- Read and Ask
- Listen to Testimonies of Others
- Learn from Inspired Teachers
- Consider the Scholarship
- Want to Read More Like This on Seeking Christ?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has many beliefs that are similar to other Christian churches’ beliefs, which makes sense because each of these churches use the Bible as the base evidence of their doctrines. However, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has some different beliefs from other Christian churches, and one of the most obvious is our belief in the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon is a book of scripture that we view as a partner to the Bible, and it testifies of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. It’s a book that requires faith from the reader while also reinforcing faith in every page and verse. Even if you’ve read the Book of Mormon before and believe it, you know that there are all sorts of questions about the Book of Mormon that can test your faith.
So today, I want to talk about building a testimony of the Book of Mormon because, yes, I’ve had questions about it and still do. And I’m sure many of you reading this article feel the same way, whether you’re familiar with the book or not.
These are not ordered steps to building a testimony of the Book of Mormon; they are simply various ways to learn about the Book of Mormon and strengthen your testimony through different avenues. Maybe you’ve tried all of these, maybe only one or two. This is not a comprehensive list; there may be other ways to build your testimony of the Book of Mormon. But these methods can be worth repeating throughout our entire lives as we build our testimonies.
Read and Ask
The most necessary thing to do to learn about and build a testimony of the Book of Mormon is, of course, to read it. Simple as that. I’ve met people who have never read the Book of Mormon, but who refused to accept it as the word of God. I’ve also met people who accepted it as the word of God without ever opening it.
However, none of those people really knew or had developed a testimony of what the Book of Mormon was or what it could do for them. The people who have been able to read and experience it really find truth in its pages and discover why these scriptures matter to them.
Asking God if the Book of Mormon is true is equally important to reading the book. You may feel, as you read, that it’s true, but when you ask God for confirmation of its truth, He will give you a witness that is undeniable.
The Book of Mormon itself directs the reader to ask. It’s the great promise of the book – that you will receive an answer from God when you truly ask Him if it’s true.
“3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.”
That promise has held true for me. Every time I ask God if it’s true, I always receive the same answer. It is true. It’s a book of great power, and it’s influenced my life in so many ways. When you read and ask, you’ll find that to be true as well.
Listen to Testimonies of Others
As important as reading the Book of Mormon and asking about its truth is, sometimes you want to strengthen your testimony in other ways. I’ve found hearing the testimony of others so helpful to my testimony.
Hearing the testimony of others reminds me of the answers I’ve received throughout my life. It also reassures me that others have received the same answers I’ve had. Even though I don’t doubt the answers I’ve received, it’s still comforting to know that I’m not the only one receiving those answers. We’re all in this together, and when we share our testimonies we can strengthen each other’s faith.
I think it’s also important to also share your own testimony as well. When I stand up to declare what I believe, it forces me to look at myself and ask, “Do I really believe this enough to honestly tell others that I believe it?” It’s empowering to find that I do believe it and am confident enough to share it with others. Additionally, my testimony might be enough to help someone else, and that alone makes it worth sharing.
Learn from Inspired Teachers
Teachers are a great source for building testimonies. I learned so much from my seminary and institute teachers about the gospel and the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, that I never would have learned anywhere else.
I’ve also learned a lot from teachers at church – gospel doctrine teachers, youth teachers, Relief Society teachers – and their teachings coupled with the discussions that I’ve had in their classes have made for a great learning environment.
Even though most of these teachers are not scholars in the gospel, they are faithful and willing to share their testimonies and knowledge. I’ve been able to ask questions and discuss concerns with these teachers and received wonderful answers. The experience of discussing scripture with others in class is irreplaceable to my testimony, and I believe it can be beneficial to your testimony as well.
Consider the Scholarship
The last thing I suggest doing to expand your knowledge and build your testimony of the Book of Mormon is to study the scholarship. The scholarship is interesting because it digs deep into the complexity and history of the Book of Mormon to give you understanding and validation about things that might not be talked about in church very often.
As useful and interesting as the scholarship about the Book of Mormon is, I do want to say that it’s not what we should use as a foundation to our testimony. Instead, it should build on the foundation of our testimony that has come from the Holy Spirit testifying to us of the truth of the Book of Mormon.
That being said, there are a couple of sources I find to be really useful supplements to my scripture study and testimony. (These are not affiliate or sponsored links, just interesting ones.)
My first recommendation is a resource called Evidence Central, and it has all sorts of articles that address commonly debated topics connected to the Book of Mormon. If you want to check it out, I suggest the article about Egyptian Writing to start you off. It’s a really interesting explanation about Nephi’s mention of writing in Egyptian (he mentions this in the first few verses of the Book of Mormon).
Another good resource is Scripture Central. They make all sorts of content – videos, blog posts, etc. – that give background and research about the Book of Mormon and other scripture. Their KnoWhy articles can be useful when you have a question about the Book of Mormon.
You could also try using the ScripturePlus app, which gives lots of options for studying the scriptures. My favorite feature is that it pops up related articles, talks, scholarship, videos, etc. for almost every verse of scripture. With this app, you don’t have to go looking for supplemental resources to study. Everything is all in one place to get you started.
These are some favorite resources for learning the scholarship and research about the Book of Mormon. Let me know if you have any others! I’d love to hear what you use.
If you’re looking to approach the Book of Mormon in a different way, you could also try watching the Book of Mormon Videos. These videos are great representations of the stories of the Book of Mormon and are especially useful for people who may not be literate. Some languages other than English are available.
All of these methods of learning about the Book of Mormon work together to build our testimonies of this book of scripture as well as of Jesus Christ. Faith is the first step, but there’s so much to learn. It’s truly a lifelong process, and it’s such a worthwhile one.
Want to Read More Like This on Seeking Christ?
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Why I Stay in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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