15 min.
Providential Orchestration and the American Founding
The Stick of Joseph
Join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. –Ezekiel 37:17
Across faith traditions, one truth is shared: the human spirit awakens most fully when it is open. Whether we come from Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other spiritual path, we know that insight often arrives when we allow ourselves to see with more than the eyes and listen with more than the ears.
The Book of Mormon sits at an interesting crossroads in this landscape. For some, it is familiar; for others, it is entirely new. Many have heard opinions about it—positive or negative—long before they have ever held it in their hands. Yet sacred texts, whatever their origin, reveal their meaning only to those willing to encounter them directly. The Book of Mormon invites that kind of encounter.
Not because it demands belief, and not because it seeks to replace what one already holds sacred. Rather, it offers itself as an additional witness of God’s dealings with humanity—one that can enrich, not diminish, the spiritual truths people already cherish.
There are historical questions worth exploring, and there are ancient prophecies—such as Ezekiel’s vision of the “stick of Judah” and the “stick of Joseph”—that many see as pointing toward the Book of Mormon’s emergence. But the deepest evidence of any sacred text is not archaeological. It is experiential. It is what happens inside a person when they read with a willing heart. Spiritual truth is recognized not only by the mind but by the soul.
Yet one of the quiet obstacles to spiritual discovery is pre‑judgment—the assumption that we already know what a book contains, or that its message could not possibly speak to us. Prejudice in this sense is not hostility; it is simply the habit of closing a door before we have looked inside.
But when we set aside inherited assumptions, even briefly, something remarkable can happen. We begin to see possibilities we did not know were there. We find that God has spoken to more of his children, in more places, and in more ways, than we previously imagined. And we discover that truth is not threatened by honest inquiry—it is illuminated by it.
So, this is the invitation: read the Book of Mormon—not to replace what you know, but to enrich it. Not to abandon your faith, but to deepen it. Not to surrender your traditions, but to let God surprise you with more. If the book is what it claims to be, it deserves to be approached with openness. If it is not, that will become clear in the reading. Either way, the experience will be your own—unfiltered, unborrowed, and free from the weight of others’ assumptions. In every faith, the heart that seeks truth is honored. And truth, wherever it comes from, welcomes every sincere seeker.
An Invitation to Read with Openness
Many people approach questions of faith, scripture, and history with sincere intentions. Yet all of us—no matter our background—carry assumptions that shape how we see the world. Those assumptions can be helpful, but they can also quietly limit what we are willing to consider.
The Book of Mormon is a good example. Some readers approach it only through the lens of physical evidence, expecting it to prove itself by the standards of modern scholarship. Others dismiss it without reading it at all, assuming they already know what it contains. But the book itself invites a different kind of engagement—one that blends historical curiosity with spiritual openness.
There is evidence worth examining. There are ancient patterns, linguistic features, and even multiple biblical passages. But the purpose of the Book of Mormon was never to win an academic debate. Its purpose is to speak to the heart. Spiritual truth is not confirmed in laboratories, and sacred texts rarely fit neatly into the categories scholars create for them.
This is where the challenge of prejudice enters—not in the sense of hostility, but in the quieter sense of pre‑judgment. Prejudice can be as simple as deciding a book is unworthy of attention because it is unfamiliar, because it comes from a tradition not our own, because one has been warned away from it. When we hold tightly to inherited assumptions, we may unintentionally close the door on insights that could enrich us. A consequence of prejudice is that it shuts out truth. The prejudiced and obstinate man does not so much hold opinions as his opinions hold him. Prejudice is tyranny over the mind of man.
History shows that new ideas—especially spiritual ones—often meet resistance simply because they are new. Tradition can be comforting, but it can also become a filter that blocks possibilities we have never allowed ourselves to explore. When we rely solely on the opinions of others and the power of traditions, we risk letting their assumptions become our own.
But something remarkable happens when we set aside pre‑judgment, even briefly. When we allow ourselves to read a text on its own terms. When we let its message speak before we decide what to think of it. That simple act of openness is often the beginning of understanding.
