Lesson 1: “The Keystone of Our Religion”

Title page, Testimony of Three and Eight Witnesses

Purpose: To help class members understand how the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion and how abiding by its precepts helps us draw nearer to God.

Lesson Development

1. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.
2. Many witnesses have testified of the Book of Mormon.
3. The Book of Mormon was written for our day.
4. The Book of Mormon can bring us nearer to God.
1. The importance of the Book of Mormon in the Restoration of the gospel.

Scripture Discussion and Application

[Briefly describe experience of using shorthand in business offices during early career.] We use forms of shorthand in our speech all the time, where we make a simple statement that conveys meaning far larger than the simple meaning of the words themselves. For example, if I say “Come, come, ye Saints,” what meaning do we in this room hear in those words, beyond what meaning they might have for a roomful of people who are not Latter-day Saints?

Another sentence we might hear a lot this year is, “I know the Book of Mormon is true.” That can be a shorthand way of saying a great many things – what do we mean when we say “the Book of Mormon is true”? [It conveys the true gospel, it is a real history of real people, it came forth as Joseph Smith said it did, etc.]

Although the Book of Mormon had not yet been written, of course, when his family fled from Jerusalem, we can guess how Nephi would answer a question like “what do we mean when we say ‘the word of God is true’?” because he explained exactly that to his brothers, after the dream where he saw the tree of life, the iron rod, the great and spacious building, etc.:

1 Nephi 15:23-25

23 And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?

24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

25 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things.

With that in mind, should we add anything to our discussion of what it means to say “I know the Book of Mormon is true”?

What does it mean to “give heed” to the word of God?

Nephi begs his brothers not only to “keep his commandments” but to “remember to keep his commandments.” Does that word “remember” add anything meaningful to his instruction? [Does “remembering” why we are paying tithing, or fasting, or obeying any other commandment, add anything to the experience? or is it enough to pay tithing because it’s payday, or fast because it’s the first Sunday of the month, or obey any other commandment out of habit?]

So, let’s “give heed” to the word of God in the Book of Mormon, beginning at the beginning. Let’s turn to the very first page, to the page that book-people refer to as the “half title” – the page before the actual title page. What does it say?

The subtitle, “Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” was added within the memory of most of us. Although we usually associate an emphasis on the Book of Mormon with Ezra Taft Benson, this subtitle was actually added during the administration of Spencer W. Kimball, in 1982. What was the purpose of adding that subtitle?

[Explain why the French edition says “second testament” instead of “another testament”; ask if anyone else has comment on that subtitle.]

An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi

Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.

Translated by Joseph Smith, Jun.

Let’s look at the actual title page now. Joseph Smith told us something about the title page:

I wish also to mention here, that the title page of the Book of Mormon is a literal translation, taken fro the very last leaf, on the left hand side of the collection or book of plates, which contained the record which has been translated; the language of the whole running the same as all Hebrew writing in general; and that, said title page is not by any means a modern composition either of mine or of any other man’s who has lived or does live in this generation. [B.H. Roberts, History of the Church, 1:71]

We notice that the subtitle “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” does not appear on this page – why? [This text is part of the scripture, not to be added to.]

“An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon” – This wording seems a little unusual to me; when I write something, I tend to say “written by Ardis Parshall,” not “written by the hand of Ardis Parshall.” What do you think Mormon meant by writing it this way? [Perhaps because he is the editor – he chose and abridged and edited; the text isn’t original to him.]

“Upon plates, taken from the Plates of Nephi” – Comment? [To me, this seems to be Mormon’s emphasis on the work he himself did, an extension of “by the hand of” language.]

[Read through the title page, pausing to ask questions:]

“people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites” – we always use the parallel construction “Nephites and Lamanites” – I don’t know why Mormon doesn’t, or whether this means anything, but point it out.

Is this book written to us? Where do we come into Mormon’s intended audience?

“Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation” – Is he talking about the record of the people of Nephi, or of his abridgment, or – ?

“Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord” – this clearly refers to the record itself; but the next phrase “that they might not be destroyed” doesn’t – what does the plural “they” refer to? [The Lamanites, the Jew, the Gentile – his concern is not that the plates not be destroyed, but that the *people* not be destroyed.]

“to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile” – Is this odd? Do we usually think of Joseph Smith, and by extension ourselves, as Gentiles?

“Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers” – Do we have the same concern for or interest in what the Lord has done for our fathers (and mothers)? What records do we have of that? Has the Lord done any great things during our generation – in your lifetime? Will the Saints of a future day know what great things the Lord hath done for you, their fathers and mothers? How?

“they may know the covenants of the Lord” – what covenants of the Lord do we come to know through the Book of Mormon? Are there any major covenants that the Book of Mormon does not teach us about? How do you explain that?

“they are not cast off forever” – In Joseph Smith’s day, concern for salvation, for not being cast off forever, was a major concern of the people and a major attraction for missionaries who taught the new gospel. Is this still a concern of people in general today? Is it much of a concern for you and me? What has taken its place?

