Title Page of the Book of Mormon

(The highlights are mine and the words in blue font are my comments. red 2022 The original text is not altered in any way; except a few of the footnote links did not transfer over. This post is for study purposes only and is not meant to convey the intent of the authors of the text, nor represent the official interpretation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. )

 The Book of Mormon

  An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon

   upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi

Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites The Lamanites didn't keep their own records, that I know of. How compassionate of the Nephites to keep a record of and for, those who hated them. And how even more amazing that the prophets knew the Nephites would ultimately reject the gospel and that the Lamanites would be the ones to inherit the record. They were always considered their wayward brothers, instead of a separate, unrelated people. If we had children of our own who had left the covenant path, wouldn't our greatest desire be for our testimony to come to them someday to convince them of the truth? We also know that some of the Lamanites were Nephites who had joined them and so there are literal seed of the Nephites mixed with the Lamanites as well. —Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile Notice he lists the Jews first; the Gentiles second, knowing the Gentiles will receive it first and the Jews last. But the Jews are natural children of the House of Israel and the Gentiles are adopted in, so it makes sense they are acknowledged first

—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation One of the hardest things to do is discern the intent and meaning of another person. That is why we must read these words with the gift of prophecy as well so that we can know not only the writers intent, but God's intent for us to hear.

2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith -  “all members of the Church should seek for the gift of prophecy, for their own guidance, which is the spirit by which the word of the Lord is understood and his purpose made known.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 3 vols., Salt Lake City, Deseret Book Co., 1953, 1:201.) We are also taught that the Spirit of Prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. The way I make sense of that is that all things point us to Christ, so when we read and understand scripture by the Spirit of Prophecy, in some way that is to strengthen our testimony of Jesus Christ. We should always tie everything back to Christ. That is how we keep Him at the center of our lives.

—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

Nothing is as sure as this fact. All things are done according to God's time. He has a Plan and all things will be fulfilled in their proper time. It does no good for us to try to alter that Plan. But that does not mean we cannot pray and plead for things to come to pass. He also knows the timing of our affairs and our prayers. The Nephites prayed that the sign would be given of Christ's birth, for the next day they would be destroyed if it didn't happen. Christ says, "on the morrow" he would come. Did their prayers push his birthdate forward? No, it lined up perfectly in God's timetable. We have to be careful to not let this go in to a pre-destination mindset. God knows all things past, present and future, but that never interferes with our agency. He just knows what and when we will make choices, but He does not force those choices.

An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven We don't have revelation on why they were building a tower to get to heaven, but there are some interesting theories out there:)

—Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; Elder Holland just gave a great talk in General Conference about remembering the past. There is something so very important about remembering what God has done for us, our ancestors, and mankind in general, that gives us faith for the future and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever The covenant referred to here seems to be the covenant that He will gather scattered Israel. Pres. Nelson said that is the greatest work being done right now in all the world!

—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations "manifesting himself to all nations" is our clue that there are more records of those manifestations to come.

2 Nephi 29:7 Know ye not that there are more ^anations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the ^bisles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the ^cearth beneath; and I bring forth my ^dword unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the ^atestimony of ^btwo nations is a ^cwitness unto you that I am God, that I remember one ^dnation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two ^enations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.

9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the ^asame yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my ^bwords according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one ^cword ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my ^dwork is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever. (this is why we are a "living" church.

10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my ^awords; neither ^bneed ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.

11 For I command ^aall men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall ^bwrite the words which I speak unto them; for out of the ^cbooks which shall be written I will ^djudge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.

12 For behold, I shall speak unto the ^aJews and they shall ^bwrite it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall ^cwrite it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto ^dall nations of the earth and they shall write it.

13 And it shall come to pass that the ^aJews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the ^blost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.

14 And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the ^ahouse of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the ^blands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in ^cone. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my ^dpeople, who are of the ^ehouse of Israel, that I am God, and that I ^fcovenanted with ^gAbraham that I would remember his ^hseed ⁱforever.This is a promise that we need to know and remember! See my study of other promises God made to Covenant Israel...

—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, This seems to be saying that there may be faults; that God does not promise that His words and inspiration will always be discerned or understood perfectly by man and He allows it and doesn't always correct it right away. But even so, we are not to condemn the things of God because of the mistakes of men that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.

Translated by Joseph Smith, Jun.