8 Things the Book of Mormon Can Teach You about God
The Book of Mormon, like the Bible, is a book of scripture that contains God’s word given to us through His prophets. Here are eight precious truths it teaches us about God, our loving Heavenly Father.
God is real
The Book of Mormon testifies that God truly does exist. People throughout the Book of Mormon learn of, listen to, and see signs of God. One example is Nephi, a young man who had “great desires to know of the mysteries of God” (1 Nephi 2:16). His prayers to know God were answered: “Behold [the Lord] did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe” (1 Nephi 2:16). Each of us can come to know that God is real by seeking Him through prayer.
God’s hand is in all things
In the Book of Mormon, a man demanded that the prophet Alma show him a sign to prove the existence of God. “All things denote there is a God,” Alma pointed out, “yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44). If we search for it, we can see the hand of God in all the beauty around us.
God has a body
God manifested Himself to the people of the Book of Mormon, just as He did to the people of the Bible. The book of Mosiah teaches us that, “man was created after the image of God” (Mosiah 7:27). This means you were created to look like Him and that He has a physical body.
God can speak to you
Most of the time, God communicates through the Holy Spirit. But on some occasions, people have heard God Himself speak, usually to testify of His Son, Jesus Christ. In the Book of Mormon we read of a large group of people hearing God proclaim, “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him” (3 Nephi 11:7).
God loves His children
When the prophet Nephi was asked whether he understood “the condescension of God,” he honestly replied, “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things” (1 Nephi 11:16–17). We can follow Nephi’s example and hold fast to the knowledge that God loves us, His children, and wants what is best for us despite the uncertainties we face in life.
God’s love is perfect
God’s love for you does not depend on your social status, your background, or even how much love you have for Him. Rather, God’s love is perfect and infinite. The Book of Mormon teaches, “He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33).
God has a plan for you
God knows you perfectly because He made you. He has a plan to help you come home to Him and be happy. The Book of Mormon teaches that God created His children “that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25).
God wants you to return to live with Him
Through the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, you can repent of your sins and return to God’s presence. The Book of Mormon prophet Samuel taught, “The resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind … and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord” (Helaman 14:17).
From both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, you can learn that God exists, that He loves you, and that He has a plan for you. Living His gospel and learning of Him will help you be happy in this life and in the next.