41b - The Book of Mormon Is Another Testament of Jesus Christ! Part VII: Samuel the Lamanite Testified of Jesus Christ!

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TODAY'S THEME

Samuel the Lamanite Preaching on the Wall of Zarahemla -by Arnold Friberg

 Samuel the Lamanite Preached That Which the Lord Wanted Him To Preach. Some of them Just Didn't Want To Hear It!

In the Book of Helaman we are told more about Samuel the Lamanite (6 B.C.) :

Helaman 13: 2 And it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land.

3 But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.

4 And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart.

Then we read in the next chapter of the Book of Helaman:

Helaman, 14:2 And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.

3 And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.

4Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born.

5 And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.

6 And behold this is not all, there shall be many signs and wonders in heaven.

7 And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be amazed,
and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall to the earth.

8 And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall believe on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life.

9 And behold, thus hath the Lord commanded me, by his angel, that I should come and tell this thing unto you; yea, he hath commanded that I should prophesy these things unto you; yea, he hath said unto me: Cry unto this people, repent and prepare the way of the Lord. (emphasis added)

Then later we are told the following:

Helaman 16:
1 AND now, it came to pass that there were many who heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, which he spake upon the walls of the city. And as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord.

2 But as many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel were angry with him; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows.

3 Now when they saw that they could not hit him, there were many more who did believe on his words, insomuch that they went away unto Nephi to be baptized.

4 For behold, Nephi was baptizing, and prophesying, and preaching, crying repentance unto the people, showing signs and wonders, working miracles among the people, that they might know that the Christ must shortly come—

I imagine Samuel wasn't worried about the arrows or the swords of the soldiers who were charging up the steep steps (as depicted in the painting above) because, after all, it was an angel who had sent him to deliver his sacred message. Samuel trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ about whose coming to earth he was prophesying.

What a valiant Servant of the Lord you were Samuel! How surely you knew how important and vital your message about the birth of Jesus Christ to be!

Those of you readers who have read the Book of Third Nephi, which follows this book, the Book of Helaman, (in the Book of Mormon) know that the Resurrected Jesus Christ during the time of His visits to the righteous Nephite-Lamanite Nation (who had been saved from the cataclysmic destruction which killed the more wicked part of their nation) asked the prophet Nephi what they had done with their records of Samuel's words from the wall and his prophecies of things concerning His, Jesus Christ's mission among them, along with other prophecies deemed too sacred to be recorded in the record which would become the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

At Jesus' request, Nephi found this important record which had evidently been misplaced and put it in its proper place. If you are not well acquainted with the Book of Mormon it would be well for you to know that the most part of the Nephite Nation throughout their long history, considered Lamanites to be their enemies, and an inferior people. The truth was, at 6 B.C. the more righteous Lamanites, such as Samuel, were included with the righteous Nephites.

That is quite a stamp of approval on what you did, Samuel!

At the time of these events, many Lamanites among them had become more righteous than many of the Nephites. Over the centuries the Nephites and Lamanites had very often been bitter enemies, with the Lamanites, most often, being the "bad guys."

At the time of Samuel there had been quite a huge role reversal in the case of many of them.

I am sure that those of you who haven't been acquainted with the Book of Mormon previously are surprised at the large number of men and at least one woman, (a Lamanite queen whose testimony is in one of my posts) whose testimonies of our Savior Jesus Christ are such an important part of this book which stands side by side with the New Testament in testifying of Jesus Christ.

Of course, the Book of Mormon contains only a small portion of the history of the Nephite people who were descendants of Joseph Who Was Sold into Egypt, the son of Jacob (Israel) who was given a sure blessing, from the Lord, through his own father, that his posterity would endure on the earth until the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am personally very confident that those of us who who will be blessed through our personal worthiness to live in the Eternal Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, along with dear family members, will meet there thousands upon thousands of Nephites and Lamanites who listened to, and then believed in the words of the Lord's prophets, and subsequently lived worthily to earn that great Heavenly Reward, which none of us could ever earn were it not for the Atonement and Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praised Be His Holy Name!

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Christ's Image -by Heinrich Hofmann

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses four sets of Holy Scriptures: The Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.

