Book of Mormon Feast
God in 2 Nephi 3
God • Holy One of Israel • Lord
Lord God • Lord my God • Messiah
2 Nephi 3:19
The words are expedient in my wisdom should go forth
The Book of Mormon teaches that the writers of the Book of Mormon would, through their faith, testify from the dust
And the words which he shall write shall be the words which are expedient in my wisdom should go forth unto the fruit of thy loins.
And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them from the dust;
for I know their faith.
The men who wrote the Book of Mormon did so at God’s express command. Nephi said that he was commanded to make the small plates for a wise and special purpose, and to record the things of God on them. (1 Nephi 9:3,5) Mormon said that he received a commandment from God to write the history of his people expressly to come forth in the future, when God will see fit “in his wisdom,” for those who will come after. (Mormon 5:13) Moroni, writing of the record of the Jaredites which he was abridging, said that he was “commanded to write these things,” and “It is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you.” (Moroni 8:23,26) The Book of Mormon bears consistent testimony that God directed the writing, as He later directed the translating. He is particularly interested in all His children reading this record.
Much of the Book of Mormon is a record of prophets’ messages to their own people, which of course are applicable in all time, and thus are applicable to us today. Much of the writing is addressed specifically to readers, to us, since the ancient people never had the Book of Mormon as a record. The writers “cried from the dust” to us:
Nephi:
And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.
And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye -
And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of the house of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak unto you as the voice of one crying from the dust: Farewell until that great day shall come. (2 Nephi 33:10,11,13)
Moroni:
And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth . . . And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust? (Moroni 10:24,27)
The Lord knew the faith of the righteous people of the Book of Mormon civilization. He knew that their concern extended to their own contemporary people, and extended through the centuries to all people, as His does.
Enos gives us a good example of this concern and faith:
And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith.
And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him -
For at the present our strugglings were vain in restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers.
Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
And the Lord said unto me: Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and
it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto
thine. (Enos 1:12-
Ammaron likewise trusted that God would preserve the record he was making:
“And he [Ammaron] did hide them up unto the Lord that they might come again unto the remnant of the house of Jacob according to the prophecies and the promises of the Lord.” (4 Nephi 1:49)
Mormon, discouraged by his fruitless work among his countrymen, wrote to the broader audience that he knew would have his record:
“I write unto you, Gentiles, and also unto you, house of Israel . . . yea, behold, I write unto all the ends of the earth, yea, unto you, twelve tribes of Israel, . . . and I write also unto the remnant of this people.” (Mormon 3:17,18,19)
Moroni, the last writer of the Book of Mormon, expressed faith that his message would go forth:
Behold, I speak unto you as though I spake from the dead; for I know that ye shall have my words. (Mormon 9:30)
The Book of Mormon is a truly remarkable melding of the mind and will, the wisdom
and foresight of God, with the mind and will, the understanding and commitment of
His new-
2 Nephi 3:20
They shall cry from the dust
One of the Book of Mormon’s major teachings is on the need for repentance
And they shall cry from the dust; yea, even repentance unto their brethren,
even after many generations have gone by them.
And it shall come to pass that their cry shall go,
even according to the simpleness of their words.
Joseph prophesied that repentance would be the primary message of the Book of Mormon. He also prophesied that the message would be given simply, with simple words.
Nephi later explains that he intentionally wrote to be plainly understood: “My soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn.” (2 Nephi 25:4) Nevertheless simplicity can embody strength, as Alma explains: “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” (Alma 37:6) The simpleness of the Book of Mormon is deceptive: It is like a vast ocean, rather uniform on the surface, but containing levels of life in its depths that can be explored for a lifetime. And it can be enjoyed as a simple surface for boating, or for swimming in the shallow waters at the shore.
The Book of Mormon has a number of recurring themes, among them repentance. Here’s a sampling of the fulfillment of that prophecy throughout the generations of the Book of Mormon:
An angel:
Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent it shall be well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel; and thou also hast heard that whoso repenteth not must perish. (1 Nephi 14:5)
Nephi:
But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent. (1 Nephi 22:28)
Lehi:
And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents. (2 Nephi 2:21)
Jacob:
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts. (Jacob 6:5)
Jarom – speaking of unnamed prophets:
And it came to pass that by so doing they kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance. (Jarom 1:12)
King Benjamin:
And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them. (Mosiah 4:10)
God – through Abinadi
Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their abominations, and their wickedness, and their whoredoms; and except they repent I will visit them in mine anger.
And except they repent and turn to the Lord their God, behold, I will deliver them into the hands of their enemies; yea, and they shall be brought into bondage; and they shall be afflicted by the hand of their enemies. . . .
And it shall come to pass that except this people repent and turn unto the Lord their God, they shall be brought into bondage; and none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God. (Mosiah 11:20,21,23)
Abinadi
Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption,
and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according
to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil -
If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if they
be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the devil,
who hath subjected them, which is damnation -
Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and yet they would not repent.
