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197 years ago, on September 21, 1823, the ancient American prophet Moroni as a glorified, angelic being visited the 17-year-old prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. and told him about the Nephite record buried in Hill Cumorah. The following day, Joseph saw the plates for the first time. Four years later, as a 21-year-old married man, Joseph took possession of the plates and the modern Book of Mormon story began in earnest.
Moroni visited Joseph and his associates no less than 22 times between 1823 and 1830. That’s how important the Book of Mormon was in God’s plan for the latter days. Fast forward to 2020 and more than 180 million copies of the Book of Mormon have been printed in over 100 languages. A good first edition copy sells for 6 figures. The Church’s purchase of the printer’s manuscript from the Community of Christ for $35 million set a new world’s record price for a manuscript. We are all part of the moving Book of Mormon story as we read and internalize this sacred record. And, we can all help share the Book of Mormon with the world in exciting new ways by supporting Book of Mormon Central (BMC) whose mission is to build enduring faith in Jesus Christ by making the Book of Mormon accessible, comprehensible, and defensible to people everywhere.
On September 22, 1827, Moroni gave Joseph Smith plates of gold. We celebrate that event as “Moroni Day” which is the annual kick-off for the BMC fall fund-raising campaign. Year-round BMC shares the wonder of the Nephite masterwork with a growing audience “without money and without price” as Isaiah foretold. Once a year we ask our supporters to help us financially so we can continue our mission as a non-profit organization. This brochure highlights why you may want to support Book of Mormon Central on this Moroni Day.
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