CONVINCING OF JEW AND GENTILE

When you first open the scriptural volume known as The Book of Mormon you encounter two title pages. The first bears the recently added title page which reads The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The second or original title page of the book contains the following statement:

Book of Mormon

AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY THE HAND OF MORMON UPON PLATES TAKEN FROM THE PLATES OF NEPHI

Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ. ”

For those who are just now taking notice of this traditional title page, one of the first things you should learn is that although these words appear at the very beginning of the book they were actually the last words Moroni inscribed on the gold plates before sealing them up and putting them into the stone box on what we today call the Hill Cumorah.

The words from his final statement which I have put into bold print declare the purpose of the book to be the convincing of the Jew and the Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.

Perhaps a short explanation about all nations being categorized into two groups has its origins in the foundational teachings upon which Lehi (the father of the major Book of Mormon peoples) and all the subsequent writers built their teachings. The Jews of 600 BC, which is the year the history found in the Book of Mormon begins, believed that there were but two groups of people on the earth, those who descended from Abraham and were keepers of the covenant and all others. Therefore you were either Jew or a Gentile. Moroni’s statement becomes even bolder when we understand that he was addressing his comments to all people of all nations.

I have had the privilege of spending the vast majority of my professional and ecclesiastical life which is now well into its sixth decade, trying to convince Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ. The Book of Mormon has been and remains the most powerful instrument and witness as an aid in the pursuit. I should note that those people the world refers to as Mormons and whom the Mormons refer to as Saints have their own tradition founded definitions which alter the two groups of the world into covenant keepers and those who need to become covenant keepers, because they have been convinced that Jesus is the Christ.

I have found while interacting with what I am sure are groups which now number in the thousands and perhaps using some Book of Mormon language in the tens of thousands, that even though we use the two very general groupings as part of our understanding, in reality there are many different personalities, methodologies and time frames which make up the journey which both covenant keepers and those who need to become covenant keepers take on their way to being convinced that Jesus is the Christ.

Depending on your perspective, I will now present a partial or perhaps to some an exhaustive listing of the paths I have witnessed people plodding along during my life.

Believing Spirits – Not one of the more common types to be found among the humanoids, but we do come across them periodically. These are they for whom the veil between their present state of mortality and their previous pre mortal estate is extremely transparent. Therefore, their process of being convinced seems to involve two brief steps, being reminded and remembering.

First Reading – I suspect the kinship of this group is very close with those of the Believing Spirit group. The main difference seems to be for this group the thinness of the veil seems to be less universal and more particular. They have not nor do they necessarily continue to have an open channel between this and their previous estate, but for some eternal reason with just one reading of the Book of Mormon they were convinced of its truthfulness and therefore had a jump start on being convinced that Jesus is the Christ.

External Evidences – I don't think you have to have a scientific bent to your intellect to be in this group, but it seems to be a commonality among many of those who begin this type of journey towards becoming convinced that Jesus is the Christ. There are so many physical descriptions in the Book of Mormon that it becomes fascinating to those of this group to make a list and check off the discoveries as archeologist dig further into Book of Mormon times. This group needs to be cautiously reminded of Joseph Smith’s admonition that it would fall to the world to prove the archeological existence of the Book of Mormon and that the members had a very different mission. Another caution that members of this group need to be aware of is that it can become so fascinating that the checking off of artifacts supersedes the true purpose of the book.

Internal Evidences – Like the closeness of the kinship between those of the Believing Spirits and the First Reading groups the Internal Evidence group has a very close relationship to the External Evidence group and, therefore, the same cautions which are given to the previous group should be noted by this group. Likewise, the same admonition and reminder of the purpose of the book to convince us that Jesus is the Christ should be hearkened. The obvious difference is that rather than digging in the ground for evidence this group is devoted to digging into the book as a volume of literature and comparing what they discover to the ancient cultures and writing styles of the writers of the Book of Mormon. We often find writers, poets, linguist and English teachers congregating in this area. They find great delight in discovering commonness in such things as Chiasmus, poetic styles and consistency with Old Testament history.

Roller Coaster – If you have ever found yourself in line at the current most popular ride at an amusement park, you will understand that those found in this group seem to make up several lines waiting for several popular rides. Like those amusement park rides I have found this group to be very popular. This group could have been labeled with the biblical words hot and cold. There are times in their journey when everything is absolute and within a short period of time doubts seem to dominate the degree to which they are being convinced that Jesus is the Christ.

Here a Little There a Little – Once again we find this group having much in common with the Roller Coaster group, but vary in that they always seem to be on the upward part of the trail. They do have a tendency to pick and choose the portion of the gospel they prefer and, therefore, fall short of being totally convinced that Jesus is the Christ because they do not thrust in their all.

My own personal journey has been one which I would not necessarily recommend to others. I have been a certain type of the Here a Little There a little group. My testimony has grown continuously and still is added too frequently, but each step is what I feel the scriptures describe as a wrestle. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God – as far as I currently understand its teachings and doctrines – then the wrestle – I yet lack so much understanding in so many ways.

Just before Moroni sealed his writings and during the same period when he wrote the words found in original title page of the Book of Mormon he inscribed the path he felt one should take to become convinced that Jesus is the Christ.

And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

And when ye 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.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever. (Moroni 10:2-7)

It seems that no matter with which group we might currently identify, whether found in this Thought or some obscure unidentified one, ultimately we will need to dedicate ourselves to adhering to Moroni’s exhortation to ask of God if we are to be convinced that Jesus is the Christ.

THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY