My dear brothers and sisters, Aloha! Nancy and I truly are thrilled to be with you today. Everything that Nancy said about BYU and Hawaii is true. We are both thrilled and grateful to be here. You represent BYU at its finest. We feel your goodness and your love and we know that you love our Heavenly Father and His Son and that they love you.
One of my current assignments at Church headquarters is to serve on the Church’s Scriptures Committee. I have to confess that before I began serving on that committee I wasn’t quite sure what they did. I have been pleasantly surprised.
The scriptures have been and always will be one of the key components of our religion and one of the foundational ways the children of God come to know him. In fact, Joseph Smith said, “Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We have none.” I think too often we take for granted these precious treasures—the scriptures. But think of it. The scriptures contain true accounts of God’s interactions with his children. Through them we learn of his love. Through them we learn of our eternal potential.
Those of us who speak English have been blessed from the beginning with access to these sacred records, but many people in the world are only just now coming to have the scriptures, and particularly the Book of Mormon in their own language.
Serving on the scripture committee has given me the opportunity to discover just how many dedicated members of the Church are working tirelessly to translate the Book of Mormon into many languages. The full Book of Mormon or parts of it are now available in 111 languages, with 5 additional languages being translated. Many more people in the world are experiencing for themselves the power of the Book of Mormon and ultimately the reality of God’s love and their eternal potential.
I have had a special fondness for the Book of Mormon since the days of my youth. When I was young I lived on a farm and spent many days working in the fields. My parents were not active in the Church at that time so we did not read the scriptures in our home. But one day when I was about 12 years old I found a copy of the Book of Mormon in our home and after a morning of working in the hot sun I sat down under the shade of a tree and started to read the book.
I do not remember many things from my youth, but I distinctly remember reading that book for the first time. It was like nothing I had ever read. I felt so good. I did not recognize it at that time, but the Spirit was growing in my heart.
I did not want to stop reading so I found every spare minute to continue. Even with all of my farm chores, I was able to finish reading the book in just two weeks. As a young boy, I knew without any doubt that this book was good and that it contained the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.
That testimony changed everything in my life. I came to know God the Father on a more personal level than I ever had before. He became very real. I came to love our Savior Jesus Christ with a greater purity that I ever had. I loved reading about his experience with the Nephites. Reading the book truly was a turning point in my life. The book has been and continues to be an anchor.
One of the things I enjoy most when we come to Hawaii is the beautiful food that is available here—the fresh fruits and vegetables. I also love the gorgeous flowers. When God created these beautiful foods and flowers, he put within them a remarkable thing—he included seeds, tiny little packages which have the potential to become once again like the original plant.
It is amazing to think what can come from just one single seed. One single seed can be reproduced and multiplied to eventually become a gigantic field or a majestic orchard. Just one single seed. Seeds are powerful.
Perhaps this is why in the Book of Mormon Alma compared the word of God to a seed. We are promised that if we will plant the word in our hearts—like we would plant a seed in the ground—we will reap the most delicious fruit, or in other words, the most delicious spiritual feelings.
I experienced that as a young boy. The words I was reading in the Book of Mormon were delicious to me. Alma goes on to teach us that we must be diligent and patient as the word grows in our heart—much as we must be diligent and patient when we grow crops. But with our effort, we are promised a rich harvest. The fruit is sweet and worth all the effort.
Brothers and sisters, this is one of the reasons our prophets have counseled us to read daily from the word—the scriptures, and particularly the Book of Mormon. As we constantly keep the word planted in our hearts, we can enjoy a never-ending harvest of delicious fruit. We can feast upon that feeling every day. We can feel God’s love constantly.
As members of the Church we believe that reading the Book of Mormon can produce this positive effect on any person—including people both in and out of the Church. To test this hypothesis, we recently conducted a very interesting experiment with non-members. I want to share with you the results of that experiment today.
