Overview of the Book of Mormon

The Purpose of The Book of Mormon

• Written to the Lamanites, a remnant of the house of Israel.
• To restore a knowledge of the covenants of the Lord to the remnant of the house of Israel.
• Also to convince Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.

How Did We Get The Book of Mormon?

• Mormon abridged a thousand years of history.
• He gave the abridgment to his son Moroni to finish (A.D. 385).
• Moroni hid it up as directed by the Lord sometime after A.D. 420.
• The angel Moroni gave it to Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1827.
• Joseph translated it by the "gift and power" of God.
• It was first published in March, 1830.

Why Read The Book of Mormon?

• It contains prophecies about the restoration of the house of Israel that are not found elsewhere.
• It contains the words of Christ and confirms His identity as the Only Begotten Son of God.
• It contains "many plain and precious" truths that are not found elsewhere, including some which have been removed from the Bible during its many translations.
• It contains firsthand accounts of the ministry of the resurrected Jesus and gives additional insights into the principles of the gospel.

• It contains firsthand testimonies of God's vast love and compassion for us, His children.

The Importance of Covenants in the Restoration of the House of Israel

In Romans 11 the house of Israel is compared to an olive tree from which some of the branches were broken off. The Book of Mormon tells what happened to one of those branches after it was broken off. We are also told in the Bible that these branches will be grafted back into the tame olive tree. This grafting is called the restoration of the house of Israel.

The restoration of the house of Israel is probably the best scriptural term to describe God's plan for the last days. The primary purpose of the Book of Mormon is to assist in the restoration of the house of Israel by restoring a knowledge of the covenants to a remnant of the house of Israel.

The Book of Mormon teaches that this restoration involves all the tribes of Israel, not just one or two. While the Book of Mormon is written primarily to a remnant of the tribe of Joseph, it is also intended to be a convincing witness to everyone that Jesus is the Christ.

It is significant, even prophetic, that the first two verses of the Book of Mormon contain a type of Hebrew poetry called chiasmus. Although the Book of Mormon was written in Reformed Egyptian, the authors were native Hebrews who merely transferred their Hebrew way of speaking into the Reformed Egyptian characters. Most, if not all, of their Hebrew thought patterns, idioms, sentence structure, cultural content and poetry were preserved in our literal English translations.

In a chiastic structure, the center point is always the most important. The center point of the chiasm in the first two verses is, "the learning of the Jews." The location of this phrase at the center of the chiasm tells us that one of the main keys to understanding the Book of Mormon is to understand all things pertaining to the Jews - meaning the ancient house of Israel.

The most important concept a modern-day Christian can learn from the ancient Hebrews is the concept of the covenant - a covenant being the most sacred agreement that can be made between two individuals, or tribes or between an individual or tribe and their God. The main thing we learn from this type of covenant is that it removes all doubt as to whether or not the other party to the covenant will fulfill his part of the agreement. This is indeed good news when the covenant is with God.

It is very significant that the Book of Mormon begins and ends with the concept of the covenant. Moroni, the final writer, tells us on the title page that the Book of Mormon is:

Written to the Lamanites who are a remnant of the house of Israel….
Which is to shew unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers;
And that they may know the covenants of the Lord…

Just before his farewell in the final verse of the Book of Mormon, Moroni tells us:

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ and deny not his power,
Then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God through the shedding of the blood of Christ,
Which is in the covenant of the Father…

There is a powerful insight into the symbolic meaning of the word "Mormon." A group of Nephites who fled from persecution to the land of Mormon entered into a covenant with the Lord and were baptized in the waters of Mormon. From that time forward, the name "Mormon" reminded the people of the restoring of their covenants in the land of Mormon, Mormon, the chief editor of the Book of Mormon, was named after the land of Mormon where this restoration took place.

Today we associate the name Mormon, as did those Nephites of old, with the restoring of the covenants among the people. The name of the book is a type for the purpose of the book: to restore a knowledge of the covenants to the remnant of the seed of Lehi. Therefore, the name, the Book of Mormon, symbolically means the Book of the Restoration of the Covenants.

The purpose for the Book of Mormon is clearly stated in Lehi's blessing of his son Joseph in Second Nephi. To paraphrase, the seed of Judah shall write (the Bible) and the seed of Joseph shall write (the Book of Mormon); the two writings together will confound false doctrine, stop contention, establish peace, restore a knowledge of the fathers and a knowledge of the covenants of the Lord.

The Lord has prepared a great endowment of spiritual power to be poured out in the near future. Those who understand and keep their covenant with the Lord - those from whom all doubt has been removed, those who have learned to live in faith and not fear - will be ready to receive this spiritual power to accomplish the perfect will of God.

Book of Mormon Summarized by Book

The First Book of Nephi
Written by Nephi, the son of Lehi. The account begins in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. and continues through the arrival of Lehi and his family in the New World. The books of First Nephi through Omni were written on a small set of plates made by Nephi. They are unabridged and are called the small plates of Nephi.

• At God's command, Lehi warns the people to repent or Jerusalem will be destroyed.
• The people reject Lehi's warning and threaten his life; in a vision, God warns Lehi to flee Jerusalem with his family.
• They flee, leaving their valuables behind, and camp out in the wilderness.
• God commands them to return to Jerusalem for the brass plates which contain the scripture from the beginning of time.
• Laman and Lemuel, the two rebellious sons, and Nephi and Sam, the two righteous sons, return for the plates.
• God provides a way for them to obtain the plates from Laban, the record keeper; Zoram, the servant of Laban, makes a covenant to join them.
• Lehi reads the brass plates and traces his lineage to the house of Joseph.
• God commands Lehi to send back to Jerusalem for Ishmael and his family; Ishmael's five daughters become the wives of Lehi's four sons and Zoram.
• God provides Lehi with a "compass" - a round brass ball with arrows which indicate the direction they should travel; called the liahona (or director), it works by faith.
• They continue their journey; Ishmael dies; Lehi and Sariah have two more sons, Jacob and Joseph.
• After traveling eight years, they arrive at the seashore, call the place Bountiful.
• God commands Nephi to build a ship; Laman and Lemuel persecute Nephi and refuse to help.
• God fills Nephi with such power no one can touch him, commands Nephi to touch his brothers and shock them.
• Laman and Lemuel acknowledge the power of God within Nephi and help him build the ship.
• At God's command, Lehi takes seeds, provisions, and families aboard ship; they set sail for the land of promise.
• At sea, Laman and Lemuel rebel and tie Nephi with cords; the liahona will not work and a great storm arises.
• After four days, they are so frightened they release Nephi; the liahona works again and Nephi's prayer stills the storm.
• They arrive in the land of promise, set up tents, plant seeds, and find much game in the forests.
• God commands Nephi to record the civil history of his people on plates of ore; this record is called the large plates of Nephi.

The Second Book of Nephi
Written by Nephi, the son of Lehi. Nephi includes the teachings of his father Lehi and his brother Jacob, the prophecies of Isaiah from the brass plates and his own prophecies concerning Christ.

• Lehi gives blessings to all his sons before he dies.
• Laman and Lemuel plot to kill Nephi, but God warns Nephi to flee with those who believe His commandments.
• The believers - Zoram and his family, Sam and his family, Jacob, Joseph and Nephi's sisters - call their settlement Nephi.
• The Lamanites' skin is cursed with blackness to distinguish them from the Nephites.
• Nephi builds a temple patterned after Solomon's temple, consecrates Jacob and Joseph to be priests and teachers of the people.
• God commands Nephi to make a second set of plates about thirty years after leaving Jerusalem; they are called the small plates of Nephi and contain the sacred history of the people.

The Book of Jacob
Written by Jacob, the son of Lehi, around 545 B.C. Jacob is an outstanding spiritual leader.

• Nephi anoints a king in his place, gives the small plates to his brother Jacob and dies.
• The people become wicked; Jacob teaches humility and morality, condemns polygamy.
• Jacob reviews the parable of the olive tree about the restoration of the house of Israel as given by the prophet Zenos on the brass plates.
• Sherem preaches against Christ, is struck down by the power of God, confesses he was deceived by the power of the devil, repents and dies.
• Jacob gives the plates to his son Enos before dying.

The Book of Enos
Written by Enos, the son of Jacob, who lived around 500 B.C.

