The Book of Mormon Reaches Another Milestone

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150 Million and Counting: The Book of Mormon Reaches Another Milestone

21 APRIL 2011 — NEW ZEALAND

As The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grows, so does the publishing of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The 150 millionth copy of the Book of Mormon was recently printed, passing another milestone in the book’s 181-year history.

“The Lord brought forth the Book of Mormon at a period of time when printing methods would enhance its distribution far and wide,” Church President Thomas S. Monson said in the Special Witnesses of Christ video (2000). “Modern-day printing presses now enable the Church to print and distribute many millions of copies of the Book of Mormon each year.”

To date, the Book of Mormon has been fully translated into 82 languages including te reo Maori, the Maori language. It has been partially translated in 25 more. A full-time missionary force of more than 52,000 helps distribute free copies of the Book of Mormon worldwide, and free copies can also be obtained from Mormon.org.

The Book of Mormon was first published in English in 1830 in Palmyra, New York. This book has been described as the “keystone” of the Church, and from the beginning, Church members have accepted it as scripture alongside the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price and the Bible.

The Book of Mormon does not replace the Bible as scripture for members of the Church. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are used side by side in their preaching and personal study. In fact, a recent study found that Latter-day Saints score high among religious groups in their knowledge of the Bible.
In 2003, Book magazine named the Book of Mormon one of the “20 Books That Changed America.” In October 2007, late Church President Gordon B. Hinckley described its modern influence: “Through all of these years critics have tried to explain it. They have spoken against it. They have ridiculed it. But it has outlived them all, and its influence today is greater than at any time in its history.”

Many New Zealand families read the Book of Mormon as part of a regular scripture reading routine. Mei, aged seven said “I like reading the Book of Mormon because it teaches me about Jesus and the Prophets”.

Jared, a Christchurch father of five reads the Book of Mormon with his wife and children each morning before school. “It helps to teach our children important Christian principles and invites a positive feeling in our home each day”. He said that the regular routine has improved his children’s confidence reading and helped them to learn from the experiences of other people.

In addition to the 150 million copies of the Book of Mormon in print, the Church also makes the volume available on its official website in a format that facilitates a study of the book and in applications for handheld devices.

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