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: The Physical Representation of the Effects of Sin
Letter to a Friend
Dear David,
I hope you are doing well. I know it’s been awhile since we last talked, but I would really like to explain better now why the destruction of the ancient inhabitants of America was so terrifying in chapters 7-10 of Third Nephi in The Book of Mormon.
God, the master of words that he is, had several purposes for having this descriptive account recorded for us in this time. One that we talked about in my Book of Mormon class that is fairly clear is to show the fate of the wicked at the last day that they will not be allowed to abide in Jesus Christ’s or God’s presence.
Another reason I learned about recently is to describe with physical events the spiritual pain we go through when we sin. Our guilt may burn and consume us like fire. Our souls are thrown into upheaval as those things that were once one way are drastically changed into another, just as the scriptures said that the smooth places were made rough and the rough places were made flat.
Another description of the effects of sin is drowning: unable to draw breath and panicking. The inhabitants of ancient America were also described as swallowed up by the earth and rocks falling down to bury them. Similarly, when we sin we feel a weight and pressure upon us, crushing and immobilizing us. All these effects of sin destroy us and leave us destitute, but these effects can be contrasted to the joy and healing to be found when we repent of our sins and turn unto Christ.
God lets us know exactly what we can expect when we sin and when we repent. Please try to understand these things because they will bring you the greatest joy in life.
Your friend,
Ryan
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