The Book of Mormon

What is the Book of Mormon?

The Book of Mormon is a volume of sacred scripture comparable to the Bible. It contains the record of the prophets who lived on the American continent between about 600 B.C. and A.D. 421. Its central message is the same as that of the Bible: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

The name “Book of Mormon” comes from Mormon, a prophet who compiled and abridged the historical and spiritual records of his people. His son Moroni added the final pages and, centuries later, as a resurrected being, revealed the location of the plates engraved in gold to Joseph Smith in 1823.

How did it come to us?

• In 1823, the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and revealed the existence of buried gold plates
• In 1827, Joseph Smith received the plates and translated them by the gift and power of God
• In 1830, the book was first published under the title “The Book of Mormon”
• Today it has been translated into more than 100 languages and is one of the most widely distributed books in the world

What does it teach?

The Book of Mormon teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ with extraordinary clarity. Some of its central themes include:

• The nature of God and of Jesus Christ
• Faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost
• The visit of the resurrected Jesus Christ to the American continent
• Pride as the cause of the fall of civilizations — and humility as the path to prosperity
• The promise that anyone who reads it sincerely can know, by the Holy Ghost, that it is true

How can I know if it is true?

The book itself invites the reader to test its truthfulness. In Moroni 10:3-5, it promises that anyone who reads the book, reflects on its contents and asks God in sincere prayer whether it is true will receive an answer through the power of the Holy Ghost.

This invitation has been accepted by millions of people around the world, who testify that they have received that spiritual confirmation. Would you like to try it too?