What an audacious statement by the 35 year-old unschooled frontiersman and religious leader, Joseph Smith. While many concentrate on the phrase, “most correct book on earth,” the focus of this blog is on the rest of the quote - that a person “would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” Therefore, this website is created in hopes that a focus on learning and abiding by the precepts found in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ will help people draw nearer to God.
The Book of Mormon has been a central part of my effort to become a disciple of Christ for over 50 years. As I have truly strived to learn and abide by the precepts revealed through The Book of Mormon “with full purpose of heart," as Nephi encourages (2 Nephi 31:13), these precepts, combined with God's protecting, healing, and strengthening grace, are helping me draw nearer to God more than any other book.
While not the focus of this effort, the phrase “the most correct book” deserves a little more attention. It seems reasonable to conclude that this expression is not a claim to perfection or to be without fault. The title page of The Book of Mormon makes this clear, “And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.” This can be applied to anything written by mankind—religious or otherwise. Furthermore, the final contributor to The Book of Mormon, Moroni, son of the principal compiler of the book, was very direct regarding this matter, "And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these" (Mormon 8:12.) Accompanying Moroni's plain declaration regarding imperfections in the book is also this startling promise, "whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these." The title page and Moroni both admonish that we not condemn the book. Why? "That [we] may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ," and, so we can "know of greater things" than those found in The Book of Mormon. Therefore, The Book of Mormon, while not being perfect, does claim to be "the most correct" gateway to drawing closer to God by becoming spotless in preparation for the judgment day and by knowing "greater things" than whatever is found in the book.
Again, the Book of Mormon does not claim to be fault free - just the most correct of any other book - as if that is not ambitious enough. But, this claim of correctness seems to focus on a very specific aspect—with respect to the precepts it advocates that if abided by can draw us closer to God than the precepts found in any other book. A precept is defined as "a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought." To abide by is to conform to or accept without objection. Both definitions apply as it relates to Brother Joseph’s instruction. The claim, made by Brother Joseph, is that as we choose to conform to and accept without objection the correct principles espoused in the Book of Mormon we will drawer closer to God than by abiding by the precepts of any other book. Therefore, it seems the book’s correctness is in both the relevance and the reliability of its precepts to help individuals "get nearer to God" as they abide by such precepts.
While not the focus of this effort, the phrase “the most correct book” deserves a little more attention. It seems reasonable to conclude that this expression is not a claim to perfection or to be without fault. The title page of The Book of Mormon makes this clear, “And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.” This can be applied to anything written by mankind—religious or otherwise. Furthermore, the final contributor to The Book of Mormon, Moroni, son of the principal compiler of the book, was very direct regarding this matter, "And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these" (Mormon 8:12.) Accompanying Moroni's plain declaration regarding imperfections in the book is also this startling promise, "whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these." The title page and Moroni both admonish that we not condemn the book. Why? "That [we] may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ," and, so we can "know of greater things" than those found in The Book of Mormon. Therefore, The Book of Mormon, while not being perfect, does claim to be "the most correct" gateway to drawing closer to God by becoming spotless in preparation for the judgment day and by knowing "greater things" than whatever is found in the book.
Again, the Book of Mormon does not claim to be fault free - just the most correct of any other book - as if that is not ambitious enough. But, this claim of correctness seems to focus on a very specific aspect—with respect to the precepts it advocates that if abided by can draw us closer to God than the precepts found in any other book. A precept is defined as "a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought." To abide by is to conform to or accept without objection. Both definitions apply as it relates to Brother Joseph’s instruction. The claim, made by Brother Joseph, is that as we choose to conform to and accept without objection the correct principles espoused in the Book of Mormon we will drawer closer to God than by abiding by the precepts of any other book. Therefore, it seems the book’s correctness is in both the relevance and the reliability of its precepts to help individuals "get nearer to God" as they abide by such precepts.
This requirement of abiding correct principles is very much in the Spirit of Christ's promise, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17.) In matters of learning by faith we must do to know—and know to do. This is a precept that is pervasive in the Book of Mormon, and likely explains why there is so much variability in who benefits from knowing the precepts of the book. Knowing is not enough, we must abide by the precepts to know of its truthfulness, and to thereby draw closer to God.
Like many of you, I have read many books on a wide variety of topics. This is not to argue I have read more than many others so as to feign knowing the correctness of books at large. Given Mashable.com argues there are approximately 130M books published so far (http://mashable.com/2010/08/05/number-of-books-in-the-world/#hSFakHkp8mqr), my reading of even a thousand books makes it hard to claim any degree of authority regarding the correctness of the 130M books published to date. It would likely be hard for anyone to argue such. Nonetheless, of my limited sample of the total, none have offered precepts that get me nearer to God than the Book of Mormon, as I abide by them. This is an experience shared by millions, and will be so for many millions more in the future.
With the encouragement of a dear friend, this website offers thoughts about the precepts in The Book of Mormon, that if abided by, will get a person closer to God than by any other book. I do not intend to be exhaustive in this treatment, nor do I want to even hint that I am writing what is most important. I am simply sharing what I have learned as my witness of this most correct book. I am deliberately not identifying myself as I hope I can simply let the book speak for itself without drawing attention to me. Hopefully, the entries in this blog help with all three dimensions of abiding: recognizing the precepts, understanding the precepts, and applying the precepts in individual lives. Any weakness in this effort is my own, not the book's. I welcome feedback on these thoughts and will therefore make occasional changes in the entries to reflect this learning.
CB
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