From an April 1987 general conference address; spelling and capitalization modernized.
Ezra Taft Benson was born on August 4, 1899, in Whitney, Idaho, to Sarah Dunkley and George Taft Benson Jr. He married Flora Smith Amussen on September 10, 1926. At the age of 44, on October 7, 1943, he was ordained an Apostle by President Heber J. Grant. Elder Benson served as United States secretary of agriculture from 1953 to 1961. On December 30, 1973, he was ordained and set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He became thirteenth President of the Church at age 86 on November 10, 1985, and served in that capacity for more than eight years. President Benson died in Salt Lake City on May 30, 1994. A great proponent of studying the scriptures, he testified of the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants.
I would like to speak about two sacred volumes of modern scripture—the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.
The bringing forth of these sacred volumes of scripture "for the salvation of a ruined world" cost "the best blood of the nineteenth century"—that of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum (D&C 135:6).
Each divine witness contains a great proclamation to all the world—the title page of the Book of Mormon, and section 1, the Lord's preface to the Doctrine and Covenants.
Excluding the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants is by far the greatest external witness and evidence which we have from the Lord that the Book of Mormon is true. At least 13 sections in the Doctrine and Covenants give us confirming knowledge and divine witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God (see D&C 1; D&C 3; D&C 5; D&C 8; D&C 10; D&C 11; D&C 17; D&C 18; D&C 20; D&C 27; D&C 42; D&C 84; D&C 135).
We are not required to prove that the Book of Mormon is true or is an authentic record through external evidences—though there are many. It never has been the case, nor is it so now, that the studies of the learned will prove the Book of Mormon true or false. The origin, preparation, translation, and verification of the truth of the Book of Mormon have all been retained in the hands of the Lord, and the Lord makes no mistakes. You can be assured of that.
God uses the power of the word of the Book of Mormon as an instrument to change people's lives: "As the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God" (Alma 31:5).
"And it came to pass that when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the creation of Adam, reading the scriptures unto the king—how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had fallen.
The Book of Mormon Saints knew that the plan of redemption must start with the account of the Fall of Adam. In the words of Moroni: "By Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, … and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man" (Morm. 9:12).
Now, what should be the source for teaching the great plan of the Eternal God? The scriptures, of course—particularly the Book of Mormon. This should also include the other modern-day revelations. These should be coupled with the words of the apostles and prophets and the promptings of the Spirit.