Image: 

The Book of Mormon is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement. It is regarded by most, if not all, Latter Day Saint groups as divinely revealed and is named after the prophet–historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. It was published by the founder of the LDS movement, Joseph Smith, Jr., in March 1830 in Palmyra, New York, USA.

Along with the Bible, the Book of Mormon is esteemed as part of the canon of sacred scripture by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Community of Christ, and other churches that claim Joseph Smith as their founder. In 1982, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints added the subtitle Another Testament of Jesus Christ to its editions of the book to help clarify and emphasize its purpose.

The Book of Mormon was first published by Joseph Smith, Jr. in March 1830 in Palmyra, New York. According to Smith's written account, the book is a translation of gold plates which contained the writings of prophets in ancient Meso-America between approximately 600 BC and AD 400. The text on these plates is said to have been written in a language that Smith called Reformed Egyptian. The plates were buried by Moroni, the last of these prophets, at a hill called Cumorah. Smith said that on September 22, 1827 he received the plates from an angel named Moroni and was directed to translate them using two stones called the Urim and Thummim that were deposited with the plates. In addition to Smith's account, eleven others signed affidavits that they had seen the gold plates for themselves. Their written testimonies are known as The Testimony of Three Witnesses and The Testimony of Eight Witnesses. These affidavits are published as part of the introductory pages to the Book of Mormon.

Critics of the Book of Mormon claim that the book was either the original creation of Joseph Smith (with or without the assistance of one or more of his associates) or was based on a prior work such as View of the Hebrews. Unresolved issues of the book's historicity and the lack of supporting archaeological evidence have led some adherents to adopt the position that the Book of Mormon may have been the creation of Joseph Smith, but that it was nevertheless divinely inspired.

The book's purpose, as stated on its title page, is "to show the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers" and to convince "Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself to all nations."

The format of the Book of Mormon is a compilation of smaller "books". Each of the books is named after the prophet or leader who is named within the text as the author. The Book of Mormon is composed of the following books:

* Title page
* First Book of Nephi: His Reign and Ministry
* Second Book of Nephi
* Book of Jacob: The Brother of Nephi
* Book of Enos
* Book of Jarom
* Book of Omni
* Words of Mormon
* Book of Mosiah
* Book of Alma: The Son of Alma
* Book of Helaman
* Third Nephi: The Book of Nephi, The Son of Nephi, Who Was the Son of Helaman
* Fourth Nephi: The Book of Nephi, Who Is the Son of Nephi, One of the Disciples of Jesus Christ
* Book of Mormon
* Book of Ether
* Book of Moroni

The book's sequence is primarily chronological based on the narrative content of the book. Exceptions include the Words of Mormon and the Book of Ether. The Words of Mormon contains editorial comment by Mormon. The Book of Ether is presented as the narrative of an earlier group of people to have come to America before the immigration described in First Nephi. The books of First Nephi through Omni are written in first-person narrative, as are Mormon and Moroni. The remainder of the Book of Mormon is written in third-person historical narrative, compiled and abridged by Mormon (with Moroni abridging the Book of Ether).

The version published by the LDS Church is known as The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In addition to the main body of the work, it contains the following:

* A modern day introduction written by church leaders
* The "Testimony of Three Witnesses", the "Testimony of Eight Witnesses", and the "Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith" (as it concerns the Book of Mormon)
* A brief explanation of the contents of the book
* Chapter headings
* A pronouncing guide to names and places in the Book of Mormon
* Footnotes and cross-references to the Bible
* An index of doctrinal teachings.