Mormon 7:9

For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.

The Book of Mormon and the Bible are inextricably bound together. Each helps us believe in the other because they both bear the same message and are familiar expressions of the same truth. They both come from the mind of the same Author.

Second Nephi 28:29

Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

Nephi's warning is not only to those who cling to the Bible and refuse to accept the Book of Mormon, it is also a warning to the saints who refuse revelation from the living prophet. God is not done talking. He has words for every people in every age. He has solutions for modern problems, just as he had solutions for Noah's day, Moses's day, Elijah's day, and Paul's day. Continuous, modern-day revelation is the only course of God that makes sense. He is anxious to help. We ought not to lock him out.

Second Nephi 25:20

And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.

The whole purpose of the Book of Mormon is to make the gospel plain. Not only did the prophets speak and write plainly, but the translation was inspired and unencumbered by traditions. It passed through a single set of hands. No unscrupulous and designing men intervened between the original writing and the one true translation. It is pure, plain and precious. I revere the Bible and the unfathomable sacrifices that went into preserving it and producing it. I love the Book of Mormon for its purity, clarity and power. Together, they witness of Christ.

Second Nephi 4:2

For behold, he truly prophesied concerning all his seed. And the prophecies which he wrote, there are not many greater. And he prophesied concerning us, and our future generations; and they are written upon the plates of brass.

The day will surely come when the brass plates of Lehi will be given to us. The word of God is never lost. The Lord knows where all his words are hidden, and he knows when we are ready to receive them. "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." (Article of Faith 9)

First Nephi 19:24

Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written.

Though many of Isaiah's words are of warning, his overarching message is of hope in the Messiah, who is Christ. Every dire prediction is followed by a promise of hope based on repentance, faith, and mercy. Nephi told us earlier to "liken" the words of Isaiah unto ourselves. This ancient prophet's message of hope and mercy is for us.

First Nephi 13:39

And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.

Even though the Bible has been altered by the great and abominable church, it still contains truth. It is still of great worth, even if it is not perfect. The Book of Mormon has been published to establish and witness to the truth of the Bible. God, however, has not stopped there. The words of the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the testimonies of Hebrew prophets and apostle dead for many centuries. Is God still able to speak today? And can He speak to others besides Hebrews? The answer is Yes, and the proof is yet more scripture, written by prophets in modern times. Nephi saw yet more books coming forth to support the truth of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. These books we have today in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, namely, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. And God is still not done speaking to modern man. Thus we have the Proclamation to the World about families, The Living Christ: the Testimony of the Twelve Apostles, and numerous other pronouncements, admonitions, statements, and testimonies by the prophets and apostles of our own day. And "we believe that [God] will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" (Pearl of Great Price, Article of Faith:9) What a marvelous day in which to live!

First Nephi 13:29

And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.

Nephi saw in vision that the bible was corrupted from the very beginning. What is clear is that the corruption is not the fault of accidental mis-copying by scribes or mis-translation by scholars. Changes were made deliberately and with malice of forethought by a secret combination with an agenda.

The Bible has been an enormous blessing to Christian believers, but also a stumbling block. People stumble when they are on the path and trying to make progress but then trip over something they do not see or understand. People have stumbled over the Bible for nearly two thousand years. It has brought Christianity to a significant portion of the world, which is obviously a good thing; but it has also been the source of theological and political divisions that have resulted in inquisitions, bigotry, wars, and genocide. How can a book of such holy truth produce such unholy consequences?

The Book of Mormon is the antidote to the poison laced by the great and abominable church between the lines of the beloved Bible. It shines a light into the darkness and makes the stumbling blocks visible. I love the Bible and the many devoted and courageous men and women who risked all and gave their lives to preserve and perpetuate it, as imperfect as it may have been, because it was all they had. I love the Book of Mormon because it upholds and illuminates the wonderful truths of the Bible while clearing away the stumbling blocks of mystery and philosophy. Together they are an unassailable witness for Jesus Christ as the Son of God.