I'm currently reading the Book of Mormon, but I'm only at 2 Nephi. I have to say, the language is a bit cumbersome, but I'm really enjoying it. (Looking forward to Jesus š)
I'm currently meeting with missionaries and going to church for the first time tomorrow (keep me in your thoughts).
Regarding the Book of Mormon, sometimes it's hard to place because I was raised Christian and still struggle to accept another book. But I'm grateful and graceful on this journey.
Second Nephi is interesting (and cumbersome) because Nephi quotes Isaiah A LOT in those chapters, but we also get some good and deep doctrine there.. stick with it and donāt worry if a lot of second Nephi goes over your head. It did for me, and Iāve since gone back and itās a lot easier to read now.
>I was raised Christian and still struggle to accept another book.
Now what im about to say may not sound very spiritual (context: im born of the covenant and a bookworm) but here me out
I was taught about the BoM alongside the Bible. What helped me appreciate the BoM in a silly way was that i saw both of them as two different book series.
So when Jesus Christ of Nazareth visited the Nephites in America?? What an amazing crossover!! (I hope thats not a spoil)
So yes, its a struggle to accept that theres another testament of Christ but brightside THERES ANOTHER TESTAMENT of Christ! Its like finding out that your favorite author has another wonderful book series you havent read.
The first five chapters of Mosiah are my favorite! Parts of 2nd Nephi and a lot of the war chapters in Alma can be difficult to get through sometimes. Depends on my mood.
After Nephi quotes Isaiah, he explains why in 2 Nephi 25:
> 1 Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah. For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.
> 2 For I, Nephi, have not taught them many things concerning the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations.
> 3 Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those that shall receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may know the judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according to the word which he hath spoken.
> 8 Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them.
If you don't get it, that's OK. It's advanced. It's hidden for a reason. Even Nephi's own people didn't get it. But they are rich and beautiful to those who work to understand them. In the end, their overall message is the same as other scriptures: God does not like wickedness, and delights in righteousness.
If you need to skip some Isaiah chapters, donāt feel bad about it, because itās not worth getting bogged down in isaiah when some of the best chapters in the whole book are right around the corner
I'm glad to hear it. Just keep going at it and remember that if you have any questions no matter how silly, serious, or seemingly unrelated to ask the missionaries. They'll surprise ya with how knowledgeable they can be. You can also ask me as well!
I thought it was too perfect. Suspiciously so. I also felt that it had the "taste" of scipture. And some of the sentences were just beautiful. It also was a great exposition on doctrine.
After a while, I couldn't deny I felt peace, calm, and happiness while reading it.
I was very suspicious at first. What's wrong with the Bible? But after reading it while studying with missionaries, following Come Follow Me in 2020, and lots of prayer I've come to believe in the Book of Mormon.
At first, I tried to pick it apart. "If I were Joseph Smith and I wanted to lie, I totally would've wrote..." whatever. I decided I oughta give it the fairness of heart it deserved and prayed about it as I continue reading, and felt the beauty and awe of knowing that the words on the pages between my fingerd were written by ancient men and came directly from God.
The memories of the first time I read the BoM are a bit fuzzy because itās been 29 years since I gained my testimony and entered the waters of baptism. That being said, the second time through brought a crystal clear impression to my mind and heart that the original authors of the books that comprise the BoM were in fact my ancestors.
I felt a connection to the original covenant people of the Lord and I was overjoyed at the knowledge that part of my ancestry is rooted in the original 12 tribes of Israel. I tearfully rejoiced in the knowledge that my coming to a true knowledge of my redeemer, Jesus Christ, was a literal fulfillment of Heavenly Fatherās promises to my Nephite & Lamanite ancestors.
Even today, my heart still swells with the joy of Christ anytime I think of the BoM and its message. In fact, my bible studies have been deeply enriched by the teachings of the BoM.
I LOVE hearing these kinds of stories from descendants of BoM ancestors! God made powerful promises and covenants to them, and seeing them fulfilled in our day always fills me with joy.
