A Complete, Pictorial Guide To The Book Of Mormon

In the wake of the Aurora shootings, when Mitt Romney told the country that "we mourn with those who mourn," most people listening agreed with the somber sentiment. But few outside of the candidate's Mormon faith recognized that Romney was quoting the Book of Mormon, the sacred text of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Although curiosity about the Mormon Church has reached a fever pitch with Romney's ascension as the Republican Party's presidential nominee, most people remain relatively clueless about the American-born religion.

To find out more about Mormons and their beliefs, Business Insider traveled to upstate New York earlier this month for the Hill Cumorah Pageant, the flagship pageant of the LDS Church, which takes place on the hill where Mormonism's founder, Joseph Smith, is believed to have found the Golden Plates that he later translated into the Book of Mormon. 

Despite the almost entirely Mormon cast and audience, the Hill Cumorah show, America's Witness for Christ, is actually written for non-Mormons. It amounts to a Book of Mormon 101 course, depicting pivotal scenes from the church's seminal sacred text, which Mormons believe to be a "record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas" and consider to be a "volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible," according to the Book of Mormon introduction. 

We've broken down the story here in photographs. While it should not be taken as a comprehensive account of the Book of Mormon, it's an easy-to-digest intro for those who aren't quite ready to take on the whole tome yet. 

The Book of Mormon gives the account of the people of Lehi, a prophet who lived in Jerusalem in 600 B.C. According to the Book of Mormon, the people of Lehi are the principal ancestors of the American Indians.

One day while praying, Lehi saw a pillar of fire and had a vision of God, Christ, and the 12 Apostles. God warned Lehi that Jerusalem's destruction is imminent.

Lehi tries to warn the people of Jerusalem to repent.

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