• Enos has an outstanding experience in prayer that lasts a day and a night, receives a remission of his sins.
• Enos obtains a covenant that God will preserve the records of the Nephites to give to the Lamanites at some future time, testifies to the people of the tings he saw and heard.
• Enos passes the plates to his son Jarom.

The Book of Jarom
Written by Jarom, the son of Enos, who lived around 400 B.C. This is the shortest book in the Book of Mormon.

• Because the prophets continually preach repentance, the Nephites prosper and are able to withstand Lamanite attacks.
• Jarom gives the small plates to his son Omni.

The Book of Omni
The Book of Omni is the work of five record keepers; Omni (son of Jarom), Amaron (son of Omni), Chemish (brother of Amaron), Abinadom (son of Chemish) and Amaleki (son of Abinadom). This is the last book on the small plates of Nephi and covers approximately the years from 324 B.C. to 130 B.C.

• The Nephite nation becomes wicked; they lose their land of inheritance as prophesied by Jacob.
• At the Lord's direction, Mosiah I leads the righteous Nephites out of the land of Nephi down to the land of Zarahemla, their new land of inheritance.
• They discover the people of Zarahemla (Mulekites).
• Mosiah is chosen king of all the people; he interprets the Jaredite stone engravings by the gift and power of God.
• When Mosiah I dies, his son Benjamin becomes king.
• Amaleki, the last writer on the small plates, gives the plates to King Benjamin.

The Words of Mormon
Written by Mormon about A.D. 385 and inserted at the end of the small plates by way of explanation.

• After abridging the large plates down to King Benjamin's reign, Mormon finds the small plates dealing with the religious history of the people.
• Mormon includes the small plates with his abridgment "for a wise purpose" because the Spirit so directs.

The Book of Mosiah
Written by Mosiah, the son of Benjamin. Includes the unabridged accounts of Zeniff in the land of Nephi and of Alma with the church in the wilderness.

• This book tells the intertwined story of two contemporary Nephite groups. One group is in the land of Zarahemla under the leadership of Kings Mosiah I, Benjamin, and Mosiah II in succession.
• The other group leaves Zarahemla under the leadership of Zeniff during the time of Mosiah I and establishes a colony in the land of Nephi.
• The time covered in this story is from approximately 200 B.C. to 91 B.C. The books of Mosiah through most of Mormon were abridged by Mormon from the large plates of Nephi.

IN THE LAND OF ZARAHEMLA

• King Benjamin reigns in righteousness and establishes peace.
• King Benjamin gives charge of the records and the government to his son Mosiah II; calls the people together to deliver the message given him by the angel of the Lord.
• He tells the people of the coming of Christ, His ministry and resurrection.
• The people make a covenant to follow Christ; their names are recorded by King Benjamin.
• Priests are appointed to teach the people and to remind them of their covenant.
• King Benjamin dies; King Mosiah II reigns in humility and righteousness.

IN THE LAND OF NEPHI
(Flashback to the time of Mosiah I)

• Zeniff and group return to the land of Nephi, make a treaty with the Lamanite king, establish a Nephite colony.
• The people are able to hold off attacks by the Lamanites during the reign of Zeniff.
• Zeniff confers the kingdom upon his son Noah; Noah and his people become wicked.
• God sends the prophet Abinadi to warn King Noah and his people to repent; the warning is rejected.
• Alma, a priest of Noah, believes Abinadi.
• When Abinadi is burned at the stake, Alma and believers flee to the land of Mormon; enter into covenant with God, are baptized. The Lamanites discover and subjugate them in the land of Helam.
• God causes a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites; Alma and the other believers flee to Zarahemla.
• The Lamanites attack King Noah and his people; King Noah is burned by his own people, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Abinadi.
• Limhi, the son of Noah, becomes king; they pay a heavy tribute to the Lamanites; sends a search party looking for an escape to Zarahemla.
• The search party gets lost, finds the remains of the Jaredite final battle and the 24 gold plates.
• Ammon and a search party from Zarahemla help Limhi and his people escape to Zarahemla.

IN THE LAND OF ZARAHEMLA

• Alma establishes the church throughout Zarahemla.
• Alma II and the four sons of King Mosiah preach against the church.
• An angel appears to them, tells Alma not to persecute the church; Alma and the sons of Mosiah repent and become missionaries.
• Alma gives the records and leadership of the church to Alma II.
• The four sons of Mosiah decline the kingship; judges are appointed by the voice of the people.
• Alma II is appointed the first chief judge by the voice of the people; is consecrated as head of the church by his father.

The Book of Alma
Written by Alma the younger and his two sons, Helaman and Shiblon. It covers the time from about 91 B.C. to 53 B.C. It is the longest book in the Book of Mormon.

IN THE LAND OF ZARAHEMLA

• The sons of Mosiah - Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni - go to preach to the Lamanites in the land of Nephi.
• The people in Zarahemla become wicked; Alma gives up his judgeship in order to preach.
• Alma preaches in Zarahemla, Gideon and Melek. He is cast out of the city of Ammonihah but directed by an angel to return.
• Amulek sees Alma in a vision, receives him into his house.
• Alma and Amulek preach, receive an endowment of power.
• Zeezrom, a lawyer, tries to trap Amulek but is caught in lies, Zeezrom repents because of the power of God through Amulek and Alma.
• Amulek and Alma are bound, forced to witness the burning of innocent women and children; are thrown into prison.
• They break their bands by the power of God; the prison walls are shaken down; Amulek and Alma walk out.
• Amulek goes home with Alma to Zarahemla; the people of Ammonihah are destroyed.

IN THE LAND OF NEPHI
(Concurrent with Alma's preaching in Zarahemla)

• Ammon goes to the land of Ishmael, becomes a servant to a Lamanite king, Lamoni.
• When Ammon, by the power of God, defends the king's flocks against robbers, King Lamoni and his queen are converted.
• King Lamoni's father is converted and the sons of Mosiah are given freedom to preach to all the Lamanites.
• Thousands of Lamanites are converted, choose a new name, Anti-Nehpi-Lehis; they take a vow never to fight again, bury their weapons.
• Though unconverted Lamanites kill many of the unresisting Anti-Nehpi-Lehis, more Lamanites are converted (over 1000) by this witness of love than are killed.
• Also called the people of Ammon, the Anti-Nephi-Lehis move to Nephite territory for protection from the wicked Lamanites.

IN THE LAND OF ZARAHEMLA

• Alma preaches to the Zoramites again; Alma gives blessings to his sons, departs from the land and is never seen again.
• Moroni is appointed head of the Nephite armies.
• Amalickiah wants to be king; Moroni fashions a flag of liberty from his coat to enlist the people to defend their freedom.
• Amalickiah defects to the Lamanites and lead their armies against the Nephites. Moroni fortifies all the cities on the Lamanite borders.
• The people of Ammon want to help the Nephites defend the land; Helaman, son of Alma II, reminds them to keep their vow not to fight.
• The 2060 sons of the Ammonites go to battle with Helaman as their military leader; due to their faith, not one of them is killed in battle; they credit their great faith to their mothers' teachings.
• Moroni, Helaman and Teancum establish peace in the land once more.
• Helaman preaches; the church is reestablished; Helaman gives the sacred records to his brother, Shiblon.
• A large group of colonists go to the land northward; Hagoth takes other colonists northward by ship.
• Shiblon gives the records to Helaman II.

The Book of Helaman
Written by Helaman, the son of Helaman, and Nephi, the son of Helaman II. Also contains the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite. The account begins around 53 B.C. and ends about 1 B.C.

• A secret band of robbers tries to overthrow the government. They become the Gaddianton robbers.
• Helaman II becomes the chief judge of the land.
• Colonies continue into the land northward; the people become expert in cement because the Jaredites have used all the trees.
• Nephi, the son of Helaman II, becomes the chief judge.
• Dissension in the church and country allows the Lamanites to possess all of the land southward up to the land of Bountiful where the Nephites gather.
• The Nephites are able to reclaim half their land; the people are wicked; Cezoram becomes the chief judge.
• Nephi and his brother Lehi preach to all the people of Nephi, go to the Lamanites in the land of Zarahemla, got to the land of Nephi, are cast into prison.
• 300 in prison are converted after seeing Nephi and Lehi in a circle of fire, hearing a voice from heaven, and seeing the prison walls shake.
• The Lamanites become more righteous than the Nephites.
• Nephi mourns in his tower for the people, prophesies the murder of the chief judge to the people gathered there.
• The people try to put Nephi in prison; he is taken away by the Spirit and carried from group to group until all have received a warning.
• The people return quickly to wickedness; the Gaddianton robbers are revived; God sends Samuel, the Lamanite prophet, to warn the Nephites.
• Samuel prophesies Christ's birth in five years; signs of His birth are to be continuous light for a day, a night and a day.
• Samuel prophesies the death of Christ; the signs are to be darkness for three days, great storms and upheaval.
• The wicked Nephites try to kill Samuel as he stands on the city wall but they cannot.
• Some Nephites are converted, watch for the sign of Christ's birth.

