The Book of Mormon
In the eighteenth chapter of Matthew, the Lord Jesus Christ shared an important principle of the Gospel, saying, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” [Matthew 18:16, Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15]. This principle has always been true. For example, let us examine the Old and New Testaments, these Holy Scriptures were comprised of several different witnesses. Yet they all testify of the same God. It was not enough to have a single witness, but instead to combine two or three together in order to verify the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the Master did not appear unto just one person, or even one group of people, after His resurrection, but unto several. [1 Corinthians 15:1-8].
The Book of Mormon is a secondary witness of Jesus Christ. Its purpose, in part, is to bring to light the covenants of God, to restore the plain and precious parts of the Gospel that have been lost, and to establish the truth of the Bible. “For it [the Book of Mormon] persuadeth them to do good…and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in Him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal. And it speaketh harsh against sin, according to the plainness of the truth.” [2 Nephi 15:5-6]. The following is the opening of the Book of Mormon.
“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 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 the way of 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 shew 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 for ever; 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.”
The following principle will follow the Book of Mormon through the blessing and covenant which God gave unto Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and tribes of Israel. For the Book of Mormon is a record of the tribe of Manasseh and was promised to come forth in the Latter Days. [Isaiah 29:1-4, 9-19, 24]
Scriptures to Consider
Matthew 18:16 (KJV)
18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may by established.
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (KJV)
15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 15:4 And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 15:5 And that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 15:6 After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 15:7 After that, He was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 15:8 And last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
