Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Should Joe Biden Retain His Security Clearance?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the tradition of allowing former Presidents of the United States to maintain their security clearances after leaving office. Joe Biden set a precedent in 2021 when he withheld national security details from Donald Trump for “erratic behavior”. Now Trump is returning the favor but has a better reason. According to Blaze News, Trump cited Biden’s “poor memory” issues on Friday when he announced that Biden’s security clearance had been revoked. 

“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings,” wrote the president [on Truth].


Trump said that the decision was made based on the assessment of the former president in the Hur report in 2024. It concluded that Biden was a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” and cited several examples of important information that he could not recall.


“He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents,” he continued. “The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information.” …


“I will always protect our National Security – JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump concluded.

Consider that Biden had five different stashes of classified material in his homes and offices. Consider also the evidence discovered by congressional committees of the Biden crime family. Consider that several of the stashes of classified material were found in a home where Hunter Biden was living, one of which was in a box in the garage. Now that Joe Biden is senile, there is no guarantee that he will protect classified information, something that he did not do in earlier years. This was a good decision by Trump. 

Saturday, February 8, 2025

How Can I Look to Christ in Every Thought?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 6-9 in a lesson titled “This Is the Spirit of Revelation.” The lesson was introduced by the following paragraphs. 

In the fall of 1828, a young schoolteacher named Oliver Cowdery took a teaching job in Manchester, New York, and stayed with the family of Lucy and Joseph Smith Sr. Oliver had heard about their son Joseph and his remarkable experiences, and Oliver, who considered himself a seeker of truth, wanted to know more. The Smiths described visits from angels, an ancient record, and the gift to translate by the power of God. Oliver was fascinated. Could it be true? Lucy and Joseph Sr. gave him advice that applies to anyone seeking truth: pray and ask the Lord.


Oliver did, and the Lord answered, speaking “peace to [his] mind” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:23). Revelation, Oliver discovered, isn’t just for prophets like Joseph Smith. It’s for anyone who wants it and seeks it diligently. Oliver still had a lot to learn, but he knew enough to take his next step. He knew the Lord was doing something important through Joseph Smith, and Oliver wanted to be part of it.


See also Saints, 1:58-64; “Days of Harmony” (video), Gospel Library.

The scripture block includes the following principles: (1) Heavenly Father speaks to me through the Holy Ghost (Doctrine and Covenants 6; 8-9), (2) Look unto Christ in every thought (Doctrine and Covenants 6:1-21, 29-37), (3) “Fear not to do good” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:29-37), and (4) Even as you desire of me so it shall be (Doctrine and Covenants 6-7; 9:3, 7-14). I feel prompted to discuss principle #2 Look unto Christ in every thought.

The Lord knew Joseph Smith would experience “difficult circumstances” in coming years (Doctrine and Covenants 6:18). He knows what trials are in your future too. Heavenly Father gave counsel to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowley that can help us to trust Him. First, we will look at the scripture verses.

18 Therefore be diligent; stand by my servant Joseph, faithfully, in whatsoever difficult circumstances he may be for the word’s sake.


19 Admonish him in his faults, and also receive admonition of him. Be patient; be sober; be temperate; have patience, faith, hope and charity.


20 Behold, thou art Oliver, and I have spoken unto thee because of thy desires; therefore treasure up these words in thy heart. Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love.


21 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.


29 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if they reject my words, and this part of my gospel and ministry, blessed are ye, for they can do no more unto you than unto me.


30 And even if they do unto you even as they have done unto me, blessed are ye, for you shall dwell with me in glory.


31 But if they reject not my words, which shall be established by the testimony which shall be given, blessed are they, and then shall ye have joy in the fruit of your labors.


32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you.


33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.


34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.


35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.


36 Look unto me in every thoughtdoubt not, fear not. [Emphasis added.]


37 Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen. (Doctrine and Covenants 6:1-21, 29-37)

What do you think that it means to “look unto [Christ] in every thought”? (See verse 36.) How can you and I do to do this more consistently – during good times and “difficult circumstances”?

President Russell M. Nelson explained “It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought. But when we do, our doubts and fears flee” (“Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 41). 

Friday, February 7, 2025

Why Should Biological Males Should Be Kept Off Female Sports?

Families, communities, states, and nations are stronger when female athletes are protected from biological men taking over their sports teams. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to protect women’s and girls’ sports teams from being invaded by biological male athletes.

According to Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell in her article published at The Daily News, Trump signed the order on the 39th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Trump declared, “The war on women’s sports is over.” He added, “We will not allow men to beat up, injure, and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women’s sports will be only for women.” 

The House of Representatives passed the Protection of Women and Girls Act in January. The Senate has yet to vote on the bill, sponsored by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a former college football coach.


Nearly three-quarters (72%) of registered voters think biological males should not be allowed to participate in women’s and girls' sports, according to national polling from RMG Research shared with The Daily Signal.


Female athletes worldwide have lost about 900 medals to so-called transgender rivals competing against them in women’s sporting categories, according to a new United Nations report.


Tuberville introduced legislation to protect women’s sports from male athletes. Tuberville said the Senate needs to pass the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, as executive orders can be reversed.


“On Nov. 5, 2024, the American people just didn’t elect President Trump, they also decisively rejected this ridiculous notion that men can get pregnant and boys should compete in women’s sports,” Tuberville said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

Parents and other adults should contact their senators to ensure that they vote for Tuberville’s bill to make permanent Trump’s ban on biological males playing in females sports. Banning males from playing in female sports is one way that parents can protect their daughters from being injured physically while playing sports. They can also protect their daughter’s right to excel in their sport. By ending this practice, parents can strengthen their families, communities, states, and nation.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Why Are Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Bad for America?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns diversity, equity, and inclusion. Newly re-elected President Donald Trump signed numerous executive orders and congressional members are working on bills to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from the United States government.

The topic burst into the spotlight when Trump mentioned that DEI could have been the cause of the terrible crash between a Black Hawk helicopter and a commuter jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Trump indicated that the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion would be examined.

Victor Davis Hanson is a senior contributor for The Daily Signal and a historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He recently made a video on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

What [Trump] meant was criteria other than merit that go into hiring these critical positions in the air traffic controller tower, but also as pilots and general in the military. And people got very angry, and they said this was inappropriate. But like all things Donald Trump does, he tries to open a very sensitive issue in a very loud fashion, and that brings attention to it, and then, people do some investigation.


Greenland is a good example. “How dare he say he wants to buy Greenland?” Then we discover that Denmark is investing almost no money in Greenland. We discovered that Greenland is in North America. Did you know that? It’s closer to New York than it is in Copenhagen.


That this left-wing Danish government is way behind on its NATO contributions. And it’s an imperialist power with a colony that it doesn’t really help too much. So, there’s always more to it, and there is with diversity [and] inclusion.


So, now we are learning that there were mandates about a person’s race and mandates about a person’s sexual orientation.


When I say mandates, I mean that people who didn’t fit those criteria were not encouraged to apply. [The Federal Aviation Administration] disbanded a lot of university programs that encourage people with military experience or encourage people that had courses in scientific disciplines or mathematics or aeronautics not to apply.


And the assistant director of the FAA and a former applicant nominee who was rejected, they were just explicit about that.


But here’s the thing about DEI in general: It’s a system that has many faces. In the old Soviet Union, it was not race or gender, it was ideology. And one of the reasons, among many, but I think the prime reason, that the Soviet Union imploded was they had an apparat, a group of incompetents that swore that they were more ideologically and Marxist-Leninist pure than anybody else.


And they were given the top billets in rocket science and military affairs. We saw that in World War II, with the Red Army almost collapsed in June of 1941. And within a year, all the commissars were out.


DEI is a commissar system. I once was in Libya and I asked this person – a high government official – I was interviewing, I said, “You have potholes everywhere, but you’re the fifth-largest producer of oil in the world.”


“Mr. Hanson, we hire our first cousin, first. We’re a tribal society.” He told me that.

The thing about DEI – what Trump brought up with the FAA – ask yourself something: If it’s so good, why don’t people just say that? Why don’t they just say, we’re willing to have collateral damage? We’re going to bring in people that may not have traditional criteria or traditional resumes, but we’re willing to take that risk with your life.


They never say that….


And of course, no one ever discusses that. So, what we’re watching is, if it turns out to be true that the tower was understaffed, that one person was let go early, that the air traffic controller made a mistake, that the pilot was at the wrong [elevation], these were all mistakes.


It was a perfect storm, apparently, of blunders. And if those blunders are connected with people who felt they were not subject to meritocratic criteria, there’s going to be a scandal.


I’m not saying there is, but Donald Trump is bringing attention to it. And by bringing attention, then, what do we do? We review the Biden-Obama FAA, and we discover – not us, we knew it a long time – but the general public, discovers that they have been systematically using race and gender and sexual orientation, not just to promote particular people, but to exclude people who have had perfect scores on tests, who come from the military, who have majors in the type of college disciplines that would be perfectly suitable for an FAA controller….


[It] doesn’t mean that was culpable in this particular instance. It means that this particular instance has got us worried about the system, in general, and we want to improve it.


And one of the things we can do is take a hard look at the FAA.

 

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Why Did Trump Use Tariffs Against Canada and Mexico?

Numerous Americans – mostly on the Left – worried about the effects of President Donald Trump’s threats to levy tariffs against Canada and Mexico. Trump wanted both neighboring countries to do more to shut down the flow of fentanyl from their countries into the United States, and they were not responding as he thought they should. So, he threatened to levy 25% tariffs on each neighboring country. George Caldwell wrote about the “novel legal theory pursued by Trump. 

[Trump] declared an emergency then used his emergency authority to threaten to impose tariffs to get our neighbors to comply with his border enforcement and economic policies.


Trump bypassed the typical avenues of tariff policy and instead used the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare the emergency and justify his tariff threats.


The act has been used by various presidents since the 1970s to respond to threats such as the Iran Hostage Crisis, the international drug trade, and the rise of Chinese-owned social media app TikTok.


But presidents have only used it to freeze transactions or seize properties – never to implement broad tariffs….


After a call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Monday where she pledged to immediately order 10,000 Mexican troops to the border to prevent the flow of fentanyl into the United States, Trump agreed to put tariffs on hold for a month.


Just hours later, Trump put a similar one-month hold on tariffs when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged 10,000 troops of his own to guard the northern border.

Although Trump’s methods for addressing the fentanyl crisis were unprecedented, they seem to have been effective.

Canada and Mexico should have stopped the immigrants moving through their countries to the United States, and they should have stopped the fentanyl. The fact is that neither of them cared about what was happening in the United States. The threat to levy tariffs against them made the situation personal to each country, so they began to care. In other words, Trump used the threat of tariffs to get their attention and cause them to act as they should have been acting previously.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

What Do Scriptures Say About Immigration?

Immigration, particularly illegal immigration, is a big issue due to the rounding up of criminal illegal aliens and deporting them. In defense of illegal immigrants, Democrats often cite the Bible. I am a firm believer in scripture study and living according to the teachings of the prophets. However, I do not believe in misquoting or abusing scriptures.

James Hoffmeier noted that secularists and liberals rarely consult the Bible when making policies, and they “reject the Bible’s teachings on same-sex marriage, abortion, and trans ideology.” He said that he was surprised when the same people regularly cited the Old Testament while defending illegal aliens and/or sanctuary cities. 

As an Old Testament scholar, I was first intrigued by the fact that the Bible was even being used in the immigration debate, and yet I knew that the Bible was not being read seriously….


Three important questions must be raised before one attempts to apply Israelite law to the modern situation:


1. Was there such a thing as territorial sovereignty in the second millennium B.C. when these laws originated?


2.Within that socio-legal setting, what was a “stranger” or “sojourner”?


3. How does one obtain this status?


Regarding the first [question], the answer is unequivocal.


Nations small and large had clearly recognizable borders, typically demarcated by natural features such as rivers, valleys, and mountain ranges, much as they are today….


Wars were fought over where boundary lines would be drawn, and forts were strategically placed on frontiers to defend the territory and to monitor movements of pastoralists.


Permits akin to the modern visa were issued to people entering another land…

Secondly, what about the “stranger” or “alien”?


The Bible is not “a living, breathing document” that can mean whatever you want it to say. The question must be answered contextually and based on what the key words meant when they were written before we apply what that might mean in our own times.


The most significant Hebrew word for our discussion is ger, translated variously in English versions, which creates some confusion, as “stranger” (KJV, NASB, JB), “sojourner” (RSV, ESV), “alien” (NEB, NIV, NJB, NRSV), and “foreigner” (RNIV, NLT). It occurs more than 80 times as a noun and an equal number as a verb (gwr), which typically means “to sojourn” or “live as an alien.”


The problem with more recent English translations (e.g., TNIV and NLT) is that they use “foreigner” for ger, which is imprecise and misleading because there are other Hebrew terms for “foreigner,” namely nekhar and zar. The distinction between these two terms ger is that while all three are foreigners who might enter another country, the ger had obtained legal status.


There are several episodes in the Bible that illustrate how a foreigner became a ger.

The individual or party had to receive permission from the appropriate authority in that particular culture. Perhaps the best-known story has to do with the children of Israel entering Egypt.


In the book of Genesis, we are told of how during a time of famine in Canaan, the sons of Jacob did the natural thing under the circumstances – go to Egypt, where the Nile kept the land fertile. Even though their brother Joseph was a high-ranking official who had recommended to Pharaoh that they be allowed to settle in the northeast delta of Egypt, they felt compelled to ask Pharaoh for permission….


Here we notice that they declare their intention “to sojourn” (gwr) and deferentially they ask “please let your servant dwell in the land of Goshen.” No less authority than the king of Egypt granted this permission.


This means that the Hebrews, though foreigners, were residing in Egypt as legal residents, gers.


[Hoffmeier’s second story was about Moses was granted permission by Jethro to become a “sojourner,” “stranger,” or “alien.”]


Moses was thus able to call himself a sojourner (ger), not a foreigner (nakhiriyah) land. Gershom, his son’s name, contains the word ger, reflecting his change of status.


From the foregoing texts, we can conclude that in the ancient biblical world, countries had borders that were protected and respected and that foreigners who wanted to reside in another country had to obtain some sort of permission in order to be considered an alien with certain rights and privileges….


Finally, a brief word on the biblical practice of sanctuary….


Once again the conditions for sanctuary protection are plainly stated. “These six towns will be a place of refuge … so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there” (Numbers 35:15).


Sanctuary, then, is explicitly a place to get a fair hearing in the case of accidental death, but for no other crime. The cities of refuge were not a place to void trial or punishment.

American cities that use their communities to circumvent the law to help the illegal alien in the name of justice are doing a gross injustice to the letter and spirit of the biblical law.

I left out most of the article, but I highly recommend it for anyone interested in immigration and/or sanctuary cities. As he explains it, Democrats, Leftists, or others have no ground to quote the Bible in support illegal immigration or sanctuary cities.

Monday, February 3, 2025

Why Did Trump Order Declassification of the Files on JFK, RFK, and MLK?

My VIPs for this week are John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. All three of these men were assassinated approximately 60 years ago. I agree with the “Seven in 10 Americans” who “support President Donald Trump’s decision to release classified documents” about their assassinations. R. E. Wermus reported the following on a recent Napolitan News Service survey. 

A majority of Americans, 57%, believe the documents will reveal significant new information about the assassinations.


The poll of 1,000 registered voters was conducted by pollster Scott Rasmussen’s RMG Research in the wake of Trump’s Jan. 23 executive order. It set a 15-day deadline for officials to outline a plan for releasing the JFK files and 45 days for RFK and MLK….


Documents related to JFK’s assassination in 1963, his brother RFK’s murder in 1968, and MLK’s in 1968 have remained classified by the government. Trump, during his first term, and other presidents previously declined to release the information, citing national security concerns.


A significant portion of the public suspects the U.S. intelligence community or other government agencies were involved in the assassinations of all three men.


The survey found that 54% of respondents believe the government was likely involved in JFK’s assassination. Meanwhile, 48% think the government played a role in RFK’s killing, and 53% believe the government was involved in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.


Republicans were more likely to approve of Trump’s executive order than Democrats: 92% of Republicans favor releasing the documents compared to 44% of Democrats….

The poll was conducted Jan. 28-29 with a 3.1% margin of error.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Do Churches Have the Freedom to Determine How It Uses Donations?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns donors demanding that churches return money that they paid in tithing. The case was the focus for much of American religion centered on “the lawsuit that James Huntsman filed seeking the return of $5 million in tithing he donated to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Tad Walch reported on the court decision. 

Faith organizations, including specific religious groups, colleges and universities, as well as charities, didn’t just await a verdict, they had filed their opinions and arguments with the judges who would decide the case in half a dozen friend-of-the-court briefs supporting the positions of the Latter-day Saints.


On Friday, they responded with gratitude when a panel of 11 judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the church summary judgment. The judges ruled unanimously in favor of the Latter-day Saints without allowing the case to get to trial.


“This lawsuit is extraordinary and patently inappropriate, a not-so thinly concealed effort to challenge the church’s belief system under the guise of litigation,” four of the judges wrote. “The majority is correct that there was no fraudulent misrepresentation even on the terms of plaintiff’s own allegations. But it would have done well for the en banc court to recognize the obvious: There is no way in which the plaintiff here could prevail without running headlong into basic First Amendment prohibitions on courts resolving ecclesiastical disputes.”


The faith-based groups, representing tens of millions of religious Americans from Baptists to Methodists and Lutherans and Jewish coalitions, were grateful that the judges closed the door on the idea that donors could claw back donations.


They also were grateful that many of the judges supported the church autonomy doctrine, a long-standing legal precedent that says governments and courts should steer clear of wading into church affairs such as how leaders choose to use donations.

Walch’s article is much longer with lots of interesting information. Gene Schaerr is an attorney who represented eleven major religious denominations, from Jewish groups to Protestants and Scientologists.

Schaerr said the Friday’s ruling could have an impact on two other tithing cases, one pending at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and the other in U.S. District Court in Uth, which is part of the 10th Circuit.

            “All three of these cases are essentially challenges to the church’s ability to determine for itself                 how it uses its own resources,” Schaerr said, “and there’s probably no more important issue of                 church government than how a religious body chooses to use its own resources. I think these                 five judges are absolutely right that it’s just not possible, consistent with the First Amendment,              for these kinds of claims to be litigated in court at all.” 

Saturday, February 1, 2025

How Can I Know That the Book of Mormon Is True?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 3-5 in a lesson titled “My Work Shall Go Forth.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

During his first few years as the Lord’s prophet, Joseph Smith didn’t yet know everything about the “marvelous work” he had been called to do. But one thing his early experiences taught him was that to do God’s work, his eye must be “single to the glory of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 4:1, 5). For example, if the Lord counseled him to do something he wasn’t sure he wanted to do, he needed to follow the Lord’s counsel. And even if he had “many revelations, and … power to do many mighty works,” if he felt that what he wanted was more important than God’s will, he “must fall” (Doctrine and Covenants 3:4). But Joseph learned something else just as important about doing God’s work: “God is merciful,” and if Joseph sincerely repented, he was “still chosen” (verse 10). God’s work is, after all, a work of redemption. And that work “cannot be frustrated” (verse 1).

