Upon arriving home from work, a father wanted to read the newspaper, but his young son kept begging, “come and play with me.” Seeing a picture of the world in the paper, the father had a brilliant idea. He tore it into small pieces, thus making a puzzle. Handing the pieces to his son, he said, “here, put this puzzle of the world together and then I’ll play with you.”
In just a short time, his son returned announcing that he had finished the puzzle. “How did you set that puzzle in such a short time, his father queried?”
The son replied, “on the back was a picture of a man. I just put the man together because I knew if the man was right, the world would be too” (A story by Jim Quinn, Founder of the Lifestream Basic Seminar).
This is the key to lifting our nation. Let’s do all we can to build the man!
This is what Joseph Smith taught about how the Book of Mormon can help with this quest: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth and that a man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts than by any other book” (Book of Mormon, Introduction page).
The Book of Mormon speaks of two previous civilizations upon this continent and also of the promises given them. Here is the promise to the first civilization, known as the Jaredites:
Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written (Ether 2:12).
A similar promise and warning was given to the second civilization (600 B.C. to 421 A.D.): Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever (2 Nephi 1:7).
It is written by former inhabitants of this continent and is written for us. The Book of Mormon will build the man which in turn will build our nation.
(You may obtain a free copy of the Book of Mormon at: ComeUntoChrist.org)
Merlin Frei
Good work Merlin