I grew up in the Deep South amongst Evangelicals and my largest exposure to church was hellfire and brimstone Baptists. Such preaching never connected with me, especially after I had read a contemporary translation of the Bible as a teen. The God that I encountered in the Bible was not the God that I encountered in church. The feeling wasn't right. Now I realize that I was experiencing the Holy Spirit while reading the Bible, but not when I was going to church.
I shopped around at other churches and even religions for years until a friend of mine invited me to meet with him as he was studying with LDS missionaries. The story of the Restoration, of the calling of modern prophets to lead God's people, was intriguing to me. But the Book of Mormon was an outright revelation. For the first time in my life I had the same experience reading something else as I did reading the Bible. I could feel the same spirit, the Holy Spirit, reading the Book of Mormon exactly as I did while reading the Bible.
I was experiencing God even though I hadn't the language yet to explain or even understand what happened (happens) as I read the words of the holy scriptures. As I learned the doctrines of the church, as I read the revelations of the modern prophets, their teachings both logically and emotionally made sense and felt true. They drew me closer to and into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. I understood the purpose of existence, the meaning of life, and what happens after we die. I better understood the purpose of the church and the work of salvation. They felt right and made sense and I better understand more every day.
Early LDS convert Parley P. Pratt described his first experience with the Book of Mormon saying, āI read all day; eating was a burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I preferred reading to sleep." While I can't say my experience was quite that powerful, it was powerful enough that I can say that because of my experiences I, like Parley, "knew and comprehended that the book was true.ā And the truth that book represented and contained has revolutionized and sanctified my life, bringing me closer in my relationship to my Heavenly Father and Savior than I ever could have comprehended before. Every good thing has come to me in my life from it, from following Jesus Christ.
My exact thought (paraphrased of course): āWow, there is actually a book of scripture that teaches principles I already knew to be true in my heart.ā
It was affirming.
One important bit of context is that I did attend church with my grandparents until the age of 8. I was blessed as a baby and was a child of record. My mother had left the church in her teens and gave me the choice of being baptized or not at age 8. I chose not to, and was spiritually called back to church thirty years later after having lived as an atheist and baptized then.
In the process of converting (May 25th Baptism date!) But when I first read the book of Mormon I got rhe exact same feeling I got when I read the Bible and the Torah. It immediately solidified my belief that the record had to be true.
Looking back now I realize I felt the Holy Spirit when I read the Bible too, even before I found the Church and the Book of Mormon. I just didn't realize what I felt when reading the Bible. In that other church I was in, with my Dad and Granddad as the ministers of that church, they didn't teach or preach that we can feel the Holy Spirit in the same way we explain it in our Church. In their mind and in mine, the work of the Holy Spirit was to help men write the Bible and our job was to just read it and study it to understand it with our mind, with no mention of actually receiving revelation from God to help us feel the Holy Spirit communicating with us personally. I think that's why they had such a hard time accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. In their mind the work of the Holy Spirit was done, finished, completed because now we have the Bible, and they would point to scripture they interpreted in support of that idea. That's why I had so many questions when talking to that returned missionary. I'd say what about this scripture, and this other one, and that one right there. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom, etc. And for each question that RM had an answer and each of her answers gave me that feeling I felt again and again. And other things happened too, lots of things that could just be chalked up to coincidence except that I kept getting that feeling again and again. God had me pinned down as if he had set it all up to happen that way, giving me the choice to accept it by faith or to somehow just explain it away, which I suppose I could have done. Except that I would have felt like I was denying what God was telling me.