The following video, produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 17 Apr 2009 at 07:46 PM PDT, will help you understand how valuable the Holy Bible is to Mormons.

This video features Elder M. Russell Ballard's Explanation of the Importance of the Holy Bible.

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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 Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: Samuel the Lamanite Testifies of Jesus Christ Post 41b When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To A Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)

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Regarding This Blogger, Neil Birch's Special Note Mentioned at the Top of This Post: I came to realize recently that I ought to suggest that each of you consider the idea of your beginning to read the Book of Mormon on a daily basis, from the very beginning of it to the end of it.

Your continuing to read my blog posts will not make that difficult. Actually you will be surprised as you get to the many various parts of the Book of Mormon which have been covered and will be covered in the future in this blog really relate to what you are reading as you go through the whole book page by page! Hopefully those blog posts will have helped you better understand that which you might begin reading daily right from the Book of Mormon.

I also suggest that you ask the Lord to bless you with His Spirit in your reading through the entire Book of Mormon. I'm sure he will so bless you if you ask Him.
The Lord Bless You!

I realize that you may not have a Book of Mormon! Beside your finding a pair of Mormon Missionaries near where you live and having them provide you with such, it would be too difficult to suggest to my World - Wide set of readers where to buy one.

Nonetheless! There is a way to read the Book of Mormon over the Internet. In fact you can read it in your own language if it is on the list you will soon be searching! Many languages are on that list!

Book of Mormon Reading: Just begin by accessing the LDS Scriptures. I will provide that access just before the Legal Statement near the end of each of the coming blog posts of mine on a continuing basis. You may want to keep track with paper and pencil on a notepad where you have started and stopped in your Book of Mormon reading. Here are the LDS Scriptures:

LDS Scriptures, To Read. Listen to or Print.
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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 found 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.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content of is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

41a - The Book of Mormon Is Another Testament of Jesus Christ! Part VI: Abinadi and Isaiah Testified of Jesus Christ!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From The End of This Post.

Please Read This Bloggers Special Note To Each of You Which is Found Just After the "Access The Blog Index Paragraph"!

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TODAY'S THEME

Abinadi Testifies of Jesus Christ -by Arnold Friberg

 I now give you the opportunity of reading the entire chapter 16 of the Book of Mosiah, from which came TODAY'S THEME. This chapter provides us with the very strong testimony of the Nephite prophet, Abinadi, regarding his sure knowledge, by the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation, of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Mosiah 16: 1 AND now, it came to pass that after Abinadi had spoken these words he stretched forth his hand and said: The time shall come when all shall see the salvation of the Lord; when every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall see eye to eye and shall confess before God that his judgments are just.

2 And then shall the wicked be cast out, and they shall have cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth; and this because they would not hearken unto the voice of the Lord; therefore the Lord redeemeth them not.

3 For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil.

4 Thus all mankind were lost; and behold, they would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state.

5 But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore, he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God.

6 And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption.

7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.

8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death. 

Knowing, by that same spirit, that his life would be taken, Abinadi courageously and devotedly taught that which he knew to be the most important truths that can be taught.

Mosiah 16: 1-15

Now I invite you to read and listen to a second chapter in which are recorded the brave and faithful prophet, Abinadi's words addressed to King Noah and his court.

Mosiah 15: 1-31

The prophet, Abinadi is perhaps my favorite prophet from the Book of Mormon. We know know nothing of his personal history. However, we know without any doubt, that his testimony of Jesus Christ was exceedingly strong. We know also that he did what the Lord asked him to do. He made it clear as recorded in other chapters of the Book of Mosiah, that he knew his life would be taken from him, nonetheless, he knew that the Lord wanted him to preach the Gospel to King Noah and his court.

Among the wicked priests of King Noah in his court pictured above, there was a young misguided priest, by the name of Alma, who had served King Noah and been a part of the wickedness that went on the court of the king. Alma's heart was touched deeply by the words of Abinadi.

This Alma, through much tribulation and sacrifice, became the leader of Jesus Christ's Church, in Ancient Central America, and remained such during the remainder of his life. Much additional good came of Abinadi's mission to preach to King Noah and his court. I don't have the space to list all of that here.

