We have a separate devotional for our
older children before the younger ones wake up in the morning. We
ask a lot of questions and are constantly discovering new things.
It's amazing how much we miss when we read the Book of Mormon without
stopping to ask questions, examining the meaning of words, and
looking deeper into what is being communicated. A careful study of
the Book of Mormon is really quite exciting. We are enjoying our
early morning study time.
There are hundreds of questions you
could ask with every chapter you read. Here's over a hundred
questions to consider. Many more questions could still be asked.
Questions
for Discussion
What is the significance of the number
eight? Eight is new beginning. For example, on the eighth day a new
week begins. Where else do you see the number eight in scripture? How
many souls were on Noah's ark? What age can we be baptized? What day
was John the Baptist circumcised? How many witnesses did Joseph Smith
show the gold plates to? Can you think of other examples? What did
the brother of Jared do to make 16 clear small stones? Who came up
with the idea? How much effort did he put into the preparations? Is
there any significance of getting the rock from the same mount where
he prayed to the Lord? Have you ever cried unto the Lord?
1 And it came to
pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which
had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they
called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did
molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and
clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands
upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying:
Why did the brother of Jared think the
Lord might be angry with him because of his weakness? See Genesis
11:1-9 and Ether 1:33. Has the brother of Jared seen what happens to
those who experience the anger of the Lord? What is the brother of
Jared concerned about? In Ether
2:14-15 he was chastened for not calling upon the name of the Lord
for his brethren, how does his prayer in these verses show he has
repented? Why did the brother of Jared reference the commandment of
the Lord when crying unto the Lord? When we come to Jesus with
His words are praying in the name of Jesus? How is fulfilling the
commandments of the Lord show forth faith? How does the brother of
Jared see himself when compared to Jesus?
2 O Lord, thou
hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now
behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his
weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in
the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the
fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord,
thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that
from thee we may receive according to our desires.
Why were the Jaredites smitten? Why
were they driven forth? Yet, what did the Brother of Jared say about
how the Lord has been toward them? In your troubles, do you see the
Lord's merciful hand in your life? Can you imagine how the brother of
Jared must have felt as he asked Jesus to look at the stones in his
hands? This was his best work. He did carefully molten each one of
those small stones out of rock.
3 Behold, O Lord,
thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us
forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness;
nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me
in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer
not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but
behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.
How does the brother of Jared know the
Lord has all power? Do we have the belief or faith to come before
Jesus with confidence in the Lord's power?
4 And I know, O
Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for
the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy
finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and
they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared,
that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
Why does the Lord's great power, look
small unto the understanding of men?
5 Behold, O Lord,
thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great
power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.
Was the brother of Jared still holding
the stones in his hands when the Lord touched them? Do you think he
could he feel the pressure on his hand as each stone was touched?
Could he feel each stone being touch before he saw the Lord's finger?
Why did the Lord touch each stone one by one instead of speaking and
giving light to the stones? How could Jesus come in flesh and blood
long before He is born? What is this veil which covers our eyes? Why
was the brother of Jared struck with fear?
6 And it came to
pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the
Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with
his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother
of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger
of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell
down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.
What would you do if you knew Jesus was
standing right in front of you, but you couldn't see Him? What was
the significance of Jesus telling the brother of Jared to arise? Why
did Jesus ask him why he had fallen? Why did he think the Lord would
smite him? What are your beliefs about Jesus that are not correct?
After the brother of Jared saw the Lord's flesh and blood why did he
think the Lord would smite him?
7 And the Lord saw
that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said
unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?
8 And he saith
unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he
should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.
Faith is a principle of action based on
a true belief. What were the brother of Jared's beliefs? What were
his actions? What was the result of his faith? Why couldn't he have
seen the finger of the Lord without faith? What was the Lord's
purpose in asking the brother of Jared if he saw more than his
finger? Is this question answer session essential so that we come to
the Lord at our pace instead of the Lord setting the pace?
9 And the Lord
said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take
upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such
exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have
seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?
10 And he
answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.
Why is Jesus asking the brother of
Jared if he believes the words which he is going to speak? Did he
have to hear the words of Jesus before he could determine whether
they were true or not? How did he come to know the Lord is a God of
truth?
11 And the Lord
said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?
12 And he
answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou
art a God of truth, and canst not lie.
Can you pick out the essential elements
in the brother of Jared's walk back into the presence of the Lord?
Can you be redeemed from the fall without being brought back into the
Lord's presence? What does the brother of Jared now know?