We wanted to see how non-members would react and how they would feel after reading only one single random page of the Book of Mormon. Rather than us trying to tell the world what the Book of Mormon is and what it's about, we sought to have the world tell us. We asked 531 non-members to each read one page of the Book of Mormon and become a representative, a witness to the world, of what that page says.
As they were reading, the non-members were instructed to look for and underline any passages where they read about either Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ. Then they were asked to explain how they felt. The results of the experiment were incredible. Even from reading just one single page, non-members were able to feel the Spirit. They were experimenting upon planting the word, and they knew it was a good seed, or that the word was good.
Brothers and sisters, put yourself in the position of those in the experimental group. You are a millennial non-Mormon from somewhere around the world. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Book of Mormon, if so you most likely think it's a Broadway musical. Perhaps you know a Mormon or have met a missionary, and if so, you probably think you already know what they will say to you. You are curious, so you agree to take part in a simple experiment.
As I said, these experiments were conducted all over the world. People from every walk of life and from most every religion were involved, a true cross-section of Heavenly Father's children here on this earth.
Because I knew I would be coming here to your campus, I asked the team to conduct one of the experiments here in Hawaii. Here is a short video of the experiments from around the world.
Brothers and sisters, the Book of Mormon speaks for itself, or rather, the voice of God is found within its pages. These children of God recognize and remember on a spiritual level that God is their Father. Much like children respond to the voice of their father here on earth, these children of God responded to their Eternal Father’s voice as found in the Book of Mormon.
Let’s now enjoy the results of the experiment.
How do you think a Muslim would view the Book of Mormon? Rafi, a Muslim from London, read page 430 and remarked:
This is the first time that I have ever read a page of scripture. I think the page was good, it’s definitely good. It shows that God is a God of miracles, not a god of punishment. He’s merciful, he does miracles and he wants to help us. I believe that God is that way, he wants to help us. Reading this book has helped me. I love it!
How might a person respond who feels like they have been in the dark respond? Kate, who calls herself Non-Religious from Australia, read page 184 and then said:
It was one of the first pages of scripture that I have ever read. And I think that a book like this can help people find answers in their life when they feel like they are in darkness. I’m so grateful to have been part of this experiment…I’ve been in the dark and needed a little more light in my life.
Here is the response from Nazam, another Muslim from the UK who read page 239:
I can see a lot of similarities between what I read here and what I read in the Koran, I do not think the two are as different as many believe them to be. I think we actually believe very similar things. I felt good as I read it and as long as it is teaching people to be good to one another then I believe it to be good.
What about people who claim that we aren’t Christians? Will, an Atheist from Chicago had something to say about that. He read page 440 and wrote:
The page that I read seemed to reference the Old Testament and I could see that it was talking about Jesus. If anything talks about God this book does.
Sometimes, one page was simply not enough! Bianca, a Christian, from South Africa, read page 307 and shared:
Where's the next page? I want to read what happens next! I had always heard never to read more than the bible but this taught me the same things about Christ and His resurrection. I want to know more!
Incidentally after Bianca read her page it lead to an hour-long discussion about the Restoration of the Gospel and the blessing in having Another Testament of Jesus Christ on the earth today—the Book of Mormon.
Some responses made us chuckle. John, a Christian from South Africa in London, read page 232 and said:
I didn't know that I agreed with your doctrine. I think I am a secret Mormon!
Finding John was a pretty special experience in and of itself. The team was set up on the corner of Hyde Park and Marble Arch in London, at a little place known as Speaker’s Corner. For those familiar with the history of Missionary Work in the Church, this is the same location where the first missionaries from the Church sent to England preached the Gospel publically. Today this location is still reserved on Sunday as a public space for open discussion and preaching of religion. But the modern scene might best be described as chaotic and loud. There are people on soap boxes and people on ladders yelling with megaphones.
