Kevinhinckley.com

Question: why would any of us be anxious in 2010?

Unless it is:Current world conditionsFinancial markets and US DebtTerrorist Threats and warningsNatural DisastersShifting political policiesYour job securityYour retirement securityRaising a family/Youth leader?

Peer pressureNormalization of same-sex culturePornographyTextingLady Gaga

Personal:Your debtYour weightYour callingThe carYour sinsYour husband’s sinsYour prodigal sonYour high blood pressureAnd even more importantly:

Who will replace Simon on American Idol?Team Edward or Team Jacob?Can Dr. House stay off the pills?Can the Cowboys win the Super Bowl? (mine) 9

It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more.

There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception.

You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life”and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon.

When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.

Nov Ensign, 1986

There are three possible explanations for the origin of the Book of Mormon. One is that it is a product of spontaneous generation.

Another is that it came into existence in the way Joseph Smith said it did, by special

messengers and gifts from God. The third is the hypothesis that Joseph Smith or some other party

or parties simply made it all up. No experiments have ever been carried out for testing any of these theories.

The first has not even been considered, the second has been dismissed with a contemptuous wave of the hand, and the third has been accepted without question or hesitation.

And yet the third theory is quite as extravagant as the other two, demanding unlimited gullibility and the suspension of all critical judgment in any who would accept it. It is based on the simple proposition that since people have written books, somebody, namely Smith or a contemporary, wrote this one.

But to make this thesis stick is to show not only that people have written big books, but that somebody has been able to produce a big book like this one. But no other such book exists.

Martin Harris, 1827 Visit to New YorkVisited Three Men:Luther Bradish

Family FriendDirected him to two scholars

Charles AnthonVisited Twice2nd time, “I cannot read a sealed book”But- He did not possess the knowledge in the first place!

Samual Latham MitchellWell Respected Scholar and StatesmanJust returned from Middle EastCompared the characters with samples in his officeDeclared them authenticBelieved Americas were settled by three peoples with common dialect.

Why the Book of Mormon?

Wouldn’t our message be easier to hear without the angels, the gold plates and new scriptures?

I Nephi 13:39,402 Nephi 25:21

“…also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD”

Question:Doesn’t the Christian

world believe that already?

The Book of

Matthew

The Book of

Mark

The Book of

Luke

The Book of

John

The Common Stories The Common Stories Are From Another Are From Another

SourceSource

The ‘Historical Jesus’

No MiraclesNo MagicReally nice guy

Nephi

Jacob

Isaiah

MormonMoroni

Bro ofJared

JS History 1:36-39What does Elijah and

Malachi have to do with the Book of Mormon?

D&C 3:16-20

Until we gain a fuller understanding,

We will worship a god of our own making

Do we believe in a God of tender mercies

Do we believe in a God that does Great Things?

Do you believe in a God who will do Great Things for your life?