Our family started reading the Book of Mormon together in January of 2023. We made a goal to finish it that year because Kasen was getting baptized. Plot twist: It actually took us almost 3 years, but we finally finished reading it together! Woo Hoo! We've listened to it a couple times, but Kasen and Tai can now both say that they have read the Book of Mormon.
I want my children to find their own testimonies and decide what it is that they believe for themselves, but nobody can know if the Book of Mormon is true if they have never even read it. It's physical evidence of the truthfulness of the gospel so it's kind of an essential step to gaining a testimony. In order to learn to recognize the Spirit we need to have spiritual experiences. We have to make the effort to know truth. If we want answers to prayers then we have to pray and if we want answers from God to those questions then we have to search the scriptures. It kinda blows my mind when I hear of people wondering if the church is really true, saying they've never even finished reading The Book of Mormon before, or also admitting they went on a mission never having read it either... What?! How would anyone feel prepared to go without having read it?!
One of my favorite, but lesser well known stories in the Book of Mormon is in Alma 47 about Amalickiah and Lehonti. Lehonti was the leader of the Lamanite army, but Amalickiah had a plan to take command of the Lamanite armies and dethrone the king. Lehonti and his men were at the top of Mount Antipas and Amalickiah requested that he come down to talk to him. Lehonti refused the first time and the second time and the third time, but the fourth time Amalickiah went part way up the mountain and requested again for Lehonti to come down to meet him, which he did. Amalickiah told Lehonti that he would deliver his men into Lehonti's hands if Lehonti made Amalickiah second in command of his whole army. Soon after that Amalickiah had Lehonti poisoned and he died, so then Amalickiah was appointed chief leader and marched his whole army to the city of Nephi where he stabbed the king, pretended to be sad about his death and then took possession of the city, married the queen and obtained the kingdom.
I remember a woman coming to young women's to speak to us about this story and it has stayed with me all these years. It reminds me to never lower my standards. When we decide to lower our standards even once it makes it that much easier to lower them the next time and can have lasting consequences. We need to stay on top of our mountains and live what we believe or the adversary will slowly get us to justify the little things until we're way farther away from where we wanted to be.
The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ and brings people closer to Him. Reading it brings the Spirit into your life more so you have it when you need strength and comfort and direction. There are so many good principles to learn and promised blessings that come from reading the Book of Mormon and you'll never know any of it without reading it with real intent to know for yourself. It's something that just has to be tested and tried.
I know that reading The Book of Mormon improves my life. I know that it brings me closer to Christ and leads me to do good. I know I have felt the Spirit while reading it. It reminds me that following God and His prophets will lead to greater blessings and happiness and helps me remember that eternal perspective to make better choices.
Leaders and members of the church can do wrong things and say wrong things AND Joseph Smith still saw God. He translated The Book of Mormon and restored the fullness of the gospel. I am so thankful we have these additional scriptures to testify of God's mercy and His plan for each of us.
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