Book of Mormon 2024

I finished my study of the Book of Mormon this year on November 20, 2024. As I thought about what to study next, I decided to go back and review the notes I had made in my Book of Mormon. I wondered whether I would see any patterns in what I had written. If there were patterns, maybe there were things that the Spirit was trying to impress upon me throughout the year.

In this post, I’ll first talk about my process, then write about some of the categories or patterns that I discovered. I make some summary conclusions to show how I believe these scriptures relate to each other, but this is primarily a list of scriptures that I believe related to certain topics.

My process

Each time I start studying a new set of scriptures, I first decide on what I call a “marking pattern.” I think about a topic or some other way to organize my marking. This year was pretty easy. The new Preach My Gospel was released in 2023¹, so I decided to mark my scriptures based on the missionary lessons in the new Preach My Gospel.

Chapter 3 of the Preach My Gospel contains the missionary lessons: Lesson 1 is The Message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; Lesson 2 is Heavenly Father’s Plan of Salvation; Lesson 3 is The Gospel of Jesus Christ; and Lesson 4 is Becoming Lifelong Disciples of Jesus Christ.²

In the print version, each lesson has a different color bar at the top of the page, which makes it easy to quickly navigate through the lessons. So I made a card with an outline of the lessons, color-coded according to each lesson, so I could quickly refer to the lessons when marking my scriptures. This is the image of the marking card that I created:

The first step was to review the Preach My Gospel missionary lessons, so I was familiar with the topics and could quickly identify them as I was reading my scriptures. As I read scriptures that pertained to these lessons, I would mark them using blue, yellow, green, or red.

I have loved studying the Book of Mormon like this. I believe that the missionary lessons in the Preach My Gospel manual contain the greatest outline of the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we can find in modern writings. They distill the most vital and important doctrines into simple teachings, and as I have studied my scriptures in this way, I feel like I am better able to see how each individual doctrine fits within the context of the Plan.³

My study habit

OK, so this is unique to me, and kind of strange. We are each individuals, with different gifts, talents, and weaknesses. When I was in college, I learned something about myself. I realized that I struggled to study in quiet places. When I was in the library, I would get distracted with each whisper, footfall, or book hitting the desk. Even when it was perfectly quiet, I just couldn’t pay attention to my studies.

So I started studying in the campus cafeteria. There was always music playing over the loud speakers, hundreds of people talking, people walking everywhere, and I noticed that in the chaos, I could finally focus on my studies.

I’m pretty adept at armchair psychology, so I have used the internet to try and see if other people experience this, and I found the following: “Surprisingly, some individuals with ADHD report that they can focus better in noisy environments, while quiet spaces may hinder their productivity. This phenomenon might seem counterintuitive, as we typically associate quiet spaces with the ideal setting for deep work. However, understanding the ADHD brain and its interaction with different environments reveals why certain adults with ADHD thrive in the chaos of noise.”⁴

Whatever it is, I learned in college that if I wanted to focus, I needed to study in a busy area. In my early 40s, as I was trying to re-establish good scripture study habits, I remembered my experience in college, and wondered if I could produce the same effect when studying the scriptures. So, I decided to try studying at my local McDonald’s.

For several years, I have studied my scriptures at McDonald’s almost every day. I wouldn’t recommend that for everyone, but it works for me.

My notes

Each time I finish the scriptures, I like to get a new set and start over. In 2023, I finished my last set of standard works (my topic of study for that set was the sacrament). For Christmas 2023 my wife gave me a journal edition of the Book of Mormon.⁵ I wasn’t sure about that, but I decided to give it a try, and I’ve loved it. I’ve been able to write a lot more notes. This is an example of one page:

When I finished reading in late November and started to review my notes, I wrote down all the notes that I had made in the margins. I didn’t write down the markings, just my notes. I found that I had, in fact, been seeing several patterns or related doctrines. These are a few of the most prominent, organized by topic.

Trials / Blessings / Opposition / Agency

A vital aspect of the Plan of Salvation is agency. It is one of the greatest gifts that we’ve been given. It is our agency that was the focus of the war in heaven. And agency is quite often the prevailing answer to the question, “why does God allow bad things to happen to good people.” The Book of Mormon is filled with scriptures that teach us that trials are not a sign of heavenly disfavor. Instead, we can see that the blessings of the Lord are not necessarily the removal of the trial, but help people overcome their trials.

• 1 Nephi 1:1. Nephi said he saw “many afflictions” in his life, but he was “highly favored” of the Lord. They experienced trials, but trials do not define what God thinks of us.
• 1 Nephi 3:8. Lehi said that Nephi had been “blessed of the Lord.” A review of verse 7 lets us see that Nephi’s blessing was faith, not material possessions, or an easy or convenient life.
• 2 Nephi 2:11. There must be “an opposition in all things.” A review of this chapter, particularly verses 15 (“it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life”) and 16 (“man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other”) help us see that the “opposition” that Lehi mentioned was not necessarily “obstacles,” but instead choices, or options, just as the tree of knowledge of good and evil was given “in opposition” or as another option to the tree of life. How could we exercise our agency if we didn’t have different choices? Opposition doesn’t necessarily mean obstacles. Having multiple choices or options gives us the opportunity to think for ourselves, evaluate our choices, and make decisions.
• 2 Nephi 2:21. Our time in mortality “was prolonged,” and our “time was lengthened.” A related scripture is Alma 42:4: “there was a time granted unto man to repent.” Time was one of the great blessings that we were given as a result of the Fall. God told Adam and Eve to not partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because if they did they would “surely die.” (Moses 3:17). But as evidence of God’s love and mercy, once they partook of the fruit they did not immediately die, but were given time. Time to live, to learn, time to make mistakes, and time to repent from our mistakes. See also Alma 12:24, “there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent.”
• 2 Nephi 2:26. We are meant to act for ourselves, “not to be acted upon.” Agency is a tremendous blessing, and God wants us to use it. He wants us to act, to make decisions, to choose for ourselves. Compare Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-29, “men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.” But contrast that with the experience of the people of King Benjamin, who said the Spirit of the Lord “wrought a mighty change” in them. (Mosiah 5:2). But even in that, we have to work and satisfy the conditions the Lord has established to receive the blessings of the Holy Ghost. In other words, we use our agency to invite the Spirit into our lives to receive that change of heart. This idea of satisfying the Lord’s conditions is covered in a different topic addressed later in the post.
• Jacob 7:26. Jacob said that he and his people “did mourn out” their days. I have always struggled with this. We hear so much about joy, and to have a prophet like Jacob say that he and his people “mourned out” their days seems pretty discouraging. But it is additional evidence that our trials and challenges are not a sign that God is displeased with us. Rather, we should look at what he does to help us overcome those challenges.
• Mosiah 4:27. “[I]t is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.” Compare this with Doctrine and Covenants 10:4, “Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means.” Life is challenging, but God understands that, and he doesn’t expect us to do more than we can. This is one of the primary reasons he has given us the Sabbath, so we can have a day to rest.
• Mosiah 24:15. While facing terrible trials, the people of Alma “did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” This is a perfect example of how to live through trials. Knowing that trials are a part of life, we can find joy even as we face challenges.
• Alma 32:6. Alma rejoiced to see that the afflictions had humbled the people, and so “they were in a preparation to hear the word.” Trials and challenges are a natural part of our mortal life, and our trials can have the impact of humbling us. However, different people will react differently to trials. Compare Alma 62:41, which teaches that because of the length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, “many had become hardened,” while “many were softened because of their afflictions.” We all face opposition, and even in that we have our agency to determine how to react to those afflictions. For some, afflictions might make us angry. For others, they choose to humble themselves because of their afflictions. See 3 Nephi 6:13, “Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God.”

Chastisement / Correction / Reconcile / “Pricked”

I love this topic. With many of the other topics, there are doctrines that I’ve learned and have built upon this year. But this topic is something that I am thinking about more frequently than I ever have before.

God knows all things. We do not. So as we strive to follow the Lord, we will inevitably make mistakes, and the Lord will correct us. Being a true disciple of Christ requires that we be willing to accept his correction.

• Doctrine and Covenants 95:1. “[W]hom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you.” This scripture has been the primary text of this topic. The Lord loves us, and so he gives us commandments and will let us know when we stray from those commandments. We all want to be “delivered” from our trials, and so as we seek his guidance, he will give us knowledge and strength to be “delivered” by correcting us, or giving us counsel that is contrary to what our “natural man” would want to do.
• 1 Nephi 1:20. I believe this verse is something of a “thesis statement” for the entire Book of Mormon. Nephi says, “I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.” Think of the term “deliverance” in the context of the Lord saying it is by his chastisement that we can be delivered out of temptation. I have come to think of his chastisement as something like a GPS, that when we make a wrong turn, we get that message that it is “rerouting.” The Lord’s chastisement reroutes us to put us back on the right path.
• 2 Nephi 10:24. “[R]econcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh.” The word “reconcile” means many things, including “to restore to friendship or harmony,” and “to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant.”⁶ To “reconcile” ourselves to God means many things, but in this context, I believe it also can mean that when we are chastened by the Lord, we “reconcile” with him and do what he asks. See also 2 Nephi 25:23, “be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do;” 2 Nephi 33:9, “for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ;” Jacob 4:11, “be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ;” 3 Nephi 12:24, “Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full purpose of heart.”
• Jacob 4:10. “Seek not to counsel the lord, but take counsel from him.” Receiving counsel from the Lord, especially when we don’t want his counsel or when his counsel differs from what we want to do, certainly qualifies as chastisement.
• Mosiah 27:12. When Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah saw an angel, their astonishment was so great that they fell to the earth. They were certainly being corrected, or chastised, or rerouted. “Astonishment” seems to be a natural reaction to having the Lord give us a strong impression that we are not doing what he wants us to do, particularly if we think we are doing well. See also Alma 8:16 (after Alma was rejected in Ammonihah and left, the angel appeared and told him to return); Alma 36:9 (the angel told Alma to “seek no more to destroy the church of God,” which explains why Alma was so astonished, and is a clear message from the Lord correcting him); Helaman 10:12 (Nephi returned unto the multitudes); Helaman 13:3-4 (Samuel returned to the Nephites and he got on the wall).
• Alma 21:16. Aaron and his brothers “went forth whithersoever they were led by the Spirit.” Isn’t this also “correction?” Maybe they were willing, and so it didn’t feel like “chastisement,” but isn’t it the same thing? When we seek guidance from the Lord, we need to be willing to do what he instructs, even if it is different from what we expected. See 1 Nephi 4:6, “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”
• Acts 2:37. The people who heard Peter’s sermon about the Savior were “pricked in their heart.” What does it mean that they were “pricked?” In the New Testament Institute Manual, it says, “As the people came to the terrible realization that they had crucified their Messiah, they may have feared that they had lost hope of salvation.”⁷ It could also said they were being chastened, and that chastisement was uncomfortable. Or, they were “astonished.” The use of that word “pricked” shows that it is most often used in conjunction with the Lord chastening someone: Jarom 1:12, “they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance;” Acts 9:5 and Acts 26:14, “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks;” Doctrine and Covenants 121:38, “he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks.” Also consider Alma 22:3, the king of the Lamanites was “troubled in mind.” I think this is the same thing as being “pricked,” or “chastened.”
• Helaman 12:3. “Except the Lord doth chasten his people,” they will not remember him.
• Helaman 15:3. “[T]he people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he chastened them.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 88:89. “For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes.” The Lord does all he can to convince his people. So if they don’t listen to the prophets, he compels them to be humble.
• Helaman 13:28. People will listen to those who speak “flattering words.” The Lord tells us what we need to do, but we don’t want to be corrected or chastened. Instead, we want people who will “speak unto us smooth things.” (Isaiah 30:9-11). We want people to “pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds.” (See Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Cost and Blessings of Discipleship,” General Conference, April 2014.⁸
• 3 Nephi 9:13 and 3 Nephi 24:7. The Lord asks us to “return” to him. Isn’t this chastisement? Isn’t it him correcting us? Doesn’t it sound like GPS directions, telling us how to “return” home? Everything he does is to guide us back to him, and his guidance can be contrary to what we naturally or habitually do.
• 3 Nephi 24:3. The Lord sits “as a refiner and purifier of silver.” The change he wants to make in us is an uncomfortable process. It only happens as we accept his chastisement.