I'm going to speculate. First, however, some background: In recent posts you have had the opportunity to read the speech King Benjamin gave from the wall of the temple. Most, if not all of his people were there to hear that speech. They had come at the King's request to this event where he announced that he would be turning his kingship over to his son, Mosiah when the time came for him to leave this life. He told his people that time was near at hand.

Now my speculation I referred to above is this, that about twenty four years prior to the time that Abinadi preached to King Noah and his court, he, Abinadi could well have been among King Benjamin's people who, it was reported in King Benjamin's record, spoke in one unified voice:

Mosiah 5: 2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.

3 And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things.

4 And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy.

5 And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God. (emphasis added)

Isn't that remarkable! If Abinadi had been among those of King Benjamin's people who joined in entering into that covenant expressed in Mosiah 5:5 above, he kept that covenant completely! His following the Lord's commandments would have actually brought him to the last of his days doing the will of the Lord.

Abinadi, We love and honor you! I'm sure many of my readers are joining me in this expression of love and honor! I (We) look forward to the privilege of meeting you at the feet of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ sometime after we have left this mortal existence. Thank you! Thank you for your great commitment!

I must add a word of gratitude to the great and talented LDS artist, Arnold Friberg, for enabling my, and possibly your (the readers of this post), tribute to the prophet, Abinadi, through his painting of Abinadi as he testified before the wicked king and his court.

Brother Friberg died very recently and his great art work received much praise in the local newspapers (Salt Lake City, Utah (U.S.A.). His artistry allows us to feel that we were right there! Thank you!

I'm pleased to have added the name of the Prophet Abinadi to the list of Book of Mormon prophets who have testified of the Lord Jesus Christ which I have been accumulating in this series of blog posts entitled: The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Before ending this post I will give you the special opportunity of reading the words of the Prophet, Abinadi as he quoted the words of the great prophet, Isaiah who lived long before Abinadi's ancestor, Father Lehi, left Jerusalem with his family and some relatives and was led by the Lord to what we know now as Central America.

Isaiah's witness of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who was to come was truly great! Abinadi knew that and he wanted the King and his court (among whom he, Abinadi most likely knew was a young priest (by the name of Alma) who would be converted to the Lord.)

Perhaps you can put yourselves in the place of young Alma who had been living wickedly along with the King and the other priests to the king. Please prayerfully read these great and inspired words of Isaiah as the great and inspired Nephite prophet, Abinadi recites them. Try to feel that which young Alma, who was in the process of being converted to the Lord, deeply felt as he heard this great witness.

I have inserted a painting of Isaiah to give you a greater feeling about this impactful testimony of Isaiah and Abinadi:

The Prophet Isaiah Foretells The Birth and Life Mission of Jesus Christ -by Harry Anderson

Mosiah Chapter 14
Isaiah speaks Messianically—Messiah's humiliation and sufferings are set forth—He makes his soul an offering for sin and makes intercession for transgressors—Compare Isaiah 53. About 148 B.C.
1 YEA, even doth not Isaiah say: Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no evil, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

There will be more such posts in this series, and I'll try very hard to not overlook any prophets whose testimonies of Christ were recorded in that sacred book! (The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ)

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Mormon Message

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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire), After Reading All of This ParagraphPlease Click on the Following: Abinadi Testifies of . . . -Post 41a. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To A Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)

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This Blogger, Neil Birch's Special Note Mentioned at the Top of This Post: Book of Mormon Reading: Just begin by accessing the LDS Scriptures. I will provide that access just before the Legal Statement near the end of this post and each of the coming blog posts of mine on a continuing basis. You may want to keep track with paper and pencil on a notepad where you have started and stopped in your Book of Mormon reading. Here are the LDS Scriptures:

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LDS Scriptures, To Read. Listen to or Print.

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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 found 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.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

40z - The Book of Mormon Is Another Testament of Jesus Christ! Part V: , Some Not Well Known Prophets Testified of Jesus Christ!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME

In this most recent series of blog posts, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I Have presented to you as TODAY'S THEMES in each of the five parts of that series thus far, prophetic witnesses of Book of Mormon prophets regarding Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Redeemer and Savior.

