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Introduction – Expanded Version
Jesus Christ was assumed by many to have been fathered by Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth. Similarly, the Book of Mormon was assumed by many to have been authored or “fathered” by Joseph Smith Jr. In both instances, the presumed “father” was named Joseph. In both instances, the Word of God was born into the world in a miraculous way and for a precise purpose.
Jesus Christ is the Word of God who was manifest in the flesh and dwelt on earth as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. He was born of a virgin named Mary, the espoused wife of Joseph, both of the tribe of Judah. As the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world and anointed with the Holy Ghost by God, our Lord came into the world at the time appointed by our heavenly Father to redeem and bless His people, Israel, by turning them away from their iniquities. On the day of Pentecost – following His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven – our Lord baptized His church with the Holy Ghost as the earnest of their inheritance, both to confirm her members with His peace and to guide them into all truth. This was done according to the prophecies concerning the former rain of the new covenant written about by the prophets of old. This was also our Lord’s first watch visit among us.
The Book of Mormon is the Word of God that was manifest in these latter days as the new covenant by whom the Lord promised to gather His people unto Himself in the lands of their inheritance. Through this remarkable book, God’s Word was “born” into the world in these latter days through the line of Joseph of Egypt. It was originally written by way of faith through men inspired of God who were from a righteous remnant of the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s firstborn son born in Egypt. The Lord brought this small remnant from Joseph’s lineage out from among the Jews at Jerusalem around 600 BC, and they continued as an uniquely identifiable people until around 400 AD in Joseph’s land of in-heritance. Their record was miraculously preserved by God for many centuries until He caused it to be translated into the English language in the early 1800’s through the instrumentality and faith of Joseph Smith, Jr., who, according to his wife Emma, “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter; let alone dictating a book like the Book of Mormon.” The coming forth of Book of Mormon in these latter days marked both the beginning of our Lord’s second watch visit among His people, and the time for the start of the latter rain of the New Covenant as foretold by the prophet Joel.
The presence of the Book of Mormon among us is a sign that the Father has already be-gun fulfilling the covenant which He has made with the house of Israel, including building up His church among them. Briefly stated, the Lord, who literally scattered the house of Israel among the nations, is now literally gathering Israel according to the new covenant spoken of by the prophets of God. By setting His hand a second time, He is now recovering His people back into the lands of their inheritance. Through the Book of Mormon, the Lord promises to manifest Himself by way of the Holy Ghost unto and through His church which He restored in these latter days among the Gentiles. Then, from the Gen-tiles, the Lord promises to bring this precious record unto a remnant of the people whose ancestors wrote the book so He might also manifest Himself to them by the Holy Ghost. According to their records, this remnant of the house of Israel is known as Lamanites.
As our Lord carries out His marvelous work and wonder of gathering His ancient covenant peoples in these latter days, remember that Jesus Christ is the Word of God who is manifesting Himself to all nations by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost through the words of this ancient Israelite record known as the Book of Mormon. Our Lord is the bread of heaven, and His words are His flesh and blood; they are the living manna to which the Old Covenant manna pointed. That is, His very words are the manna of the New Covenant. As both the Word of God and the Good Shepherd, then, our Lord promises to feed His flock with His words (His very own body) which are spirit and life. In other words, the mediator of the new covenant is also the manna of the new covenant. Through His life-giving words, Jesus Christ, as the Word of God, imparts the peaceable wisdom which is from above to all those who love and seek the truth according to the new covenant, of which it is written, I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
The Word of God promises to come yet again a third time into the world to usher in His reign over all the earth. This next time He will smite the nations with the word of His mouth and rule over them in truth and righteousness. For His name is the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war;
His eyes as a flame of fire; and he had on his head many crowns; and a name written, that no man knew, but himself.
And he is clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
And out of his mouth proceedeth the word of God, and with it he will smite the nations; and he will rule them with the word of his mouth; and he treadeth the winepress in the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he hath on a vesture, and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
(Revelation 19:11-16)
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