The Book of Mormon, A New Witness for Christ

This week the article of the week is a double feature if you will.

I've been searching for an that explains the relation between the Book of Mormon and the Bible since I feel that I haven't done a very good job doing so. In the process I found these articles by President Ezra Taft Benson entitled, "A New Witness for Christ" and, "The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants." President Benson gave these talks in General Conference in October 1984 and April 1987, respectively.

President Ezra Taft Benson was called to be an apostle 7 October 1943 at age 44 and was called to be the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 10 November 1985 at age 86.

Although these talks aren't exactly what I was looking for, I chose them as the double feature articles of the week because in them President Benson explains so well why the Book of Mormon is so vitally important to our lives and why exactly we should read and study the words therein contained.

I love the straightforwardness of "A New Witness for Christ." These are the words of the Lord through His servant Ezra Taft Benson and they are applicable to all on the earth.

My favorite paragraphs from the second talk are are these:

We are not required to prove that the Book of Mormon is true or is an authentic record through external evidences—though there are many. It never has been the case, nor is it so now, that the studies of the learned will prove the Book of Mormon true or false. The origin, preparation, translation, and verification of the truth of the Book of Mormon have all been retained in the hands of the Lord, and the Lord makes no mistakes. You can be assured of that.

God has built in His own proof system of the Book of Mormon as found in Moroni, chapter 10, and in the testimonies of the Three and the Eight Witnesses and in various sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.

We each need to get our own testimony of the Book of Mormon through the Holy Ghost.

President Benson was truly a prophet of God. His teachings on the Book of Mormon are true. The Book of Mormon changes lives and through it the honest seekers of truth find that for which they are searching. I hope that these articles from a modern prophet of God helps clarify the purpose of the Book of Mormon and its role in our quest for eternal life.

Jeremy