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TODAY'S THEME
Please notice that there are two parts to the title of the Book of Mormon. It wasn't until sometime about in 1985 or 1986 that the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints added the last two lines to that book's title.
In actuality, ever since it was first published in Palmyra, New York (U.S.A.), it was always Another Testament of Jesus Christ, but that truth was not, at that time, reflected in that book's official title as it is now. I quote now from the October General Conference 1986 Report Opening Address by the then, President of the Church, Ezra Taft Benson:
Has the fact that we have had the Book of Mormon with us for over a century and a half made it seem less significant to us today? Do we remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon? In the Bible we have the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word testament is the English rendering of a Greek word that can also be translated as covenant. Is this what the Lord meant when He called the Book of Mormon the “new covenant”? It is indeed another testament or witness of Jesus. This is one of the reasons why we have recently added the words “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” to the title of the Book of Mormon. (emphasis by highlighting was added by this blogger.)President Ezra Taft Benson
My Intent and purpose in this post and in a yet unknown number of subsequent posts, will be to show by many Book of Mormon quotes the powerful statements the Book of Mormon Prophets make in testifying of Jesus Christ, even up to 600 years before His birth.
Except for adding paintings that help illustrate the testimonies of these prophets regarding their and our Savior, Jesus Christ, I will let each of their statements stand on their own. I won't elaborate much. I may add some brief summarizing words at the end of each of these posts that turn out to make up this series.
The Coming of Jesus Christ into the world was foreknown by all of the Ancient prophets we read about in the Old Testament and also in the Latter-day Scriptures, The Pearl of Great Price - Selections From the Book of Moses and also from the Book of Abraham.
The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ is not one step behind any of those scriptures and even the New Testament itself, in quoting prophets and apostles who testify of Jesus Christ!
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Arriving at the Promised Land -by Arnold Friberg |
The Book of Mormon prophet whose testament of Jesus Christ I will quote first in this series of posts, is Nephi, Son of Lehi. He is shown, with others in this painting, in the ship that the Lord inspired him, Nephi, to design and to build with the help of others who were with him. It carried them from the Eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula to somewhere on the West coast of what we know as Central America, which land they, in this painting, are viewing for the first time!
Nephi's mother Sariah and his father, Lehi are standing to Nephi's immediate left with a younger brother (most likely, Jacob) right in front of him.
In this very detailed vision Nephi (Occuring Sometime Between 600 and 592 B.C.) was shown the coming of Jesus Christ into the world in about 600 years and also many of the things that the Savior would accomplish during his mortal lifetime.
I Nephi 11: 1 FOR it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen,*and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.
2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou?
3 And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.
4 And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?
5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.
6 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.
7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.
Painting: Harry Anderson
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The Angel Gabriel Speaking with the Virgin, Mary -by John Scott |
8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.
9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.
10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou?
11 And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.
12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.
13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
The Annunciation - Mary and the Angel, Gabriel
14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
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Baby Jesus With His Mother, Mary and Joseph, by Ted Henniger |
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.
24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God!
Jesus Baptized by John -by Harry Anderson
27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.
28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.
30 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them.
Jesus Blessing the Children -by Del Parson 31 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men.And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.
32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.
33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.
34 And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord.
35 And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Jesus Healing the Blind -by Del Parson
The Crucifixion of Jesus -by Harry Anderson
*In the scripture given above, references (in verses 1 and 8) are made by Nephi to his father's dream. If you would like to learn what Nephi's father, Lehi, saw in his dream, I have provided a scriptural link for you.
(After clicking on the link found below the title of the picture shown here, scroll up on your screen and click on the word, Listen, which is on the upper left hand side. It will make what you read more understandable when you hear it as well as read it.)
Painting: Jerry Thompson
The Tree of Life and the
Great and Spacious Building
Here is the scripture in Nephi's father Lehi's Dream of the Tree of Life and the Great and Spacious Building is told about. You will be able to listen to the scripture as well as read it.
1Nephi 8:1-38
That revelation given to Nephi on a mountain by the Spirit of the Lord. Is there anything like that anywhere in the Old Testament? There are marvelous prophesies there regarding the Savior's Coming (particularly those of the Prophet, Isaiah), but none in such great and accurate detail as the one you have just read and listened to!
You will learn of other prophesies by other Book of Mormon prophets regarding the Coming of Jesus Christ in the blog posts to follow!http://www.youtube.com/mormonmessages?v=wiiadnMvm20
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The following link, when clicked upon, will allow you to view the latest Mormon Messages Video. You will find it very well done and hopefully it will be applicable to your particular needs.
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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.
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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This BlogPost, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other Blog Post You Decide To Open), When You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Click on the Following: Nephi Was Told By the Spirit of the Lord of the Birth of the Lord That Will Come in 600 Years, -Post 40t When the Picture Of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next to a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).
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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
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I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.
If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.
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Neil Birch
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