This is a photo I took of a section of one of many backlighted murals that are displayed in one of the newer teaching buildings on the MTC campus in Provo, UT. This one depicts the young prophet, Joseph Smith. His look is contemplative, perhaps in reflection of the incredible and, for the first-time hearer, unbelievable events of the First Vision and his unearthing of the golden plates, from which the Book of Mormon was translated.
We are here in Australia because, first and foremost, we know that the Book of Mormon is true; that it was translated by the prophet Joseph Smith in less than seventy days; and that it serves as an additional and confirming witness of the life and reality of Jesus Christ, our Savior. I will not, and do not intend to, convince you or anyone else of these truths; indeed, the Book of Mormon itself fulfills prophecy in that role, for in the Title Page itself it's purpose is declared, "...to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations...". While our specific mission assignment is to assist people to become more self-reliant (temporally, spiritually and emotionally), we are also to take every opportunity to bear testimony of Jesus Christ, whose work this is.
When my first wife, Karen, and I were introduced to the gospel and the Church almost fifty years ago, I initially found the story of Joseph Smith, heavenly messengers, and golden plates to be unbelievable. Only after I read and gained a spiritual witness of the divinity of the Book of Mormon did the "history" of it and the Restoration become believable; indeed, after gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon, all of these truths became evident. This, too, is spoken of in the Book of Mormon, in the Introduction, wherein it reads:
"We invite all men 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". This was my first witness. And here's what it promises thereafter, "Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Ghost [of the Book of Mormon] will also come to know by the same power that [1] Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, [2] that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and [3] that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah." I bear witness of these truths, and express my gratitude for the privilege of serving to share them with the people of Australia, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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