Day 9 - All the Small Books + Mosiah 1 and 2

My name is T.J., and I found out about this challenge through my sister-in-law, who is a friend of Cortney's. I am thankful for the opportunity to share some of the thoughts I've had as I have been reading through The Book of Mormon. As I have been reading through the Book of Mormon, I have focused on a specific theme which I would like to write about in a follow up post (I'll need to ask Cortney before taking that liberty). But for today, I wanted to talk about a few of the other places that stood out to me as I read through Enos, Jarom, Omni, The Words of Mormon, and Mosiah 1 and 2. These books are full of simple testimonies of the Savior and are also key to understanding the story lines in the Book of Mormon.

First, the Book of Mormon truly is a testimony of Christ, and the plan of salvation is real. I loved this plea by Amaleki to come unto Christ.It's what the gospel is all about. We need the Savior.

Omni 1:26
And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should ^acome unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and ^boffer your whole souls as an ^coffering unto him, and continue in ^dfasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

Even in saying that he had little to write, Jarom testified of the transcendent, simple truth that is contained in the plan of salvation. In his humility, I found a simple testimony that by knowing of the plan of salvation and having a testimony of the saving power of Jesus Christ, we are blessed beyond measure.

Jarom 1:2
And as ^athese plates are ^bsmall, and as these things are ^cwritten for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the ^dLamanites, wherefore, it must needs be that I write a little; but I shall not write the things of my prophesying, nor of my revelations. For what could I write more than my fathers have written? For have not they revealed the plan of salvation? I say unto you, Yea; and this sufficeth me.

Second, these chapters testify of the importance of knowing and studying the scriptures. I am impressed by the sacredness with which the writers in these sections treated the limited remaining space on the plates. If they had something which furthered the testimony of Christ, then it was included. Otherwise, they took care of the plates and preserved the genealogy of the people.

In relation to the theme upon which I've focused during my study of The Book of Mormon, I wondered during my reading what the record in the small plates might have looked like if it were written from the perspective of Laman and his descendants instead of Nephi and his descendants. As I read in Omni, I realized that if it had been left to them, we may not have had a record.

Omni 1:17
And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had become exceedingly numerous. Nevertheless, they had had many wars and serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time; and their ^alanguage had become corrupted; and they had brought no ^brecords with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand them.

The people of Zarahemla did not think that bringing records with them was important, and because of this they denied Christ and their language became corrupted. In contrast, King Benjamin taught his children to revere and respect the scriptures, for the purpose that they could know the mysteries of God.

Mosiah 1:2-3, 5
And it came to pass that he had three ^asons; and he called their names Mosiah, and Helorum, and Helaman. And he caused that they should be ^btaught in all the ^clanguage of his fathers, that thereby they might become men of understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered them by the hand of the Lord. And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the ^aplates of brass, saying: My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these ^bplates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ^cignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God. . . . I say unto you, my sons, ^awere it not for these things, which have been kept and ^bpreserved by the hand of God, that we might ^cread and understand of his ^dmysteries, and have his ^ecommandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the ^ftraditions of their fathers, which are not correct.

He also asked his sons to "remember to search [the scriptures] diligently, that [they] may profit thereby" (Mosiah 1:7). What a great example of righteous parenting!

I have truly been blessed with a greater measure of the Spirit in my life as I have taken the opportunity to "search the scriptures" each day during this challenge that I might "profit thereby." I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Jesus Christ is the Savior of us all. It is only through taking upon us his name, as King Benjamin directs, that we may be saved.