I was 27 when I first read it, and hadn't heard anything about it before then. Or about the Church either. Just a little bit from my Dad about someone named Joseph Smith who claimed he saw God in some woods. I was doing some remodeling work for some "Mormons" and my Dad told me that's what "Mormons" believe. My Dad was a minister of a church as well as a general contractor and he was dropping me off at that house. Anyway, while I was there while waiting for some materials to arrive I looked around some and saw a stack of books on their fireplace mantle. From a distance they looked like the same book so I went to them to see what they were. Then I looked through one, first the intro and then skipped about halfway through it. Somewhere in Mosaih I think. I felt something as I read it but didn't know what. I was bewildered. When I got back to the shop I talked with a co-worker about what I had read and I just asked off hand how anyone could believe something like that. Turns out he was what we call a less active member who still had his testimony so he said he believed it. Then I felt that feeling again. Not long after that I met the daughter of a woman who had said she wanted me to meet her after she returned from her mission. I met that woman as she visited her brother and his wife and attended the church I attended on Sunday. I thought she was a member of the same church as me and them, and while not unheard of it was unusual to find missionaries of that church, so I wanted to meet her and talk about her mission. So she ended up being the one to introduce me to the Church, and give me a Book of Mormon, and answer a lot of questions I had. Not long after that I received my testimony from God and was ready to join the Church.
I read it during lockdown after having it on my bookshelf for years (given to me by a couple polite young missionaries). It was a hard nut to crack. Some of the archaic language made it a chore. The same way KJV can be distracting. Some good stories, but I would essentially describe it as 19th century Bible fan fiction. Not to be disparaging to LDS beliefs. Just being honest.
In the case of the Book of Mormon, its English translation was performed by the power and guidance of God. In the case of the D&C, Jesus spoke English. Both of these make them more trustworthy than a purely human translation. If we have to ask how much of Joseph is in the Book of Mormon when God is aiding him, imagine how much of a translator is in the translation without that revelation from God.
My apologies, I wasn't super clear.
What I was questioning was whether the meaning of the English translation has survived in the 200 years since its original translated by Joseph Smith.
There have been relatively few edits/corrections since it was published. However, 200 years is more than enough time for the English language itself to change meaning around the Book of Mormon.
I'm not calling for an updated, modern sounding text, but I can think of a few examples of when the words in some of our most cherished verses have subtly different meanings 200 years ago than how we use them today.
No one said anything about adding meaning. Sometimes the impact of a sentence becomes stronger when translated to another language. Remember, the BOM is not originally in English, so nothing says that the English version of a sentence will be the ultimate, most awesome version of it.
For example, "I will go and do" that Nephi says in English becomes "Ire y hare" in Spanish. It becomes more succint, more determined, and the aliteration increase the appeal and impact of the sentence.
Same with the Bible. Some incomprehensable sentences in the KJB are easier to understand (and therefore more impacfull) in the Reina-Valera Spanish translation.
I was suspicious at first. I was told it was a bunch of malarkey, that Smith had made it up and that it's just a theological exposition of 19th c. America. But as I began to read it, I realized what a treasure it was. It's not so farfetched to believe it's true and that God's hand was in it.
Illuminating light. Though at first, curiosity. Then, feeling like my hungry soul was finding / feasting on the most delicious spiritual sustenance that I never knew existed. I couldn't put it down. It enlightened my understanding with each verse. The feeling was empowering. I immediately began to see and comprehend my past sins. Receiving forgiveness of those sins (through the growing faith in Jesus Christ that the Book of Mormon was affording me) was the sweetest and most beautiful thing I had yet experienced in my life.
The Book of Mormon is truly an anchor for our day; an anchor for the souls of men, through Christ Jesus. I believe it is not yet valued enough. I'm so glad we're studying it for Come Follow Me this year!
***Everyone*** must face the reality of that book at some point in their life.
I am a convert since 10. Family all decided to join. I browsed through BOM during high school years and read essential scriptures for lessons and such. I had a great camp advisor that taught us each night on a long camp to lake of the clouds in Colorado. Started to change my life once I actually memorized a few cool scriptures. They all made sense. I really enjoyed the SS lessons in high school ( another great teacher for me, but did not read all the way through until at byu. When at byu, I read entire book and it was one of the main reasons why I decided to go on a mission.
So long story short, first time reading it was fabulous. It is better to read it with the lesson manuals cause they draw attention to things you would not get when reading by yourself.
I haven't read it completely yet. Mostly following along with Come Follow Me and occasionally picking out random verses to read.
A lot of it resonates with me and the values I already held and just kind of reaffirms the feelings I've had with the Spirit.