The Third Book of Nephi
Written by Nephi, one of the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus Christ during His visitation to the land of Bountiful. This Nephi is the son of Nephi and the grandson of Helaman II. The book covers the time from the birth of Christ to A.D. 34.

• Nephi gives the plates to his son Nephi and leaves the land; he is never seen again.
• All believers are condemned to die unless the sign prophesied by Samuel is forthcoming.
• Nephi prays all day; Jesus tells him that the sign will be given that night.
• Many repent after the sign of Christ's birth, but only for a short while; Gaddianton robbers grow in power.
• Lachoneus, governor of the land, gathers all Nephites and converted Lamanites into the center of the land with provision for seven years; Gaddianton robbers are destroyed.
• The people become proud and wicked again; the government is destroyed; the people divide into tribes.
• Nephi has such great faith that he is ministered to daily by angels; he restores life to his brother Timothy after he has been stoned to death by the people.
• God commands Nephi to preach repentance to the people; they are unable to disbelieve his words because of God's power in him; Nephi baptizes all who repent.
• The signs of Christ's death come: there is a great storm for three hours, darkness for three days, much death and destruction.
• Only the more righteous are spared; they hear the voice of Jesus Christ.
• Later, 2500 people gather at the temple in the land of Bountiful, hear the still, small voice of God and see Jesus descending from heaven.
• All the people feel the wound in Jesus' side and the nailprints in His hands and feet.
• Jesus gives Nephi and eleven others the authority to baptize, gives instructions on the manner of baptizing.
• Jesus closes the Old Covenant and opens the New with the Sermon on the Mount; tells them they are part of the sheep of the other fold (John 10:16).
• He ministers to the people, heals their sick; angels descend as He blesses the children.
• He serves bread and wine, gives instruction concerning the bread and wine, tells the people to pray in His name.
• Jesus commands the disciples not to knowingly allow anyone to partake of the bread and wine unworthily.
• He touches each disciple in turn and gives him power to bestow the Holy Ghost.
• Jesus promises to return the next day, ascends to heaven; word is sent out all night to gather the people for Christ's visit the next day.
• The disciples teach the words of Jesus, are filled with the Holy Ghost and fire; angles minister to them.
• Jesus commands the twelve to pray; they are purified; He teaches, prays, heals, serves the bread and wine.
• He tells the people about the gathering of Israel in the latter days and the establishment of a New Jerusalem in this part of the world.
• He commands the people to study the words of Isaiah and all the other prophets; gives them the words of Malachi and commands that they be written.
• Jesus commands the sealed vision of the brother of Jared to be read (Ether 1:96 [4:2]).
• Mormon tells us the large plates of Nephi do contain most of the words of Christ.
• Jesus teaches the people for three days, shows Himself often thereafter.
• He appears to the disciples, tells them to name the church after Himself, explains the gospel, sanctification and also judgment from books which shall be written.
• He prophesies the destruction of the people in the fourth generation.
• Jesus grants the desire of three disciples to remain as John the Beloved remains until Jesus' second coming.
• The three disciples, call the three Nephites, are caught into heaven where they see and hear unspeakable things.

The Fourth Book of Nephi
Written by Nephi (son of Nephi the disciple), Amos (son of Nephi), Amos (son of Amos), and Ammoron (brother of Amos). This book covers the time from A.D. 34 to A.D. 320.

