Wilford Woodruff recorded that "Joseph said the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any Book on earth & the keystone of our religion & a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than any other Book." Courtesy of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

In recent decades, General Authorities and officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have encouraged serious and prayerful study of the Book of Mormon. Along with this emphasis, they have often testified of personal blessings that result. A sampling of those promised blessings follows.[1]

• [President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life.”[2]
• [President Ezra Taft Benson, Church President] “It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception.”[3]
• [President Gordon B. Hinckley, First Counselor in the First Presidency] “Those who have read [the Book of Mormon] prayerfully, be they rich or poor, learned or unlearned, have grown under its power. . . . Without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come into your hearts . . . the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to his commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”[4]
• [Sister Ruth B. Wright, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency] “By prayerfully reading and pondering the Book of Mormon, each of us can gain strength to meet our daily challenges. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Every time I read from its pages I receive a confirmation of its truth.”[5]
• [President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “[The Book of Mormon] contains the answers to life’s most compelling questions, . . . provides the fullest and most authoritative understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere, . . . illuminates the teachings of the Master and exposes the tactics of the adversary, . . . [and] gives purpose to life by urging us to ponder the potential of eternal life and ‘never-ending happiness.’”[6]
• [President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “In a world ever more dangerous . . . the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ has the nourishing power to heal starving spirits of the world.”[7]
• [Tad R. Callister, Sunday School General President] “The Book of Mormon is not only the keystone of our religion, but it can also become the keystone of our testimonies so that when trials or unanswered questions confront us, it can hold our testimonies securely in place.”[8]
• [President Ezra Taft Benson, Church President] “These promises—increased love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, increased spirituality and righteousness—are not idle promises, but exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said the Book of Mormon will help us draw nearer to God.”[9]
• [Sister Michelle Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency] “As you use your agency to carve out time every day to draw close to God’s voice, especially in the Book of Mormon, over time His voice will become clearer and more familiar to you.”[10]
• [President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “The Book of Mormon shatters the false beliefs that happiness can be found in wickedness and that individual goodness is all that is required to return to the presence of God. It abolishes forever the false concepts that revelation ended with the Bible and that the heavens are sealed today.”[11]
• [President Thomas S. Monson, Church President] “From [the Book of Mormon’s] pages comes the promise that as we pray unto the Father in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, our families will be blessed (see 3 Nephi 18:21).”[12]
• [President Gordon B. Hinckley, Church President] “I promise you that as you read, your minds will be enlightened and your spirits will be lifted. At first it may seem tedious, but that will change into a wondrous experience with thoughts and words of things divine.”[13]
• [President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “The truths of the Book of Mormon have the power to heal, comfort, restore, succor, strengthen, console, and cheer our souls.”[14]
• [Bishop Richard C. Edgley, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric] “God loves me enough that He will give me and anyone else who sincerely seeks a personal revelation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon—the tangible evidence of the Restoration and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet.”[15]
• [President Ezra Taft Benson, Church President] “Heavenly Father wants you to continue to learn from the Book of Mormon every day. It’s Heavenly Father’s special gift to you. By following its teachings, you will learn to do the will of our Father in Heaven.”[16]
• [President Marion G. Romney, Second Counselor in the First Presidency] “I know that the things of the Spirit are taught with mighty power in the Book of Mormon. I believe with all my heart, for example, that if our young people could come out of our homes thoroughly acquainted with the life of Nephi, imbued with the spirit of his courage and love of truth, they would choose the right when the choice is placed before them.”[17]
• [President Thomas S. Monson, Church President] “From the Book of Mormon come other precious promises, including promises of peace, freedom, and blessings if we ‘will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ’ (Ether 2:12).”[18]
• [President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions.”[19]
• [Elder Matthew L. Carpenter, of the Seventy] “We can also receive additional revelation in our lives about questions or challenges we are currently facing. . . . As I read the Book of Mormon, I am opening the door for the Holy Ghost to testify of the truth of its message.”[20]
• [President Marion G. Romney, Second Counselor in the First Presidency] “There is another reason why we should read the Book of Mormon: By doing so we will fill and refresh our minds with a constant flow of that ‘water’ which Jesus said would be in us ‘a well of water springing up into everlasting life’ (John 4:14). We must obtain a continuing supply of this water if we are to resist evil and retain the blessings of being born again.”[21]
• [Sister Linda S. Reeves, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency] “I cannot explain the power of this great book. I only know that, coupled with prayer, the Book of Mormon carries the power to protect families, strengthen relationships, and give personal confidence before the Lord.”[22]
• [Elder Gene R. Cook, of the Seventy] “When we follow the process outlined by Moroni, remembering the mercy of God to us all since Creation, humbling ourselves as we read and ponder the book, exercising our faith in Christ, and being receptive to the Spirit, we will receive an answer, and we will become more fully converted.”[23]
• [Elder Craig C. Christensen, of the Seventy] “By studying and feasting upon the doctrines of the Book of Mormon, we gain ‘a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men,’ with a desire to ‘endure to the end’ that we may ‘have eternal life’ (2 Nephi 31:20).”[24]
• [President Marion G. Romney, Second Counselor in the First Presidency] “I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.”[25]
• [Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai, of the Seventy] “We will draw nearer to Him if we study [the Book of Mormon]. As we experiment upon its words, we will obtain a witness of its truthfulness. As we consistently live according to its teachings, we will have ‘no more desire to do evil.’ Our heart, countenance, and nature will be transformed to become more like the Savior.”[26]
• [Elder Craig C. Christensen, of the Seventy] “As we read and study their words [those of prophets in the Book of Mormon], we gain a deeper understanding of the Savior’s matchless love, His perfect life and example, and the blessings of His great atoning sacrifice.”[27]
• [President Marion G. Romney, Second Counselor in the First Presidency] “If we would avoid adopting the evils of the world, we must pursue a course which will daily feed our minds with and call them back to the things of the Spirit. I know of no better way to do this than by daily reading the Book of Mormon.”[28]
• [Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop] “As you study [the Book of Mormon], you will hear the voice of the living Christ inviting you to come unto Him. I promise that if you accept this invitation and pattern your life after His example, His redemptive influence will come into your life.”[29]
• [Elder Ulisses Soares, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “I promise you that as you prayerfully and consistently study its words [the Book of Mormon], you can partake of its promises and rich blessings in your life.”[30]
• [President Ezra Taft Benson, Church President] “I bless you with increased understanding of the Book of Mormon. I promise you that from this moment forward, if we will daily sup from [the Book of Mormon’s] pages and abide by its precepts, God will pour out upon each child of Zion and the Church a blessing hitherto unknown.”[31]
• [President Marion G. Romney, Second Counselor in the First Presidency] “If our young folks become familiar with the teachings of the Book of Mormon, they will not only be inspired by the examples of Nephi, the 2,000 sons of Helaman (see Alma 53), and other great Book of Mormon characters to choose the right, they will also be so schooled in the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ that they will be able to know and understand what is right.”[32]
• [Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, of the Seventy] “Any reader who commits to a sincere study of [the Book of Mormon], with the spirit of prayer, will not only learn about Christ but will learn from Christ—especially if they make the decision to ‘try the virtue of the word’ and not reject it prematurely due to prejudiced unbelief by what others have said about things that they have never read.”[33]
• [President Ezra Taft Benson, Church President] “I have a vision of the whole Church getting nearer to God by abiding by the precepts of the Book of Mormon.”[34]
• [President Thomas S. Monson, Church President] “I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives.”[35]
• [Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “[The truths of the Book of Mormon] will strengthen your faith, fill your soul with light, and prepare you for a future you scarcely have the ability to comprehend.”[36]
• [President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency] “[The Book of Mormon] can draw you closer to God than any other book. It can change a life for the better.”[37]
• [President Ezra Taft Benson, Church President] “A young man who knows and loves the Book of Mormon, who has read it several times, who has an abiding testimony of its truthfulness, and who applies its teachings will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and will be a mighty tool in the hands of the Lord.”[38]
• [Elder Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “Love for the Book of Mormon expands one’s love for the Bible and vice versa.”[39]
• [President Marion G. Romney, Second Counselor in the First Presidency] “From almost every page of the book, there will come to them a moving testimony that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God, our Redeemer and Savior. This witness alone will be a sustaining anchor in every storm.”[40]
• [Elder Peter M. Johnson, of the Seventy] “Each day as I read, I recognized the Savior’s declaration that the Holy Ghost would teach me all things and would bring all things to my remembrance. It reaffirmed who I am as a son of God, reminded me not to compare myself with the others, and gave me the confidence in my divine role to succeed.”[41]
• [Elder Kevin W. Pearson, of the Seventy] “The Book of Mormon is our most powerful resource for growing and restoring our faith.”[42]
• [Elder M. Russell Ballard, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “Alma taught that there is great power in the word (see Alma 31:5), but this power won’t come by simply having the Book of Mormon on your bed stand. . . . I can understand why scripture study can so easily be neglected. You have many demands pulling at you. . . . But I plead with you to make time for immersing yourselves in the scriptures. Couple scripture study with your prayers. Half an hour each morning privately studying, pondering, and communicating with your Heavenly Father can make an amazing difference in your lives. It will give increased success in your daily activities. It will bring increased alertness to your minds. It will give you comfort and rock-steady assurance when the storms of life descend upon you.”[43]
• [President Ezra Taft Benson, Church President] “The Book of Mormon will change your life. It will fortify you against the evils of our day. It will bring a spirituality into your life that no other book will. It will be the most important book you will read in preparation for a mission and for life.”[44]
• [Sister Joanne B. Doxey, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency] “If we immerse ourselves daily in the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, we will have increased discernment. We will have power to do good and to resist evil, and our ability to solve problems will be expanded. Messages to help us in our day were foreseen by the Lord and were divinely placed on the pages of the scriptures to assist us and our families.”[45]
• [Elder Henry B. Eyring, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “Faithful study of scriptures brings the Holy Ghost to us. The promise is given in the Book of Mormon, but it applies as well to all the words of God that He has given and will give us through His prophets.”[46]
• [Elder Peter M. Johnson, of the Seventy] “The Book of Mormon contains the words of Christ and helps us remember who we are.”[47]
• [Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “As you strive to follow the teachings you find [in the Book of Mormon] your joy will expand, your understanding will increase, and the answers you seek to the many challenges mortality presents will be opened to you.”[48]
• [Elder Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] “Each individual who prayerfully studies the Book of Mormon can also receive a testimony of its divinity. In addition, this book can help with personal problems in a very real way. Do you want to get rid of a bad habit? Do you want to improve relationships in your family? Do you want to increase your spiritual capacity? Read the Book of Mormon! It will bring you closer to the Lord and His loving power.”[49]
• [President Russell M. Nelson, Church President] “Few things build faith more than does regular immersion in the Book of Mormon. . . . The Book of Mormon is our latter-day survival guide.”[50]

