The Core Doctrine of the Book of Mormon

There are unnumbered treasures in the Book of Mormon! In 2005, I published a series of thirteen articles about the ways that great book of scripture acts as a latter-day corrective—from teaching us about such subjects as personal revelation and caring for the poor as well as keeping records and avoiding contention. The book is a priceless latter-day blessing! I cherish the book for all the ways it blesses us.

Yet there is one reason above all others that the Book of Mormon is priceless gift: It gives us a front-row seat on the process of redemption! It allows us to see transformation and it teaches us the process for transformation. And it describes the process enough times to make it perfectly clear. If we apply the book’s lessons in our lives, we will find ourselves growing closer and closer to God.

King Benjamin was the first Book of Mormon prophet who launched my understanding of the process of transformation.

Benjamin defines what we must do. When we recognize our dependence on God and call on Him for mercy, the process of redemption begins in earnest. Even before I fully understood the doctrine, I felt that Benjamin’s magnificent speech was a master class in spiritual transformation.

But it is one thing to know the doctrine; it is quite another to fully apply it. Somewhere in my mid-forties, I found myself disgusted with my failure to make spiritual progress. I had tried all the things I could think of to be a better person but I kept being stupid! And I hated it! So, in desperation, I decided to follow Alma’s example at a time of spiritual failure. I found a quiet place, laid on the floor, and cried out,

And God shocked me! I thought He would whisper, “Look Wally, you’re a mess. But I love you and if you try harder than ever, I will eventually embrace you.”

That’s NOT what He said or did! No! To my astonishment, as soon as I said Alma’s words, I felt engulfed in His love! I was overwhelmed by His grace. My mind protested, “You can’t do that! You must make me prove my faithfulness before you can embrace me!”

It seemed foolish to tell God how to do His work. And with reflection, I came to understand Alma’s pattern. He went from being the vilest of sinners to feeling the presence of God (Alma 36:22). When we empty ourselves of ourselves and throw ourselves on the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus, He cleans us. And when we are humble and clean, He comes in and abides with us.

Alma’s story of conversion is an incredible gift to us! This late-in-life description of his transformation encapsulates the wisdom of his lifetime of spiritual tutoring from God. And as if that were not enough, the Book of Mormon provides Alma the father’s account of his son’s transformation (Mosiah 27) so that we can see conversion from the inside and the outside.

Later, I was surprised to see the same pattern with Nephi. We usually think of Nephi as squeaky clean. But Nephi was burdened by his failings—even his sins!

But one phrase changed everything for Nephi: “Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted” (2 Nephi 4:19). Trusting Jesus changes everything!

Nephi rejoices when he turns his hopes to Jesus rather than himself. The Book of Mormon teaches us clearly and repeatedly that spiritual self-reliance is folly. We must throw ourselves on the merits, mercy, and grace of Him who is mighty to save.

Along my life journey, A. Theodore Tuttle’s family shared his talk to the brethren about the atonement. I was inspired by his talk! I was amazed! When I reread it, I realized that the great insights he shared were almost entirely passages from the Book of Mormon. As part of his talk, he lists some of the great atonement chapters in scripture. In his accounting, seven out of nine of the great scriptural atonement chapters are in the Book of Mormon.

Line upon line, I kept understanding the Lord’s doctrine of redemption more fully. For example, I rejoice in Ammon’s remarkable statement of the joy we feel when we are partnered with God.

Ammon is a great model of something far better than self-confidence: God confidence!

There are so many other teachings and examples of redemption in the Book of Mormon! In my view, the central message of the Book of Mormon is that we must look to Jesus for redemption.

The Book of Mormon prophet who continues to stretch my understanding of how to draw heavenly power into my life is the brother of Jared.

His story is unique in sacred history. He went from a three-hour chastening from the Lord “because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord” to entering the divine presence (Ether 2:14) in unprecedented ways (Ether 3:15). What happened between the chastening and the heavenly encounter? That’s an important question! What happened can teach us essential principles for approaching God.

I have studied his prayer in Ether 3:2-5 with great interest. I think I see a pattern that can guide us in special prayers.

Context:

O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. (v. 2)

Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; (v. 3)

Approach:

thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens (v. 2)

O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; (v. 4)

Declaration:

O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; (v. 2)

Cry for Mercy:

O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, (v. 3)

Plea for Divine Help:

O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires. (v. 2)

thou hast been merciful unto us. (v. 3)

Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men. (v. 5)

I have tried to tidy the brother of Jared’s prayer and have added my own rejoicing. The result is something like this:

1. Father, Thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens. Thou art glorious beyond description and gracious beyond comprehension. I stand in awe of Thy goodness. I am immeasurably grateful that Thou hast revealed Thyself to us.

2. Because of the fall my nature has become evil continually. I am a mess and I know I am. I make no pretense of deservingness. I come to Thee in desperation.

3. Look upon me in pity. Turn away Thy wrath. Oh, Lord, have mercy on me! I am desperate for Thy heavenly gift.

4. Grant according to my righteous desires.

The brother of Jared’s pattern is especially useful for turning crisis into revelation. I think I discern a strong correspondence between these four elements and the advanced form of prayer taught in sacred places. In fact, I suspect that God chided the Brother of Jared for not praying, not because he neglected prayer altogether, but because, in a time of great need, he had failed to use what God had taught him about powerful prayer in his endowment.

I should acknowledge that the brother of Jared’s prayer may not be appropriate for opening sacrament meetings. But it is appropriate for opening the heavens. It is the way I begin every day. It is also the prayer with which I approach Him when I make special requests of heaven.

The core doctrine of the Book of Mormon is:

What a reassuring message! What a powerful invitation! We are not beyond His reach! We are not alone in a challenge course that demands more than we can give. Rather than despair at our weakness and fallenness, we should embrace the Book of Mormon pattern to come to Him relying wholly on His merits. That choice will offer the priceless gifts of transformation, redemption, and an enduring relationship with God.  

Invitation to Share Gratitude!

This season, build the spirit of gratitude in your family and among your friends by sharing an extraordinary book. God’s Trophies is a heartwarming children’s tale about Rupert learning gratitude for all of God’s creations. Rupert’s whimsical adventure also teaches children that they are each God’s most beloved creation. Wonderful illustrations accompany the clever story. This book would make an excellent holiday gift for special people in your life. For the holiday season, I am offering five copies of God’s Trophies—a $67.50 value—for $25 with free shipping in the US.

To get this special offer, go to Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1323815601/share-the-gratitude-with-five-copies-of?click_key=cafb815540202fe5648de081ae275dea187f26f2%3A1323815601&click_sum=17488fb9&ref=shop_home_feat_1&frs=1&fbclid=IwAR3rWssD8Hl8lng_1I9d3xtwO8rmPm4EWgfXwuztpHRWTbGN6OaaxN8iqYI

Thanks to Barbara Keil for her valuable refinements of this article.

The Brother of Jared portion of this article is adapted from my article Higher Forms of Prayer, previously published by Meridian Magazine.

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