And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only
in and through Christ ye can be saved? (Mosiah 16:10-
Alma the Elder
Yea, all were gathered together that believed on his word, to hear him. And he did teach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord. (Mosiah 18:7)
King Mosiah
And were it not for the interposition of their all-
The Spirit through Alma the Younger:
Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith: Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men.
And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying:
Go forth and say unto this people -
Alma the Younger
And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance. Alma 13:27)
Amulek
And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.
And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.
Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your
faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have
mercy upon you (Alma 34:15-
Rebellious people
Thou also sayest, except we repent we shall perish. How knowest thou the thought and intent of our hearts? How knowest thou that we have cause to repent? How knowest thou that we are not a righteous people? Behold, we have built sanctuaries, and we do assemble ourselves together to worship God. We do believe that God will save all men. (Alma 21:6)
Aaron
But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest. (Alma 22:16)
The king:
O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. (Alma 22:18)
King Anti-
And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.
And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to
repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain -
Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords
have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren.
(Alma 24:10-
Ammon
Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth
continually without ceasing -
Captain Moroni
Behold, I would tell you somewhat concerning the justice of God, and the sword of his almighty wrath, which doth hang over you except ye repent and withdraw your armies into your own lands, or the land of your possessions, which is the land of Nephi. (Alma 54:6)
Helaman
Therefore, Helaman and his brethren went forth, and did declare the word of God with much power unto the convincing of many people of their wickedness, which did cause them to repent of their sins and to be baptized unto the Lord their God. (Alma 62:45)
Moronihah
But behold, Moronihah did preach many things unto the people because of their iniquity, and also Nephi and Lehi, who were the sons of Helaman, did preach many things unto the people, yea, and did prophesy many things unto them concerning their iniquities, and what should come unto them if they did not repent of their sins.
And it came to pass that they did repent, and inasmuch as they did repent they did begin to prosper.
For when Moronihah saw that they did repent he did venture to lead them forth from
place to place, and from city to city, even until they had regained the one-
Aminadab
And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you. (Helaman 5:41)
Lamanites
And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites did come down into the land of Zarahemla, and did declare unto the people of the Nephites the manner of their conversion, and did exhort them to faith and repentance. (Helaman 6:4)
Nephi
O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you? (Helaman 7:17)
Samuel the Lamanite
O ye people of the land, that ye would hear my words! And I pray that the anger of the Lord be turned away from you, and that ye would repent and be saved. (Helaman 13:39)
Mormon
And wo unto him to whom he shall say this, for it shall be unto him that will do iniquity, and he cannot be saved; therefore, for this cause, that men might be saved, hath repentance been declared.
Therefore, blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved.
And may God grant, in his great fulness, that men might be brought unto repentance
and good works, that they might be restored unto grace for grace, according to their
works. (Helaman 12:22-
Lachoneus
Yea, he said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in no wise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers. (3 Nephi 3:15)
Government policy
And now it came to pass that when they had taken all the robbers prisoners, insomuch that none did escape who were not slain, they did cast their prisoners into prison, and did cause the word of God to be preached unto them; and as many as would repent of their sins and enter into a covenant that they would murder no more were set at liberty. (3 Nephi 5:4)
People in distress
And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren have been spared, and they would not have been burned in that great city Zarahemla.
And in another place they were heard to cry and mourn, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and had not killed and stoned the prophets, and cast them out; then would our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children have been spared, and not have been buried up in that great city Moronihah. And thus were the howlings of the people great and terrible. (3 Nephi 8:24,25)
Jesus Christ
Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved. (3 Nephi 9:22)
Ether
For he did cry from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting
the people to believe in God unto repentance lest they should be destroyed, saying
unto them that by faith all things are fulfilled -
Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. (Ether 12:3,4)
Moroni
And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God -
This small sampling of the 360 references to “repent” in the Book of Mormon give a glimpse of the depth of coverage of this crucial topic. In this book are illustrated what repentance is, what it looks like, what it feels like, what happens when people repent, and what happens when people don’t repent. These simple words speak of profound truths of human experience, recently reworded by Steven W. Owen:
Too often we think of repentance as something miserable and depressing. But God’s plan is the plan of happiness, not the plan of misery! Repentance is uplifting and ennobling. It’s sin that brings unhappiness. Repentance is our escape route! As Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained: “Without repentance, there is no real progress or improvement in life. … Only through repentance do we gain access to the atoning grace of Jesus Christ and salvation. Repentance … points us to freedom, confidence, and peace.” My message to all . . . is that repentance is always positive.
When we speak of repentance, we aren’t just talking about self-
(“Repentance is Always Positive,” Steven W. Owen, October 2017 General Conference)