Each one of these quotes are very strong and clear evidence that Jesus is the Christ and demonstrate why the Book of Mormon, is indeed, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

In this post I will present five additional Nephite testimonies of Jesus Christ being the Savior of the World, but first as TODAY'S THEME I would like you to view and listen to this You Tube presentation by the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Neil L. Andersen. I believe his message is very pertinent.

Elder Neil L. Andersen

I apologize to those of you who would prefer a digital version of this video. Such is not yet available. Perhaps there is someone who could sit with you, if your hearing is impaired, who will have the ability to communicate what is said by Elder Andersen to you in a way that will assist you to know what is said. Perhaps, your relative or friend you might choose could give you a written summary of that which is spoken.

Elder Neil L. Andersen's Talk

Perhaps you, as well as I, find it easy to agree with Elder Neil L. Andersen when he said in the video you just viewed:

"You don't know everything but you know enough."

I believe he was saying that there comes a time for action on our parts after our really knowing something like: "the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a sure guide to my life."

However, action on our parts in living what we have come to know is true, is helped along by our continuing to develop insights into, for instance, the many prophecies of the Lord's prophets given of Him in the Book of Mormon.

In addition to the prophecies I have quoted already in this series, you may still be strengthened and impressed by additional ones I can give you. In this post I have selected just two, which you can read below:

The Lost Lamb -by Del Parson

Omni: 1:23 Behold, I, Amaleki, was born in the days of Mosiah; and I have lived to see his death; and Benjamin, his son, reigneth in his stead. . .

26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved. (emphasis added)

Next I give you the witness of Nephi, the son of Helaman, the son of Alma the younger: He was speaking mostly to men who were enemies to the Church of Jesus Christ and caught up in Secret Societies. I believe there were also present some who thought they ought to believe in Nephi's words, but weren't quite sure.

This was written between 23 and 20 B.C. As the time of the prophesied birth of Jesus Christ was approaching, opposition to faith in His teachings was growing. (The following scripture contains the words of Nephi, the Son of Helaman:)

Helaman 8:13 But, behold, ye not only deny my words, but ye also deny all the words which have been spoken by our fathers, and also the words which were spoken by this man, Moses, who had such great power given unto him, yea, the words which he hath spoken concerning the coming of the Messiah.

Moses Showing the Brazen Serpent -by Judith Meha

14 Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God should come? And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come.

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ -by Harry Anderson

15 And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal.

16 And now behold, Moses did not only testify of these things, but also all the holy prophets, from his days even to the days of Abraham.

17 Yea, and behold, Abraham saw of his coming, and was filled with gladness and did rejoice.

Father Abraham Was Willing to Sacrifice His Son, Isaac As God Had Commanded Him. He Pleased God By His Willingness to Do That Which God Would Eventually Do in Allowing His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ to be Sacrificed! As You Know God Revoked His Command that Abraham Sacrifice Isaac! God Knew that Abraham Truly Loved Him!

18 Yea, and behold I say unto you, that Abraham not only knew of these things, but there were many before the days of Abraham who were called by the order of God; yea, even after the order of his Son; and this that it should be shown unto the people, a great many thousand years before his coming, that even redemption should come unto them.

19 And now I would that ye should know, that even since the days of Abraham there have been many prophets that have testified these things; yea, behold, the prophet Zenos did testify boldly; for the which he was slain.

20 And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being that same prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem) and now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed according to the words of Jeremiah. O then why not the Son of God come, according to his prophecy?

21 And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all—

22 Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come.

23 And behold, he is God, and he is with them, and he did manifest himself unto them, that they were redeemed by him; and they gave unto him glory, because of that which is to come.

24 And now, seeing ye know these things and cannot deny them except ye shall lie, therefore in this ye have sinned, for ye have rejected all these things, notwithstanding so many evidences which ye have received; yea, even ye have received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true. (emphasis added)

The three prophets whose names I have highlighted in verses 19 and 20 in the quote just above are prophets whose names and prophesies are not found in our Old Testament. Their writings, however, were in the collection of scriptures written on the Brass Plates of Laban which were kept by Laban (a relative of Father Lehi) in Jerusalem until the Lord guided Nephi, Son of Lehi, to obtain them with the special help of an angel and the Lord's Spirit.

Another matter referred to in the scriptural quote above, was that Mulek, the youngest son of King Zedekiah of Jerusalem, was saved from death by Jews who were loyal to their king. (You won't read of that in the Bible) King Zedekiah was killed (after Lehi and his family and friends had already left Jerusalem) by the Babylonians after having been forced to watch them kill all of his sons, (except Mulek about whom the Babylonians evidently didn't know. Mulek was most likely very young then.)

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, located at the Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, have identified possible evidence of Mulek's existence, in the form of an identification ring or seal, with what would be his (Mulek's) own special identification marker on it because he was a son of the king.Without Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, knowing it, Mulek, Zedekiah's youngest son, was smuggled away by Jews loyal to King Zedekiah thus saving him from the fate that doomed his brothers.

The Nephites, in about the time of King Mosiah, son of King Benjamin, first discovered the descendants of Mulek and others that had found their way to Ancient America by a ship of some kind, as did Lehi and his family and friends, who happened to be living near them in Central America. Lehi's group had come to America before the people the Nephites knew as Mulekites (named after Mulek, youngest son of King Zedekiah.)

The Mulekites who were living in the land of Zarahemla, had not seen fit to bring any scriptures with them as did Lehi. By the time the Nephites discovered them they had lost any faith in God they may have still had when they left Palestine. Their language had become corrupted and King Mosiah and his people taught them their language. They mixed in with the Nephites and before long were not a separate people.

Just a final comment: I consider the testimony of the prophet, Nephi who lived not long before the birth of the Savior in Jerusalem, to be one of the strongest, and most informative of the prophecies of the coming of Christ (Helaman 8:13-24) which I quoted above.

In keeping with Elder Neil L. Andersen's message which was TODAY'S THEME,
I believe that many of you readers now know "enough" of the truthfulness of the great witness given by Book of Mormon prophets, to be able to move forward in doing what the Lord Jesus Christ now wants you to do. That may include, contacting the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to allow them to teach you that which they can best teach you,  HIS GOSPEL. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail (my e-mail address is given below) if you need assistance in locating the LDS missionaries nearest you.

A FOOTNOTE!

I repeat a painting from above in order to make some additional comments about it which I feel are important for each of us to consider: 

Please notice that just beyond Moses there are members of the House of Israel who have turned and are walking away from him while the others have stayed with Moses and have fixed their eyes upon the bronze serpent toward which Moses is raising his right arm.

We must remember that those who were following Moses' instructions by staring at the bronze serpent which represented the sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Son of God, were healed from the effects of the bites of the poisonous serpents while those who refused to follow Moses' instructions were walking away only to soon die from the poisonous bites they had suffered.

Here is a question I would like each of us, you and me, to ask ourselves:

By what we each have now been doing regarding keeping the commandments of our Savior, Jesus Christ, to which of the two groups of people depicted in the picture above do we belong?

We owe it to ourselves and to the Lord Jesus Christ who atoned for our sins, and died for us to bring about the universal resurrection of us all, and also to our family members who love us, and depend on us to set an example for them, to be completely honest in answering that question above. Then we each need to live as we know we should live, without hesitating! This applies to me, Neil Birch, as well!

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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 Blog Post, (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: Amaleki, Helaman, (Son of Alma the Younger), Zenos, Zenock and Ezias testified of Jesus Christ -Post 40z. 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). There is an Individual listing in the Blog Index For Each of the Prophets Highighted Above.
 
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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 found 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.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

40y - The Book of Mormon Is Another Testament of Jesus Christ! Part IV: Jacob, Son of Lehi, Testifies of Jesus Christ!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME

Viewing the Promised Land -by Arnold Friberg

In this painting which I've posted several times recently, are shown the likenesses of various members of Father Lehi and Mother Sariah's family who have born strong witness of Jesus Christ which have been recorded in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

The boy standing to the right of Nephi (Nephi's green shirt sleeve, showing on his right arm) is most likely, Jacob. Jacob was born earlier during their difficult sojourn through the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. His younger brother, Joseph, was probably still a baby and therefore too young to be on deck as his family and close relatives view their promised land after a long and particularly at one point in time, dangerous ocean voyage.