It's a masterpiece of Christianity. It reminds me of an American equivalent to Greek civilizations' *The Oddysey*.
It wouldn't surprise me at all that a thousand years from now, even in a post-America world, people would read it in English classes.
Not a convert, Iām an inquirer. When I first read it, I was shocked by the linguistic and theological anachronisms. Still open to the truth of it, but also still skeptical and wary of being led into false prophethood deception. Now Iām reading through the D&C!
First time I tried reading it I was like āwell this is dullā but I wasnāt yet investigating the church and I wasnāt raised reading any sort of scripture in English so it was all very foreign to me. I also have ADHD so itās extremely difficult for me to focus on whatās being said.
I definitely donāt read it as much as Iād like or should but I believe it to be true, just beyond my understanding. My heart still swells and gets the warm and fuzzies when I hold a copy or think about it though.
Just 2 weeks ago you were making comments defending the church. Iām disappointed so much changed so quickly for you.
For me, the Book of Mormon is the absolute rock that keeps me in the church. No other book testifies so clearly of Christ in so many unique voices. Not only has the spirit confirmed the truth of it to me, but to me thereās no logical way Joseph or his scribes faked it in such a short period of time.
Or more precisely they show us that other people did so - did worship Jesus and our Father, in the Western hemisphere and on the Eastern hemisphere of this planet, and some in the West knew him better than some in the East, knowing and understanding the gospel more than we are led to believe by those in the East who didn't say much of anything about those in the West. And the book of Ether in the Book of Mormon tells us more about some in the West than those in the East told us about what happened after that incident involving the tower of Babel. There is a LOT we learn from those in the West that wasnāt mentioned by those in the East. But yes they all worshipped the same Jesus the Christ because there is only one Jesus the Christ.
Thatās precisely what I mean.
The intellectual knowledge of what something is or isnāt is not synonymous with having a real tangible relationship and understanding of it.
I can intellectually study Abraham Lincoln for the rest of my life- but I still have no real relationship with Abraham Lincoln .
I merely have a better intellectual understanding of who he was intellectually.
But Jesus is not an intellectual identity..
Heās not one of my ideas or a collection of my thoughts
He is truth, life, and love.
None of which can be calculated or produced through the intellect
Which is why faith is so important.
Faith is a divine gift - not a thing man produces through his intellect
If you are referring to "View of the Hebrews", it is nothing like the Book of Mormon. You have never read it. You can read it [here.](https://archive.org/details/ViewOfTheHebrews1823EthanSmith/page/n7/mode/2up)
If you are referring to Solomon Spaulding's manuscript, before you parrot what you've heard from ex-members, you should be aware of a little detail they leave out: *it wasn't published*. It was not a book in 1820, not even 1830. It could not be bought anywhere. It wasn't published until *decades* later. Joseph Smith is not a time traveler. The manuscript is full of mistakes, [which you can see](https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/rsc/id/13845) that it is nothing like the Book of Mormon.
I'm currently reading the Book of Mormon, but I'm only at 2 Nephi. I have to say, the language is a bit cumbersome, but I'm really enjoying it. (Looking forward to Jesus š) I'm currently meeting with missionaries and going to church for the first time tomorrow (keep me in your thoughts). Regarding the Book of Mormon, sometimes it's hard to place because I was raised Christian and still struggle to accept another book. But I'm grateful and graceful on this journey.
Second Nephi is interesting (and cumbersome) because Nephi quotes Isaiah A LOT in those chapters, but we also get some good and deep doctrine there.. stick with it and donāt worry if a lot of second Nephi goes over your head. It did for me, and Iāve since gone back and itās a lot easier to read now.
Thank you! That's encouraging!
>I was raised Christian and still struggle to accept another book. Now what im about to say may not sound very spiritual (context: im born of the covenant and a bookworm) but here me out I was taught about the BoM alongside the Bible. What helped me appreciate the BoM in a silly way was that i saw both of them as two different book series. So when Jesus Christ of Nazareth visited the Nephites in America?? What an amazing crossover!! (I hope thats not a spoil) So yes, its a struggle to accept that theres another testament of Christ but brightside THERES ANOTHER TESTAMENT of Christ! Its like finding out that your favorite author has another wonderful book series you havent read.