• All the people are converted; there are no rich, poor or "ites," peace and prosperity prevail for nearly 200 years.
• Nephi, the son of Nephi the disciple, gives the records to his son Amos before he dies.
• The people become proud, divide into classes, no longer have all things in common.
• There is apostasy in the church; the three disciples are jailed, cast into a furnace of fire, into a den of wild animals, but nothing can harm them.
• There is a great division of the people into Nephites and Lamanites in A.D. 231.
• The secret oaths and combinations begin again; both Nephites and Lamanites are wicked.
• Amos II dies; his brother Ammoron keeps the records.
• About A.D. 320, the Holy Ghost directs Ammoron to hide up all the records kept by the Nephites.
• Ammoron hides the records in the hill Shim, instructs the child Mormon about keeping the records.

The Book of Mormon
Written by Mormon and finished by his son Moroni. This book covers the time period from A.D. 320 to A.D. 400.

• Ammoron tells the boy Mormon to continue the records when he is about twenty-four years old, tells Mormon the location of the hill Shim where the records are hidden.
• There are no miracles, healings, gifts or Holy Ghost because of the people's unbelief and wickedness.
• Mormon is visited by the Lord when he is fifteen, forbidden to preach to the people; the three disciples are also taken away because of the people's wickedness.
• Warfare begins; Mormon is appointed the leader of the army at age sixteen.
• Mormon goes to the hill Shim when he is twenty-four years old, makes a record on the large plates of Nephi.
• The Nephites make a treaty with the Lamanites and give up all the land southward including Zarahemla, move north of the narrow neck to the land northward.
• Mormon fortifies the borders against the Lamanites for the next ten years; holds off the Lamanites near the narrow pass that leads into the land northward.
• Mormon refuses to lead the army because of the gross wickedness of the people, relents, becomes their leader again.
• Mormon abridges his own account from the large plates into his book.
• Mormon gathers the Nephites at Cumorah for the final battle by A.D. 384, hides the records in the hill Cumorah.
• The Nephites are defeated in the final battle in A.D. 385; later, Mormon is killed in battle by the Lamanites.
• His son Moroni is left to finish the record; the Lamanites are in constant warfare with each other.

The Book of Ether
Written by the last Jaredite prophet, Ether, on the 24 gold plates. The plates were found by the people of Limhi when searching for the land of Zarahemla. Abridged by Moroni, the son of Mormon. The Jaredite story spans the time from about 2400 B.C. to 200 B.C.

• Jared and his brother ask God not to confound their language at the great tower; take the record of creation to the time of the great tower with them.
• After four years, the Lord chastises the brother of Jared and his people for not praying, commands them to build barges to cross the great sea.
• The brother of Jared asks the Lord to touch sixteen stones to provide light in the eight barges.
• The brother of Jared sees Jesus, is shown a vision of all things.
• The Lord commands the brother of Jared to write the vision and seal it up; this account is not to come to the world until after Christ comes in the flesh.
• The brother of Jared is also given two stones for interpreting language; the stones are to be sealed up with the account of the vision.
• The Jaredites cross the sea in 344 days, being driven by strong winds; arrive at the land of promise.
• Jared and his brother grow old, take a census of the people.
• A king is chosen against the advice of Jared and his brother.
• The first king is righteous; the second king is taken captive by his own son.
• The daughter of Jared dances for the head of her grandfather, the king; secret combinations are reintroduced.
• Wickedness returns; the prophets warn of a famine.
• Drought comes; poisonous serpents arise and close off the land southward for many years.
• The longest period of righteousness in Jaredite history occurs under Kings Levi, Corom, Kish and Lib.
• The poisonous serpents are destroyed by God in the days of King Lib.
• The remaining kings are wicked; the destruction of the Jaredite nation results.
• The last king, Coriantumr, is warned by the prophet Ether, rejects his warning.
• As prophesied by Ether, Coriantumr is the lone survivor of the final battle.
• Coriantumr, discovered by the people of Zarahemla (Mulekites), lives "nine moons" with them before dying.
• Ether writes his record while hiding in a cave, hides it up.
• The record is found by Limhi's search party, is kept with the Nephites' sacred records.

The Book of Moroni
Written by Moroni, son of Mormon. Completed after A.D. 420.