Truth / Deception / Memory / Faith

When we think of memory, we often think of it like a video camera, recording things exactly as they happen. But we are influenced by our experiences and environment, and so our memories are not perfect. I wrote about this briefly in my first post on this website, called “What is True?” In my study of the Book of Mormon this year, I have noticed examples of people who misinterpret facts, or who infuse their own beliefs and opinions into the historical narrative.

• 1 Nephi 2:12. Laman and Lemuel murmured because they “knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.” What is the meaning of the word “know” in this context? Laman and Lemuel likely gained education about religious subjects, just as much as Nephi did. So the word “know” here isn’t intellectual learning, but was related more to experience. They likely lacked the experiences that brought them to know God, because they had not intentionally exercised faith.
• 1 Nephi 16:38. Laman accused Nephi of using “cunning arts” to “deceive” their “eyes.” I believed this relates to the powerful experiences they had in seeing an angel (1 Nephi 3:29-31), being guided by the Liahona (1 Nephi 16:10), and other such experiences. What Laman and Lemuel saw with their natural eyes didn’t convince them. Instead, over time, they convinced themselves that Nephi had somehow deceived them.
• 1 Nephi 17:18. It seems that Laman and Lemuel didn’t want to labor, and so their disbelief was related to their desire to not want to work.
• Mosiah 10:11-17. Several hundred years after Nephi had separated himself from his brothers, the Lamanites believed that they had been wronged and robbed by Nephi, and they were angry. They blamed the Nephites for all their problems in life. One author has noted that we have a “propensity to blame others for secondary gain and diminish the importance of personal responsibility in our society.”⁹ This same author said, “Blaming hinders relationships, leads to failed marriages, lack of business success, unhappiness, distrust, and a lack of respect. . . . When we do something bad we like to believe that someone else somehow made us do it. But the fact is that we are each responsible for our actions, inactions, and reactions.”¹⁰ I have come to believe that “blame” is antithetical to agency, because we don’t take accountability for our own actions, but instead look to an external source as the cause for our problems. The Lord has said we can know if we repent of our sins, because we will “confess them and forsake them.” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:43). When we hear the word “confess,” we often associate that with talking to our bishop. And certainly, if we have serious sins, we need to resolve those with priesthood authorities. However, “confessing” our sins might be acknowledging that we did in fact have control of our actions, and we are at fault, not someone else. Being willing to “confess” could be that we cease to place blame on someone or something else, and take personal responsibility for our own actions.
• Alma 20:13. The king of the Lamanites called the Nephites “sons of a liar,” referencing the Lamanites’ tradition that Nephi robbed Laman and Lemuel.
• Alma 54:17. In his letter to Moroni, Ammoron asserts that “your fathers,” meaning Nephi, “wronged their brethren and robbed them of the right to the government.”
• Jacob 4:6. Faith becomes “unshaken” by searching the prophets, and having many revelations and the spirit of prophecy. We often associate revelation with “knowledge.” We want to “know,” but even with revelation, we still need to exercise faith. We still have to trust, and learn to rely on the Lord and the prophets, more than our own knowledge and wisdom. See Alma 32:18 (a discussion of the relationship between knowledge and faith).
• Alma 21:5. When Aaron tried teaching the Lamanites, they said, “Why do not angels appear unto us? Behold are not this people as good as thy people?”
• 3 Nephi 1:22. After the sign of a day and a night and a day with no darkness, “there began to be lyings sent forth among the people . . . that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen.” The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have to be careful about wanting to receive signs to prove to us that it is true, because just as Laman and Lemuel convinced themselves that they had not seen an angel, signs don’t have the capacity to convince us that the gospel message is true. We need to rely on the Spirit rather than our physical senses.
• 3 Nephi 2:1-2. People forgot the signs and wonders, and began imagining “that it was wrought by men.”
• 4 Nephi 1:30-31. The disciples of Jesus performed miracles, but rather than having the effect of convincing the people of the truthfulness of their message, the people “did seek to kill them.”