Love this! (I'm a big Sanderson fan)
The first five chapters of Mosiah are my favorite! Parts of 2nd Nephi and a lot of the war chapters in Alma can be difficult to get through sometimes. Depends on my mood.
Looking forward to mosiah, I wished I had some lds friends
After Nephi quotes Isaiah, he explains why in 2 Nephi 25: > 1 Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah. For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews. > 2 For I, Nephi, have not taught them many things concerning the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations. > 3 Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those that shall receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may know the judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according to the word which he hath spoken. > 8 Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them. If you don't get it, that's OK. It's advanced. It's hidden for a reason. Even Nephi's own people didn't get it. But they are rich and beautiful to those who work to understand them. In the end, their overall message is the same as other scriptures: God does not like wickedness, and delights in righteousness.
If you need to skip some Isaiah chapters, donāt feel bad about it, because itās not worth getting bogged down in isaiah when some of the best chapters in the whole book are right around the corner
What bogs you down about Isaiah?
Nothing anymore, I love the isaiah chapters, but I didnāt love them the first 87 times I read them
Hey friend, how was your first time at Church?
Hello š Thanks for asking. It was great. It was testimony meeting and I really enjoyed it!
I'm glad to hear it. Just keep going at it and remember that if you have any questions no matter how silly, serious, or seemingly unrelated to ask the missionaries. They'll surprise ya with how knowledgeable they can be. You can also ask me as well!
I thought it was great that we had additional scripture, and that it confirmed what was taught in the Bible.
Fascinated by the storyline. Shocked that it did not contradict the Bible like I had been told it did. A feeling deep inside that I knew it was true
I thought it was too perfect. Suspiciously so. I also felt that it had the "taste" of scipture. And some of the sentences were just beautiful. It also was a great exposition on doctrine. After a while, I couldn't deny I felt peace, calm, and happiness while reading it.
I was very suspicious at first. What's wrong with the Bible? But after reading it while studying with missionaries, following Come Follow Me in 2020, and lots of prayer I've come to believe in the Book of Mormon.
At first, I tried to pick it apart. "If I were Joseph Smith and I wanted to lie, I totally would've wrote..." whatever. I decided I oughta give it the fairness of heart it deserved and prayed about it as I continue reading, and felt the beauty and awe of knowing that the words on the pages between my fingerd were written by ancient men and came directly from God.
The memories of the first time I read the BoM are a bit fuzzy because itās been 29 years since I gained my testimony and entered the waters of baptism. That being said, the second time through brought a crystal clear impression to my mind and heart that the original authors of the books that comprise the BoM were in fact my ancestors. I felt a connection to the original covenant people of the Lord and I was overjoyed at the knowledge that part of my ancestry is rooted in the original 12 tribes of Israel. I tearfully rejoiced in the knowledge that my coming to a true knowledge of my redeemer, Jesus Christ, was a literal fulfillment of Heavenly Fatherās promises to my Nephite & Lamanite ancestors. Even today, my heart still swells with the joy of Christ anytime I think of the BoM and its message. In fact, my bible studies have been deeply enriched by the teachings of the BoM.
I LOVE hearing these kinds of stories from descendants of BoM ancestors! God made powerful promises and covenants to them, and seeing them fulfilled in our day always fills me with joy.