The following is additional testimony regarding Jesus Christ along with teachings about His gospel. This was written by Jacob, the fifth son of Lehi and younger brother to Nephi. He, like Nephi, had become a prophet of God. He certainly was one of Lehi's righteous and believing sons:

II Nephi 10:1 AND now I, Jacob, speak unto you again, my beloved brethren, concerning this righteous branch of which I have spoken.

2 For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer.

3 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.

4 For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God.

5 But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.


II Nephi 9:40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.

41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.

There again was Jacob's strong witness of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and of the importance of following Him. Now here is the last quote of Jacob's testifying I will give you in this post. Please feel the power and truthfulness of his testimony. Please also note the accuracy of his prophecy, regarding that which was said about many of the Jews living with Moses in the wilderness.

Jacob 1: 7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness. *

8 Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfil the commandment of my brother Nephi. (emphasis added)

Jesus' Burial -by Carl Heinrich Bloch





Jesus' Crucifixion -by Harry Anderson



These three quotes from the prophet, Jacob, son of Lehi, younger brother and prophetic associate of Nephi, are sure evidence that the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ is just what its title implies.

Thank you Jacob for your testimony! Thank you dear readers for trusting me to review correctly important teachings of a prophet of the Lord Jesus Christ which have benefited both you and me.

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At the end of my recent post, 40w, I gave you a link to a YouTube Video entitled: "Why Mormons Build Temples."

As a follow up to that I suggest you view this newer YouTube Video entitled: Blessings of the Temple.

New “Blessings of the Temple” Mormon Messages Video

I inserted the asterisk in TODAY'S THEME where Jacob had referred to: "as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness."

Now if you were wondering how Father Lehi's family could know about such Old Testament information, long before the Old Testament had been put together as a book, I would like you to know that Jacob and all of his father, Lehi's family possessed many of the same books which are in our Old Testament along with a significant number of additional books which are not in the Old Testament. Lehi and his family accessed those scriptures through the Brass Plates of Laban which his son, Nephi had obtained in Jerusalem. (see 1Nephi 3,4)

These scriptures had a significant influence on Lehi, his believing children and on their posterity.

Lehi and his family were able to bring that set of scriptures with them to their promised land in Ancient America only by the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord. They were even assisted by a holy angel to bring that about. The key to their eventual success was the faith and determination of Nephi, Lehi's fourth son along with the steady support of his brother, just older than him, Sam. The four brothers endured incredible difficulties by going back to Jerusalem where they finally, through much tribulation, Nephi was able to obtain the Plates of Brass on which the inspired records were engraved.

You may already be familiar with them, but if not, here are I Nephi, chapters 3, 4 and 5 from which you will learn about the obtaining of the brass plates. If you haven't read them before you will be surprised how fascinating  Nephi's account of this is. Here are these three chapters for you to read:

1Nephi Chapter 3,   Chapter 4,  Chapter 5

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A Special Thank You Note Goes out to each of the twenty-five persons who have listed themselves as followers of this blog! I truly appreciate your continuing support! After reading all of this paragraph, please click on this sentence which you are now reading to access this Blog's INDEX. When the picture of our Savior, Jesus Christ with the little boy standing next to him comes on your screen, please scroll down to the entry, Followers to read the Index Entry there.

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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.

____________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other Blog Post You Decide To Open), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Click on the Following: Jacob, the Fifth Son of Lehi, Testified of Jesus Christ. . . -Post 40y; 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.

_____________
I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found 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.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

40x - The Book of Mormon Is Another Testament of Jesus Christ! Part IV. King Benjamin Testifies of Christ!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME



King Benjamin Testifies of Jesus Christ From the Temple Wall (124 B.C.) -by Gary Capp

Mosiah 3:1 AND again my brethren, I would call your attention, for I have somewhat more to speak unto you; for behold, I have things to tell you concerning that which is to come.

2 And the things which I shall tell you are made known unto me by an angel from God. And he said unto me: Awake; and I awoke, and behold he stood before me.