Take up your cross

I have found these references fascinating. When the Savior was crucified, he was forced to carry his own cross. (See John 19:17). In the book Jesus The Christ, James E. Talmage explained the Savior’s burden of carrying his own cross:

“The sentence of death by crucifixion required that the condemned person carry the cross upon which he was to suffer. Jesus started on the way bearing His cross. The terrible strain of the preceding hours, the agony in Gethsemane, the barbarous treatment He had suffered in the palace of the high priest, the humiliation and cruel usage to which He had been subjected before Herod, the frightful scourging under Pilate’s order, the brutal treatment by the inhuman soldiery, together with the extreme humiliation and the mental agony of it all, had so weakened His physical organism that He moved but slowly under the burden of the cross. The soldiers, impatient at the delay, peremptorily impressed into service a man whom they met coming into Jerusalem from the country, and him they compelled to carry the cross of Jesus. No Roman or Jew would have voluntarily incurred the ignominy of bearing such a gruesome burden; for every detail connected with the carrying out of a sentence of crucifixion was regarded as degrading. The man so forced to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, bearing the cross upon which the Savior of the world was to consummate His glorious mission, was Simon, a native of Cyrene.”¹¹

The invitation to take up our cross, or suffer the cross, or bear the shame of it, obviously has reference to this event. The Savior exemplifies the Law of Sacrifice,¹² and we are meant to follow his example. Obviously, we cannot do what he did, but he wants us to offer our whole souls to him, and put off the natural man. The teaching of taking up our own cross is a beautiful teaching implicating our willingness to leave our old lives behind and be reborn as sons and daughters of Christ.

• 2 Nephi 9:18. “[T]hey who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it.” The Romans crucified their victims along public roadways to create fear, and often those walking by would mock the people being crucified. (See Matthew 27:39-44 “they that passed by reviled him.”) This causes me to think of Lehi’s vision of the tree of life, and those from the great and spacious building who mocked those who partook of the fruit. (See 1 Nephi 8:26-28 “they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.”) Will we be able to bear the mocking? Will we remain firm, or succumb to the shame of being mocked?
• Jacob 1:8. “Suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world.”
• Alma 39:9. Alma tells his son Corianton to “repent and . . . cross yourself in all these things.” This may be a somewhat different use of the word “cross,” but it is still indicative of giving up worldly things, or sacrificing to purify ourselves. This interpretation seems confirmed in 3 Nephi 12:30: “For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 23:6. Joseph Knight is admonished to take up his cross, which for him means to “pray vocally before the world as well as in secret.” This implies to me that Joseph Knight struggled with this, or it was a significant challenge for him. But the Lord wants us to do hard things. So “taking up our cross” could be applied to anything that is difficult for us, but which the Lord expects us to do.
• Matthew 16:24-25. The Savior explained that to take up our cross means to “deny himself.” The Joseph Smith Translation expands this to mean “deny himself of all ungodliness.” (See JST Matthew 16:26).
• Mark 10:21. To the rich young ruler who was asked to sell all that he had, the Savior said, “come, take up the cross, and follow me.” Joseph Knight was asked to pray, this young man was asked to give up all he had. It is apparent that the Savior knows us, and he will ask us to do whatever is needed for us to come closer to him.
• Omni 1:26. “Offer your whole souls as an offering unto him.” I believe this relates to taking up our cross, because we need to give him all of ourselves. We need to “sacrifice” the natural man, and turn our whole selves to him.
• 3 Nephi 9:20. “Ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” Like the requirement that we offer our whole souls, we need to offer ourselves to the Savior. We need to be humble and do what he asks.

Miracles

President Nelson has encouraged us to “seek and expect miracles.”¹³ The Book of Mormon teaches us that God is a God of miracles.

• 2 Nephi 27:23. God is a “God of miracles,” and he works according to our faith.
• Helaman 16:4. Nephi was “working miracles among the people.” I find this fascinating that not only were miracles occurring, but it seems that Nephi was seeking to work miracles. But compare this with Matthew 16:4, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign.” So what’s the difference? How can we reconcile President Nelson telling us to “seek” miracles, and Nephi actively “working” miracles, but the Savior saying that a “wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign”? Frankly, I think the difference is the intent. Nephi was working miracles so the people “might know that the Christ must shortly come.” President Nelson said “the Lord will bless you with miracles if you believe in Him.” Consider Korihor, who said, “If thou wilt show me a sign . . . then will I be convinced.” (Alma 30:43). President Nelson is telling us to exercise faith, and as we do we will see the Lord’s blessings. Korihor said he would only believe if he received a sign. The intent is totally different. One is driven by faith, the other is driven by doubt and disbelief.
• 3 Nephi 8:1. “There was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity.”
• Mormon 9:11. “I will show unto you a god of miracles.”
• Ether 12:18. None hath wrought miracles “until after their faith.”
• Moroni 7:35. Miracles have not ceased.

Conditions / Repentance / Grace

I have often thought about Nephi’s words that “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” (2 Nephi 25:23). What is “all we can do”? In my study of the Book of Mormon, I have noticed the use of the word “condition.” The Savior extends his grace to all, it is a gift freely given. But he establishes conditions that we must satisfy in order to receive his grace. In other words, we don’t earn our salvation, it is a gift from Jesus Christ. But we do have to comply with the conditions he has established. We often recognize these conditions by the use of the word “if.”

• Jacob 3:1-2. He will console us if we “[l]ook unto him with firmness of mind” and “pray unto him with exceeding faith.”
• 2 Nephi 25:23. “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”
• Mosiah 2:21. Even if we served him with our whole souls, we would still be “unprofitable servants.” In other words, there is nothing we can do to earn our own salvation.
• Helaman 14:13. We can have a remission of our sins if we “believe on his name,” and “repent of all [our] sins,” but it is only “through his merits.”
• 2 Nephi 26:24. Everything he does is “for the benefit of the world,” and “he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.”
• 2 Nephi 9:50. We are invited to “come buy and eat,” and we can buy “without money and without price.” In other words, the Savior offers us his grace not because of anything we have done, or anything we can give him. It is a gift offered freely.
• 2 Nephi 25:28. There is a right way, and that right way “is to believe in Christ.”
• Enos 1:2. Enos described his effort to receive a remission of his sins as a “wrestle . . before God.” He also described “struggling in the spirit.” (Enos 1:10). The Savior’s grace is freely offered and freely given, but we have to satisfy his conditions, and because of our agency we have to prove we want it, and that takes effort. See Alma 8:10 (Alma labored in the Spirit, and wrestled with God in mighty prayer).
• Enos 1:6-8. Enos’ “guilt was swept away,” and when he wondered how it was done, the Lord told him it was because of his “faith in Christ.”
• Mosiah 4:8. There are “conditions” whereby we can be saved.
• Mosiah 5:8. There is no name other than Christ’s that we can receive salvation, and to receive it, we need to take upon us the name of Christ and enter into a covenant with God to be obedient to the end of our lives.
• Mosiah 26:22. The Savior will “freely forgive” those who “believe in [his] name.”
• Mosiah 26:30. The Savior will forgive his people “as often as” they repent.
• Alma 5:10. “On what conditions are they saved?” “What grounds had they to hope for salvation?”
• Helaman 5:11. “[H]e hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 88:38-39. “[U]nto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions. All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21. Whenever we receive a blessing from the Lord, it is by obedience “to that law upon which” the blessing “is predicated.”
• Alma 42:13. It is because of the “conditions of repentance” that mercy can take effect.
• Alma 5:33. The invitation is to repent, and if we repent, he will receive us.
• Alma 13:28. We often hear that the Lord will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able, but in this verse, we see that the promise is conditional. We must humble ourselves before the Lord, call on his name, and “watch and pray continually,” “that we may not be tempted above that which [we] can bear.” In other words, his promise is conditional, and we must satisfy the conditions in order to receive the promise. See Alma 31:10 (they wouldn’t “observe the performances of the church . . . that they might not enter into temptation”); Alma 34:39 (be watchful unto prayer “that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil”); 1 Corinthians 10:13 (God will provide a way to escape temptation, that we “may be able to bear it”); Mosiah 4:30 (watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds); 3 Nephi 18:15 (watch and pray always lest ye be tempted and led away captive by the devil).
• Alma 17:15. The Lamanites were an “indolent” people, but they also had the promises of the Lord given to them, if they would satisfy the conditions of repentance.
• Alma 26:35. God is merciful to those who repent.
• Helaman 14:11. Samuel came upon the walls of the city to teach the Nephites “the conditions of repentance.”
• Helaman 12:23. Only those who “repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord” will be saved.
• Doctrine and Covenants 45:5. The Savior prays to the Father for those who “believe on [his] name.”
• Helaman 14:18. The conditions of repentance are that “whosoever repenteth” will not be “hewn down and cast into the fire.”
• Mormon 1:14. The Holy Ghost did not come upon any “because of their wickedness and unbelief.”
• Mormon 5:11. They might have been “clasped in the arms of Jesus” if they had repented.
• Mormon 6:17. Jesus stands with “open arms” to receive us, if we do not reject him.

