Introduction to The Book of Mormon

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/introduction
INTRODUCTION

1 The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel.
2 The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians.
3 The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.
4 After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the hill Cumorah. On September 21, 1823, the same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language.
5 In due course the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith, who translated them by the gift and power of God. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto him and obey the laws and ordinances of his gospel may be saved.
6 Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."
7 In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for eleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as "The Testimony of Three Witnesses" and "The Testimony of Eight Witnesses."
8 We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3--5.)
9 Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.

(Book of Mormon | Preface Introduction:Heading - 9)

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[ozzie2005]

I don't see your response on the video but it is not a test. I am asking questions on your beliefs. Since they are yours there can be no wrong answer. I am also not trying to convince you or offend you in any way. Just questions. Thanks

[thrond]

The first time I responded, it didn't post. I then put up a post with the word "test" just to see if there was a problem. It posted fine, so I replaced it and retyped my answer. Sorry for any confusion.

[ozzie2005]

Id like to ask you some questions I can never get answered by Mormons.

Is it true that the Mormon religion excluded blacks until 1978?

Is it true that you believe that people have colored skin because god cursed them?

Why did Oliver Cowdery leave the church?

[thrond]

Fair enough. You asked straight questions; I'll try to give straight answers.

While black members were excluded from certain temple and priesthood blessings from ca. 1850-1978, there have been black members of the Church since its earliest days.

There was a lot of speculation about why the ban existed before it was removed. Since 1978, all those theories have been disavowed. The only official reason I know of is that it wasn't time.

[thrond]

Oliver Cowdery's departure from the Church is a complex historical matter which I don't think I could do full service to in this space, and some of the reasons are in dispute. Basically, though, there were some fundamental disagreements between Joseph Smith and Oliver concerning financial, political, and ecclesiastical matters, and probably polygamy. Ultimately, though, his reasons were his own. He did come back into the Church ten years after he had left.

[Shulamitefire]

Racism & polygamy - neither of which were either revelation or repentance, were but outward conformity to society's demands for standards of decency. Blacks were finally permitted to the priesthood & temple because of pressure from the civil rights movement & notice that LDS failure of compliance would result in tax exempt status being revoked. Re polygamy, Utah was not allowed statehood unless the LDS church agreed to cease its sexual immorality. Only 30 yrs. ago were blacks accepted as equal!

[IRISHBUDDAFILTH]

WELL IF ITS THE FULLNESS OF THE "GOSPEL" THEN WHAT IS THE OTHER"2/3" OF THE GOLD PLATES THAT WASN'T TRANSLATED?

[luettem]

The characteristics and signature a satan are always similar in all deceptions. Murder, suicide, pedophilia, abuse, idolitry, the diminishing of either the Power in the blood of Christ, or the diminishing of Who He is, and deception. Either within what is called the "church", or without. By this simple rule of thumb one can always recognize his work. Islam would be one, recognize anyone else?

[omiolo]

The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ

[vidarjens]

lets be Christian toward one another, this guy isnt hurting anyone.

[ElderJoseph]

@cholotara The Introduction was written By Bruce McConkie. He got it wrong like he got loats of things wrong including the teaching that Negroes are the less valiants and hence banned from holding the priesthood.

LDS Apostle Mark E. Peterson taught that Negroes can get to Celestial Kingdom but only as servants! lol

Obviously he was thinking as servants to the Superior White Mormon Gods like himself and surrounded by multiple wives as well for his Glory.

These guys areMegalomaniacs. lol

[ElderJoseph]

@cholotara lol This guy is reading an introduction that has since been 'altered' and you can bet no one at Salt Lake HQ took any time out to inform him. Because to them he is not important enough to know these things.

Mormonism is all about the less the members know the better and the longer they can be held captive.

And Yes the Book Of Mormon text will have to be 'altered' later too. lol

[cholotara]

@ElderJoseph I'll bet next they will change the parts about lamanites and all their descendants (all indigenous peoples of the America's) being cursed with dark skin by God. They are really keen on growing their membership in Latin America.

Also the part about conversion making lamanites exceedingly white and delightsome will have to go.

[cholotara]

@ElderJoseph More important is the question why was the introduction altered?  Did Joseph Smith mistranslate the plates? How can anyone know since we don't have the plates to study? Or was Joseph Smith just making it all up? It casts more doubt on the already mountainous evidence questioning Joseph Smith's account.