The Savior's Testimony of the Book of Mormon

At the afternoon session of our Stake Conference on the 13th of January 2008, our Mission President’s wife, Sister Joyce, pointed out to us that none other than Jesus Christ himself bore powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The Lord said, speaking of the prophet Joseph:

“And he has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true.” (D&C 17:6)

Sister Joyce emphasized that the Savior swore an oath in His own name to seal His testimony.

Daniel H. Ludlow, in his book, A Companion to Your Study of the Doctrine and Covenants, says:

“Sometimes when the Lord intends that his words be accepted as though they were part of a sacred covenant with the receiver, he states a fact and then reaffirms it with a strong statement that might even be considered a sacred oath. In this revelation, a good example is the strong, definite, unequivocating, declarative words: "As your Lord and your God liveth it is true."

The Lord Himself explains the purpose of his oaths (or promises, or covenants) in Isaiah 45:22:

“I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return...”

Donald W. Parry, Jay A. Parry, and Tina M. Peterson, in their book, Understanding Isaiah, explain:

“Christ has taken an oath upon his own name. As God is unchanging and infallible, so is that which he promises.”

Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 6:12-13, 17) helps to clarify and explain the Savior’s purpose:

“For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee … Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath…”

In Old Testament times and in the Book of Mormon, it was common for men to swear an oath to give strength to their promise. Breaking an oath, once sworn, was a serious breach of trust, and could ruin the reputation of the one who did so. Again, in his epistle to the Hebrews, Paul tells us that men commonly swore using the name of the Lord (As the Lord liveth), and that such an oath completely relieved any anxiety about the sincerity of the party involved:

“For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.” (Hebrews 6:16)

Sister Joyce’s insights piqued my interest in the subject of oaths because in our day, we have been counseled to avoid oaths of all kinds. The Lord himself, during His visit to the Americas as recorded in 3 Nephi 12:34-37, said:

“But verily, verily, I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair black or white; But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever cometh of more than these is evil.”

So why, then, does the Lord not hesitate to swear an oath (or make a covenant or promise) when he has specifically counseled us not to do so? I believe that it is because under the hand of mortal men, oaths, promises, and covenants are often used for sinister and evil purposes. In their book, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet tell us:

“Oaths can also be abused, and not infrequently persons entered into secret oaths to perpetuate wickedness. Cain entered into an oath with Satan that he would not reveal the "great secret"-that one may murder and profit therefrom (Moses 5:29-31). The Gadianton bands of the later Nephite history operated by oaths and secret ceremonies and thus perpetuated those practices established in the earliest ages by Cain and Satan (see Alma 37; Helaman 2, Helaman 6). When the Savior ministered in mortality, he called for a higher righteousness; mankind having abused the oath, the Lord specifically challenged men to let their word be their bond … Oaths should not be necessary in a Christian society, for honesty and integrity should be the order of the day. (Matthew 5:33-37)

Although it is unusual for the Lord to swear an oath, it is neither as rare nor as surprising as we might expect. There are several instances of his commitment to his people and to principles of the gospel.

In the Joseph Smith translation of Genesis 14:30, we learn that God swore unto Enoch that everyone ordained to the priesthood should have power, by faith:

“For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself [italics added]; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith…”

In Alma 12:34-35 the Lord swears, or promises, that unrepentant sinners shall not enter into His presence:

“And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest.”

In Doctrine and Covenants 8:1 the Lord swears an oath by himself that Oliver will receive knowledge if he asks in faith:

“Oliver Cowdery, verily, verily, I say unto you, that assuredly as the Lord liveth, who is your God and your Redeemer, even so surely shall you receive a knowledge of whatsoever things you shall ask in faith, with an honest heart…”

In Doctrine and Covenants 84:40 we learn that the Lord cannot break his oath, and we further learn that the Lord’s oath represents a covenant with his people:

“Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.”

In Moses 4:30, and repeated in JST Genesis 3:30, the Lord swears an oath, (or makes a promise, or covenants with his people) that his words must be fulfilled:

“For as I, the Lord God, liveth, even so my words cannot return void, for as they go forth out of my mouth they must be fulfilled.”

There are other similar instances, but let’s return to the Savior’s testimony in D&C 17:6:

“He has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth [italics added] it is true.”

This is the Savior’s own unparalleled endorsement – his own testimony-- that the Book of Mormon is true. He does not equivocate or qualify his statement in any way. He bore this testimony through his servant, Joseph Smith, to the three witnesses, David Whitmer, Martin Harris, and Oliver Cowdery.

Bruce R. McConkie, in his book, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, instructs us:

“As to the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon, let us record but one testimony. It is a testimony couched in the most solemn language known to the human tongue; it is a witness that is sworn with an oath; it is the testimony of the Lord God himself. “

Again, Bruce R. McConkie, in General Conference, April 1982 said this:

“This is God's testimony of the Book of Mormon. In it Deity himself has laid his godhood on the line. Either the book is true or He ceases to be God. There neither is nor can be any more formal or powerful language known to men or gods.”

In the Church News, of September 3rd, 1994, we were instructed that:

“The word ‘amen’ is synonymous with firm and true, and is used to denote acceptance or truthfulness. "Amen" was also the proper response of a person to whom an oath was administered. Christ is called "the Amen, the faithful and true witness.” (Rev. 3:14.)

Let us accept the testimony of the Lord concerning the divinity of the Book of Mormon. Let us say “amen” to the oath and testimony of the Savior concerning what Joseph Smith called

“…the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion…”(Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:461).