Kevin Hinckley

10 — They have already been on many a mission.

9 — Army chow is no problem for folks accustomed to eating green Jell-o and shredded carrots.

8 — It's not a problem if they don't know what rank someone is, they just refer to them as Brother or Sister so-and-so.

7 — They never go AWOL. They just call it being less active.

6 — They will seize any objective swiftly if you tell them refreshments will be served.

5 — They know how to make things happen. In fact if you ever need a base built quickly in a barren wasteland, stride out to where you want them to start, plant your walking stick down and say in a loud voice, "This is the place.“

4 — They have innovative ideas for handling insurgents — like assigning them home teachers.

3 — They always have a years' supply of provisions on hand.

2 — They are the world's most reliable designated drivers.

1 — They understand how far Iraq has come over the last seven years, and they think that Iraq's old spot in the "Axis of Evil" can now be filled by the University of Utah.

General Petraeus at BYUGeneral Petraeus at BYU10 Reasons BYU Students make good soldiers10 Reasons BYU Students make good soldiers

In Search of TruthIn Search of Truth

Critic LogicIf you show me, I will believe

Lord’s LogicIf you believe, I will show you

The Dilemma of the Book of The Dilemma of the Book of MormonMormon

Critics of the ChurchAttack Joseph Smith and

church history….But how to explain the

Book of Mormon?- ‘written’ in just 63 days- by an uneducated boy who ‘couldn’t even write a coherent sentence’- in isolated, 19th century upstate New York

Three ‘Proof’ ExamplesThree ‘Proof’ Examples

1- The 3 Witnesses

David WhitmerDavid WhitmerUnto all Nations, Kindreds, Tongues and

People, unto whom these presents shall come:

"It having been represented by one John Murphy, of Polo, Caldwell county, Missouri, that I, in a conversation with him last summer, denied my testimony as one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon.

"To the end, therefore, that he may understand me now, if he did not then; and that the world may know the truth. I wish now, standing as it were, in the very sunset of life, and in the fear of God, once for all to make this public statement:

"That I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part thereof, which has so long since been published with that book, as one of the Three Witnesses…

And that no man may be misled or doubt my present views in regard to the same, I do again affirm the truth of all my statements as then made and published.

Three ‘Proof’ ExamplesThree ‘Proof’ Examples

1- The 3 Witnesses2- Hebrew-isms in

the Book of Mormon

Hebrew Parallelism or Hebrew Parallelism or ChiasmusChiasmus

Psalms 124:7

A. We have escaped as a bird

B. From the snare of the fowlers

B. The snare is broken

A. And we have escaped.

Alma 34:9A. For it is expedient that an

atonement should be made;

B. for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made,

C. or else all mankind must unavoidably perish;

D. yea, all are hardened;

D. yea, all arefallen and are lost

C. and must perish

B. except it be through the atonement

A. which it is expedient should be made.

Three ‘Proof’ ExamplesThree ‘Proof’ Examples

1- The 3 Witnesses2- Hebrew-isms in

the Book of Mormon

3- Book of Mormon Geography

Book of Mormon Book of Mormon GeographyGeography

1) A Major River flowing from South to North

2) A Major River originating from a mountainous narrow strip of wilderness…

3) Two High Civilizations with Kings and Priests and City-States …

4) The area of the northern culture must contain evidence of many cities made out of cement. 

5) Two Highly Literate (Written Language) Societies living adjacent to but separate from each other between 550 BC and 200 BC…

6) A small, narrow neck of land dividing the land Northward from the land Southward

7) Multiple, functional Calendar and Dating Systems 

8) A Merchant Class Using Weights and Measures tied to gold, silver and grain

9) Engineers to Build Temples, Towers, and Highways, using Cement

10) Highly-skilled Craftsmen - working with Precious Metals, Stonework

11)A Warrior Society - Great Battles, Structured Armies, Sophisticated Fortifications

12) Legends of a White and Bearded God

13) Must be in the Western Hemisphere

14) The winter climate must be bearable enough for Lamanite combatants to wear loin-cloths and shaven heads

15) The land must show evidence of susbstantial gold and silver

16) An Agricultural Base to support several millions of people,

17) Columbus visited the area.

The TemplateThe Template

Book of Mormon Book of Mormon GeographyGeography

Ruins of cement houses

Evidence of civilization from 1600 BC to 400 AD

Evidence of kings with smaller kingdoms

Evidence of Biblical teachings

Mystery of Popol Vue and The Title of the Lords of Totonicapan (1554)

Popul Vue? The Mayan story Popul Vue? The Mayan story of Creationof Creation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9O7gnMLsyk

The Title of the Lords of The Title of the Lords of TotonicapanTotonicapan

Written in 1554Ancestors came from

beyond the seaGiven, by the Gods, a

Sacred Bundle of seeing stones, called the Giron-Gagal that showed them the way

The Giron-GagalThe Giron-Gagal

Temple of the CrossTemple of the Cross

Mayan Writings- Listing Mayan Writings- Listing Olmec King who ruled in 933 Olmec King who ruled in 933 BCBC

“...and Kish reigned in his stead. And it came to pass that Kish passed away also, and Lib reigned in his stead.”(Ether 10:17-18)

 the Egyptian Grain God, Nepri (also spelled Nepi,Nepr, or Nepra), may be the origin of the name Nephi.[1] 

Joseph Smith, 1842Joseph Smith, 1842Times and SeasonsTimes and Seasons

The city of Zarahemla, burnt at the crucifixion of the Savior, and rebuilt afterwards, stood upon this land . . . .”

“. . . the ruins of Zarahemla have been found where the Nephites left them . . . .”

“We are not agoing (sic) to declare positively that the ruins of Quiriguá are those of Zarahemla, but when the land and the stones, and the books tell the story so plain, . . . .”

“It will not be a bad plan to compare Mr. Stephens’ ruined cities with those in the Book of Mormon.” (Times and Seasons, Vol. 3, No. 23, October 1, 1842, page 927)

Quirigua

Land of Nephi

Land of Zarahemla

Land o

fJe

rshon

LandNorthward

Most common phrase in the Most common phrase in the Book of Mormon?Book of Mormon?

One Last One….One Last One….1 Nephi 16:34 "Ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called Nahom."Jeddah (Mecca)

President HinckleyPresident HinckleyThe evidence for its truth, for its validity

in a world that is prone to demand evidence, lies not in archaeology or anthropology, though these may be helpful to some.

It lies not in word research or historical analysis, though these may be confirmatory. The evidence for its truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself.

The test of its truth lies in reading it. It is a book of God. Reasonable people may sincerely question its origin; but those who have read it prayerfully have come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true,

that it contains the word of God, that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel, that it “came forth by the gift and power of God … to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ”

Ensign, 2004, p. 6