Book of Mormon Study Group Introduction

There is a small group of us who are believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ  as restored through the Prophet Joseph who get together and we are studying the Book of Mormon together.

In this blog  I will share some of the principles we are discussing.

It's impossible to share everything that is discussed in a period of several hours each time we meet. But there are things that I would like to share that we are discovering, that were heretofore hidden from us because of a desire we had to quickly get our eyeballs over the words and move on or because we were reading into the book our own preconceived notions and prejudices.

My hope is that by sharing some of the things we in our little group discover in the Book of Mormon, others will become seriously interested in the Book of Mormon and search into it and contemplate it and find out truths for themselves from God.

D&C 84: 54 - 57

      "And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you   have treated lightly the things you have received- which vanity and unbelief have brought the         whole church under condemnation.  And this condemnation resteth upon the children of                Zion, even all.  And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and                  remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments            which I have given them, not only to say but to do according to that which is written."

As a study group we are looking at this condemnation that the Lord pronounced clear back in 1832, and which He has not yet declared to be revoked, as a very serious matter.

We consider that the Lord intends the Book of Mormon to teach us how to "bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom;" (D&C 84: 58)

We believe what the Lord declared, that if we do not bring forth proper fruit there remains a scourge to be poured out upon us.

So, what is the Book of Mormon going to teach us in order to bring forth proper fruit?  This is the question we have started our adventure with.

We have looked at the words of the Prophet Joseph, found in the introduction sixth paragraph down,

    "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the         keystone of our religion..."

The Prophet Joseph declared the Book of Mormon to be part of a religion, even the keystone of it.

What does that mean? What does the term "religion" mean as Joseph is using it? Is he referring to a formal institution or organization?

We know that the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God and published before the organization of the church in 1830.  That would seem to suggest that the Book of Mormon stands  independent of any institution or organization.  It was brought forth before.

Also, just as we can reasonably claim that whatever truth the Bible contains is not the property of any group, organization or institution; It can also be reasonably claimed that any or all truth contained in the Book of Mormon is likewise not the property of any group, organization or institution.

It all belongs to God who loves all peoples of the earth, every man woman and child, equally; who gives light for the benefit of the entire earth and therefore what the Book of Mormon contains cannot be limited to an institution, organization or group.

2 Nephi 26: 33 "...and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he                                 denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female;                             and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and                                             Gentile."

JST James 1:27 states this concerning pure religion.

     "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows           in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the vices of the world."

When Joseph mentioned the word religion was this what he was referring to, "pure religion"?

Joseph had studied the Bible earnestly. We know that it was the passage James 1: 5 that impressed him sufficiently to initially seek for knowledge from heaven (Joseph Smith History verses 11 - 13)  This verse is just a few verses preceding the verse on pure religion.

We also know that when the angel appeared that fall evening with a message for him and showed Joseph in vision where the plates were, that Joseph was studied enough in the Bible to be able to distinguish between the verses being quoted exactly as they were in the Bible or being quoted differently. (Joseph Smith History verses 36 - 41)

Could we reasonably consider that Joseph had studied and knew about and subscribed to James 1:27 as being the correct definition for religion?  His life seems to suggest that he lived this way.

If so this would mean that religion, as Joseph was referring to it, would be a very personal, individual thing; something altogether different than being part of an institution. It would be an individual way of life.

The Jews were very "religious".  They were part of an organization that had sacred space (a temple and synagogues) and sacred rituals and ordinances, the sacrifices and rites of the Law of Moses (which although it was a lesser law was a righteous law), as part of their institution. This was their definition of religion.  They were born into it and taught it from birth.  They had an organized church.

Jacob, Nephi's brother says this of the Jews (2 Nephi 10: 3)

      "Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ - for in the last night the            angel spake unto me that this should be his name- should come among the Jews, among those              who are the more wicked part of the world...and there is no other nation on earth that would                crucify their God."

Being very religious and having an organized church, they were nonetheless described as the more wicked part of the world; the only nation that would crucify their God.

Following the death of the 12 after the resurrection of Christ we know from history that "religion" as defined like the Jews defined it (a formal institution or organization), was also used by all nations to persecute, to kill, to bring war and destruction, to amass wealth and power, to change the ordinances, etc.  These were all earthly institutions, churches.  This does not reflect "pure religion".

D&C 10: 67 - 68 The Lord defines His Church.

         "Behold, this is my doctrine-- whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my           church.  Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me;              therefore he is not of my church."

As a group we see the Lord's definition of "His Church" as very inclusive.  Indeed, couldn't anyone who belongs to any denomination by this definition belong to "His Church?"  This definition makes belonging to His Church a very individual and personal thing.

We consider that the Prophet Joseph was part of "His Church" because God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ condescended to appear to him and teach him.  They would not  have done so unless he was a part of their church. Joseph was not a part of any organized earthly church, denomination or institution.  He was a single individual turning to face the Lord (the Hebrew definition of repentance) in order to receive wisdom.

As a group we have decided to study the Book of Mormon under the assumption that Joseph was describing "pure religion" when he used the term religion; that if there is a church he is referring to it is the church defined by the Lord as His Church.

As a keystone to such a religion or church, the Book of Mormon would have to necessarily teach the principles included in such a religion or church.  We will look for these.  These should show us how to bring forth fruit meet for our Father's  kingdom.

Joseph in that paragraph in the introduction also stated, "...a man would get closer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."

How close?  What does it mean to get close or closer to God? What are we allowed to do in order to approach God?  If He appeared to Joseph can we expect that He would love us the same and also appear to us according to the same principles?  Does He love Joseph more than us? Are we invited indeed exhorted to approach Him like Joseph?

The book Lectures on Faith was written and edited by the Prophet Joseph.  It was included in the canonized 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.  It was accepted and sustained by all men women and children of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, by a vote, as scripture at that time.

The preface states,

    "...We do not present this little volume with any other expectation than that we are to be called to          answer to every principle advanced, in that day when the secrets of all hearts will be revealed,            and the reward of every man's labor will be given him."

This was signed by Joseph as well as Oliver, Sidney, and Fredrick G Williams.

Joseph and the others did not take the matter of advancing these principles lightly.  They expected to be held to account before God for advancing these principles.

In the Lectures on Faith, Lecture Third, Joseph explains that in order to exercise faith in God unto life and salvation a person must first have the idea that God actually exists and second must have a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes. Thirdly they must have an actual knowledge that the course of life they are pursuing is according to God's will.

Further down in Lecture Third as Joseph is explaining the correct character of God he states,

    "...he is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that fears God and works righteousness is     accepted of him..." also "it is also necessary that men should have an idea that he is no respecter      of persons, for with the idea of all the other excellencies in his character and this one wanting,            men could not exercise faith in him; because if he were a respecter of persons, they could not tell        what their privileges were, nor how far they were authorized to exercise faith in him, or whether          they were authorized to do it at all, but all must be confusion..."

We as a group are going to study the Book of Mormon under the assumption that when Joseph claimed that a man would get closer to God by abiding by its precepts that he meant that we can get as close to God as he did.  We assume that Joseph meant that we can come into God's presence right here and now, just like Joseph,  because God is no respecter of persons.

We should, as a group then, be able to find teachings and principles in the Book of Mormon that, if applied, will bring us into the presence of God so that we come close to Him.  We will look for these precepts.

We also want to discover how the principles of the Book of Mormon can help us to flee Babylon.

When Daniel interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, concerning the image with the head of gold and so forth to the feet mixed with miry clay and iron, Daniel declared that in the days of the kingdoms represented by the feet the Lord would work a work that would be like unto a stone cut out of the mountain without hands.

It would not be the work accomplished by the hands of a man or men.  It would be divinely accomplished by God.  The Book of Mormon was brought forth by the will of God and by His power.  It was not brought forth by manner of earthly learning in order to translate what had been preserved by the power of God.

     "Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken.  And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God , for his voice hath declared it unto us;..." (The Testimony of Three Witnesses)

     "But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall say unto him to whom he shall deliver the book: Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he may show them unto the learned, saying: Read this, I pray thee.  And the learned shall say: Bring hither the book, and I will read them.  And now, because of the glory of the world and to get gain will they say this, and not for the glory of God.  And the man shall ay: I cannot bring the book, for it is sealed.  Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it.  Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will deliver again the book and the words thereof to him that is not learned; and the man that is not learned shall say:  I am not learned.  Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee." (2 Nephi 27:15 - 20)

Every existing society, nation, idea, philosophy, economy, etc. is permeated by the influences, philosophies and ideas of the fallen nations of Babylon and so forth.  Babylon's influence continues to hold sway. It pollutes all.

Even the Bible has been influenced by the cultures of the Babylonians, the Phoenicians, the Greeks and the Romans.  The New Testament was originally written in the Greek language.  There seems at this moment no source to draw from to avoid these influences.  Except the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon was written and hid up and translated without containing any of the influences or contaminations of any of these other ancient cultures.

Those who wrote the Book of Mormon left before the Babylonian captivity of the Jews and they carried with them records that were prior to and not lost to or polluted by the Babylonian captivity.
They never crossed paths with anyone from those cultures.

They preserved an ancient religion, the religion of Abraham, that was lost to the Jews because of their captivity and unbelief.  The principles of that ancient religion, or way of living, was the same as was had at the beginning among Adam.  The principles of that religion, if lived, will eventually destroy the polluted influences of all of the cultures represented in the figure of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar.

This is some of the discussion we have had to orient the way we want to study the Book of Mormon as we read it together. We look forward to what we will find. It is becoming a new book to us.