WIXLIB

2016 Seminar for New Mission PresidentsThe Book of Mormon: A Miraculous MiraclePresident Russell M. NelsonPresident of the Quorum of the Twelve ApostlesJune 23, 2016I would like to invite my wife,Wendy, to stand a momentBrother Holland replied, “Well, just run a checkwhile we express our heartfeltI really would like to know. It would help me withsome religious writing I am doing.” (In recountingthis experience, Sister Holland noted that Yalecongratulations on your high andholy callings. We honor you, welove you, and we pray for youevery day. Thank you, Wendy.for me, would you? It may take a little doing, butUniversity at that time had the fourth-largest libraryin the nation, with nearly 9 million volumes in itscollection.)I would like to offer a message that may be of realworth to you and your missionaries. Therefore,Ultimately, Ilene fulfilled this request. She reportedI have chosen to speak to you about the Bookto Brother Holland, “I have a book for you. I foundof Mormon. You know that is the subject ofone book which, it is claimed, was delivered by anchapter 5 of Preach My Gospel. Teach it well toyour missionaries. For my message today, I havechosen the title “The Book of Mormon: A Miraculousangel.” She held up a paperback copy of the Book ofMormon. “I’m told you can get them for a dollar.Miracle.”“My word,” she continued. “An angel’s book for aThe Book of Mormon is truly unique. To illustrate,dollar. You would think angels would charge more,but then again, where would they spend it?” 1I quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and his wife,Pat. She reported that many years ago while Jeff wasAn angel did deliver a written text to the Prophetworking on his PhD at Yale University, he got to knowone of the senior reference librarians who providedJoseph Smith. The angel Moroni told Joseph thathim valuable help in researching his dissertation.plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants“there was a book deposited, written upon goldof [the American] continent, and the source fromOne day, Jeff said, “Ilene, I need to know how manybooks we have in either the Sterling Memorial orBeinecke Rare Book Libraries that claim to havewhence they sprang. He also said that the fulnessof the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, asdelivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;been delivered by an angel.”“Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—The librarian gave him a peculiar look and said, “Iand these stones, fastened to a breastplate,don’t know of any books that have been delivered byangels.”constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession anduse of these stones were what constituted ‘seers’ in

ancient or former times; and that God had preparedthem for the purpose of translating the book.”2to write from his mouth, as he translated . . . thehistory or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.’”8The Book of Mormon is part of a remarkableHow the translation was accomplished is not fullyprophecy recorded by Isaiah, who said, speakingknown because the Prophet deliberately saidfor the Lord: “I will proceed to do a marvellous worklittle about that sacred task. Yet we do have a fewamong this people, even a marvellous work and awonder.” 3precious insights. God prepared sacred objectsThe words marvellous and wonder were bothtranslated from Hebrew terms meaning“extraordinary,” “difficult to understand,” or, aswe would say, “miraculous.” 4 Thus, the phrase“a marvellous work and a wonder” could also beto assist Joseph with the translation. Interpreterswere buried with the golden plates. Joseph usedthe interpreters, and other seer stones that theLord provided, in the translation process. Suchinstruments were used by prophets throughoutscriptural history to translate texts and receive divinecommunications.9translated as “a miraculous miracle.” The Book ofMormon is indeed “a miraculous miracle.” So are theRestoration of the gospel and the priesthood andthe mandate of missionary work to gather scatteredIsrael in these latter days.David Whitmer wrote: “Joseph Smith would put theseer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat,drawing it closely around his face to exclude thelight; and in the darkness the spiritual light wouldshine. A piece of something resembling parchmentThe translation of the Book of Mormon was part ofwould appear, and on that appeared the writing.that miracle. A video clip gives insights that I wouldlike to share with you now.One character at a time would appear, and underit was the interpretation in English. Brother JosephWith Oliver Cowdery as principal scribe, Josephbegan translating on Tuesday, April 7, 1829.5 Thetask was completed about 85 days later. Of course,not all of their time was spent working on thetranslation. Time was taken to receive the Aaronicand Melchizedek Priesthoods, receive and record 12revelations that are now sections of the Doctrine andCovenants,6 move from one state to another, applyfor a copyright, and begin making arrangementswould read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, whowas his principal scribe, and when it was writtendown and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if itwas correct, then it would disappear, and anothercharacter with the interpretation would appear.Thus, the Book of Mormon was translated by the giftand power of God, and not by any power of man.” 10That was from David Whitmer.An affidavit of his sister, Elizabeth Ann Whitmerfor the publication of the Book of Mormon.Cowdery, is also relevant. She was 14 years old whenConservatively estimated, 65 or fewer working dayswould have been left for the work of translation.Joseph and Oliver moved to the Whitmers’ homeThe 1830 edition contained 588 pages. 7 Thus, Josephtranslated at the rate of about nine pages per day!“Joseph never had a curtain drawn between him andConsider this when you schedule your own readingof the Book of Mormon.the director in his hat, and then place his face in hishat, so as to exclude the light, and then [read thewords] as they appeared before him.” 11Oliver Cowdery testified a few years later: “Thesein Fayette to finish the translation. Later she wrote:his scribe while he was translating. He would placewere days never to be forgotten—to sit underEmma Smith, who acted as an earlier scribe forthe sound of a voice dictated by the inspirationJoseph, gave this account: “When my husband wasof heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of thisbosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted,translating the Book of Mormon, I wrote a part of2016 Seminar for New Mission Presidents2