Some principles contained in this scripture block are: (1) I can trust God (Doctrine and Covenants 3:1-16), (2) I can serve God with all my heart, might, mind, and strength (Doctrine and Covenants 4), (3) Through the Holy Ghost, I can gain a witness of the Book of Mormon (Doctrine and Covenants 5), and (4) Jesus Christ gave us His word through Joseph Smith (Doctrine and Covenants 5:1-10). This essay will discuss the principle “Through the Holy Ghost, I can gain a witness of the Book of Mormon,”  found in Doctrine and Covenants 5.

In March 1829, Martin Harris’s wife Lucy, filed a court claim accusing Joseph Smith of deceiving people by pretending to translate gold plates (see Saints, 1:56-58). So Martin asked Joseph for more evidence that the gold plates were real. The revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 5 is the Lord’s response to Martin’s request. The following is what I learned from this section. 

Doctrine and Covenants 5:7: What does the Lord say would happen if the gold plates were displayed for the world to see? Why do you think that would be the case?

·         7 Behold, if they will not believe my words, they would not believe you, my servant Joseph, if it were possible that you should show them all these things which I have committed unto you.

If people do not believe the words of Jesus Christ, they will not believe the words of His prophet – even if the evidence is right in front of their face. We must have a desire to believe before we can develop faith. Without a sincere desire to believe, no amount of evidence will convince us.

Doctrine and Covenants 5:11-15 and 2 Corinthians 13:1: What is the role of witnesses in the work of the Lord?

·         11 And in addition to your testimony, the testimony of three of my servants, whom I shall call and ordain, unto whom I will show these things, and they shall go forth with my words that are given through you.

12 Yea, they shall know of a surety that these things are true, for from heaven will I declare it unto them.

13 I will give them power that they may behold and view these things as they are;

14 And to none else will I grant this power, to receive this same testimony among this generation, in this the beginning of the rising up and the coming forth of my church out of the wilderness – clear as the moon, and fair as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.

15 And the testimony of three witnesses will I send forth of my word. (D&C 5:11-15)

·         1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. (2 Corinthia 13:1)

According to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a witness is an “attestation of a fact or event;” a “testimony” and “something serving as evidence or proof.” A person who is a witness is “one that gives evidence:” “one asked to be present at a transaction so as to be able to testify to its having taken place,” and “one who has personal knowledge of something.”

In the work of the Lord, the role of witnesses is to testify of the truthfulness of the Lord’s words. There are two groups of witnesses who testified of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and their names are listed in the front of every Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ under the headings of “Three Witnesses” and “Eight Witnesses.” The Twelve Apostles testified to the truthfulness of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Doctrine and Covenants 5:16, 24; Moroni 10:3-5. How can I gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon for myself?

·         16 And behold, whosoever believeth on my words, them will I visit with the manifestation of my Spirit; and they shall be born of me, even of water and of the Spirit –

24 Behold, I say unto him, he exalts himself and does not humble himself sufficiently before me; but if he will bow down before me, and humble himself in mighty prayer and faith, in the sincerity of his heart then will I grant unto him a view of the things which he desires to see.

·         3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Anyone who sincerely wants to know the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon can receive a testimony if they have a real intent to act on such a testimony, have faith in Jesus Christ, and ask God. I know this to be true because I tested the Lord. I studied the Book of Mormon because I sincerely wanted to know of its truthfulness. I had a real intent to abide by such a testimony, and I had faith that Jesus Christ would give me an answer. The answer came so strongly that I could not deny it even if I so chose to do. I know that the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ is the word of God because the Holy Ghost testified to me of its truthfulness.