The invitation, then, is not to accept the Book of Mormon blindly, nor to suspend healthy skepticism. The invitation is simply this: Read it. Consider it. Let it speak for itself.
From the Introduction: “The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel.”
If the Book of Mormon is what it claims to be, it deserves to be approached with an open mind. If it is not, that will become clear in the reading. Either way, the decision will be your own—not inherited, not borrowed, not shaped by the prejudices of others. Truth has nothing to fear from honest inquiry. And honest inquiry begins with the willingness to look.
Ezekiel’s Prophecy and the Union of Two Sacred Records
The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel foresaw a day when the “stick of Judah” and the “stick of Joseph” would become one in God’s hand—a unified witness of his dealings with his children. Today, the Bible and the Book of Mormon stand together as the fulfillment of that prophecy. Their combined testimony invites thoughtful seekers to rediscover God’s voice with clarity and reverence.
Why a Restoration Became Necessary
Across centuries, Christian doctrine was shaped—and sometimes distorted—by philosophical traditions, political pressures, and ecclesiastical debates. Greek thinkers, Roman councils, Eastern scholars, and later Protestant reformers all contributed to a landscape where essential truths were obscured or lost.
The Restoration was God’s answer to this long‑standing spiritual fragmentation. Through Joseph Smith, truths once clouded by centuries of interpretation and polemics were restored in their purity and power.
The Book of Mormon: A Clarifying, Restoring Witness
Because it is a record that did not go through the same processes of translation and polemics as the Bible, the Book of Mormon is a record that restores “plain and precious” truths direct from the Source and presents the doctrine of Christ with unmistakable clarity. It does not take away from or diminish the Bible in any way; it magnifies it. Together, these two sacred records testify of Jesus Christ—his divinity, his atoning sacrifice, and his central role in God’s plan for humanity. Its message is devotional, instructive, and intellectually compelling:
- God speaks today.
- Christ is the Eternal God.
- Salvation comes through grace after we have done all we can do.
- Truth can be known through revelation.
A Divine Invitation to Seek, Ponder, and Know
The Book of Mormon extends a personal invitation: read, ponder, and ask God if it is true. This is not a call for blind acceptance but for thoughtful, prayerful examination. Those who seek with real intent receive a spiritual witness of:
- the divinity of Jesus Christ,
- the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith,
- and the divine origin of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints.
Revelation becomes personal. Faith becomes anchored. Knowledge and understanding increase.
Guidance for a Disciple’s Daily Life
Book of Mormon teachings are practical, penetrating, and transformative. From its pages we are counseled on how to:
- raise and guide children.
- treat others with justice and mercy.
- discern truth from deception.
- withstand spiritual opposition.
- build Zion in our homes and communities.
It is a lifetime companion—one that shapes character, strengthens conviction, and unifies the heart and mind.
A Choice Land With a Divine Destiny
The Book of Mormon declares that America is “a choice land above all other lands,” a land preserved for a righteous purpose. God’s hand has guided this nation from its earliest beginnings. Leaders such as Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas Jefferson, and Margaret Thatcher have recognized the moral and spiritual foundations upon which America was built—and warned of the dangers of abandoning them.
It teaches that this land will prosper only insofar as its people honor “the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ.” Its message is not political—it is spiritual, moral, and deeply relevant to the challenges facing our nation today.
A Call to Thoughtful, Reverent Examination
The Book of Mormon invites every sincere reader to approach it with both mind and spirit—scholarly curiosity and devotional humility. It asks us to consider its message carefully, to weigh its testimony, and to seek confirmation from the only perfect source of truth: God Himself.
Three Testaments, One Redeemer
Ultimately, the Bible and the Book of Mormon stand together as unified witnesses of Jesus Christ. They testify that he lives, that he leads his people, and that he continues to guide nations and individuals who turn to him. In a world of uncertainty, their combined voice offers clarity, peace, and divine direction.
In support of Ezekiel’s prophecy regarding the stick of Judah, there is the philosophical account which contributed to ethics and helped preserve Christianity during the reigns of Constantine and the Holy Roman Empire. The three influential figures in this development were Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato. Over time, influences from various scholars led to changes in Christian doctrines.
With the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Renaissance received a major boost when many Eastern scholars fled to Italy bringing with them important books, manuscripts, and a tradition of Greek scholarship. As the new spirit spread north across Europe, the revival of classical learning and wisdom was a welcome change. Emphasizing truth and the dignity of man, humanism as it came to be known, inspired a host of lofty concepts.
In summary, these historical narratives from Greek, Muslim, and Roman traditions (and later Protestant) frequently aimed to change or influence Christianity. In their attempts to make religious beliefs and traditions more popular, acceptable, and universal, ecclesiastical leaders significantly altered many of the doctrines and practices of the Primitive Church.
After centuries of analysis and debate on biblical translation, Joseph Smith, resulting from the 1820 appearance of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, was able to describe the true nature and character of God which was far different than the descriptions of the Nicene Creed and later councils which had taken hold across the Christian world. Complimenting what he learned through that sacred experience, the newly translated stick of Joseph clarifies and restores many plain and precious truths that had either been lost or omitted from the Bible. However, even though he translated the historical record through the wisdom and power of God, his work faced fierce resistance from the American Protestant establishment, receiving no notable endorsements.
In 1776, in an example that survived deep into American culture and demonstrated how fortunate our country was to have courageous individuals willing to make a stand in favor of religious belief and expression, the Virginia Assembly defined heresy as the denial of the Trinity as defined in the 4th century Nicene Creed, or denial of the divine authority of the scriptures (the Holy Bible). At that time in America, these were capital offenses still punishable by imprisonment or worse. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, wanted all such laws swept away that could be enforced against what someone believed.
In what he described as “the severest trial of his life,” Jefferson argued against such laws, advocating for their removal to prevent enforcement against individuals’ beliefs. He pursued this action even though he doubted whether the times would support an execution for heresy.
Even so, the odds of passage of the Virginia Resolution were long. By 1776, eight of the original thirteen colonies were following European tradition and had made a particular faith their official religion. In addition, there were powerful voices on both side of the argument. While he was opposed to the oppressive laws that demanded uniformity of religious opinion, what Jefferson objected to most was the preferred status and special privileges that had combined to make the clergy “an artificial aristocracy and enabled them to exercise an unwarranted degree of authority.” The Statute was enacted in 1786.
Keeping in mind that Thomas Jefferson lived during a time when the divine right of kings and the combining of church and state were prevalent across Europe and their influence was being felt in America, his determination to change this is remarkable. His own words are inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC :
“I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” –Thomas Jefferson
He further elaborated,
“The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and engrafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious right of man. In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection of his own. History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free government.” –Thomas Jefferson
Joining with James Madison and other wise men who had been raised up by the Lord for this very purpose, Jefferson’s fight for complete separation of church and state and religious liberty was enshrined into the US Constitution as the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” –First Amendment
Without this and the other work of the wise men who were raised up by God unto this very purpose, God’s work could not have gone forth as he intended. In all likelihood, the truths restored by Joseph Smith would have been snuffed out in their infancy: we would not know the true nature of God; there would have been no Book of Mormon; no restoration of the authority of the priesthood; no missionary work; no temple work; no Restored Church. But the Lord had a much different outcome in mind, so he brought Christianity to the New World and raised up the Founding Fathers in preparation for the Prophet of the Restoration.
In other words, desiring to bless his children across the globe, God raised up wise men and created a nation where religious truth could be restored and would be safeguarded from those seeking to control or deny its expression. Knowing that the very survival of freedom would depend on it, he inspired the Founders to create a political, social, and cultural atmosphere where the true nature and character of God could be restored; where the Book of Mormon could be translated and printed; where priesthood power could be returned to the earth; where missionary and temple work could go forward; where the Primitive Church could be restored; and where established religion would become the guardian and the conscience of the people, the teacher of moral values, the defender of belief in the Almighty, and the bridge between God and man.
Once established in a free land, God Almighty and Jesus Christ could begin the process of sharing the Greatest Story Ever Told with the World. Furthermore, the Restored Church and its members could begin to fulfill the words that Jesus spoke long ago: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”
Because the Lord raised up wise men unto this very purpose, and because these men accomplished their assigned tasks: we know the true nature and character of God; we have the Book of Mormon and the truths it restores; the power of the priesthood has been returned to the earth; missionary and temple work are going forward; and the Primitive Church has been restored.
What is the Book of Mormon and What is its Purpose in the Modern Day
As a companion volume of scripture with the Bible, the Book of Mormon instructs individuals to acknowledge their weakness, confess their sins, and surrender their lives to God. This guidance helps people address challenges, establish priorities, and find meaning in life. Consistent with biblical themes, the Book of Mormon asserts that life’s purposes are best understood through seeking spiritual counsel and striving to follow divine direction.
Filled with redemptive theology, the Book of Mormon has been called “the most correct of any book on earth.” This is because it affirms that peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come can be enjoyed only in and through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. With its undiluted and penetrating message, it focuses repeatedly upon man’s utter inability to forgive, cleanse, resurrect, or save himself. It places the Savior center stage and testifies of the infinite and eternal scope of his atoning sacrifice.
Ezra Taft Benson
Our opportunity and challenge is not just to read and study the Book of Mormon but to live it and accept and apply its doctrines and philosophy. From its pages, paraphrased through the words Ezra Taft Benson, we learn how to better raise our children; how to deal justly and mercifully with others; how to bear testimony; how to teach and preach in such a manner that people cannot go away unaffected; how to detect the enemies of Christ; how to withstand those who seek to destroy our faith; how to discern and expose secret combinations that seek to eliminate freedom from the face of the earth and destroy the works of God; how to deal properly with persecution and those who oppose the Church; and how to establish Zion. In summary, our study of the Book of Mormon should be a lifetime pursuit. The power within its teachings will provide spiritual and intellectual unity throughout our entire lives.
Gordon B. Hinckley
In support of my overall goal of explaining how and why Christianity came to America, I offer these words of Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 13 years, who, in 1988, declared, “We who believe in the Book of Mormon accept these great words: ‘Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ.’ . . . An acknowledgement of the Almighty and a return to the teachings of God will do more than all else to keep our ship of state on a steady course as she sails into the third century of nationhood. Here is the answer to the conflicts that beset us. Here is the answer to the evils of pornography, abortion, drugs, and the squandering of our resources on evil pursuits. Here is the answer to the great epidemic of litigation which consumes time, saps our financial strength, and shackles our entrepreneurial spirit. Here is the answer to tawdry politics which place selfish interest above the common good . . . Trust is what makes a government work, and a lack of trust is one reason for the serious problems we are experiencing.”
Thomas Jefferson
Taking its place by teaching in clearer, plainer, and in more expansive ways, and by restoring lost truths, the Book of Mormon is the keystone to recovery following years of apostasy. Recognizing that many points of Christ’s doctrine hinged on the definitions of scholastics and interpretations by ecclesiastics, that many truths had been corrupted, and even lost, Thomas Jefferson observed the terrible state of confusion in which Christianity was mired: “The religion-builders have so distorted and deformed the doctrines of Jesus, so muffled them in mysticisms, fancies and falsehoods, have caricatured them into forms so monstrous and inconceivable as to shock reasonable thinkers. . . . Happy in the prospect of a restoration of primitive Christianity, I must leave to younger athletes to encounter and lop off the false branches which have been engrafted into it by the mythologists of the middle and modern ages.”
Margaret Thatcher
In 1996, Lady Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, visited Utah where she spoke of the goodness and strength of America, which was settled by people from the British Isles who, she said, came with the English Bible and the English common law. Those early settlers from the British Isles were Christian people who came with the Judeo-Christian concepts of right and wrong, of truth and error, which they derived from reading that Bible. They were people who looked to God for strength and inspiration and expressed their gratitude to him for every blessing.
Lady Thatcher said, “You use the name of Deity in the Declaration of independence and in the Constitution of the United States, and yet you cannot use it in the schoolroom.” This is symptomatic of the secularizing of America. Reverence for the Almighty, gratitude for his blessings, pleadings for his guidance, are increasingly being dropped from our public discourse.
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding as a nation, I hope we will reflect on and again brace the values that built our country.
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