• Moroni finishes abridging the 24 gold plates of the Jaredites (the Book of Ether).
• Moroni tells us that Jesus has talked with him face to face in plain humility.
• He gives instructions on conferring the Holy Ghost, ordaining, administering communion, and baptizing.
• He quotes his father, Mormon, on faith, hope and charity.
• He includes a letter from Mormon condemning the baptism of little children.
• A second letter from Mormon describes the wicked, depraved condition of the Lamanites and Nephites.
• Moroni invites the seed of his brethren to ask God for a confirmation of the truth of this record when they read it; promises a confirmation of the truth of the record by the Holy Ghost.
• He writes concerning spiritual gifts, gives a final invitation to come unto Christ, and bids farewell.

The Records of the Book of Mormon

A - HISTORICAL NOTE

• This portion of the abridgment from the large plates of Nephi was "translated" by Joseph Smith making 116 pages of manuscript. Martin Harris lost these 116 pages. Joseph was directed not to translate them again but to go on to the small plates of Nephi which covered the same time period (600 B.C. - 130 B.C.)

B - The unabridged SMALL PLATES OF NEPHI

• About 30 years after leaving Jerusalem, Nephi was commanded to make a second set of plates called the small plates.
• The small plates were used to record the sacred history of the people.
• Mormon was directed to include the small plates with his abridgment of the large plates of Nephi.
• The small plates covered the same time period as the 116 pages of manuscript lost by Martin Harris.
• The small plates contain the books of First Nephi, Second Nephi, Jacob, Enos, Jarom and Omni.

C - THE WORDS OF MORMON

• Editorial comments written by Mormon in approximately A.D. 384 explaining why he included the small plates with his abridgment.

D - Abridgment from the LARGE PLATES OF NEPHI

• Nephi was commanded to make a set of plates for keeping a history of the people. They are called the large plates of Nephi.
• The large plates contain the civil record of the people up to the time of King Benjamin.
• Both the sacred and civil accounts of the people were kept on the large plates of Nephi after the time of King Benjamin because the small plates, used for recording the sacred history, were filled.
• Mormon abridged the large plates of Nephi and gave the abridgment to his son Moroni to finish.
• The books of Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, Third Nephi, Fourth Nephi and most of Mormon are abridgments from the large plates of Nephi.

E - Abridgment from the 24 GOLD PLATES (the Book of Ether)

• The last Jaredite prophet, Ether, wrote an abridgment of his people's history on 24 gold plates.
• The record was found by Limhi's search party and given to King Mosiah II to translate by means of the interpreters.
• Moroni was commanded to make an abridgment of the Jaredite record and include it with his father's abridgment of the large plates of Nephi.
• The promise is given that whoever finds the 24 gold plates will have power to obtain the full account.

F - THE BOOK OF MORONI

• Written by Moroni after abridging the Jaredite record (24 gold plates) y way of conclusion to the records.

G - THE SEALED PORTION

• Contains the vision of the brother of Jared from the beginning of time to the end.
• The Lord commanded the brother of Jared to write the vision and seal it up with two stones to be used for translating.
• The Lord said it was not to be revealed until after He should come in the flesh.
• Jesus Christ revealed it to the people during His appearance in land Bountiful.
• Moroni was commanded to include it with the abridgment of the large plates of Nephi.
• Joseph Smith was instructed not to translate it.
• The sealed portion will be revealed again when the Gentiles exercise faith and become sanctified.

Map to the Book of Mormon Region

OTHER RECORDS

THE BRASS PLATES

• Lehi brought the brass plates from Jerusalem; they are written in the Egyptian language.
• They contain the five books of Moses (including an account of creation and Adam and Eve), a record of the Jews down to King Zedekiah, the prophecies of the holy prophets down to Jeremiah (including Joseph and Egypt), and the genealogy of Lehi's fathers.
• They shall go to all nations, tongues and people who are of the seed of Lehi.
• The shall never perish or be dimmed by time.

Behold, these things shall be hid up,
To come forth unto the Gentiles
by the gift and power of the Lamb;
And in them shall be written my gospel,
saith the Lamb, and my Rock
and my Salvation;

And blessed are they which shall seek
to bring forth my Zion at that day,
For they shall have the gift
and the power of the Holy Ghost;

And if they endure to the end,
they shall be lifted up at the last day,
And shall be saved in the everlasting
kingdom of the Lamb.

To obtain a hardcopy version of this material, or other related materials, please contact:

The Zarahemla Research Foundation
P.O. Box 1727
Independence, MO  64055

or visit their web site at: http://www.RestoredCovenant.org/