The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrates the 200th anniversary of a special occasion. On the night of Sept. 21, 1823, an angel appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and showed him where the golden plates — which would eventually become the Book of Mormon — were buried.
A video was released by the Church News for the occasion.
What happened on Sept. 21, 1823?
As Joseph Smith prayed to know his standing before God, as written in his account, an angel named Moroni appeared, hovering above his bed.
Joseph Smith recorded that Moroni appeared to Joseph three times that night, repeating the same instructions and adding a caution that he would be tempted by the devil. During the encounter, Moroni quoted the Bible and showed him the place where an account of the people from the Americas was laid.
It was just the beginning of Joseph Smith’s journey of translating the Book of Mormon and restoring the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ back to Earth.
How many times did the angel Moroni visit Joseph Smith?
Four years passed with at least 22 visits from Moroni before Joseph was allowed to retrieve the plates and begin translating the book, per the church.
Angel Moroni is a figure in church history and the inspiration for the statues found upon some of the temple’s spires.
What has the prophet said about the 200th anniversary?
President Russell M. Nelson, current church president, posted a social media post of his reading the Book of Mormon, made from the plates Joseph was told about that first night in 1823 and what he said had the power to “inspire, comfort, restore, strengthen, console and cheer our souls.”
The prophet said, “Moroni was a messenger sent from God to teach Joseph Smith about the work that God had for him to do. Moroni became one of Joseph’s major tutors.”
He talked about an experience giving the Book of Mormon to a man he taught in Accra, Ghana, many years ago who said, “Nothing is more precious to time than this additional knowledge about the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“On this 200-year anniversary, I ask each of us to consider: What is this book worth to you?” asked President Nelson in the post. “If you were offered diamonds and rubies or the Book of Mormon, which would you choose?”
“It is my hope that each of us will see this book, today and always, as it really is: more precious than all the riches in the world.”
What have the 12 apostles said about the 200th anniversary?
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also posted a video on social media which he labeled “My Testimony of the Book of Mormon.” He spoke about the anniversary of angel Moroni visiting prophet Joseph Smith.
“May I today, on this 200th anniversary of the revealing of the existence of the gold plates that became the Book of Mormon, add my testimony that the Book of Mormon is the word of God,” said Elder Stevenson in the video.