“Being a Missionary Church,” Ensign, Aug. 1996, 41
Being a Missionary Church
How we can share more effectively with others the glorious, life-enhancing truths of the Book of Mormon.
The missionary fireside in the Mitcham Ward chapel of the London England Wandsworth Stake had just ended. The investigators and recently baptized members who came to the front of the chapel to visit were from places like southern Italy, Ghana, Chile, the Canary Islands, Scotland, Nigeria, Grenada, the Republic of Ireland, Colombia, Sierra Leone, and every corner of England. Their enthusiasm for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was felt by all who were standing near.
Almost all of them carried a copy of the Book of Mormon. In that great city of London, they had found the gospel, made new friends, and developed a love for this marvelous book.
Looking into their sparkling eyes, I was reminded once again that all over the world men, women, and children are intently reading the Book of Mormon and thus activating the promise given by Moroni, the ancient Nephite prophet, some 1,575 years ago. He wrote:
“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moro. 10:3–5).
After adding several more paragraphs to the gold plates, Moroni sealed up the record, which was then hidden from mortal eyes until he showed the plates to the young farm boy Joseph Smith Jr. on 22 September 1823 (see JS—H 1:27–54).
Following the Prophet’s initial experience with Moroni, it was six and one-half years—early 1830—before the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon were typeset, printed, and bound by the E. B. Grandin Press in Palmyra, New York. It is estimated that Joseph Smith, ably aided through the translation process by Oliver Cowdery serving as scribe, had taken only 55 days to translate the ancient text into this remarkable and unique book of scripture.
After having translated the Book of Mormon, the Prophet knew that he had in his hands the most pure and correct religious text ever printed. When people read the Book of Mormon, praying sincerely about its content and Moroni’s promise, they will know it is true and the Spirit will move them to seek membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church that Joseph Smith was commanded by God to organize. This simple conversion process, repeated millions of times, has brought to individuals and families a testimony of the magnificent truths of the Restoration. All who want to know of these truths for themselves, both members of the Church and those who are not, may apply Moroni’s great promise in their own lives and come to know of a surety that the Book of Mormon is true and that its message can forever alter their lives in a positive, even glorious, direction.
The Apostle John wrote, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” (John 21:25). The truth of that forceful statement is attested in part by the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon in these latter days.
We read that the Savior commanded His ancient Apostles:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19–20).
Because of the mandate to take the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, the Church responds by publishing the Book of Mormon, or excerpts from it, in many languages. As of January 1996, more than 76 million copies of the Book of Mormon or selections from the Book of Mormon had been printed and distributed in 88 different languages spoken by an estimated 70 percent of the world’s population (see Church News, 6 Jan. 1996, 5). The same can be said only for the Bible.
The message of the Book of Mormon gives those who read it a desire to know more about God and His great love for us.
The book begins with Lehi’s family leaving Jerusalem during the terrible upheavals in the time of Nebuchadnezzar and, after a sea voyage, eventually landing somewhere on the west coast of the Americas. This group of people, some of Jesus’”other sheep … which are not of this fold” (John 10:16; see also 3 Ne. 16:1–3), flourished, received numerous revelations, built great cities and kingdoms, won and lost in tragic battles and extensive wars, and finally bowed out of recorded religious history as Moroni engraved the book that completes the Book of Mormon we have today.
In this sacred record we read of humble, righteous people seeking after the Lord and living His commandments. Their faithful obedience brought about prosperity, a result of the spiritual and temporal blessings that come to all who so live. Unfortunately, they fell repeatedly into a destructive cycle. Humble people eventually succumbed to prideful hearts, then were brought down, and the wealth and prosperity they had enjoyed were lost. After the people again developed humility, from which all blessings can emanate, the circle was completed. In our own lives, we can observe this same ebb and flow. By studying the Book of Mormon, we are able to regulate our lives more effectively than by reading any other book. That is a promise! What a blessing it is for each of us and for those individuals seeking to live peaceful, joy-filled lives.
Addressing new mission presidents on 17 June 1993, Elder James E. Faust of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles told them: “My assignment is to speak about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. This subject lies at the very heart of what we do in missionary work.” He went on to add that “Joseph Smith and his work were known prophetically in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon,” and then he quoted the great prophecy in Ezekiel that refers to the union of the Bible and Book of Mormon:
“The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
“Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
“And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand” (Ezek. 37:15–17).
What a blessing is ours to share the Book of Mormon with those not yet converted. Several years ago, Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles suggested what we might say to those to whom we present the book:
“Except for the Bible, the Book of Mormon is different from any book you have read. It is not a novel. It is not fiction. For the most part it is not difficult to read. However, like all books of profound value, it is not casual reading. But if you persist, I assure you, it will prove to be the most rewarding book you have ever set your mind to read.
“The Book of Mormon is not biographical, for not one character is fully drawn. Nor, in a strict sense, is it history. …
“… It is the saga of a message, a testament” (The Things of My Soul [videocassette, 1988]).
Yes, the Book of Mormon truly is a testament—a testament of how to live in today’s dark and troubled world. We must communicate to all we know that heavenly truth is on the earth and that the Book of Mormon is a primary source.
There is a simple series of steps each of us can follow that will bless the lives of many with whom we, as member missionaries, come in contact.
Deepening Our Testimony of the Book of Mormon
By following Moroni’s advice (see Moro. 10:3–5) we learn through the Spirit that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. We must remember to become deeply involved with the book ourselves. In 1961 Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the First Council of the Seventy taught: “The Prophet’s expression that ‘the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion’ means precisely what it says. The keystone is the central stone in the top of the arch. If that stone is removed, then the arch crumbles, which, in effect, means that … the gospel of Christ, restored anew in this day—stands or falls with the truth or the falsity of the Book of Mormon. …
“… If the Book of Mormon is true, our message to the world is truth; the truth of this message is established in and through this book” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1961, 39).
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught that a testimony of Joseph Smith’s divine calling must be a bulwark of our belief. “Not everything in life is so black or white,” he observed, “but it seems the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and its keystone role in our belief is exactly that. Either Joseph Smith was the prophet he said he was, who, after seeing the Father and the Son, later beheld the angel Moroni, repeatedly heard counsel from his lips, eventually receiving at his hands a set of ancient gold plates which he then translated according to the gift and power of God—or else he did not” (A Standard unto My People [address delivered at 1994 Book of Mormon Symposium, BYU, 9 Aug. 1994], 5).
As we deepen and broaden our own testimonies of the Book of Mormon in order to teach others its powerful truths, we and our loved ones become prime beneficiaries of its life-enhancing principles.
Opening Our Mouths
We need to open our mouths in order to communicate to others the spiritual lifesaving principles found in the Book of Mormon, as well as the importance of reading that wonderful book.
Recently, while returning to Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, I found myself sitting next to a man on a flight from Manchester, England, to Atlanta, Georgia. We introduced ourselves, and soon I found myself listening to advice on what high-tech stocks I should purchase to increase my financial worth. When there was an opportunity, I told him, “I am not interested in those investments nearly as much as I am in your learning about the most remarkable book ever written. In fact, it will change your life forever.”
He asked, “What book are you talking about?”
“This,” I said as I retrieved the scriptures out of a case I was carrying. “This book contains the Holy Bible and also the Book of Mormon. It is the latter volume that I want to talk with you about.” He seemed interested.
We both felt the Spirit as we talked about the origin and messages of the Book of Mormon. Our conversation lasted more than four hours. He said that he had just been married three weeks and that his wife would probably be interested in the book too. What could have been a tiresome flight became a spiritual experience. We discussed Hebrew writing forms in the book, and he found several on his own. His objective became to read the Book of Mormon. My objective had been to help him gain a desire to read that marvelous volume of divine information. We both were blessed through our exchange.
A simple sentence might be all you need to introduce someone to the Book of Mormon. Try something such as, “George, I appreciate you as our neighbor. My wife and I want you and your family to have this book as a gift from us. It can change your life.”
Encouraging Investigators to Pray
The importance of praying about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon must be mentioned often to those receiving the book for the first time.
While my wife and I were participating in a family home evening with several friends, including a couple who were not members of the Church, we talked of the Book of Mormon in depth. Near the conclusion of the evening’s enjoyable discussion, one member sister suggested we all kneel and pray about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Though they had never participated in such an activity before, our friends who were not Latter-day Saints joined us in kneeling around a low table in the living room. All that had transpired in the several hours prior to that paled in importance. The humble prayer that was offered blessed everyone present, but it especially helped one couple know that what had been discussed was of God.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, then First Counselor in the First Presidency, taught us some years ago that “the Holy Ghost is the Testifier of Truth, who can teach men things they cannot teach one another” (Ensign, Nov. 1986, 51). In those great and challenging words of Moroni, a knowledge of the truth of the Book of Mormon is promised “by the power of the Holy Ghost.” “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (see Moro. 10:4–5).
What a marvelous gift we present others when we help them to understand through study and prayer that the Book of Mormon is true and that the Holy Spirit will whisper messages to them that can come in no other way!
Giving Continuing Support
We must continue to encourage those with whom we place a Book of Mormon to read and pray about it regularly. Too often we expect them to persist in reading on their own; however, it is more likely that they will not unless we do things to encourage them.
A friend of mine is always sending notes and cards to others to help them persist in their reading. These notes include several scriptures from the Book of Mormon to motivate her friends to look further into those sacred writings. Another person I know often gives a list of significant verses to her friends and includes a red pencil for marking them. Follow-through is the key if we hope our contacts will continue to read the Book of Mormon and become converted through its pages.
In order to keep their interest alive, it is also wise to persist, without being overbearing, in testifying of the divine mission of Joseph Smith. Brigham Young said: “I honor and revere the name of Joseph Smith. I delight to hear it; I love it. I love his doctrine. …
“I feel like shouting Hallelujah, all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph Smith, the Prophet whom the Lord raised up. …
“I am bold to say that, Jesus Christ excepted, no better man ever lived or does live upon this earth. I am his witness” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1941], 458, 459).
Among the kindest acts we will ever perform is to follow through with those who are interested in the Church and the Book of Mormon.
Expecting Spiritual Experiences
We might remember that the age of miracles has not ended and that experiences which could be considered miraculous still follow those who want to learn the truth.
Elder Delbert L. Stapley of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once reported the following:
“A faithful sister, eighty-nine years of age but young in spirit, related to me this testimony and experience. As a young woman, her father informed her a new scripture was to come, and the church presenting it would be true. She was greatly impressed by this statement and remembered it. Her father passed away, and time moved on, but still the new scripture had not come to her attention. Some years later two missionaries knocked at her door. When she received them they introduced to her the Book of Mormon which they advised was a new scripture revealed by God. She immediately recalled the words of her father. She had her witness. She said to me, ‘I didn’t need the elders to teach me the gospel. I knew they represented the true Church.’ She was quickly converted and baptized by them. For over fifty years this good sister has remained a faithful and devoted member. Her home has been, and is now, a rallying point for missionary work” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1958, 19).
Many returned missionaries recall investigators whose interest in the gospel suddenly blossomed because of a brush with the Book of Mormon that could not be considered mere coincidence. It is not uncommon today to hear of individuals whose lives have been touched by a copy of this sacred record found sitting on a bookshelf or perhaps in a dustbin, the cast-off gift of some faithful member or missionary now long forgotten.
Our daughter-in-law’s mother, Rosemary Choules, loved the gospel and the Book of Mormon. She passed away from cancer. Her husband, Albert Choules Jr. (who would later serve as a member of the Seventy), decided to give a case of copies of that inspired book in her name to be used in missionary work. Months later, in a place far distant from his home, he attended a baptism. The newly baptized convert testified of how a copy of the Book of Mormon had helped significantly in his conversion. It was one of those copies given in memory of Rosemary Choules.
That We Might Have Joy
Along with pure doctrine, the keys to finding joy and happiness in today’s often dark world are also found within the covers of the Book of Mormon.
Many will be converted when they explore the depth and completeness of the messages of the Book of Mormon. Former Presiding Bishop John H. Vandenberg said while serving as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve: “The whole purpose of the gospel is to teach men that the most important thing in life is life itself and that man may pursue happiness. ‘… Men are, that they might have joy’ (2 Ne. 2:25) is the decree of the Lord. The purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince both Jew and gentile that Jesus is the Christ, for only through him can salvation, eternal life, and eternal joy be obtained” (Ensign, May 1974, 13).
One of our most important tasks is to prepare ourselves and those we love to return to the presence of our Savior and our Father in Heaven. We also must assist in teaching the gospel to everyone everywhere. Indeed, our love should extend far beyond our family and friends, to those who have not yet embraced the gospel of Christ.
There is no better way for them to come to the truth than to have a book printed in their own language which they can read, meditate upon, pray about, and learn from in pursuit of the purpose of life. This is the Book of Mormon, the great second witness that God and His Son live and care about us.
President Ezra Taft Benson reported this experience in testifying, during his mission to England, of the Restoration and of the Book of Mormon: “I had talked on the Prophet Joseph Smith and borne my witness of his divine mission and to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. After the meeting had ended, several people came forward, some of them being nonmembers, and said, ‘Tonight we received a witness that the gospel is true as you elders teach it. We are now ready for baptism’” (Ensign, May 1977, 34).
Wherever the Book of Mormon is found, people will receive a witness that it is true if they earnestly and humbly seek to know.
Let us do all we can to assist in the great work of the Lord’s kingdom by introducing the Book of Mormon into the lives of all who will listen, pray, and study.
Photo © Superstock/Kai Chiang; posed by models
Delivering the Gold Plates, by Lewis Ramsey
Photo by Longin Lonczyna Jr.
Photo by Welden C. Andersen
Learning from the Scriptures, by Nancy Seamons Crookston
Three Men Seeking the Word of God, by Bruce Smith