According to Smith's account and the book's narrative, the Book of Mormon was originally written in otherwise unknown characters referred to as " reformed Egyptian " [6] engraved on golden plates. Smith said that the last prophet to contribute to the book, a man named Moroni , buried it in the Hill Cumorah in present-day Manchester, New York , before his death, and then appeared in a vision to Smith in as an angel , [7] revealing the location of the plates, and instructing him to translate the plates into English for use in the restoration of Christ's true church in the latter days. Critics say that it was authored by Smith, drawing on material and ideas from contemporary 19th-century works rather than translating an ancient record. The Book of Mormon has a number of original and distinctive doctrinal discussions on subjects such as the fall of Adam and Eve , [11] the nature of the Christian atonement , [12] eschatology , redemption from physical and spiritual death, [13] and the organization of the latter-day church. The pivotal event of the book is an appearance of Jesus Christ in the Americas shortly after his resurrection. The Book of Mormon is divided into smaller books, titled after the individuals named as primary authors and, in most versions, divided into chapters and verses. It is written in English very similar to the Early Modern English linguistic style of the King James Version of the Bible, and has since been fully or partially translated into languages. According to Joseph Smith, he was seventeen years of age when an angel of God named Moroni appeared to him [16] and said that a collection of ancient writings was buried in a nearby hill in present-day Wayne County, New York , engraved on golden plates by ancient prophets.


Running Time

Navigation menu
Get a free digital copy of the Book of Mormon and study it with missionaries via voice or video call. Check out our Privacy Notice Updated to learn more. Although our visit will take place online, please fill in your address so your request can still be routed to the missionaries in your area.
Common Questions
First staged in , the play is a satirical examination of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ' beliefs and practices that ultimately endorses the positive power of love and service. In , after Parker and Stone saw Avenue Q , they met with the musical's co-writer Lopez and began developing the musical, meeting sporadically for several years. For research, the trio took a trip to Salt Lake City to meet with current and former Mormon missionaries. Beginning in , developmental workshops were staged. The show opened on Broadway in March , after nearly seven years of development. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responded indifferently; however, they did purchase advertising space in its playbill in later runs. The Book of Mormon garnered overwhelmingly positive critical responses, and set records in ticket sales for the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. The original Broadway cast recording became the highest-charting Broadway cast album in over four decades, reaching number three on the Billboard charts. In , the musical premiered in the West End , followed by two US national tours. A production in Melbourne and the first non-English version, in Stockholm, both opened in January
Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon is a book of scripture that teaches about Jesus. Discover how you can come closer to God by reading from its pages. Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon is an ancient record that teaches about Jesus. Find out how it can help you and your life. The Book of Mormon and the Bible are companions. The Book of Mormon records Jesus's ministry in the Americas. The Book of Mormon is a compilation of several books written by ancient prophets. It was abridged by the prophet Mormon. Learn what He taught.