Perhaps the greatest blessing promised from reading, studying, and pondering the teachings and principles found in the Book of Mormon was recorded by Moroni in the book’s closing chapter (10:3–5):

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.

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.

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

President Thomas S. Monson summarized Moroni’s promise this way: “If you will read [the Book of Mormon] prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. If it is true—and I solemnly testify that it is—then Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.”[51]

This list of blessings associated with reading and studying the Book of Mormon will conclude with President Marion G. Romney’s timeless counsel from the April 1980 general conference:

And so, I counsel you, my beloved brothers and sisters and friends everywhere, to make reading the Book of Mormon a few minutes each day a lifelong practice. All of us need the uninterrupted association with the Spirit of the Lord. We need to take the Holy Spirit for our constant guide that we be not deceived. I am persuaded by my own experience and that of my loved ones, as well as by the statements of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that one can get and keep closer to the Lord by reading the Book of Mormon than by reading any other book. Don’t be content with what someone else tells you about what is in it. Drink deeply from the divine fountain itself.[52]

Notes

[1] Speakers are identified by the title they held at the time the statement was made.

[2] Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2017, 62–63.

[3] Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion,” Ensign, November 1986, 7.

[4] Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Power of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, June 1988, 6.

[5] Ruth B. Wright, “Draw Strength from the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, November 1990, 79.

[6] Nelson, “What Would Your Life Be Like without It?,” 62.

[7] Boyd K. Packer, “The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, November 2001, 64.

[8] Tad R. Callister, “God’s Compelling Witness: The Book of Mormon,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2017, 107.

[9] Benson, “Keystone of Our Religion,” 7.

[10] Michelle Craig, “Spiritual Capacity,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2019, 19.

[11] Nelson, “What Would Your Life Be Like without It?,” 62.

[12] Thomas S. Monson, “Precious Promises of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, October 2011, 4.

[13] Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Light within You,” Ensign, May 1995, 99.

[14] Nelson, “What Would Your Life Be Like without It?,” 62.

[15] Richard C. Edgley, “A Still, Small Voice and a Throbbing Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2005, 12.

[16] Ezra Taft Benson, “To the Children of the Church,” Ensign, May 1989, 81–82.

[17] Marion G. Romney, “The Book of Mormon,” Ensign, May 1980, 67.

[18] Monson, “Precious Promises of the Book of Mormon,” 4.

[19] Nelson, “What Would Your Life Be Like without It?,” 63.

[20] Matthew L. Carpenter, "The Blessings of Reading the Book of Mormon Every Day," Liahona, April 2022, Africa Central Local Pages.

[21] Romney, “Book of Mormon,” 66.

[22] Linda S. Reeves, “Protection from Pornography—a Christ-Focused Home,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 17.

[23] Gene R. Cook, “Moroni’s Promise,” Ensign, April 1994, 16.

[24] Craig C. Christensen, “A Book with a Promise,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 107.

[25] Romney, “Book of Mormon,” 67.

[26] Benjamin M. Z. Tai, “The Power of the Book of Mormon in Conversion,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 47.

[27] Christensen, “Book with a Promise,” 107.

[28] Romney, “Book of Mormon,” 66.

[29] Gérald Caussé, “A Living Witness of the Living Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 40.

[30] Ulisses Soares, “The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 35.

[31] Ezra Taft Benson, “A Sacred Responsibility,” Ensign, May 1986, 78.

[32] Romney, “Book of Mormon,” 67.

[33] Rubén V. Alliaud, "Found through the Power of the Book of Mormon," Ensign or Liahona, November 2019, 37.

[34] Ezra Taft Benson, “Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon,” Ensign,November 1988, 6.

[35] Thomas S. Monson, “The Power of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign or Liahona,May 2017, 87.

[36] Gary E. Stevenson, “Look to the Book, Look to the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona,November 2016, 47.

[37] Henry B. Eyring, “A Witness,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2011, 70.

[38] Exra Taft Benson, "To the 'Youth of the Noble Birthright,'" Ensign, May 1986, 43.

[39] Russell M. Nelson, “Scriptural Witnesses,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2007, 43.

[40] Romney, “Book of Mormon,” 67.

[41] Peter M. Johnson, “Power to Overcome the Adversary,” Ensign or Liahona,November 2019, 111.

[42] Kevin W. Pearson, “Are You Still Willing?,” Liahona, November 2022, 68.

[43] M. Russell Ballard, "Be Strong in the Lord, and in the Power of His Might," Brigham Young University devotional, March 3, 2022, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/m-russell-ballard/strong-lord-power-might/.

[44] Benson, “To the ‘Youth of the Noble Birthright,” 43.

[45] Joanne B. Doxey, “’Remember Him,’” Ensign, November 1989, 89–90.

[46] Henry B. Eyring, “In the Strength of the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 18.

[47] Johnson, “Power to Overcome the Adversary,” 112.

[48] Stevenson, “Look to the Book, Look to the Lord,” 47.

[49] Russell M. Nelson, “A Testimony of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, November 1999, 71.

[50] Russell M. Nelson, “Embrace the Future with Faith,” Ensign or Liahona,November 2020, 75.

[51] Monson, “Power of the Book of Mormon,” 86.

[52] Romney, “Book of Mormon,” 67.