My assignment
today is to speak about the Book of Mormon.
I am going to tell you a trivial story and then talk about some
outstanding characters to be found in the Book.
When I joined
the Marine Corps (about 100 years ago, or so) I spoke with my bishop and he
gave me two little books. One was the Principles of the Gospel. I was surprised and a little chagrined to see
that it contained instructions on how to dedicate a grave. The Viet Nam war was in full swing at
the time, so that hit kind of close to home. I hoped I would never have occasion to use that instruction while in
the service.
The other book
was this little Book of Mormon [Serviceman's Edition]. It is
designed to fit in a shirt pocket, and I carried it there quite often. It helped me in one very unexpected way. While in training, we took two weeks out of
boot camp to go to the rifle range. The
rigid discipline we’d experienced up to that point was relaxed a bit and we
focused only on learning to use our rifles.
The first week we practiced how to hold the rifle, how to align the
sights, and how to squeeze the trigger.
Mostly we practiced the very unusual positions for holding the rifle -
positions that stretched muscles we hadn’t known we possessed – positions that
hurt to do correctly, but that eventually became easy. The second week we started actually firing our
rifles. Every day we’d go to the range
and we’d fire. From the most difficult
position (standing) we fired at a mere 100 meters, and from the most stable
position (laying down) we fired at 500 meters, with various other positions at
interveneing ranges. 200, and 300
meters. Now, I easily hit bullseyes at
500 meters; no worries. But I had much
difficulty at the closer ranges where it was difficult to maintain the position
and hold the rifle on target.
We kept track
of every shot, including the wind, our settings on the sights, and marking
where we thought we thought each shot went.
If we shot perfectly we could get a score of 300. If you scored 280 or better, you would be
rated as an expert rifleman. If you were
under that score, but shot at least 250
you’d be a sharpshooter. Under
that, but at least 220 and you would rated as a marksman, which is where most
recruits end up. Lower than that and you
didn’t rate as a rifleman at all and the disgrace was nearly unthinkable. All of us wanted to be Expert, but as
qualification day approached I had settled in to shooting a few points below
that mark. I needed a few more points at
the closest ranges to qualify as an Expert rifleman, but it eluded me and I
began to put pressure on myself.
The night
before qualification, I knelt beside my bunk and prayed. I was very aware that the Lord had no
interest in whether I qualified as an expert, sharpshooter, marksman, or even
at all. But I cared, and I hoped he
would care that I cared.
The next
morning I put my Book of Mormon in my pocket.
I didn’t have a plan, I was just trying to follow the spirit.
At the range, We
didn’t shoot constantly. We spent part
of the time pulling down and putting up the targets of other shooters and
marking the holes so they could be scored.
And we spent a lot of time just waiting.
On qualification day we started out with my group waiting. I pulled out my Book of Mormon while we were
waiting and began to read. I read - and
forgot about what we were doing. When I
was called to the line, I fired and went back to reading. When we pulled targets, I marked them and
then read while the firing went on. At
the end of the day, I had those few extra points I needed and I qualified as an
expert rifleman. Nice.
I said I was
going to tell you a trivial story and this one qualifies as trivial. There is no eternal significance to whether I
got to wear this badge (the Rifle Expert badge) on my uniform.
However, in my mind this badge is linked to my little
Book of Mormon, which I used mainly just when I was in Boot Camp.
The point here
is not why I was reading this little book.
It is simply that I was
reading it. The book doesn’t do us any
good to have; it doesn't do us any good to have it IN our pocket; or even to hold it – it does us good to open and read it.
What do the
prophets and general authorities tell us about the Book of Mormon? To Read it!
There are many
outstanding stories of great men of God in the Book of Mormon. Nephi’s story is one of great courage to
overcome severe obstacles placed in his way by sibling rivalry. Alma ’s
story is a case of repentance that is matched only by Paul’s. Ammon had great physical strength to go with
his spiritual strength and he was able to do great things. Helaman was a great
leader of the army as he defended his home and country, and led a group of young men in righteousness.
Probably my
favorite story in the Book of Mormon is in the book of Ether. The Nephites had had the record of the people
of Ether for a long time, but were instructed that it was not to be revealed
generally until after Christ came. Moroni gave us a brief account of their origins and it
goes back to the Tower
of Babel
Under the
Lord’s direction they built some curious barges that were totally enclosed so
that they could be driven completely under the water during severe storms. The Brother of Jared asked the Lord how they
would get air and was told to make holes that could be opened to let in the air,
and stoppered to keep out the water. The
most curious thing about them was that they could be turned upside down and
still keep the people safe inside. I imagine comfort was no part of that trip!
Then the brother of Jared asked the Lord to help them
so they wouldn’t have to be in darkness.
And the Lord threw it back at him, asking, “What will ye that I should do
that ye may have light in your vessels?
For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in
pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light
of fire.”
This is where
it gets interesting. The Brother of
Jared took that as a challenge. He was not discouraged, and did not take that as a No. Instead he thought about it, thought some
more, and then melted some clear stones out of a rock. At first this seems unlikely, but today we
take fine white sand and melt it down and purify it. What we call this . . . is GLASS.
Before we came
to Texas , Liz
was the stake Primary President and she wanted visual aids for these stones as
she taught the children in the wards about the Brother of Jared. We used to have to go out to Forks, Washington each year for
ward conference (You know, Forks, where the Cullens live). It was so far away, we’d spend the whole
weekend out there, and we took the time on our first trip to Forks to walk
along the Sol Duc River
The brother of
Jared took his stones to the top of a mountain and presented them to the Lord,
and said, “I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt
for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may
shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels
which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.”
This is where it gets interesting. Notice that he came up with a solution to his
problem that only needed help from the Lord?
He thought it through and presented the solution to the Lord. Of course the solution still needed divine
intervention, but he had done his best, and he faithfully expected the Lord to
do the rest. So many times we ask for
help, but do not take the time to think for ourselves and do our best.
The Lord did
what he asked and the brother of Jared saw his finger as he touched the stones, one by one. That frightened him because
he didn’t know the Lord really had
a finger.
What the Lord
told him next is very revealing.
“And the
Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man
come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were
it not so ye could not have seen my finger. ”
Of course, this was long before Christ came to
Earth as a man, and he had no physical body at that time. So the brother of Jared saw what he WOULD
look like. And since the veil was
parted, the brother of Jared saw Christ’s spirit body in its entirety, not just
his finger.
Christ told him, “And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created,
for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created
in the beginning after mine own image.
Behold,
this body, which ye now behold, is the body of
my spirit; and man have I created
after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit
will I appear unto my people in the flesh.”
Of
all the men who have had great faith, very few, if any, of them matched the faith
of this man whose name was lost. It is a
most-amazing example.
So we can use his experience as a
marker-post for our own progress: Do we
have faith as great as the brother of Jared?
If not, we know we still have work to do, although not everyone will
have his gifts. In D&C 46 we learn
that spiritual gifts are not the same for every person:
“11 For all
have not every gift given unto them; for there are many
gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.
13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.
14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might
have eternal life if they continue faithful.”
Jared and his brother are like that. The Brother had faith enough to see the Lord’s
spiritual body, Jared had faith enough to believe his brother. Do we have faith as great as Jared’s – enough
to ask those with greater faith to intervene for us. It’s simple enough to ask for help, but pride
keeps us from doing it sometimes. It is
an act of faith to ask for help from church leaders. Something we should do when we need their help.
Do we have faith enough to read the Book of
Mormon? This is getting very basic. We are told, over and over, to just read
it. Just read.
My testimony is that reading the Book of Mormon
does help us. It will make a difference
in our lives. It will help us become
experts with our spiritual gifts, and not merely marksmen.
