Gospel & Doctrine

Too often in the world today, we hear people bragging of how they "won" and gained more power for themselves - by hurting someone else, or by manipulations or negotiations done to get their way, or by any number of other methods. But what about nice things that we do for people?

Sure, the Savior told us that we shouldn't do good things and then go around bragging about them in order to get recognition and gain power for ourselves that way: "Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." (Matthew 6:2) But shouldn't acts of kindness carry more power with them than acts of unkindness?

Today I was returning a big stack of library books to the library. I'd purposely taken them to a book drop I could park by, because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to carry all the books. (It did not occur to me until later that I could have carried my books in a bag.) When I got to the book drop, I realized that I was going to have to free up one of my hands somehow in order to pull down the door and put the books in. Just as I was wondering exactly how I would do this, a man stopped and opened the door on the book drop for me. He was very cheerful, and I thanked him, and I left feeling happier than I'd been when I started.

He could have pretended he didn't see me. He could have told himself he was in a hurry and he couldn't help me. He could have refused to help me because, after all, it was my own fault I'd carried so many books to the book drop with me. Any of these excuses would have allowed him to finish his own errands more quickly. I'm sure I've made similar excuses myself, numerous times.

But he didn't. It wasn't a big thing that he did, and I probably even could have figured out a way to get my books in the book drop myself. But his kind deed left me feeling good. It left me in a mood to turn around and do something nice for someone else. Just think of the power that even one good deed can create, if each recipient goes and helps someone else.

King Benjamin, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, gave a powerful talk on the importance of helping others. He said, in part,

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just-

18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind? (Mosiah 4:16-19)

Here King Benjamin is telling us that as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must help others. That is what the Savior would do Himself. And even though sometimes people bring upon themselves their misery, it is not our place to determine whether someone needs help or not. For, in the end, we are all beggars. The Lord has given each of us everything that we have; we did not create it ourselves.

So think of the acts of kindness that you've been a recipient of. You can probably come up with quite a few. And then, just as we've been the recipients of so much goodness, particularly from our Father in Heaven, we need to reach out and help others. Even just with small acts of kindness.

What is the Book of Mormon? Perhaps the simplest and most direct answer can be found on the front cover of the paperback version of the book, or on the title page in the leather-bound volumes. It reads: "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ."

And that's what it is. As the Old Testament testifies of the coming of Christ, and the New Testament testifies of His ministry among the house of Israel, the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ in the New World.

The book begins in about 600 B.C. and follows a prophet and his family from Jerusalem to the Americas as the Lord commands them. Although they lived hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, they had an understanding of Him and His role as our Savior and believed fully in his future coming. One example of this is found in Jacob 4:4, which says:

For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.

Perhaps something like how Christians today anticipate the Second Coming of the Savior, these people - and, as Jacob testifies, those we read of in the Old Testament as well - had a full knowledge of and faith in the coming of our Savior and looked forward to His birth.

The Book of Mormon covers several hundred years of history, including accounts of wars, missionary efforts, and sermons given by their prophets. And then in the book of Third Nephi, as much of Nephite society has become wicked and corrupt while the faithful steadfastly look forward to the coming of Christ, the sign in the heavens - a night where there is no darkness - is given, as prophesied. The faithful understand that their Savior has been born.

Thirty-three years later, wickedness abounds even more than it had at the time of Christ's birth. Even the government of the people has fallen from corruption. The righteous are persecuted for believing in Christ. Yet in the middle of all this, many are taught the gospel and are baptized.

In the midst of terrible natural disasters at the time of Christ's crucifixion, the people hear a voice from heaven. It is Christ Himself, inviting men to repent and come unto Him. And later, as the people gather at the temple, they again hear a voice saying:

Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name - hear ye him.

And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe ...

And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:

Behold, I am Jesus Christ whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.(3 Nephi 11:7-10)

The people were all permitted to feel the scars in his hands and his side as a witness of the Savior's crucifixion and resurrection. Christ then went on to call apostles and organize His Church among them, as He had done in Israel. He taught the people the ways of righteousness. And as He had done before, He healed the sick and called the little children unto Him.

What a glorious thing it is to understand that the Lord truly loves all of His children. Not only did He live and serve among the people in Israel in New Testament times, He has also walked among the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. And members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints testify that He still speaks to man today.