1979 BoM challenge reissued

- The August issue of the Ensign contains a challenge from President
Hinckley to read the Book of Mormon before the year's end. He writes:
- I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world
and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon. If
you will read a bit more than one and one-half chapters a day, you
will be able to finish the book before the end of this year. Very near
the end of its 239 chapters, you will find a challenge issued by the
prophet Moroni as he completed his record nearly 16 centuries ago.
Said he:
- "And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily
cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the
bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my
words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying
from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?....
- "And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is
true" (Moroni 10:27, 29).
- Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe
this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may
have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into
your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened
resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger
testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.
- A First Presidency letter dated July 25, 2005, echoing that request
has been sent to local leaders to be read to all members:
- "The First Presidency Message in the August 2005 Liahona and Ensign
magazines teaches of the divine message of the Book of Mormon and
extends an invitation to all members to read it by the end of the
year. Those who read the Book of Mormon will be blessed with an added
measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a greater resolve to obey His
commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the
Son of God.
- "Please help us share this invitation with those who do not
currently receive the Liahona or Ensign. We encourage each member to
have his or her own copy of the Book of Mormon."
- In the October 1979 Semi-Annual General Conference, while serving as
a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, then-Elder Hinckley outlined a
challenge that was substantially the same. He said:
- On 6 April 1980, six months from now, we shall observe the
sesquicentennial anniversary of organization with a great jubilee
celebration.
- In anticipation of that sesquicentennial observance I should like to
make a request and offer a challenge to members of the Church
throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read the Book of
Mormon.
- There are 183 days between now and next April 6 in which to read 239
chapters. If you will read as little as one chapter a day each weekday
and three chapters each Sunday, with the five concluding chapters to
be read on April 6, you will finish on that historic day with the
words of this remarkable and final challenge issued by the prophet
Moroni as he completed his record fifteen centuries ago.
- The most substantive change made to the original talk is the
deletion of a comment Elder Hinckley made regarding then-current
debate over a nuclear weapon treaty (likely Salt II). Before quoting
Ether 2:12, Elder Hinckley said:
- We in this good land of America are now hearing much debate
concerning the treaty designed to reduce the likelihood of nuclear
attack on this continent. There is much talk of a balance of power and
of a balance of terror. In the context of this current discussion I
should like to read to you what the God of heaven said long ago
concerning this land as recorded in the book of which we are speaking:
- The 2005 version simply inserts an editorial comment preceding the
quotation of Ether 2:12: "The God of heaven spoke to these people of
the Americas through prophets, telling them where true security could
be found."
- At the April 1980 General Conference, Elder Hinckley made no mention
of his challenge or members' response to it. After my bishop read the
First Presidency letter last week, he then read D&C 21:4-5 and said
that the letter's invitation represented the Lord speaking through the
First Presidency and should be received as such. That's one way to
obtain a positive response.
- posted by Justin Butterfield
http://mormonwasp.blogspot.com/2005/08/book-of-mormon-challenge-redux.html