Twenty-Seven (1832)which fruit he or she desires to eat. The way it was written and laid out is unequivocally
profound! It presents the “fruit” in a way that allows a person to choose which part is the
most delicious to the taste.
Of the two “Moroni’s” in the Book of Mormon—both being given to appear as heroes,
which fruit tastes better, the former Captain Moroni or the latter Moroni?^71 The former was
a patriotic soldier, who defended his nation of white-skinned people (who believed they
were God’s chosen people) to the death. The latter, who was the last to use the Urim and
Thummim “rocks” before Joseph Smith was given them, laid down his weapons and
allowed the Lamanites to kill him.
And what of the dark-skinned Lamanites who buried their weapons of war? Weren’t
they the ones who called themselves, not by a name that distinguished them as white or dark,
but by one that made no distinction—Anti-Nephi-Lehi?^72 Weren’t the Lamanites (and not the
Nephites) they to whom the Christ first referred as those whom he had “baptized with fire
and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not”?^73 Would baptism by water “taste better”
(referring to the fruit of the tree) than being “baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost?”^74
The Book of Mormon is a “race equalizer.” It was when it was first introduced among
the Gentiles who had scattered the dark-skinned American Natives. It is now, as the
millions who claim to believe in it separate themselves by imaginary borders, isolating the
Latino American people from the “greatest nation on earth.”^75 It will be at the time the real
Christ comes to this planet and opens up the book and explains why it was meant for the
people of the United States of America—a country which at the time of his coming shall be
long gone—a memory and ensign of how not to use our human free will. The Book of
Mormon takes away the excuse of bigotry, prejudice, hate, and contention—giving the
people of the world a “good” piece of fruit from which to choose on the Tree of Knowledge
of Good and Evil.
The book is available to all. But no one has to eat its fruit. We have our free will. And
yet, we will never be able to say that there was no good fruit on the tree. The Book of Mormon
is “good fruit.” Very good fruit indeed!
NOTES
(^1) “Alvin returned to the earth a few years after his death and gave much joy and support to
Joseph during his life and then after he died. Alvin Smith was reborn as Joseph Smith III, the very
first [living] biological child of Joseph Smith. (There were other children who came before by virtue
of Joseph and Emma’s sexual intimacy, but died because they were not meant to come at that time.)
Joseph’s young son brought him tremendous joy as a child.” (“Helping on the other side,” Marvelous
Work and a Wonder®, 2011, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder Purpose Trust, 1 Aug. 2011
http://www.marvelousworkandawonder.com/q_a/contents/1gen/q01/1gen005.htm.)
(^2) Lucy Smith, Progenitors, 36.
(^3) Luke 17:21; PGP, Moses 7:18; D&C, 49:24–5; TSP, 21:63.
(^4) Matthew 7:29; 21:27; TSP, chapter 9.
(^5) D&C, 54:8.
(^6) D&C, 52:2.