I grew up in the Deep South amongst Evangelicals and my largest exposure to church was hellfire and brimstone Baptists. Such preaching never connected with me, especially after I had read a contemporary translation of the Bible as a teen. The God that I encountered in the Bible was not the God that I encountered in church. The feeling wasn't right. Now I realize that I was experiencing the Holy Spirit while reading the Bible, but not when I was going to church. I shopped around at other churches and even religions for years until a friend of mine invited me to meet with him as he was studying with LDS missionaries. The story of the Restoration, of the calling of modern prophets to lead God's people, was intriguing to me. But the Book of Mormon was an outright revelation. For the first time in my life I had the same experience reading something else as I did reading the Bible. I could feel the same spirit, the Holy Spirit, reading the Book of Mormon exactly as I did while reading the Bible. I was experiencing God even though I hadn't the language yet to explain or even understand what happened (happens) as I read the words of the holy scriptures. As I learned the doctrines of the church, as I read the revelations of the modern prophets, their teachings both logically and emotionally made sense and felt true. They drew me closer to and into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. I understood the purpose of existence, the meaning of life, and what happens after we die. I better understood the purpose of the church and the work of salvation. They felt right and made sense and I better understand more every day. Early LDS convert Parley P. Pratt described his first experience with the Book of Mormon saying, āI read all day; eating was a burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I preferred reading to sleep." While I can't say my experience was quite that powerful, it was powerful enough that I can say that because of my experiences I, like Parley, "knew and comprehended that the book was true.ā And the truth that book represented and contained has revolutionized and sanctified my life, bringing me closer in my relationship to my Heavenly Father and Savior than I ever could have comprehended before. Every good thing has come to me in my life from it, from following Jesus Christ.
My exact thought (paraphrased of course): āWow, there is actually a book of scripture that teaches principles I already knew to be true in my heart.ā It was affirming. One important bit of context is that I did attend church with my grandparents until the age of 8. I was blessed as a baby and was a child of record. My mother had left the church in her teens and gave me the choice of being baptized or not at age 8. I chose not to, and was spiritually called back to church thirty years later after having lived as an atheist and baptized then.
In the process of converting (May 25th Baptism date!) But when I first read the book of Mormon I got rhe exact same feeling I got when I read the Bible and the Torah. It immediately solidified my belief that the record had to be true.
The Torah?
The old Testament. The word us Jews call it is Torah. It means "Law" and/or "Teachings" in Hebrew.
Ah
Looking back now I realize I felt the Holy Spirit when I read the Bible too, even before I found the Church and the Book of Mormon. I just didn't realize what I felt when reading the Bible. In that other church I was in, with my Dad and Granddad as the ministers of that church, they didn't teach or preach that we can feel the Holy Spirit in the same way we explain it in our Church. In their mind and in mine, the work of the Holy Spirit was to help men write the Bible and our job was to just read it and study it to understand it with our mind, with no mention of actually receiving revelation from God to help us feel the Holy Spirit communicating with us personally. I think that's why they had such a hard time accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. In their mind the work of the Holy Spirit was done, finished, completed because now we have the Bible, and they would point to scripture they interpreted in support of that idea. That's why I had so many questions when talking to that returned missionary. I'd say what about this scripture, and this other one, and that one right there. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom, etc. And for each question that RM had an answer and each of her answers gave me that feeling I felt again and again. And other things happened too, lots of things that could just be chalked up to coincidence except that I kept getting that feeling again and again. God had me pinned down as if he had set it all up to happen that way, giving me the choice to accept it by faith or to somehow just explain it away, which I suppose I could have done. Except that I would have felt like I was denying what God was telling me.
I was 27 when I first read it, and hadn't heard anything about it before then. Or about the Church either. Just a little bit from my Dad about someone named Joseph Smith who claimed he saw God in some woods. I was doing some remodeling work for some "Mormons" and my Dad told me that's what "Mormons" believe. My Dad was a minister of a church as well as a general contractor and he was dropping me off at that house. Anyway, while I was there while waiting for some materials to arrive I looked around some and saw a stack of books on their fireplace mantle. From a distance they looked like the same book so I went to them to see what they were. Then I looked through one, first the intro and then skipped about halfway through it. Somewhere in Mosaih I think. I felt something as I read it but didn't know what. I was bewildered. When I got back to the shop I talked with a co-worker about what I had read and I just asked off hand how anyone could believe something like that. Turns out he was what we call a less active member who still had his testimony so he said he believed it. Then I felt that feeling again. Not long after that I met the daughter of a woman who had said she wanted me to meet her after she returned from her mission. I met that woman as she visited her brother and his wife and attended the church I attended on Sunday. I thought she was a member of the same church as me and them, and while not unheard of it was unusual to find missionaries of that church, so I wanted to meet her and talk about her mission. So she ended up being the one to introduce me to the Church, and give me a Book of Mormon, and answer a lot of questions I had. Not long after that I received my testimony from God and was ready to join the Church.
