Preface

Acknowledgements 

I’d like to thank my amazing parents and teachers who saw me through my first few chapters of the Book of Mormon, my friends who saved me during my rebellious years, and my mission president and companions who deepened my conversion. Additionally, I am most grateful for my own family, who have seen me through the battles of this world and aided me in my further progression. Most importantly, I want to thank my Savior for walking in my footsteps and supporting me in every trial. He has shed forth His Spirit which has been so instrumental in teaching me the things I am attempting to share with you now. 

Preface 

“And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part…”  

(3 Nephi 26:6)

It was chest day at the gym. While doing the dumbbell press, I was listening to a gospel podcast. Most of my best revelations seem to come at the gym. Something the lecturer said about The Book of Mormon stopped me. Something to the effect of Jerusalem being symbolic of the premortal life, traveling through the wilderness being akin to our travels in mortality, and the crossing of the ocean representing the crossing over to the promised land–or eternal life. These concepts opened up new panoramas of understanding in my mind.

As I began my next set, the familiar whisper of the Spirit entered into my mind and heart, bringing intelligence that was far beyond me. “What if there’s more to that idea?…What if the entire Book of Mormon, all 1000 years of history, was organized in such a way as to teach a macro-concept in addition to all the micro-concepts and lessons contained therein?”.

My mind began to swirl as the Spirit masterfully connected ideas, events, teachings, and people, all throughout the book. Like a sculptor, the Spirit rapidly and beautifully unveiled an image that had been dormant in my mind. I took notes as fast as possible, and an hour later (with thoughts of my workout long gone), I stepped back to review what had come forth. I was overwhelmed with what I saw, and understood Lehi when he exclaimed, “great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty!” (1 Ne 1:14).  The Book of Mormon is an allegory of the covenantal path of our lives. As this was laid out before me I developed an even more powerful personal testimony of the truthfulness of the book and of the Prophet Joseph Smith who was instrumental in bringing it to light.

My hope is that your testimony can also be strengthened by this deeper understanding of the message of The Book of Mormon. I approach this work timidly. I am an Emergency Medicine Physician by trade, not an author. When I’m not trying to keep my patients alive, one can usually find me working my ranch, wrestling my kids, or biking somewhere in the Colorado Front Range. Writing, on the other hand, is not my forte. I can relate with Moroni lamenting “when [I] write [I] behold my weakness and stumble because of the placing of [my] words; and I fear lest the [world] shall mock at [my] words” (Ether 12:25). 

Still, the desire to share something that has been so transformative to me urges me on. The views and interpretations herein are my own and do not represent the views of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That said, I present to you my understanding of the Book of Mormon Allegory.