The Greatest Gift of Value

The greatest gift of value
For mankind here today
Is the Book of Mormon
The keystone of our faith

Prepared by the Lord's hand
O'er a period of many years
In fact more than a thousand
To testify so clear

In our day, the Lord's borne witness
That the words there in are true
That it contains the gospel fullness
Telling what great faith in Christ can do

It laid the sure foundation
For the restoration of all things
And as our path of inspiration
It's a gift with solemn warnings

For once received unto righteousness
A journey of faith begins to crown
That when we trifle with and think it less
Our spirit darkens on its way down

The word testament means covenant
Thus we've the old and the new
But, we've another covenant
We've the Book of Mormon too

The early Saints were rebuked
For treating this great book lightly
It should be a lifetime pursuit
As a keystone holds things highly

This central stone of our religion
Like an arch would crumble without
It lies there to keep us safe from sin
That unto good works, we're about

It's testimony is undiluted-
Of the divinity of our Savior
And its power can't be disputed
As its promised witness is prayed for

It teaches in plain language
As it was written for our inspection
And the warnings keep us on edge
From those who fell to destruction

It provides a complete explanation
Of what the Atonement means
And of doctrines required for salvation
Indeed it's the book of our dreams

Unmistakably, it points to Christ
As they knew of His miraculous birth
And they awaited signs in the sky
That would tell them He was on the earth

And as all things seem to parallel
Moroni saw what's similar with our day
This gave him hope through his peril
For he could, at least, warn us of what's coming our way

The evils of secret combinations
The path of persecution and apostasy
The downfall of pride upon the nation
All this, he saw, in graphic and chilling reality

Through the book we learn how to live in times of war
And that wickedness never is happiness
We find words that give us power and comfort
For its a marvelous work and a wonder that does witness

A man can get nearer to God by its precepts
As with it we've Him more in our daily walk
For we're blessed constantly with His presence
As through prayer and the book we can talk

As we read a power does flow
To help us resist temptation
And of how to repent we'll know
As it assists our education

....lastly, it lifts us from condemnation

Hunger and thirst for each truth
And prayerfully put them to test
Help teach and expound to our youth
And hold to the rod for the best!

The First Presidency Message
The Keystone of Our Religion
President Ezra Taft Benson
Ensign?
From: A Witness and a Warning
Salt Lake City
Desert Book Co, 1988