My testimony of the Book of Mormon
Richard P. Himmer
23 April 2012
Our family just concluded reading the Book of Mormon aloud. We read almost every night before bedtime as part of our nightly routine for the past two years. Some nights it was only one scripture, while other nights we had up to four readers taking turns. Some nights we didn’t get far because of the many questions our sons would ask. When friends would spend the night, we would take extra time to explain the background behind the story or we’d go to the map on the wall and point out specific geographic landmarks for reference.
The politics and the traditions found in the Book of Mormon are foreign to my American mind. The names were of a mixed sort, some being Aramaic, some Egyptian, while others were Hebrew. Some were of unknown ancestry.
The language style of the Book of Mormon is an old English type with a biblical overtone. It is a regal language that is sophisticated and difficult at first. It is an acquired taste that leaves one vacant or empty when reading modern-day versions of scripture after tasting the whispers of truth bespoken with the King’s English. With time the language buoys the spirit and strengthens the will by the sheer tonality of the prose.
Who wrote the Book?
The politics, warfare, currency, geography, intrigue, drama, mystery, family dynamics, customs, travels, and history is beyond the scope of any man, let alone one given only three years of formal schooling.
The doctrine is befitting the mind of Isaiah, the prophecies are akin to John the Revelator, and the majesty of the Lord’s appearance in the New World humbles the reader and has no peer.
There is no question as to the Lord’s authorship and touch in this writ. It is the most correct book on earth from a doctrinal standpoint and stands as the hallmark of the verity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Mormons As Christians
With all the recent attention shown to the LDS religion and the pontifications of unlearned Christian denominations regarding our belief in Jesus Christ, it is a subtle reminder that the enemies of the prophets found in the Book of Mormon used a similar vein of rhetoric.
I find it most interesting that the name of the church bears the name of Jesus Christ, yet members of Christian churches that bear another name other than Jesus Christ find sufficient confidence to render judgment upon our faith and faithfulness in the Lord.
In all my years as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have never heard a cross or judgmental word by our leaders about other Christian faiths or other religious denominations. In life, as in religion, those who are built upon sandy foundations need to tell a story to make themselves feel good about their fears and doubts. If their positions were solid in their faith and if they could testify with verity that Jesus Christ was still an ethereal spirit without body or parts, there would be no need to chastise or criticize another movement in Christ for believing differently.
I stand firm in testifying that Jesus is the Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father. They are two separate beings of flesh and bone in Whose image we are created. I testify that Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son as he claimed and that he is responsible for translating an ancient record written on golden plates. We call that translated record the Book of Mormon and hold it out to the world to test.
If the Book of Mormon is a true record, if the doctrines are sound, and it is a 2nd witness of Jesus Christ, then Joseph was a prophet. If Joseph was a prophet then he saw the Father and the Son. If he saw them, as he claimed he did, then he restored the Lord’s church and it is called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Rick I really enjoyed ur article. Have u shared ur article u wrote about how”God lost his body”?