The Book of Mormon is a trial.  It’s not a trial to read it—quite the contrary.  It is a joy.  The trial is to see whether we will read it and implement it into our lives.

In compiling the book, Mormon had access to huge amounts of material.  It was his desire to share as much of the material as he could with us who would be the beneficiaries in the latter days.  But he was forbidden to write more than what he did.  Consider these words:

“And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;

“But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.

“And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

“And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

“And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

“Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying:  I will try the faith of my people.”  (3 Nephi 26:6-11).

The great and marvelous book which is the Book of Mormon is an incomparable treasure.  It far overshadows any other religious, archaeological, or anthropological discovery that has ever been made.  The whole world should be rejoicing in the “discovery.”  And yet it is “a lesser part of the things” from which Mormon made his abridgment.  What we have in our current Book of Mormon is just 1/3 of what Mormon put upon the golden plates, and all of that is just a drop in the bucket of what will someday be made available.

Jesus appeared to the Nephites shortly after His resurrection.  A close reading of the sixteenth chapter of 3 Nephi hints that the Nephites were not the first to receive a personal visit from the resurrected Lord, and they were certainly not the last.  He said to the Nephites, “other sheep I have, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister.

“For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them.

“But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore I go to show myself unto them.

“And I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone...”

He told the Nephites that He would next “go...to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel.”  (3 Ne. 17:4).  He was busy, and had many, many places to go, and many places to visit.  Surely as He visited each people He gave the same commandment that He gave unto the Nephites:  “I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone.”

Each of the people Jesus visited wrote about the experience, and put it in their histories.  The promise is that someday we will have not only the writings of the Jews and the Nephites, but also the writings of the lost tribes of Israel.  (2 Ne. 29:11-13).  The Lord said in the twelfth verse of second Nephi chapter 29 that “I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.”

The Book of Mormon is merely the first ancient record to be given to the people of the earth.  It is a trial.  It is a test “to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.”  (3 Ne. 26:9).

Hidden away in many repositories throughout the world are many priceless records awaiting their turn to be revealed unto the world.  I was interested to hear my mission president tell the people of Vanuatu that “someday, someone is going to open a box on these islands and find a book.”  (Larry Evan Brewer, Vanuatu, 2014).

According to the Lord’s own words apparently “all nations” have such a book.  Their being revealed to the world is contingent upon how the Book of Mormon is received and used.