“and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations” – now we come to the real purpose of the Book of Mormon. Mormon wrote this line presumably just after he finished his abridgement when everything was fresh in his mind. Do you suppose he was satisfied that he had accomplished his purpose? What do you find in the Book of Mormon that is “convincing” to you that Jesus is the Christ? If you can stand in the shoes of someone who is not yet a believer, what do you find in the Book of Mormon that you think should be convincing?

What does Mormon say is the consequence of using the faults of men to condemn the things of God?

Mormon’s title page is followed by a brief introduction, written in modern days, to explain what the Book of Mormon is.

Next comes the testimony of the witnesses – the Eight, the Three, and Joseph Smith.

Briefly, what is the difference in experience between the Eight and Three witnesses – what, exactly, is each group testifying to?

You’ll notice that most of the Eight witnesses are named Whitmer, but may have forgotten how they are related to each other. Christian, Jacob, Peter and John were all brothers of David Whitmer (one of the Three witnesses); Hiram Page was David Whitmer’s brother-in-law (married to Catherine Whitmer). These were all children of Peter Whitmer, Sr., and Mary Musselman Whitmer. The others of that group are, of course, the brothers and father of Joseph Smith.

The story I am about to tell is becoming more and more familiar to Church members, but it’s worth repeating especially for those who haven’t heard it:

The Whitmers were undoubtedly chosen as witnesses because the family were among Joseph Smith’s earliest supporters. While Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were translating the plates, the Whitmers made room for Joseph and Emma and Oliver to move into their home. To my mind, this became a sort of Mary-and-Martha event: Most of the people in that home were like Mary, discussing the work Joseph was doing, talking about what he was learning and what it would mean to the world. But somebody had to play the role of Martha, to keep the household going, to prepare the meals and clean up after them, to do the laundry, to do not only the normal work of a farm woman on the frontier but also to do it for her household increased by their guests. That burden fell to Mary Musselman Whitmer, the mother of all those grown sons. According to one account by a family member, Mary carried on those duties even when the men in the household, to get a rest from their labors, went to the woods and “skated rocks on a pond” – she “thought they might just as well carry her a bucket of water or chop a bit of wood as to skate rocks on a pond”!

John C. Whitmer, a grandson of Mary Musselman Whitmer, recorded (1878) what Mary told him about those days in the summer of 1829, while at her work outside of the house:

I have heard my grandmother say on several occasions that she was shown the plates of the Book of Mormon by a holy angel, whom she always called Brother Nephi …

It was at the time, she said, when the translation was going on at the house of the elder Peter Whitmer, her husband. Joseph Smith with his wife and Oliver Cowdery … were all boarding with the Whitmers, and my grandmother in having so many extra persons to care for, besides her own large household, was often overloaded with work to such an extent that she felt it to be quite a burden.

On evening, when (after having done her usual day’s work in the house) she went to the barn to milk the cows, she met a stranger carrying something on his back that looked like a knapsack. At first she was a little afraid of him, but when he spoke to her in a kind, friendly tone and began to explain to her the nature of the work which was going on in her house (that is, the translation of the Book of Mormon, she was filled with inexpressible joy and satisfaction. He then untied his knapsack and showed her a bundle of plates, which in size and appearance corresponded with the description subsequently given by the witnesses to the Book of Mormon. This strange person turned the leaves of the book of plates over, leaf after leaf, and also showed her the engravings upon them; after which he told her to be patient and faithful in bearing her burden a little longer promising that if she would do so, she should be blessed; and her reward would be sure, if she proved faithful to the end. The personage then suddenly vanished with the plates, and where he went, she could not tell.

From that moment my grandmother was enabled to perform her household duties with comparative ease, and she felt no more inclination to murmur because her lot was hard.

How is that experience like, or unlike, the experiences of the Three and Eight witnesses?

What is the purpose of having witnesses, like those whose testimony is recorded in these statements in the Book of Mormon?

Here is what Joseph Smith told his mother about those witnesses:

Father! Mother! You do not know how happy I am. The Lord has caused the plates to be shown to three more besides me. They have also seen an angel and will have to testify to the truth of what I have said, for they know for themselves that I do not go about to deceive the people. I do feel as though I was relieved of a dreadful burden which was almost too much for me to endure. But they will now have to bear a part, and it does rejoice my soul that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world. [History of Joseph Smith by His Mother]

What convincing witnesses to the Book of Mormon have you heard testify, whether in person or on the written page?

Who has heard you testify to the Book of Mormon?

Will your great-grandchildren be able to turn to their own sacred records and read your testimony of the Book of Mormon? If not, what can you do to give them that opportunity?

Next week we will move from talking about the Book of Mormon to reading and discussing the text itself, beginning with the first seven chapters of I Nephi. I know most of us have read this text fairly recently, but please read it again. By now you can probably guess what kind of discussion I hope to provoke – read these chapters with a notebook handy, and jot down the kinds of questions you think I might ask – “Why do you suppose Nephi said so-and-so?” “Who is he referring to when he writes such-and-such?” Between your questions and mine, maybe we can look at these chapters in a way we have never seen them before.