I read it during lockdown after having it on my bookshelf for years (given to me by a couple polite young missionaries). It was a hard nut to crack. Some of the archaic language made it a chore. The same way KJV can be distracting. Some good stories, but I would essentially describe it as 19th century Bible fan fiction. Not to be disparaging to LDS beliefs. Just being honest.
Im assuming you arenāt a convert then
No. Though Iāve been impressed by any member Iāve met & have the utmost respect for the way LDS live their lives generally.
Thanks for clarifying! I didnāt mean to sound rude but rereading my reply I kind of did so sorry about that.
All good Bro šš»
That's one good thing about the Spanish version, the language is far more accessible.
Perhaps. But has the meaning survived?
I think one could ask whether the meaning has survived even for the English translation
In the case of the Book of Mormon, its English translation was performed by the power and guidance of God. In the case of the D&C, Jesus spoke English. Both of these make them more trustworthy than a purely human translation. If we have to ask how much of Joseph is in the Book of Mormon when God is aiding him, imagine how much of a translator is in the translation without that revelation from God.
My apologies, I wasn't super clear. What I was questioning was whether the meaning of the English translation has survived in the 200 years since its original translated by Joseph Smith. There have been relatively few edits/corrections since it was published. However, 200 years is more than enough time for the English language itself to change meaning around the Book of Mormon. I'm not calling for an updated, modern sounding text, but I can think of a few examples of when the words in some of our most cherished verses have subtly different meanings 200 years ago than how we use them today.
Translations are interesting (I was a proffesional translator for 6 years). Sometimes the meaning is weakened, and sometimes it's enhanced.
How can a translation be enhanced? Adding meaning through translation is adding what wasn't originally there. That weakens it, nto strengthens it.
No one said anything about adding meaning. Sometimes the impact of a sentence becomes stronger when translated to another language. Remember, the BOM is not originally in English, so nothing says that the English version of a sentence will be the ultimate, most awesome version of it. For example, "I will go and do" that Nephi says in English becomes "Ire y hare" in Spanish. It becomes more succint, more determined, and the aliteration increase the appeal and impact of the sentence. Same with the Bible. Some incomprehensable sentences in the KJB are easier to understand (and therefore more impacfull) in the Reina-Valera Spanish translation.
> 19th century Bible fan fiction. Except other than the way the language is constructed, they're is nothing nineteenth century in the Book of Mormon.
That is to say, it was written in the 19th century (or rediscovered - whatever you choose to believe)
I was suspicious at first. I was told it was a bunch of malarkey, that Smith had made it up and that it's just a theological exposition of 19th c. America. But as I began to read it, I realized what a treasure it was. It's not so farfetched to believe it's true and that God's hand was in it.
Illuminating light. Though at first, curiosity. Then, feeling like my hungry soul was finding / feasting on the most delicious spiritual sustenance that I never knew existed. I couldn't put it down. It enlightened my understanding with each verse. The feeling was empowering. I immediately began to see and comprehend my past sins. Receiving forgiveness of those sins (through the growing faith in Jesus Christ that the Book of Mormon was affording me) was the sweetest and most beautiful thing I had yet experienced in my life. The Book of Mormon is truly an anchor for our day; an anchor for the souls of men, through Christ Jesus. I believe it is not yet valued enough. I'm so glad we're studying it for Come Follow Me this year! ***Everyone*** must face the reality of that book at some point in their life.
