BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.” As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.
In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.
In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America. (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names. We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)
Let us know if you’d like to receive your own copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.
Mormon Thoughts
Letter to Brother on a Mission
Dear Ryker,
This week we have been studying chapters 7 through 10 in 3 Nephi. In these chapters it shows how the people are becoming more and more wicked right before the Savior’s coming. A few concepts that caught my attention were how there are many paths to wickedness but only one path to Christ, and how signs or miracles can be overlooked if our spiritual eyes are shut.
Satan wishes to deceive all mankind by distracting us from the good and preaching against the doctrine of Christ. Although there are many signs in these chapters that followed the great sign of the star (the sign which had been prophesied would appear at Christ’s birth), the people become ignorant in their wickedness. They turn hardhearted and prideful as their attention strays from God. I believe that happens to us at times as well.
We know that we live in the last days and that Christ will soon come again, but with the many vain things of the world fighting for our attention we lose focus on our true and eternal goal. President Uchtdorf (member of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) talked once in a story about a time when the navigation on his plane began to malfunction. As the controls went out, there was only a small compass to lead their coarse. With that they believed they were on track but little did they know they were only a few degrees off. Little by little they strayed from their destination and when they reached journey’s end, they realized they had ended up very far off course.
Satan will try and sway us only a little bit at a time as to confuse us and make us not notice where we are in the storm of life. We must hold fast to the word of God and follow our modern-day Liahonas (ancient spiritually guided compass), such as the living prophets, to guide and direct us with the Spirit. For if we don’t, we will become desensitized to even the greatest of God’s miracles, like the people in 3 Nephi did when they watched Nephi cast out devils and raise his brother from the dead.
I testify that there are miracles in our days and the closer we are to God, the more clear they come into our vision so that we can look to God and feel secure that he is in control. Thanks for being such a great example and preaching the good word to those who so desperately need it. You are the miracle that can help them see Christ’s love and accept Him as their Savior.
Love ya tons!
Brock Guthrie
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