“Testifying of Christ,” Ensign, Sept. 2012, 40–43

Testifying of Christ

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. Artwork from the Ninth International Art Competition shares this and other sacred messages from this holy book.

“The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel.

“The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. … The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. …

“The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come. …

“We invite all men [and women] everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)”¹

The Fruit of Joy, by Nanako Hayashi. Tasting the fruit of joy, which is the love of God, encourages us to “make known his wonderful works among the people” (D&C 65:4).

I Will Bring You Up Again out of the Depths, by Jonathan Arthur Clarke. The Jaredites traveled for 344 days across the waters in their unusual barges. Though “the mountain waves” dashed upon them, the Lord brought them up “out of the depths of the sea.” (See Ether 2:24; 6:6–7, 11.)

Brass Plates, cutout paper art, by Aniko Brewer. At first Nephi could not get the brass plates from Laban, but Nephi chose to be obedient, and the Lord prepared a way. Nephi obtained the plates and gave them to his father, Lehi. (See 1 Nephi 3–4.)

The Jaredites Leaving Babel, by Albin Veselka. Merit Award. From the story of the Jaredites, we learn that when the world is full of pride, we can rely on living prophets, who teach the word of God (see Ether 1:33–43).

I Will Send Their Words Forth (Jacob the Teacher), by Elspeth Caitlin Young. Purchase Award. Jacob, sitting before a representation of the tree of life, engraves his “great anxiety” for his people on the plates (see Jacob 1:1–8).

Compare the Word unto a Seed, by Kay B. Spjut. We learn in Alma 32:28–43 to “compare the word unto a seed” and nourish that seed with faith so it will grow. This gourd began its journey as a seed that was nourished by faith and loving hands. Now it stands as an object of art, designed to teach the gospel through one of the most powerful symbols in scripture—the tree of life (see 1 Nephi 8).

My Beloved Son—3 Nephi 11, by Steven Lloyd Neal. This scene, representing the temple in the Nephite land Bountiful, is the artist’s imaginings of what it might have looked like about the time that Christ appeared to the people in the Americas (see 3 Nephi 11).

Taste of the Fruit of the Tree of Life, by Denis Gerard Daniel Mejean. We, like Nephi, can taste of the love of God by acting as His true disciples (see 1 Nephi 11:21–23).

Faith, Hope, and Charity, by Jonathan Linton. Faith (left), Hope (right), and Charity (center) nurture a tender plant representing the word of the gospel as described by the Book of Mormon prophet Alma (see Alma 32).

Mary Lightner Reads the Book of Mormon, by Andrew Knaupp. When a copy of the first edition of the Book of Mormon reached Isaac Morley, presiding elder in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, Mary begged to read it. She spent all night reading. Then Brother Morley gave her permission to finish reading it before returning it to him.

Teacher John, by GayLynn Lorene Ribeira. Schoolteacher John Essel teaches one of his weekly after-school gospel classes to Institute students in Ghana.

As I Sat Pondering, by Vicki Lynn Walker. The Holy Ghost, represented by the dove, is a powerful witness of the truth of all things.