My Farewell – Elder Cache Ian Noble

Given on September 21, 2025 to The Timberlane Ward

Today I would like to speak to you all about the Book of Mormon and the power it can hold in all of our lives. As well as the blessings it can bring to us. The Book of Mormon is often referred to as the Keystone of our Religion, whereas Jesus Christ and the Bible are foundational blocks, the Book of Mormon is the capstone of the archway. A keystone is the top center block which connects the pillars of a doorway, and for me the Book of Mormon has been the keystone of my personal testimony. As it has helped me connect with my Savior as well as to know my personal identity as a son of a loving Heavenly Father. And it has helped me to change for the better.

But it was not always this way for me for there was a time where I felt very relatable to the story of Alma the Younger. Like Alma I was once swayed and flattered by the ideas of the world and the philosophies rooted in Christian History yet that were built up by man. During that period of my life I often felt a deep anxiety, sadness and overall confusion. Like Alma I had been lifted up in the pride of my heart, thinking I knew better than the almighty. But it was not long after that like Alma, I had an incredibly powerful spiritual experience that completely flipped my world around. I repented, humbled myself, and realized that I had been wrong and that I really needed to allow myself to be taught by the spirit. 

That experience is a deeply personal one to me, but what I will say is that I felt comforted by the Holy Ghost, and I was given a personal manifestation of the fact that I knew Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Which right before I had that experience I would have said the opposite. After this experience I immediately felt a great desire and even a need to read the Book of Mormon all the way through for the first time in my life. 

That happened in November of 2023, which beginning in 2024 the Come Follow Me curriculum was focused on the Book of Mormon, and so I chose to wait just a little bit and I planned on reading it with the curriculum throughout the year. But as soon as January 1 hit I started flying through it, reading for hours a day, and I finished it by the end of February. At the end of the book, Moroni exhorts the reader, “ that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” 

And so I did exactly that, and I felt an overwhelming peace come over me and I knew that the Book of Mormon was true. And I want to share with you 5 things that I have learned from and about the Book of Mormon as I have continued to read it in my daily life.

First, the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. In its more than 6,000 verses it refers to Jesus Christ almost 4,000 times and by 100 different names including, “Jehovah, Immanuel, Holy Messiah, Lamb of God,  and Redeemer of Israel.” In Mosiah 3:17 it says, “that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.” 

Second, the purpose of the Book of Mormon is laid clear from the very beginning, and there is no confusion as to whose gospel this is. And by beginning I mean literally the first page which reads, “to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.” This is made especially clear when Jesus Christ, after he was crucified, and resurrected and then had visited with those in Jerusalem and the regions about, he came and appeared to the Nephites living in the Americas. And it is within 3 Nephi that Jesus teaches the same Gospel that is taught in the bible. Even where Jesus Christ says: “this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.” 

Third, the Book of Mormon teaches that God loves all of his children equally. In 2 Nephi 26:33 it reads, “For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”

Fourth, the Book of Mormon is the word of God and is the same gospel of the Bible. Many people who are outside the church who haven’t taken an honest look at what we believe, that is not allowing us to say of our own accord, quote Paul in Galatians 1:8 which reads, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Now what people get wrong about this is the context of the situation. After the apostles had established many churches in the middle east, the church of the Galatians, were making the claim that the grace of Jesus Christ was not enough to be saved, and that strict obedience to the works of the Law of Moses needed to be kept as well in order to be saved. This includes but is not limited to, circumcision, dietary laws, and ritualistic prayer. This is what Paul was angry about and warned against anyone teaching or accepting that this was needed for salvation. Knowing this context, makes the accusation that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints preaches a different gospel than that of the Bible simply crumbles and falls apart. The suggested idea from others that we believe that we are saved only because of our willingness to participate in ordinances goes fundamentally against what we actually believe. Instead we proclaim in our third article of faith: “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.” Notice it says the laws and ordinances of the Gospel, not the law of Moses. Unlike the Galatians we do not cling to fulfilled laws that were completed via the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, instead we believe that the Law of the Gospel is based out of Grace from Jesus Christ, which encourages us to do good works which connect us to Christ, and fulfill the hope of Christ when he told us in the Bible: “Be ye therefore perfect – even as your father in heaven is perfect.” This idea of works being an expression of our faith actually originates in the Bible from the Epistle of James who says, “I will shew thee my faith by my works,” and that, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.” 

With this understanding of Faith and Works which is biblical and is the original Gospel we see that the Book of Mormon shares this same exact Gospel. In 2 Nephi 33:10, it reads, “hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.” As well as the scripture in 1 Nephi 13:40, which reads, “These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.” So we see that the Book of Mormon and the Bible share the exact same Gospel and they complete a man's understanding. And I also want to point out specifically that there was never an angel that taught Joseph Smith a different Gospel, as he beheld our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ first and then beheld many other angels who were also seen by many others who took it to their deathbed that they had seen an angel. 

And finally fifth, daily reading of the Book of Mormon has blessed my life and it can bless yours too. As I said earlier that by the spirit the Book of Mormon has changed me for the better. I have found so much joy in reading and studying it. With my first read through I had planted a seed of faith like Alma taught, and it has grown into a mighty tree within my soul, and I partake of the blessings of its fruits daily. However in Alma 32 he was specific to point out that we must also nourish our own tree of a testimony in order for it to continue to grow that fruit. But because I am human, I am not perfect and I can still make mistakes, mess up, and sin. But by the gift of the Savior's atonement I can repent and try again, and by choosing to live the principles of the Gospel I can reap a mighty reward from my testimony. This lesson is still taught a lot by our modern prophets, apostles, and general authorities just as it was in the times of Alma. Our current Prophet President Russell M. Nelson has said, “My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day.” This prophetic promise has been especially extended once more to our stake, by Elder Dubon who challenged us to read the Book of Mormon daily in addition to our regular study. It took me a little bit to hop on this challenge again but I have taken up daily reading of the Book of Mormon for the third time now and am already beginning to see the outpouring of the spirit in my life again. I have seen the fulfillment of the promise in Alma 32:42, “behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.” I would like to conclude this point by quoting the April 2024 General Conference Talk, It Is Wisdom in the Lord That We Should Have The Book of Mormon. President Mark L. Pace said, “Studying the Book of Mormon always brings us closer to the Savior—and helps us stay close to Him. We call it “study,” and that’s good because it implies effort. But we don’t always need to learn some new fact. Sometimes reading the Book of Mormon is just about feeling connected to God today—nourishing the soul, being strengthened spiritually before heading out to face the world, or finding healing after a rough day out in the world. We study the scriptures so the Holy Ghost, the great teacher, can deepen our conversion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and help us become more like Them.” 

Brothers and Sisters, my friends, I love you all. And I am grateful to have been a part of this ward, I want to finish by bearing you my testimony. I testify that I am a beloved son of my Heavenly Father, that I know my Savior Jesus Christ, that he knows each and every one of us perfectly. I know that I have felt the Holy Ghost in my life and that I have felt the spirit of personal revelation upon me. I believe in the Book of Mormon and the church and ministry that come with it to be undeniably true. And I want it known that it is my earnest desire to share the joy of Jesus Christ and His gospel among the people I will meet in Texas, as well as continue to share it with those I will meet after, that I will share it with my future wife, my future family, my future friends, and all whom I shall meet. I believe that God has restored this; His true church to the earth today. This knowledge has been given to me by the Spirit of God, and no man, nor woman, yea nothing will ever take it away from me. Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life. And I will lift up my heart and rejoice, for the hour of my mission has come; and my tongue shall be loosed, and I shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation. And I say this in the most sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.