I gave this talk in Sacrament Meeting on February 15, 2004, in the Norman 2nd Ward. It was Ward Conference and just over one year after I became the bishop.
[TEXT OF MY TALK]
Around Thanksgiving time last year, one of my brothers who had not been attending church for some time contacted me. At that time, he and I discussed a number of things and I ultimately challenged him to read the Book of Mormon to find out if the church is true.
Later that week, he called me at work and asked if I knew that the church now sold the scriptures on CD. He had stopped at a church bookstore to buy a copy of the Book of Mormon to read, where he discovered the CDs and purchased them.
This brother is a truck driver. Every night, he drives a truck from the place where we grew up in Wyoming to Salt Lake City and back (about a 9-10 hour round trip). Two days later, he called me again. He was at work and driving to Salt Lake City. He started our conversation with a question, "Did the church change the Book of Mormon?" I replied that the church had not changed the Book of Mormon.
He then observed that the Book of Mormon sure seemed different from when he was reading it in Seminary. He told me that he had been listening to the Book of Mormon while driving for the past two nights. He was at the end of the book of Alma.
We then talked about several of the stories and doctrines that are in the first half of the Book of Mormon. At one point, my brother said, “You know, all we really need in the Book of Mormon are 1st and 2nd Nephi. The whole gospel is contained in these two books. Everything you need to know about the gospel is right there.”
We concluded our discussion by talking about how his desire to change his life had changed his perspective regarding the Book of Mormon. Because he now had the desire to know of its truthfulness, as compared to his state of mind when he was reading and studying the Book of Mormon in high school, he was much more receptive to understanding the spirit of the book and the truth contained in it.
The Book of Mormon had not changed ... however, his life situation and his interest in listening to the spirit had changed. Thus, it seemed as if the Book of Mormon had changed.
After we finished reading the Book of Mormon as a ward in December and I began reading the Book of Mormon again from the beginning, I thought a lot about my brother’s observation regarding the first two books of Nephi. I would like to use his observation as the basis for my talk today and discuss some of the core and basic doctrines of the gospel contained in First and Second Nephi.
In the church, we often refer to the Book of Mormon as "the great missionary tool." Indeed, the missionaries spend their entire mission trying to help people learn to know and love the Book of Mormon. For this reason, I have chosen to focus on the principles of the gospel taught by the missionaries that are contained in the first two books of the Book of Mormon.
Plan of our Heavenly Father
2 Nephi 9:17 -- O the greatness and the justice of our God! For he executeth all his words, and they have gone forth out of his mouth, and his law must be fulfilled.
2 Nephi 9:20 -- O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.
We believe in God. We know God lives. From these two passages, we learn that God is great, just, and holy. We also learn that he is all-knowing and that what he says will come to pass.
2 Nephi 26:23-24 -- For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness. v 24 -- He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world...
2 Nephi 28:30 -- For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom...
2 Nephi 2:27 -- Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil...
God has a plan. He teaches us that plan line upon line. An important part of that plan is that we are free to choose to follow the plan or reject the plan.
Divine Sonship of Jesus Christ to Fulfill the Plan
2 Nephi 9:10 -- O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.
2 Nephi 9:21-24, 26 -- And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. v 22 -- And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day. v 23 -- And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. v 24 -- And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it. v 26 -- For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.
1 Nephi 11:32-33 -- And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record. v 33 -- And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.
Jesus Christ is a central part of God’s plan. In our lives, we each sin and fall short of perfection. In addition, each of us will someday die. Christ made it possible for us to overcome both of these obstacles. He overcame sin and death. He showed us the way to live so that we might return to Heavenly Father. If we have faith to follow our Savior, we will find peace in our lives and can someday return to live with him and our Father in Heaven (Preach My Gospel, Lesson 2: The Plan of Salvation).
(Editor's Note: The citation for the previous paragraph in my original talk was to the now-outdated missionary discussions. I substituted the Preach My Gospel citation as I wrote my blog post, even though Preach My Gospel was not published at the time of my talk.)
How the Plan has Been Revealed
Heavenly Father wants all of us to learn about his plan and the mission of Jesus Christ. He has established a simple pattern for sharing his plan with his children on earth. He chooses witnesses. These witnesses are called prophets and apostles. The prophets and apostles testify of Christ. People hear the prophets or read their words in the scriptures. Each individual can know that the prophet's teachings are true through the power of the Holy Ghost. After learning about the truth of the plan, we are invited to obey.
I believe the experiences of Lehi as he was called to prophesy in Jerusalem are an excellent example of how this pattern works.
1 Nephi 1:5-8 -- Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people. v 6 -- And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly. v 7 -- And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen. v 8 -- And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.
The Lord chose Lehi as a special witness.
1 Nephi 1:19 -- And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world.
Lehi prophesied of Christ. The people of Jerusalem rejected Lehi and he subsequently moved his family to the wilderness. At this point, we see an excellent contrast in how people react to the prophets.
1 Nephi 2:12 -- And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.
1 Nephi 2:16-17 -- And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. v 17 -- And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words.
Laman and Lemuel were just like the people in Jerusalem. They rejected the words of their father. In fact, we learn in verse 13 they sought to kill Lehi. However, in verse 14, we learn that Lehi spoke unto them with such power their “frames did shake” so they “durst not utter against him” and they ultimately “did as he commanded them.”
In stark contrast to Laman and Lemuel, Nephi desires to know the truthfulness of what Lehi was telling him. Nephi seeks Heavenly Father in prayer and receives a testimony through the power of the Holy Ghost. I testify this is how the plan works. I know that each of us can do just as Nephi did and seek confirmation from our Father in Heaven regarding the truthfulness of the gospel. I know you will receive an answer from him via the confirming comfort of the Holy Ghost.
1 Nephi 1:19-20 -- ...Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. v 20 -- And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper...
After Nephi learned of the truth of the plan, the Lord invited him to follow the plan.
The Prophet Joseph Smith: A Modern Witness of Jesus Christ
Heavenly Father has repeated this pattern in our day. He chose a prophet who learned through firsthand experience about the plan of salvation. This prophet’s name was Joseph Smith.
2 Nephi 3:5-11; 15 -- Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.
v 6 --For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins. v 7 -- Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers.
v 8 -- And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work. v 9 -- And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel.
v 10 -- And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt. v 11 -- But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins—and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.
v 15 -- And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation.
We know that this prophecy made by Joseph of Egypt has been fulfilled in the essence of Joseph Smith. In the spring of 1820, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared unto Joseph Smith in a grove of trees. Joseph was chosen as a prophet of god.
With respect to the work of Joseph Smith, we learn about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
2 Nephi 3:12 -- Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
2 Nephi 27:6-7 (Isaiah 29) -- And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered. v 7 -- And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.
2 Nephi 27:11 -- And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth.
The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon and learn more about our savior and the plan of salvation.
The Holy Ghost: A Witness of the Truth
2 Nephi 32:8-9 -- And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. v 9 -- But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.
2 Nephi 32:3-5 -- Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. v 4 -- Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. v 5 -- For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
What can we do about the Book of Mormon? We can do just as Nephi did when he heard the plan of salvation from his father. We can cry unto the Lord. I testify that the Lord will hear you and answer your prayer through the power of the Holy Ghost. I also testify that through the power of the Holy Ghost you can know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:5).
Conclusion
I have summarized many wonderful truths from the first two books of the Book of Mormon.
I testify that God lives. He has a plan of salvation for us. Jesus Christ is the central figure in the plan. He is our Redeemer and Savior. I testify that we have a prophet on earth today. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true. I testify that the Lord hears and answers our prayers through the Holy Ghost. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
.jpeg)