Another Testament of Jesus Christ

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I believe in God, our Father, and his son-Jesus, who was the redeemer of all mankind.  I believe in the Holy Ghost-that it bears witness of truth from God.  I believe in the Bible, as far as it is translated correctly, and the Book of Mormon, to both be testaments to Jesus Christ and our Grand Creator.  I love reading the Book of Mormon.  It is simple, yet it bears solemn truth that God is real, Jesus is the Christ, and that His gospel has been restored on the earth in these days.  All the ancient authority that once existed is now on the earth again.  It's a wonderful time to be alive--to be able to be a part of this great plan that our Heavenly Father has given to us through revelation in the Book of Mormon as well as revelation through modern day prophets.

I do love the prophets.  I esteem Joseph Smith in the highest of respects, as I do President Monson.  My gratitude for the everlasting gospel is immense.  I know of the truth inside the pages of this wonderful Book.  One of my favorite speakers, is an apostle of Christ-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.  He spoke about his testimony of the Book of Mormon.  It is a very powerful testimony-one that has often times left me to reflect and think--Am I doing enough to bear my testimony to others?  Is my faith strong enough to withstand the trials I face?  Do I know the scriptures well enough to be able to stand on my own when defending my testimony?  The wonderful thing is that I don't have to stand alone in my testimony.  Millions of Latter Day Saints believe exactly what I do-we bear witness of the Truth of the Gospel together.  I'd like to add my testimony to that of Elder Holland's below:

"For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history—perhaps like no other book in anythere is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator. In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, 'No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.' ¹⁰ religious history. And still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have died—from Ethan Smith to Solomon Spaulding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator. In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, “No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.” ¹⁰

"I testify that one cannot come to full faith in this latter-day work—and thereby find the fullest measure of peace and comfort in these, our times—until he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of Mormon and the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it testifies. If anyone is foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore unknown text teeming with literary and Semitic complexity without honestly attempting to account for the origin of those pages—especially without accounting for their powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on what is now tens of millions of readers—if that is the case, then such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she leaves this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or around the Book of Mormon to make that exit. In that sense the book is what Christ Himself was said to be: 'a stone of stumbling, … a rock of offence,' ¹¹ a barrier in the path of one who wishes not to believe in this work. Witnesses, even witnesses who were for a time hostile to Joseph, testified to their death that they had seen an angel and had handled the plates. “They have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man,” they declared. 'Wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true.' ¹²

 

"Now, I did not sail with the brother of Jared in crossing an ocean, settling in a new world. I did not hear King Benjamin speak his angelically delivered sermon. I did not proselyte with Alma and Amulek nor witness the fiery death of innocent believers. I was not among the Nephite crowd who touched the wounds of the resurrected Lord, nor did I weep with Mormon and Moroni over the destruction of an entire civilization. But my testimony of this record and the peace it brings to the human heart is as binding and unequivocal as was theirs. Like them, '[I] give [my name] unto the world, to witness unto the world that which [I] have seen.' And like them, '[I] lie not, God bearing witness of it.' ¹³

 

"I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven. I hope I have a few years left in my 'last days,' but whether I do or do not, I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days."

I know that this book is true.  I know that when we pray for answers, our prayers will be answered just like those in ancient times.  We will see miracles.  We will have faith.  We will be able to stand with God in the end, and say that we knew.  We stood for truth and we stood for Christ.  

I love my faith.  I hope it continues to grow every day.  Nothing is more powerful that feeling the sanctified peace of the Holy Ghost.  I look forward to every opportunity I have to share this powerful book with others.