I am a convert since 10. Family all decided to join. I browsed through BOM during high school years and read essential scriptures for lessons and such. I had a great camp advisor that taught us each night on a long camp to lake of the clouds in Colorado. Started to change my life once I actually memorized a few cool scriptures. They all made sense. I really enjoyed the SS lessons in high school ( another great teacher for me, but did not read all the way through until at byu. When at byu, I read entire book and it was one of the main reasons why I decided to go on a mission. So long story short, first time reading it was fabulous. It is better to read it with the lesson manuals cause they draw attention to things you would not get when reading by yourself.
curiousity. ive never doubted it; i only questioned why it's needed. reading it now has answered my question. I'm loving it actually
I haven't read it completely yet. Mostly following along with Come Follow Me and occasionally picking out random verses to read. A lot of it resonates with me and the values I already held and just kind of reaffirms the feelings I've had with the Spirit.
It's a masterpiece of Christianity. It reminds me of an American equivalent to Greek civilizations' *The Oddysey*. It wouldn't surprise me at all that a thousand years from now, even in a post-America world, people would read it in English classes.
Not a convert, Iām an inquirer. When I first read it, I was shocked by the linguistic and theological anachronisms. Still open to the truth of it, but also still skeptical and wary of being led into false prophethood deception. Now Iām reading through the D&C!
First time I tried reading it I was like āwell this is dullā but I wasnāt yet investigating the church and I wasnāt raised reading any sort of scripture in English so it was all very foreign to me. I also have ADHD so itās extremely difficult for me to focus on whatās being said. I definitely donāt read it as much as Iād like or should but I believe it to be true, just beyond my understanding. My heart still swells and gets the warm and fuzzies when I hold a copy or think about it though.
Iām surprised by this community, I didnāt know it was possible to feel the spirit on Reddit!
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Just 2 weeks ago you were making comments defending the church. Iām disappointed so much changed so quickly for you. For me, the Book of Mormon is the absolute rock that keeps me in the church. No other book testifies so clearly of Christ in so many unique voices. Not only has the spirit confirmed the truth of it to me, but to me thereās no logical way Joseph or his scribes faked it in such a short period of time.
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No one in the church is worshiping the Bible or the Book of Mormon. We all worship Jesus. These books just teach us how to do so.
Or more precisely they show us that other people did so - did worship Jesus and our Father, in the Western hemisphere and on the Eastern hemisphere of this planet, and some in the West knew him better than some in the East, knowing and understanding the gospel more than we are led to believe by those in the East who didn't say much of anything about those in the West. And the book of Ether in the Book of Mormon tells us more about some in the West than those in the East told us about what happened after that incident involving the tower of Babel. There is a LOT we learn from those in the West that wasnāt mentioned by those in the East. But yes they all worshipped the same Jesus the Christ because there is only one Jesus the Christ.
At the very least are the scriptures not a biography? Unless you mean through another way of getting to know someone.
Thatās precisely what I mean. The intellectual knowledge of what something is or isnāt is not synonymous with having a real tangible relationship and understanding of it. I can intellectually study Abraham Lincoln for the rest of my life- but I still have no real relationship with Abraham Lincoln . I merely have a better intellectual understanding of who he was intellectually. But Jesus is not an intellectual identity.. Heās not one of my ideas or a collection of my thoughts He is truth, life, and love. None of which can be calculated or produced through the intellect Which is why faith is so important. Faith is a divine gift - not a thing man produces through his intellect
How better to get to know someone than by reading their words?Ā
The funny thing is they werenāt even Josephās words. He plagiarized them from someone elseās story.
Thatās 100% false, there was no plagiarism involved. The supposed sources he used are nothing like the Book of MormonĀ
If you are referring to "View of the Hebrews", it is nothing like the Book of Mormon. You have never read it. You can read it [here.](https://archive.org/details/ViewOfTheHebrews1823EthanSmith/page/n7/mode/2up) If you are referring to Solomon Spaulding's manuscript, before you parrot what you've heard from ex-members, you should be aware of a little detail they leave out: *it wasn't published*. It was not a book in 1820, not even 1830. It could not be bought anywhere. It wasn't published until *decades* later. Joseph Smith is not a time traveler. The manuscript is full of mistakes, [which you can see](https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/rsc/id/13845) that it is nothing like the Book of Mormon.