Holy Bible – King James Translation

Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ

It is a well-known historical fact that advanced civilizations existed on both the North and South American Continents before and after the coming of Jesus Christ. Such civilizations as the Mayans, Incas, Aztecs, Paleo-Indians, Pueblos, Hohokams are a few. Some of these civilizations kept records that have been discovered and are on display at museums, even some written on gold and other metal plates.

One of the advanced civilizations kept records of their history and experiences with God, which covered a period of one thousand years from 600 BC to 421 AD. In 310 AD a man named Mormon was born and lived until 385 AD. He claimed that God had commanded him to review all the previous records of his people and make an abridgement (Reader’s Digest version) on a set of gold plates that God wanted to preserve to be given to future generations. He said this about his record. “And behold, I do make the record on plates which I have made with mine own hands. And behold, I am called Mormon … I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people… Therefore I do make my record from the accounts which have been given by those who were before me, until the commencement of my day”. (3 Nephi 10-16 in the Book of Mormon)

One of the most interesting parts of the record is when Jesus Christ after his Resurrection in Jerusalem Appears to the People of this Record in America
“And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.
And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.” (3 Nephi 11: 8-12 in the Book of Mormon)
The Lord said he wanted to preserve a record of this people that He could bring forward to the world in the last days (our time) before His second Coming. Because this condensed book was written by the prophet Mormon it is called after his name, the Book of Mormon.

Doctrine and Covenants

As quoted from the Introduction section of the Doctrine and Covenants, “The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on the earth in the last days. Although most of the sections are directed to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the messages, warnings, and exhortations are for the benefit of all mankind and contain an invitation to all people everywhere to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to them for their temporal well-being and their everlasting salvation.”

“The Doctrine and Covenants is unique because it is not a translation of an ancient document, but is of modern origin and was given of God through His chosen prophets for the restoration of His holy work and the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth in these days. In the revelations, one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fulness of times; and the work that is initiated herein is preparatory to His Second Coming, in fulfillment of and in concert with the words of all the holy prophets since the world”

“Joseph Smith Jr. was born December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont. During his early life, he moved with his family to present-day Manchester, in western New York. It was while he was living there in the spring of 1820, when he was fourteen years of age, that he experienced his first vision, in which he was visited in person by God, the Eternal Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. He was told in this vision that the true Church of Jesus Christ that had been established in New Testament times, and which had administered the fulness of the gospel, was no longer on the earth. Other divine manifestations followed in which he was taught by many angels; it was shown to him that God had a special work for him to do on the earth and that through him the Church of Jesus Christ would be restored to the earth.”

“These sacred revelations were received in answer to prayer, in times of need, and came out of real-life situations involving real people. The Prophet and his associates sought for divine guidance, and these revelations certify that they received it. In the revelations, one sees the restoration and unfolding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times.”

“In the revelations, the doctrines of the gospel are set forth with explanations about such fundamental matters as the nature of the Godhead, the origin of man, the reality of Satan, the purpose of mortality, the necessity for obedience, the need for repentance, the workings of the Holy Spirit, the ordinances and performances that pertain to salvation, the destiny of the earth, the future conditions of man after the Resurrection and the Judgment, the eternity of the marriage relationship, and the eternal nature of the family.”

Pearl of Great Price

As quoted from the Introduction of the Pearl of Great Price, “The Pearl of Great Price is a selection of choice materials touching many significant aspects of the faith and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These items were translated and produced by the Prophet Joseph Smith.”
“Following is a brief introduction to the present contents:

1. Selections from the Book of Moses. An extract from the book of Genesis of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible, which he began in June 1830.
2. The Book of Abraham. An inspired translation of the writings of Abraham. Joseph Smith began the translation in 1835 after obtaining some Egyptian papyri.
3. Joseph Smith—Matthew. An extract from the testimony of Matthew in Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible (see Doctrine and Covenants 45:60–61 for the divine injunction to begin the translation of the New Testament).
4. Joseph Smith—History. Excerpts from Joseph Smith’s official testimony and history, which he and his scribes prepared in 1838–39.
5. The Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A statement by Joseph Smith published in the Times and Seasons March 1, 1842, in company with a short history of the Church that was known as the Wentworth Letter.”