Precepts of the Gospel

The First Presidency Message for September 2010 that is intended to serve as a basis for the home teaching lessons presented to the families of the Church was written by President Henry B. Eyring and is entitled, “The Book of Mormon as a Personal Guide.” As a support to the home teaching efforts of our High Priests Group, the First Presidency Message is our lesson topic on the first Sunday of each month. This month’s discussion was lively and centered around a well known quote of the Prophet Joseph Smith relative to the Book of Mormon’s importance: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 64).

An attempt on my part to reconstruct the particulars of our Group’s discussion related to this quote is not germane to this writing. What is pertinent is the conclusion with which our instructor ended his lesson as well as the basis upon which President Eyring grounded his Message. The Book of Mormon’s key value that makes it “the most correct of any book on earth,” the “keystone of our religion,” and assists men to “get nearer to God . . . than by any other book” is the “precepts” that it contains. President Eyring concludes that these precepts “are the commandments of God we find in it” (Ensign, September 2010, 4). My dictionary defines a “precept” as “a commandment or direction meant as a rule of action or conduct.” Clearly, the title of his Message confirms this interpretation to be the one intended as President Eyring asks the Church’s membership to consider this book of scripture as their “Personal Guide.”

Therein is what caught my attention. The First Presidency Message and our Group’s discussion confirmed what I already knew. We ought not read and study the Book of Mormon because of our interest in expanding our present understanding of the law of consecration or the united order, the collecting and use of tithing funds, or the temple ordinances of the endowment and the sealing of families for eternity, for example. These important subjects are not topics handled by its writers. When we read the Book of Mormon, we should concentrate intently upon the precepts illustrated therein which if better inculcated into our daily living would assist us to “get nearer to God” thus improving the possibility of one day being found worthy to receive eternal life. Thousands of years ago, the Lord confirmed to the Prophet Abraham that this end was the purpose of life and of living the gospel of Jesus Christ. “And in thy seed after thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:11).

The next time I re-read the Book of Mormon, I will keep the Prophet’s counsel in mind and seek to better understand and apply the saving precepts it contains.