3 And he said unto me: Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy.

4 For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.

Jesus Healing Nephite Children

5 For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. (emphasis added)

Jesus is Born -by Carl Heinrich Bloch

 6 And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men.

7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.

Jesus Suffers in Gethsemane -by Harry Anderson

8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.

9 And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him.


The Crucifixion -by Harry Anderson

10 And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold , he standeth to judge the world, and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men.

Why Weepest Thou -by Simon Dewey

11 For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. 

Jesus Christ -by Harry Anderson



12 But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

13 And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them.

Moses and the Tablets of Stone -by Jerry Harston

 14 Yet the Lord God saw that his people were a stiffnecked people, and he appointed unto them a law, even the law of Moses.

15 And many signs, and wonders, and types, and shadows showed he unto them, concerning his coming; and also holy prophets spake unto them concerning his coming; and yet they hardened their hearts, and understood not that the law of Moses availeth nothing except it were through the atonement of his blood.

16 And even if it were possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.

17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

Jesus Blessing Children -by Del Parson

18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, mek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

20 And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

Photographs and Painting: lds.org

. . .spread throughout every Nation . . .

21 And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent.

Painting: Del Parson

TODAY'S THEME was the prophetic, inspiring speech given by King Benjamin to his people at the time he had called them together to announce that his son, Mosiah was to become their king after he would soon die. The thoughts that he expressed are so very pertinent to each of us too. Please think through everything King Benjamin taught as if it applies to you. Because it does!

One might ask why, as was reported at the end of the previous post, was the Resurrected Jesus Christ able to tell the Nephite people that they were showing much more faith than did the Jewish people among whom He taught and served during His mortal life?

I submit that the testimony of Jesus Christ as spoken by the Nephite King, Benjamin, long before Christ's birth in Jerusalem and His visits to the Nephites just after His resurrection, is evidence that the tradition of righteous prophets, in this case, a prophet-king, helped prepare generations of men and women who were very prepared for Christ's visit when the time came for him to come! That is just one example as to why the Lord could tell the Nephites He visited after His resurrection:

III Nephi 13:35 . . .So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief.

By the way, Benjamin's words in TODAY'S THEME were the actual words that he spoke to his people. He had them recorded word for word, by hand! No ancient or modern man made them up!

There are professionals in our day who have developed the skill of determining if two different written recordings were delivered by two different persons or the same person. That takes special training to do that accurately. There are experts at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at BYU (Provo, Utah - U.S.A.) who have written about such a skill and know of those who actually have developed such.

Such experts have demonstrated very accurately that there are differences in the way or style of speaking of, for instance, the various prophets whose statements or talks are recorded throughout the Book of Mormon.

While reading recently about the "Joseph Smith Papers" projects (of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) one of the experts who is assigned to that project reported that the voice that the Prophet Joseph Smith uses in things he reports in his history by writing himself or by dictating to a scribe, is definitely not the voice which those experts "hear" while reading the revelations from the Lord Jesus Christ which are spoken through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

In the case of the small plates of Nephi (I Nephi through Omni) that is particularly true, because in each of the records on those plates, Mormon nor anyone else was alleged to have edited anything in them. Each prophet, on those plates wrote his own messages which were translated, through the power of God, by Joseph Smith.

I have read a report many years ago from a written voice expert that as he read through the books of seven different writers; Enos, Jarom, Omni, Amaron, Chemish, Abinadom, and Amaleki, each wrote in those books), he detected seven unique "voices."

I want each of you to know that claims made by very misguided people (who in most every case have never really read the Book of Mormon), that Joseph Smith "made up" that which is recorded in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, are undeniably wrong!

I want you each to personally know, by the Spirit of the Lord, that I know the Book of Mormon contains the words of prophets who were inspired by the Lord Jesus Christ. I hope each of you will gain that same testimony. To help yourself gain such, I urge you to prayerfully read the following verses from the Book of Moroni:

Moroni 10: 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

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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.

__________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other Blog Post You Decide To Open), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Click on the Following: King Benjamin Testified of Christ. Post 40x. 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). ____________


"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.

_____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found 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.
I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch