2011
The Story of the Book of Mormon
October 2011

“The Story of the Book of Mormon,” Liahona, Oct. 2011, 16–19

The Story of the Book of Mormon

What happens in the Book of Mormon? Use these pictures to learn about the prophets and stories in this marvelous book of scripture.

  1. The Book of Mormon begins with a prophet named Lehi. He warned the wicked people in Jerusalem to repent, but the people didn’t listen. The Lord told Lehi to take his family, including his wife, Sariah, and their sons—Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi—into the wilderness. (See 1 Nephi 1–2.)

  2. Lehi sent his sons back to get the scriptures written on brass plates. These plates had the history of their ancestors and other things the Lord had told them to write. Lehi and Nephi took good care of these plates. They also wrote on metal plates what happened to their family. (See 1 Nephi 3–5.)

  3. The Lord gave Lehi a compass called the Liahona to guide his family through the wilderness to the promised land. (See 1 Nephi 16.)

  4. The Lord told Nephi to build a boat to take Lehi’s family to the promised land. Nephi obeyed his father and the Lord, but Laman and Lemuel did not. (See 1 Nephi 17.)

  5. Lehi and his family sailed to the promised land on the boat they built. (See 1 Nephi 18.)

  6. Laman and Lemuel continued to disobey their father and the Lord. Their descendants are known as the Lamanites. Nephi continued to obey his father and the Lord. His descendants are called Nephites. (See 2 Nephi 4–5.)

  7. After Lehi and Nephi died, other people, such as Nephi’s brother Jacob, were in charge of writing important teachings and events on the plates. (See Jacob 1.)

  8. Enos prayed to be forgiven of his sins, and he was forgiven. (See Enos 1.)

  9. King Benjamin built a tower to teach his people the gospel. (See Mosiah 2–6.)

  10. A wicked king named Noah had the prophet Abinadi put to death. But Abinadi’s teachings converted one of Noah’s priests named Alma. (See Mosiah 11–17.)

  11. Alma escaped from King Noah’s court, taught other people about the gospel, and baptized them. (See Mosiah 18.)

  12. Alma’s son Alma the Younger was not obedient. He and his friends, the sons of Mosiah, were wicked. Then an angel told them to repent. Alma and the sons of Mosiah repented and spent the rest of their lives preaching the gospel. (See Mosiah 27–28.)

  13. Mosiah’s son Ammon converted many Lamanites after Ammon defended King Lamoni’s flocks and won his trust. (See Alma 17–19.)

  14. Captain Moroni wrote the title of liberty and fought to defend the liberty of his people. (See Alma 46; 48.)

  15. Helaman led an army of 2,000 righteous young men. (See Alma 53; 56–58.)

  16. A Lamanite prophet named Samuel prophesied that Jesus Christ would soon be born. (See Helaman 13–16.)

  17. Far away in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ was born. He taught His gospel, healed and blessed people, and set up His Church. Then He was crucified and resurrected. (See 3 Nephi 1; 8–10.)

  18. After His Resurrection, He visited the righteous Nephites and Lamanites. He taught them His gospel, healed them, and blessed them, just as He had in the land around Jerusalem. (See 3 Nephi 11–28.)

  19. A 10-year-old boy named Mormon was chosen to write on the plates when he grew older. At age 24 he began combining the most important stories from all the records onto a set of metal plates. (See Mormon 1.)

  20. Before Mormon died, he gave the plates to his son Moroni. Moroni was a general in the army. He was the last Nephite to survive a great battle between the Lamanites and the Nephites. (See Mormon 6; 8.)

  21. Before Moroni died, he buried the plates in a place called Cumorah. About 1,400 years after Moroni buried the plates, a 14-year-old boy named Joseph Smith prayed to know which church was right. (See Joseph Smith—History 1:5–16.)

  22. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ visited Joseph Smith and told him that none of the churches were true and complete. Joseph would help restore the true Church of Jesus Christ. (See Joseph Smith—History 1:17–20.)

  23. Moroni visited Joseph Smith and told him about the buried plates. When Joseph Smith got older, he would get the plates and translate them. (See Joseph Smith—History 1:27–54.)

  24. When Joseph Smith was 21, he went to the Hill Cumorah and got the plates from the place where Moroni had buried them. (See Joseph Smith—History 1:59.)

  25. Through the power of God, Joseph Smith translated the writing on the plates. He published this translation. It is called the Book of Mormon. (See title page and introduction to the Book of Mormon.)

Left: photo illustration by Robert Casey; detail from Lehi Traveling Near the Red Sea, by Gary Smith; I Did Obey the Voice of the Spirit, by Walter Rane; Lehi and the Liahona, by Joseph Brickey; Nephi Rebuking His Rebellious Brothers, by Arnold Friberg © 1951 IRI; right: Lehi and His People Arrive in the Promised Land, by Arnold Friberg © 1951 IRI; They Did Treat Me with Much Harshness, by Walter Rane; Nephi Writing on the Gold Plates, by Paul Mann © 1988; I Did Raise My Voice That It Reached the Heavens, by Walter Rane; In the Service of Your God, by Walter Rane; detail from Abinadi Appearing before King Noah, by Arnold Friberg © 1951 IRI; Come into the Fold of God, by Walter Rane; Alma Arise, by Walter Rane; paintings by Walter Rane are courtesy of Church History Museum

Left: Ammon Defends the Flocks of King Lamoni, by Arnold Friberg © 1951 IRI; Come Forth, by Walter Rane, courtesy of Church History Museum; Two Thousand Young Men Go to Battle, by Arnold Friberg, courtesy of Church History Museum; Samuel the Lamanite Prophesies, by Arnold Friberg © 1951 IRI; Mormon Abridging the Plates, by Tom Lovell © IRI; I Even Remain Alone, by Walter Rane, courtesy of Church History Museum; Moroni Burying the Plates, by Tom Lovell © IRI; The Desires of My Heart II, by Walter Rane; right: He Is Risen, by Del Parson; Christ and the Book of Mormon Children, by Del Parson © 1995; The Angel Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith, by Tom Lovell © 2003 IRI; Cumorah’s Hill, by Jon McNaughton; Joseph Smith Translating the Book of Mormon, by Del Parson © 1996 IRI