The hastening of the work continues as the Book of Mormon reaches a historic publishing milestone.
The Restoration started with a book—a book published in Upstate New York in 1830 with a print run of five thousand copies. Realistically, a book that obscure should be long forgotten, possibly not even selling through the first print run. Now in 2024, that unassuming, obscure book has reached over two hundred million copies in 115 different languages.
Photo by Aaron Burden
For me, two hundred million copies is a little hard to quantify. Compared to other religious texts, though, the number of copies of the Book of Mormon seems small. The Bible has sold between five and seven billion copies and the Quran is estimated at eight hundred million. But in nonreligious genres, only The Little Prince and A Tale of Two Cities are even comparable. The Book of Mormon is truly a “marvelous work and a wonder.”
Indeed, in a recent Church Newsroom article, Elder Dale G. Renlund said, “It is a remarkable achievement, but I do not think it is an achievement that we should be satisfied with. What is the Book of Mormon to achieve? It is to invite people to come to Christ, be converted to Him, become His disciple, and get on and stay on the covenant path.”
So why should anyone care about this publishing milestone at all? Out of all the books in the world, why this one? Because, as Elder Renlund states, this book can bring people to Christ.
I read a lot of books, but none influence me in quite the same way that the Book of Mormon does. The Book of Mormon is where I turn when I’m sad, lost, or weary. This book is the one that has taught me who I am and who Christ is.
Two hundred million copies is an astounding feat, but that accomplishment ultimately doesn’t matter if the book isn’t being read. So perhaps the best way we can celebrate this milestone is to spend more time studying the unassuming, obscure blue book sitting on my nightstand.
Source: Church Newsroom
—Phoebe English, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY: KRISTIN MURPHY
Find more insights
For a prophet’s testimony of the Book of Mormon, read “The Power of the Book of Mormon” by President Thomas S. Monson.
Read Elder Dale G. Renlund’s talk “There Is Power in the Book” for more insights on how to apply the Book of Mormon in our lives.