My 40 Day Book of Mormon Journey: Introduction

The Start of A Journey

For the next forty days I will be reading the Book of Mormon cover to cover looking for answers to these questions:

1. Is there a God? If so, what is He like?
2. What is the origin of the universe?
3. What is the nature of man?
4. What is the basis of morals and ethics?
5. What is the cause of evil and suffering?
6. What happens to man after death?
7. What is the meaning of history?

These questions make up how any individual sees the world. I will be taking a journey to learn what answers the Book of Mormon provides. I have felt like I need to do this for a while and if there's one thing I've learned it's that you don't ignore the promptings of the Spirit! So here I am. Starting a journey of faith. I welcome anyone and everyone to join me and see where the Lord will lead.

(Of course, in this journey, you'll need a Book of Mormon! So please, make sure you have one! I would also recommend writing down the things that you read that you find interesting.)

Introduction
First things first, the introduction. Take time to read this and understand what it is saying. Start at the beginning. The introduction to the Book of Mormon offers valuable information regarding the purpose and contents of the book. It will do you good to take the time to read it. Here's what I learned today:
The purpose of the Book of Mormon is to 

• Show us what God has done for His children
• Teach us about God's covenants so we are not cast off
• Convince us that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God

The Book of Mormon is a book of scripture comparable to the Bible. Ancient prophets wrote those words by prophecy and revelation. God directed them to write what they did. It makes me think of the scripture in 2 Timothy, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV). The Book of Mormon came from God and it is scripture. God gave it to us to bless our lives.
The crowning event in the Book of Mormon is when Christ visits the Nephites following his resurrection. These chapters

• put forth the doctrine of the gospel
• outline the plan of salvation
• tell men what they need to do to have peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come.

It is an additional witness of Jesus Christ as our Savior. By reading it and living by the principles it teaches, I can draw closer to God than I could be reading any other book. Anyone who reads it and listens to the Spirit will receive a testimony from the Holy Ghost that it is true, that Christ lives, and that His gospel is restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith.

These are some of the things that stood out to me while I was reading. Take the time to write down things that touched your heart or caught your attention. 
Next we'll be diving right into First Nephi!

Next Reading: 1 Nephi Chapters 1-9