John told us that he had moved to London from South Africa 22 years ago and had been coming every Sunday to Speaker’s Corner looking for religion. He had not felt the spirit of confirmation he had been searching for until he had stopped and read a page from the Book of Mormon. He exclaimed, “I didn't know I agreed with your doctrine. I think I am a secret Mormon.”
The Book of Mormon helped one woman remember spiritual experiences from her youth. Miriam, a middle-aged Christian woman from Brazil, read a wonderful page, page 478. She then said:
I was very sick when I was young and my mother told me everyday to ask for God’s help. When I was five God came to me and blessed me. My father was killed in a car accident when I was 19 and when I ran up to my room upset I asked God where He was and why He would let this happen. He told me that my earthly father was gone, but I would always have my Heavenly Father. I’m so glad you’re doing this. I had forgotten about those experiences until I read this page. Reading this book lets people remember their spiritual experiences.
What is the favorite part for many who read the Book of Mormon? Lester, a Christian from the Philippines, read page 416 and then gave this beautiful and simple witness after reading his page:
I really liked the experiment. My favorite part was reading that Jesus is our Savior.
Brothers and sisters, the world wants and needs a Savior and finding that second witness in the Book of Mormon is thrilling to anyone who receives it.
Many people are exposed to war and violence. How did the experiment help them? Amna, a Muslim from Pakistan, read page 397 and wrote:
This is a brilliant idea. You should take out an ad and tell people to be here. I woke up and turned on the TV today and all I saw was war, refugees, violence, and problems. The world needs to see this. To see that there is hope and love in the world and that God is good, this is what this world needs. I am so grateful to be part of the project. The whole world needs to see it. Thank you!! It's brilliant!
Brothers and sisters, we could keep going and going with one person after another, but you can see for yourself what one single page from the Book of Mormon can do to a child of God. People are hungry for words from their Father in Heaven and from their Brother and Savior Jesus Christ. Perhaps this scripture from the Book of Mormon itself proclaims the power of these many witnesses.
In 2 Nephi 27 verse 14, which is quoting Isaiah we read:
“Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word.”
Brothers and sisters as you leave this devotional this morning, you will see that we have set up the same experiment right outside these doors. You can see first-hand how the experiment was conducted, and—if you want to, even though you are members of the Church and already are familiar with the Book of Mormon, some of you can participate in the experiment yourselves.
Truly, the Lord continues to establish his word through many, many witnesses. But what about you personally, brothers and sisters? Are you taking advantage of the blessings of reading daily from the Book of Mormon? Are you following the counsel of modern day prophets to feast daily from this book? In his last General Conference address, President Thomas S. Monson reiterated the need for us each to sup daily from the Book of Mormon. He said:
“This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated.
We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. If it is true—and I solemnly testify that it is—then Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.”
He continues:
“Because the Book of Mormon is true, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth, and the holy priesthood of God has been restored for the benefit and blessing of His children.
If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far. However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study.”
Or dear prophet concludes:
My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives. I so testify with all my heart …”
Brothers and sisters, I take seriously any counsel from a prophet, and I hope you do too. If you have not yet made reading daily from the Book of Mormon a part of your regular routine, I invite you to start today and to never stop. We need this book. This book that was preserved to come forth in purity in our day. Please, my dear brothers and sisters qualify for the blessings that can come to you from reading this book every day. Our living prophet of God is asking us to do that.
Just as a tiny seed can become a mighty forest, the tiny seed of the word planted in your heart can lead you to become one day like your Father in Heaven. Isn’t that ultimately what we all want? We want to return to our Father and enjoy a life like He has. As simple as it may seem, reading daily from the Book of Mormon, coupled with prayer will increase our faith in Jesus Christ, which then leads repentance and keeping our covenants with God. So really, the seed of the word is perhaps the most influential thing that will help bring us to this eternal reality. Plant the word, cultivate it with your diligence and patience and as the scriptures promise you will one day reap the rewards of your efforts. You will become like God.
May this be your goal and your reward is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.