13 And when he had
said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said:
Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall;
therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show
myself unto you.
How was Jesus prepared from the
foundation of the world to redeem his people? Who will Jesus redeem?
How is Jesus Christ both the Father and the Son? What does it mean to
believe on His name? What is eternal life? How come we can't have
life eternally without believing on the name of Jesus Christ? When do
we become Jesus Christ's sons and daughters? What happens to all who
don't become Jesus Christ's sons and daughters?
14 Behold, I am he
who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my
people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me
shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall
believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
How did Jesus show Himself unto the
brother of Jared differently than the prophets who came before him?
Enoch lived before the brother of Jared. Didn't Enoch and his people
walk and talk with God (Moses 7:69)? Before this time did the brother
of Jared know he was created after the image of God?
15 And never have I
showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man
believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after
mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after
mine own image.
Did Jesus touch the stones with His
spirit body or His flesh and blood body? What does it mean “man
have I created after the body of my spirit”? What is the difference
between a spirit body and a flesh body?
16 Behold, this
body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I
created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee
to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.
Why couldn't Moroni make a full account
of these things? In what manner did Jesus show himself unto the
Nephites? What body did Jesus show unto the Nephites? Did the
brother of Jared touch the wounds in Jesus' hands, feet, and side as
the Nephites did?
17 And now, as I,
Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which
are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed
himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the
likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the
Nephites.
How were the Nephites ministered unto?
When you come into the presence of Jesus will He minister to you in
like manner? Why did the brother of Jared need to be ministered to in
this manner to know Jesus was God? Why did Jesus show him many great
works? How did Moses tell the difference between God and Satan
(Moses 1)?
18 And he
ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all
this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many
great works which the Lord had showed unto him.
How did the brother of Jared get
knowledge? How did knowledge give him access to see inside the veil?
What is the veil? What is it to see inside the veil? Why did he fall
with fear when he saw Jesus' finger? What does it mean to know
without a shadow of a doubt?
19 And because of
the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within
the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell
with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had
faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
Why couldn't he be kept from within the
veil after receiving a perfect knowledge of God? What happens when
you see Jesus? What is covering Jesus from our view? What is this
veil?
20 Wherefore,
having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from
within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto
him.
Why didn't the Lord want these things
to go forth unto the world until the time when He glorfied His name
in the flesh? Is going forth unto the world the same thing as going
forth to other believers (Mosiah 28:7)? This record was found before
Jesus Christ came in the flesh (Mosiah 8, Ether 4:1)? Was the brother
of Jared allowed to tell anyone about what he saw and heard? What
does it mean to treasure up? What kind of treasures do we seek?
21 And it came to
pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt
not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto
the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the
flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen
and heard, and show it to no man.
Did the brother of Jared continue to
come unto Jesus after this manifestation? What did he do with all
manifestations of Jesus? Did the brother of Jared have the sealing
power? How did the brother of Jared seal up the record? In what
language did the brother of Jared write these things?
22 And behold, when
ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up,
that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language
that they cannot be read.
Why were two stones sealed up with the
record?
23 And behold,
these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up
also with the things which ye shall write.
Was this language the same language
which was confounded at the tower of babel? If so, was the language
confounded for the brother of Jared? How would stones magnify to eyes
of men these things?
24 For behold, the
language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will
cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes
of men these things which ye shall write.
Why is showing the brother of Jared all
the inhabitants of the earth an important part of God's ministry?
How did this ministry give the brother knowledge that Jesus was God?
How is the spirit of prophecy connected with receiving the testimony
of Jesus?
25 And when the
Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all
the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would
be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of
the earth.
When had Jesus told the brother of
Jared that IF he would believe in him that he could show him all
things? How seriously and literally did the brother of Jared take
Jesus' words? How did he know not merely believe the Lord could show
him all things?
26 For he had said
unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he
could show unto him all things—it should be shown unto him;
therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew
that the Lord could show him all things.
Who would show these things unto the
children of men? When?
27 And the Lord
said unto him: Write these things and seal them up; and I will show
them in mine own due time unto the children of men.
Did you notice the Lord repeats His
instructions more than once? What is the purpose for this
repetition? How many times does the Lord command him to seal up the
record and show them not to the children of men (see also Ether 4:1)?
Were these the two stones Joseph Smith used (JSH 1:52)?
28 And it came to
pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the two
stones which he had received, and show them not, until the Lord
should show them unto the children of men.
