A Deep Daily Devotion to the Book of Mormon

In the October 2017 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson asked the church to ponder what life would be like without the Book of Mormon and how precious the Book of Mormon is. He repeated the last challenge the church received from President Thomas S. Monson before his passing that “each of us prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day.”

Why is it so important? Why is a meaningful daily study of this book so critical to our spiritual wellbeing? President Nelson gave these many compelling reasons:

"Something powerful happens when a child of God seeks to know more about Him and His Beloved Son. Nowhere are those truths taught more clearly and powerfully than in the Book of Mormon... the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God. It contains the answers to life’s most compelling questions. It teaches the doctrine of Christ. It expands and clarifies many of the “plain and precious" truths that were lost through centuries of time and numerous translations of the Bible... The Book of Mormon both illuminates the teachings of the Master and exposes the tactics of the adversary. The Book of Mormon teaches true doctrine to dispel false religious traditions—such as the erroneous practice of performing infant baptisms. The Book of Mormon gives purpose to life by urging us to ponder the potential of eternal life and “never-ending happiness.” The Book of Mormon shatters the false beliefs that happiness can be found in wickedness and that individual goodness is all that is required to return to the presence of God. It abolishes forever the false concepts that revelation ended with the Bible and that the heavens are sealed today."

President Nelson follows this impressive description of the Book of Mormon with this prophetic promise:

"I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions."

Leaders of our church have been asking, no pleading, with us to make a daily study of the Book of Mormon a daily devotion. The feeling that came to me as I listened to yet another prophet pleading for us to develop our testimonies of the Book of Mormon until we feel deep in “the inmost part” of our hearts the value of this book was that many of us, including myself, don't have a full understanding of the power that comes into our lives when we "immerse ourselves regularly in the truths of the Book of Mormon."

There are few in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who aren't familiar with the witness of the Book of Mormon given by the Prophet Joseph Smith when he said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” Yet, I know that I have been guilty of being too casual about my reading and study of the Book of Mormon. I believe the "Book of Mormon is unequivocally the word of God." But I want to "feel it so deeply that we would never want to live even one day without it."

As I have pondered what I should do more than I am, so that I will be filled with a greater desire and commitment to a daily study of the book, so that I will "never want to live even one day without it," I have thought that perhaps a good place to start is to do the same kind of study President Nelson choose to do when he answered President Monson's challenge. He said that he "made lists of what the Book of Mormon is, what it affirms, what it refutes, what it fulfills, what it clarifies, and what it reveals."

In the coming days, probably months, but who knows how long it will take; I plan to focus my study of the Book of Mormon on these five main concepts:

1. The Book of Mormon Refutes: Myths of Christianity that the Book of Mormon Refutes
2. The Book of Mormon Clarifies: Teachings of the Bible the Book of Mormon Clarifies
3. The Book of Mormon Affirms: The Book of Mormon affirms the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ.
4. The Book of Mormon Reveals: New concepts and information the Book of Mormon reveals
5. The Book of Mormon Answers: Questions of the Soul the Book of Mormon answers

Perhaps some of you might want to come along with me in this study. I will post summaries of what I discover and learn in this study. I believe that a focus on what makes the Book of Mormon so valuable to me and all of God's children will help increase my desire and commitment to develop a deep daily devotion to the Book of Mormon that will not wane throughout my life.