Book of Mormon is truly Another Testament of Jesus Christ. There is power in it to draw us closer to the Savior if we will study it and ask in prayer (see Moroni 10:3–5).
I have been encouraged to write a sequel and have begun the momentous task of composing “Bring-to-Life Old Testament Stories,” with a goal to publish it by the next time we study the Old Testament in 2022. Considering that it took me seven years to complete the first volume, the goal is truly very ambitious! Wish me luck and God’s speed please.
The format for the new work will be similar to that of my first tome, with References, Background, Story Outline, and Gospel Principles. However, a new order will be adopted, with a Guide to Gospel Principles being at the front instead of an Index of Gospel Principles in the back. This order will naturally lead those in teaching situations (speakers, class teachers, parents, and grandparents) to start with intended Gospel Principles to choose a story. But of course, students and readers will still have the option to enter at the numbered Story Outlines themselves to review the narratives. Also, there will still be the handy Index of People, Places, Things, and Events bringing up the rear.
Meanwhile, if you do or don’t yet have your copy of my first book, “Bring-to-Life Book of Mormon Stories,” consider the fact that we will again be studying The Book of Mormon in 2020, which is fast approaching.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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:
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.
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.
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.