The Book of Mormon records the desert sojourn of a traveling group known as the Lehites. The Lehites were from Jerusalem and had journeyed away from there after it was prophesied by Lehi, the prophet after whom the Lehites were named, that Jerusalem would be destroyed.

The Book of Mormon records that, after many days traveling in the wilderness, Lehi discovered “a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither [sic] we should go into the wilderness” (1 Nephi 16:10). Nephi tells us that the Liahona was prepared by the hand of God (2 Nephi 5:12) and delivered to the Nephites. The Liahona would only work according to the faith in God and their diligence (1 Nephi 16:28–29; Alma 37:40). Alma explained to his son that the ball was called the Liahona because “being interpreted,” it meant compass (Alma 37:38). There are plausible connections between ancient languages and this interpretation of the word Liahona.²⁷ The Liahona was compared to the word of Christ in its ability to give direction towards eternal security in the presence of God. The Liahona was passed down in Nephite generations and was buried with the gold plates. The Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon (See #10 BOOK OF MORMON WITNESSES: THE ONLY “DIVINE” BOOK OF MORMON EVIDENCE herein) were allowed to see the Liahona (Doctrine & Covenants 17:1).

According to the best historical reconstruction done on the lost pages of Book of Mormon manuscript (See #18 THE LOST PAGES OF BOOK OF MORMON MANUSCRIPT: A GIFT FOR UNDERSTANDING GOD herein), there was a wilderness journey that took place in the New World guided by the Liahona whereas the Book of Mormon text we have today only describes such a journey in the Old World. The reconstruction also tells us that there was a time when the Liahona stopped working in that New World journey similar to the Lehites’ Old World journey.²⁸ 

Today, the Church has named its official magazine Liahona. Previously, Liahona was the name of the Church’s international Spanish-language magazine.

The story of the Liahona teaches us how we can be the recipients of the Lord’s direction in our own lives as we exercise our own faith in Him and diligence in keeping His commandments.