The Introduction to The Book of Mormon is a fascinating summary of the book itself, but it lacks footnotes referring to study helps and related passages of scripture. So, what follows is my own such rendering of this important document with such references provided. This is a derivative work of my own devising and not in any way an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
1 The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to athe Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the bfulness of the everlasting gospel.
- The Old Testament; The New Testament; Ezekiel 37:16-17; Mormon 7:8-9; 2 Nephi 29:6-14
- 1 Nephi 13:35-36; 3 Nephi 11; 2 Nephi 31
2 The book was written by amany ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on bgold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named cMormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from dJerusalem in 600 B.C. and afterward eseparated into two nations, known as the fNephites and the gLamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the hTower of Babel. This group is known as the iJaredites. After thousands of years, all were jdestroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.
- What follows is a chronological listing of Nephite record-keepers:
- Lehi: Church history indicates that the large plates of Nephi opened with the record of Lehi, which was lost by Martin Harris.
- Nephi: 1 Nephi 1:1;
- Jacob: Jacob 1:1;
- Enos: Enos 1:1;
- Jarom: Jarom 1:1;
- Omni: Omni 1:1;
- Amaron: Omni 1:4;
- Chemish: Omni 1:9
- Abinadom: Omni 1:10;
- Amaleki: Omni 1:12;
- Benjamin: Mosiah 1:3;
- Mosiah: Mosiah 1:15-16;
- Alma: Mosiah 28:20;
- Helaman: Alma 37:1-2 (see also Alma 50:37-38);
- Shiblon: Alma 63:1;
- Helaman: Alma 63:10-11;
- Nephi: Though there is no explicit reference to Helaman passing the record to his eldest son Nephi, it is plain that the record eventually arrives in the hands of Nephi, son of this Nephi, grandson of Helaman. Given the level of detail in the book of Helaman, and since Helaman had passed away by the end of Helaman 3, it seems likely that his son Nephi kept the record. (see Helaman 3:21 and Helaman 3:37);
- Nephi: 3 Nephi 5:9-10 (see also 3 Nephi 23:7-13);
- Nephi: 4 Nephi (see also 4 Nephi 1:19);
- Amos: 4 Nephi 1:19;
- Amos: 4 Nephi 1:21;
- Ammaron: 4 Nephi 1:47-49;
- Mormon: Mormon 1:1 (see also Words of Mormon);
- Moroni: Mormon 8:1;
- 1 Nephi 1:17; 1 Nephi 6:1; Jacob 1:1-4; Jacob 4:1-3; Omni 1:30; Joseph Smith-History (JS-H) 1:34
- Words of Mormon; Mormon 1:1-2
- 1 Nephi
- 2 Nephi 5:1-7
- 2 Nephi 5:9; 1st mention of the term 'Nephites': 2 Nephi 29:12
- 2 Nephi 5:14
- Genesis 11; Ether 1:3
- Ether 1:33; Only mention of term 'Jaredites': Moroni 9:23
- Jaredites: Ether 15:1; Mosiah 8:8-9; Nephites: Mormon 6:1;
3 The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ aamong the Nephites soon after His resurrection. It puts forth the bdoctrines of the gospel, outlines the cplan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain dpeace in this life and eeternal salvation in the life to come.
- 3 Nephi 11; Foretellings: 1 Nephi 12:6; 2 Nephi 26:1,9; Alma 16:20; Alma 7:8
- 3 Nephi 11; Alma 32; 2 Nephi 31; 2 Nephi 9; Alma 7
- 2 Nephi 2; Alma 12; Alma 40; 1 Nephi 8; 1 Nephi 11; Jacob 5:1
- Helaman 3:35; Mosiah 2:41; Alma 24:19; 3 Nephi 11:29; Alma 34:31; Ether 12:27; 2 Nephi 5:27; 4 Nephi 1:16
- Mosiah 18:8-11; 2 Nephi 31:19-20
4 After Mormon acompleted his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who badded a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the Hill Cumorah. On September 21, 1823, the same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, cappeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language.
- Mormon 7; Epistles of Mormon to Moroni: Moroni 8; Moroni 9
- Mormon 8:1; Mormon 9:1; Ether 1:1; Moroni 1; Moroni 10:1
- JS-H 1:34; JS-H 1:42; JS-H 1:46; JS-H 1:51-54
5 In adue course the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith, who translated them by the gift and power of God. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto Him and obey the laws and ordinances of His gospel may be saved.
6 Concerning this record athe Prophet Joseph Smith 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.”
- Concerning the Prophet Joseph Smith, the record quotes Joseph who was carried away into Egypt foretelling his parentage and prophetic ministry: 2 Nephi 3:6-15
7 In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for aeleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as b“The Testimony of Three Witnesses” and c“The Testimony of Eight Witnesses.”
8 We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.
- See Moroni 10:3-5
9 Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah.