Lucy Smith's Book of Mormon

I recently read on Mormontimes.com that someone found Lucy Mack Smith's Book of Mormon and donated it to the church. The experts suspect that the copy is the same one she is holding in her portrait.
Here is a picture of the book the church now has. It even has her name engraved on the bottom.


This story stayed with me because I've always loved Lucy Mack Smith. I read her book on her son, Joseph Smith and I've learned numerous things about her charitable and loving attributes over the years. I've always found her so endearing. She must have really loved her Book of Mormon since she was painted holding it in one of her last portraits. Seeing her book reminded me about my own favorite, well-worn copy of the Book of Mormon. I figured I'd better take a picture of it to document it for posterity because I don't think it's going to make it to see Fall of this year. I got it in 9th grade Seminary, making it close to 18 years old. It's one of those cheap copies and there are no engravings to indicate it belongs to me. I haven't had the most secure life. There have been numerous changes over the years. The one constant has been the Book of Mormon, especially this particular copy.

As I said, I purchased this Book of Mormon at the beginning of 9th grade seminary. I was 14 and we were studying the Book of Mormon. I had never asked if the Book of Mormon was true though I'd read it a few times up to this point. After reading it through my 9th grade year, I decided that I was the same age as Joseph Smith had been when he asked God his question and so I was ready to ask God if the book was of Him. As I remember, the prayer was met with silence. A week or so later I was laying like a banana split across our blue, flowered love seat in our little blue house in Lehi when I decided to read the testimonies at the beginning of my then very new Book of Mormon. I read the testimony of the three witnesses and the testimony of the eight. I can't really describe the feeling that came over me in that moment, I can only say that I believed those testimonies and knew they were not lies. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I wished I could somehow write my name there with them or have a separate page for my name as a person who believed their statements.

This last week I came across something sad on the Internet. I came across a page on a Catholic website that gave pointers on how to get rid of the Mormon missionaries if they ever came to your door. It also gave exact dialogue to recite to the missionaries to avoid even taking the Book of Mormon. The page told the readers that they didn't need to read the book and that it wasn't truth. I find that so sad. This is the most beautiful and sweet document that I have in my possession. Even if it wasn't true, the stories and accounts within it only serve to make a person more uplifted. I can't imagine telling people to not read it. I think the right thing would be to tell them to read it and see for themselves.