Joy

Joy is perhaps one of the great promises of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout the Book of Mormon, we see the promise that we can experience joy through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

• Enos 1:3. It was remembering Enos’ father’s words about “the joy of the saints” that caused his soul to hunger.
• Doctrine and Covenants 11:13. The Spirit “fills [our] soul with joy.”
• Helaman 5:44. Nephi and Lehi were “filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.”
• Alma 36:20. After repenting, Alma experienced “joy as exceeding as was [his] pain.”
• 2 Nephi 22:3. “With joy [we] shall draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
• Galatians 5:22. The fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace.”
• 1 Peter 1:8. We don’t see him, but we love him, and we “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
• 1 Nephi 11:23. The tree represents the love of God, and is “the most joyous to the soul.”
• Mosiah 2:4. King Benjamin taught the people to keep the commandments of God “that they might rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men.”

Insincerity / cross-examination

I love this topic. As an attorney, I have worked to understand and apply techniques of cross-examination of witnesses. A “cross-examination” occurs when we are trying to get information out of an opposing witness who supports the other party. We ask “leading questions,” so they can only answer yes or no. We are not trying to get them to talk, but instead we want to force them to answer the questions in a way that will support our view of the case, rather than the opposing view. In my study of the Book of Mormon this year, I have noticed several examples of people using familiar cross-examination techniques. They are not being sincere in their questions, but are instead trying to force the witness to provide damaging information.

There are many who use “flattering words,” or who take truth and spin it for their own purposes. We have to be very cautious about who we trust.

• Mosiah 12:20. King Noah’s priests ask Abinadi questions about scriptures, and their questions start with “what meaneth.” This isn’t a sincere question. They had listened to Abinadi talk about their wickedness, and I think that they are looking at scriptures that preach joy, trying to show that Abinadi is “prophesying evil” contrary to the scriptures. They are trying to make the scriptures fit their lives, rather than working to make their lives fit the scriptures. They are doing the same things as the Lamanites in revising history to make themselves innocent and blame others.
• Mosiah 26:6. The dissenters “did deceive many with their flattering words.” Compare Jacob 7:5 (Jacob could not be shaken).
• Alma 10:16. The lawyers questioned Amulek, that they might “make him cross his words.” They are not asking sincere questions. They are trying to twist his words to prove him wrong. This is essentially Bible bashing.
• Alma 11:21. Zeezrom questioned Amulek, but not sincerely. He was “expert in the devices of the devil,” and he just wanted to trip up Amulek. The reason for the questions matter. He wasn’t looking for answers. He was looking for specific evidence.
• Helaman 9:19-20. The lawyers “cross” Nephi. Compare Luke 1:18 (when Zacharias said, “Whereby shall I know this,” in response to the angel’s message that his wife would have a child) and Luke 1:34 (when Mary said, “How shall this be.”) The questions of Zacharias and Mary are very similar, and yet the angel’s response is very different. (Compare Luke 1:19-20 (to Zacharias the angel said, “thou shalt be dumb”) with Luke 1:35 (to Mary the angel simply answered her question)). The intent of our questions matter, so when the lawyers in the scriptures cross-examine the prophets, they reveal their wicked intentions. In this example, and in Alma 11:22 (Zeezrom crossing Amulek) the questioner offers money or a bribe. Certainly, they have no intention of seeking information. They are simply trying to establish the insincerity of the prophet, and convincing someone to take money to change their position is the perfect way to establish insincerity.
• Alma 11:26-35. Zeezrom twists Amulek’s responses in a way that Amulek never intended. To cross-examine is to take the answers to questions and construe them for your own purposes. The summary in verse 35 states the words of the question, but misconstrues the meaning of Amulek’s answers.
• Alma 12:20. Antionah, a “chief ruler” in Ammonihah, asks about the scripture that talks about “cherubim and a flaming sword.” Antionah is bible bashing. He was trying to show that Alma’s teachings didn’t conform to scriptures. But this strategy is severely flawed: the truthfulness of the gospel can only be learned by the Spirit, and we will never be able to show that we are right by proving that someone else is wrong.
• Alma 14:24. The chief judge used a conditional “if . . . then.” This is not faith. It is not the Lord’s way. This is an example of looking for proof. “If you prove it to me, then I will follow.” But faith is the first principle of the gospel. This statement of conditional belief shows the insincerity of their questioning.

Will / Will not

This topic relates closely to agency. I have noticed many uses of the phrases, “whosoever will,” or “would not,” or “will not.” This shows the power that we have to choose. I think that we sometimes want to be changed, so we wait before committing our whole souls to know for sure. But it is always our choice.

• Mosiah 16:12. “[T]he arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not.”
• Mosiah 26:26. “[T]hey would not be redeemed.”
• Alma 10:6. Amulek said he “was called many times” but “would not hear,” and “I would not know.”
• Alma 33:16. The people “will not understand” the Lord’s mercies.
• Alma 33:17. The people “would not understand” the words of the prophets. “Understand” seems to be a personal application rather than an intellectual understanding. We “understand” the mercies of the Savior as we have faith in him unto repentance and experience his grace in our lives.
• Alma 33:23. “All this can ye do if ye will.”
• Alma 41:8. The way is prepared so “whosoever will may walk therein.”
• Alma 42:27. “[W]hosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely.” And significantly, “whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come.”
• 3 Nephi 10:5. The Lord would gather his people as a hen gathereth her chickens, but “they would not.”

Conclusion

I have loved my study of the Book of Mormon this year. These are only a few of the topics that I have seen as I have studied, but they represent my efforts to cross-reference, notice patterns, and make notes as I learn. In Doctrine and Covenants 18, we read a revelation that the Lord gave regarding the original quorum of the twelve apostles. The Lord started this revelation by admonishing Oliver Cowdery to “rely upon the things which are written,”¹⁴ then the Lord says, “These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man; For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them; Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words.”¹⁵

Having studied the Book of Mormon this year, I can testify that I have “heard” the Lord’s “voice.” I know his words. I have learned from his Spirit, and am convinced that the Book of Mormon is the word of the Lord.

References

1. “Second Edition of ‘Preach My Gospel’ Is Now Available,” Church Newsroom, June 22, 2023, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/second-edition-of-preach-my-gospel. ↩︎
2. Preach My Gospel, Chapter 3, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/preach-my-gospel-2023/04-chapter-3/06-chapter-3-intro?lang=eng. ↩︎
3. For a further explanation for what I mean by locating each doctrine within the context of the Plan of Salvation, see my prior post Interludes – Avoiding Myopia, https://discoverfaithinchrist.com/interludes-avoiding-myopia/. ↩︎
4. Envision ADHD Clinic, “Why Do Some Adults with ADHD Find It Easier to Focus in Noisy Environments Rather Than Quiet Ones?” https://www.envisionadhd.com/single-post/why-do-some-adults-with-adhd-find-it-easier-to-focus-in-noisy-environments-rather-than-quiet-ones#. ↩︎
5. https://www.deseretbook.com/product/6004938.html. ↩︎
6. “Reconcile,” Merriam-Webster website, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconcile. ↩︎
7. New Testament Student Manual, Acts 2:37, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/new-testament-student-manual/acts/chapter-29-acts-1-2?lang=eng&id=title20-p50#title20. ↩︎
8. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Cost and Blessings of Discipleship,” April 2014, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2014/04/the-cost-and-blessings-of-discipleship?lang=eng. ↩︎
9. Nell Farber M.D., Ph.D., “National Blaming Week,” Psychology Today Website, January 19, 2011, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-blame-game/201101/national-blaming-week. ↩︎
10. Farber, “National Blaming Week.” ↩︎
11. James E. Talmage, “Jesus The Christ,” 2006, Chapter 35, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-35?lang=eng&id=p2#p2. ↩︎
12. “Law of Sacrifice,” under “Prophetic Teachings on Temples,” at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/prophetic-teachings-on-temples?lang=eng. ↩︎
13. Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” April 2022, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/47nelson?lang=eng&id=p29-p31#p29. ↩︎
14. Doctrine and Covenants 18:3. ↩︎
15. Doctrine and Covenants 18:34-36. ↩︎