A Priceless Treasure: The Book of Mormon

By Elder Claude Gamiette

Area Seventy

I was introduced to the Book of Mormon as a 21-year-old young man by missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Little did I know the incredible impact that this book would have on my life. Even now, 34 years later, I marvel and can only express the deepest gratitude for this treasure that I have found.

Written by ancient prophets who left Jerusalem to find a promised land, that happened to be the Americas, some 600 years before Christ. The book, abridged by the prophet named Mormon, summarizes the history of descendants of Israel chosen by the Lord to bring a second witness of the divine mission of Christ and the great plan of salvation of our Heavenly Father.

I want to review how this book has led me to Christ and brought a bright hope and assurance that God lives and guides me today and every day of my life.

Moroni, son of the prophet Mormon, promises us that we can know of the divinity of this book; he said, “And when you shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, The Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”¹

What a bold statement Moroni is extending to the reader! With perfect assurance that God lives and will surely answer the sincere seeker, he promises that you will know for yourself whether this book is of God. Millions have taken this invitation and can attest to its truthfulness. For myself, my quest to know whether this book was truly from God, started by reading it. As I followed the journey of Lehi and his family from Jerusalem to the promised land, their experiences and interactions with God inspired me. I, myself, needed guidance and I could see how Nephi had perfect faith that Heavenly Father would answer his prayers when faced by adversity. I could see also how his determination was key for him to receive from the Lord.

Nephi, after hearing his Father’s teaching, said, “And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men.”²

Then he demonstrated his faith. He sat reflecting on the things he had learned and, praying, he said, “For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.”³

I learned that the right attitude to have in approaching God is to believe that the Lord can make things known unto you. Ponder, pray and sit still to hear His voice. At first, I did not hear it, but as I continued reading, the Spirit of God — The Holy Ghost — as referred to by Nephi, softened my heart little by little, and I felt His comforting influence. I felt inspired and had a greater desire to know. I prayed, waiting on the Lord to come and visit me. Little did I know that He had already started to visit with me, by sending those feelings in my heart. He had started to light a small fire in my soul. In countless verses, the Lord spoke to me reassuring me that He wanted to talk to me if I would let Him prepare the ground and make it softer to plant a seed that would sprout to a sure knowledge of His infinite love, care and desire to reveal Himself to all of His children.

Nephi, again, having now gained a greater assurance of those things said, “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

“Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light but must perish in the dark.”⁴

Nephi lays out clearly what needs to be done to hear the voice of the Lord:

Feast upon the words of Christ.
Ask, knock and you will be brought to the light. If you do not, because of your doubts, you will stay in darkness.

He then reassures us again in verse 5, “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”⁵

The Holy Ghost has been my guide on the covenant path that leads to the presence of God, and as Nephi, Moroni, all the other prophets of the Book of Mormon and all the living witnesses of Christ and His gospel, I want to invite all to come unto Christ.

I bear witness that the Book of Mormon is a tool the Lord has prepared in these latter days to help all His children find the way and press forward to know Him and live a life full of hope and assurance of His love and presence, to face the adversities and trials of this life and help us overcome the world.