Come, Follow Me
Why do we need the Book of Mormon?

Why do we need the Book of Mormon?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The Book of Mormon was written for our day. It testifies of Jesus Christ, contains the fulness of His gospel, and restores truths lost through the Apostasy. Joseph Smith taught that the Book of Mormon is “the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (introduction to the Book of Mormon).

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

Think about experiences you have had studying the Book of Mormon. Why is the Book of Mormon important to you?

How is the Book of Mormon influencing the lives of the young men? What can the young men do to strengthen their testimonies of the Book of Mormon? How could the Book of Mormon help them address modern-day challenges?

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior invited others to act in faith to learn the truths of the gospel. He taught us, “Ask, and ye shall receive” (John 16:24). How can you encourage the young men to follow this pattern as they seek to gain or strengthen their testimonies of the Book of Mormon? (see Moroni 10:3–5).

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

  • Write on the board the three questions President Russell M. Nelson posed in his talk The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?” Invite the young men to share how they would answer the questions and then read some of the answers people gave. What parts of President Nelson’s talk inspire the young men to read the Book of Mormon and share it with others?

  • What did Brother Tad R. Callister teach in his talk “God’s Compelling Witness: The Book of Mormon” that can help us respond to those who criticize the Book of Mormon? Give the young men time to search the talk to find some of the things that he taught. How does the Book of Mormon testify of the following fundamental truths: “the divinity of Jesus Christ,” “the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith,” and “the absolute truth of this Church”? (page 109).

  • Invite quorum members to name things that create power, such as batteries, generators, windmills, and solar panels. Invite the young men to make a list of ways the Book of Mormon brings power into our lives. Ask the young men to search President Thomas S. Monson’s talk “The Power of the Book of Mormon,” looking for insights they could add to their list. Provide time for quorum members to ponder how they will incorporate President Monson’s challenge to read the Book of Mormon daily. Ask them to share their ideas. You might also consider inviting the young men to open their Duty to God books to page 29, 53, or 77, where they can write the name of someone they could invite to read the Book of Mormon.

  • Invite the young men to search Elder Gary E. Stevenson’s talk “Look to the Book, Look to the Lord,” looking for insights about the Book of Mormon and why it is so important. You could invite the young men to share some quotes from the talk or favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon. You could also encourage them to write down and share their testimonies of the Book of Mormon.

  • Ask the young men to read one or more of the scriptures listed in this outline or the title page of the Book of Mormon or watch one of the videos in this outline to find answers to the question “Why do we need the Book of Mormon?” Invite the young men to write their answers on the board. Ask them to choose one of the answers on the board that they would like to learn more about and share what they chose. You could also invite the young men to select one of the study activities on pages 112–14 of Preach My Gospel and work on it in pairs, in small groups, or individually.

  • Invite each young man to find a scripture in the Book of Mormon that is important to him or has influenced his life. Divide the quorum into small groups of two or three, and ask each young man to share his chosen scripture, why it is important to him, and any experiences he has had with that passage. Invite a few young men to share with the entire quorum. What do these experiences teach us about the importance of the Book of Mormon?

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young men apply what they learned in this lesson.