it, as he dictated each sentence, word for word,and when he came to proper names he could notThere are some things the Book of Mormon is not. Itpronounce, or long words, he spelled them out,and while I was writing them, if I made a mistake infound within its pages. It is not a treatise on ancientAmerican agriculture or politics. It is not a record ofspelling, he would stop me and correct my spelling,all former people of the Western Hemisphere, butalthough it was impossible for him to see how I wasonly of particular groups.writing them down at the time. Even the word Sarahhe could not pronounce at first, but had to spell it,and I would pronounce it for him.Resoundingly, the Book of Mormon affirms theis not a textbook of history, although some history isexistence of a living and loving Father in Heaven.It affirms the nature of our Heavenly Father’s plan“When he stopped for any purpose at any time hewould, when he commenced again, begin where heof salvation, happiness, and mercy. It declares, asanother testament, the generation and divinityleft off without any hesitation.” 12of Jesus the Christ. It teaches of His mission andOn another occasion, Emma recalled: “Joseph Smith. . . could neither write nor dictate a coherent andwell-worded letter; let alone dictating a book likethe Book of Mormon. And, though I was an activeparticipant in the scenes that transpired, . . . it ismarvelous to me, ‘a marvel and a wonder.’” 13Of course, the value of the Book of Mormon lies notin the miracle of its translation, miraculous as it was.The great worth of the Book of Mormon is that itis another testament of Jesus Christ. Its four majorauthors—Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, and Moroni—wereall eyewitnesses of the Lord, as was Joseph, theinspired translator of that book.The Book of Mormon is the great clarifier ofHis ministry. The Book of Mormon stands as aglobal beacon of eternal truth. The Lord said: “Thetestimony of two nations is a witness unto you thatI am God, that I remember one nation like untoanother. . . . And when the two nations shall runtogether the testimony of the two nations shall runtogether also.” 14The Book of Mormon affirms the supreme status ofman’s moral agency and sets forth eternal standardsof accountability and responsibility for our choices. Itaffirms the reality and inevitability of our impendingjudgment, which will be done with a perfect blendingof the justice and mercy of God.15The Book of Mormon affirms that the people on theWestern Hemisphere were among the “other sheep”doctrine. It refutes many myths. At the same time, itto whom Jesus had earlier referred. 16 And it affirmsaffirms truths previously obscured and reveals manythe existence of other societies to whom Jesus wouldglorious facts of the doctrine of Christ that were lostor previously unknown.minister—those we know as the lost tribes of Israel.It affirms the reality of premortal life. It reaffirmsLet us mention a few myths the book refutes.The Book of Mormon refutes the concept ofpredestination. It refutes the idea of the creation exnihilo—“out of nothing.” It refutes the false notionof original sin. It refutes the adequacy of individualgoodness alone without exalting ordinances. Itrefutes the practice of infant baptism. It refutesmethods of baptism other than that of immersion byone bearing proper authority. It refutes the notionthat revelation from God ended with the Bible.2016 Seminar for New Mission Presidentsthe sanctity and the necessity of the sacrament,as taught in the Bible. It reveals the state of thesoul between death and resurrection. It reveals theendless nature of the priesthood of God and theforeordination of choice spirits called and preparedfrom the foundation of the world for leadershipin these latter days. From the Book of Mormonwe know that each of you has been reserved,foreordained, and foredetermined to come forth at3