Resource Review · Latter-day Saint Books
The Book of Mormon Study Guide
A single-volume, verse-by-verse companion that walks a Latter-day Saint reader through the entire Book of Mormon — background, commentary gathered from Church leaders and scholars, maps, and helps, all keyed to the text you read alongside it.
- Editor rating
- 4.7 / 5
- Starting price
- ~$30 hardcover
- Free tier
- No
- Platforms
- Print · Kindle
- Developer
- Deseret Book
- Launched
- 2016
The verdict
The Book of Mormon Study Guide: Start to Finish is the one-volume companion a Latter-day Saint reaches for when they want to read the Book of Mormon with help at their elbow rather than search for it later. Edited by Thomas R. Valletta, it moves verse by verse through the whole text, gathering background, commentary from Church leaders and scholars, maps, and study helps into a single hardcover keyed to the scripture. It is long and dense by design — a reference you read alongside the book, not a quick read on its own — and for a member who wants context as they go, it is hard to beat.
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The Book of Mormon Study Guide: Start to Finish has quietly become one of the go-to companions for Latter-day Saints who want to read the Book of Mormon slowly and well. It belongs to a specific shelf in a member’s home — the one next to the scriptures themselves, the books you open with the text open beside them. Its whole reason for existing is the gap between reading a verse and understanding the world that produced it, and it sets out to close that gap one passage at a time.
The guide was assembled under the editorship of Thomas R. Valletta, a longtime Latter-day Saint educator, and published by Deseret Book in 2016. It is not a paraphrase and it is not a replacement for the scripture. It doesn’t retell the story in easier words. It doesn’t argue a thesis. It doesn’t ask to be read straight through like a novel. Instead it sits beside the Book of Mormon and, chapter by chapter and often verse by verse, supplies the things a reader tends to wonder about in the moment — who is speaking, where this is happening, what an unfamiliar phrase means, and how Church leaders and scholars have understood the passage over the years.
That design is the engine of the book. A Latter-day Saint reading the Book of Mormon for the fifth time, or following the weekly Come Follow Me schedule, frequently hits a verse and thinks, “I wish I knew more about this.” The Study Guide is built so the answer is already on the facing material rather than several clicks away: background notes, quotations from prophets and apostles and respected scholars, maps that locate the journeys and battles, and helps that connect one part of the narrative to another. The aim is not to tell the reader what to think but to put context within arm’s reach so the reading itself goes deeper.
This review treats it the way this site treats every resource — with practical notes on what it is, what format to buy, how much it costs, and who it actually serves. It is a study tool written from within the Latter-day Saint tradition for readers in it, and on the plain terms of a buyer’s decision, it is one of the most comprehensive single-volume companions to the Book of Mormon you can put on a shelf.
✓ The good
- Truly start-to-finish — the guide runs through the entire Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi to Moroni, rather than sampling highlights, so there are no gaps where the help suddenly stops
- Verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter structure — commentary is keyed tightly to the text, so a reader can open to exactly the passage they are studying and find notes on it
- Gathers many voices in one place — it draws background and commentary from Church leaders and respected Latter-day Saint scholars, saving the reader from hunting across many separate sources
- Maps and study helps built in — journeys, migrations, and the geography of the narrative are charted, which is a real aid in a book with so much movement and so many places
- Pairs naturally with Come Follow Me — because it follows the text in order, it slots cleanly alongside the weekly home-and-class study schedule many members already keep
- A genuine one-volume reference — for readers who would rather own a single comprehensive companion than assemble a small library, it consolidates a great deal into one hardcover
- Built for rereading — the format rewards return visits, since you can dip into the notes on a single chapter without needing to have read the surrounding commentary
✗ Watch out
- Long and dense — it is a thick reference volume, not a light read, and a reader expecting something quick or breezy will find it substantial
- Designed to be read alongside the scripture, not on its own — opened by itself it can feel fragmentary, because it is meant to accompany the Book of Mormon rather than replace or summarize it
- Written for a Latter-day Saint readership — it assumes the tradition’s context, vocabulary, and canon throughout, so a reader outside that setting will encounter it as one tradition’s study companion rather than a general reference
- Not free — unlike the Church’s own free study materials, this is a Deseret Book retail title you buy, though used copies are common
- Heavier than a phone — the print volume is a commitment to carry, and a reader who does most study on a device may prefer digital scripture tools that travel lighter
- Single-volume breadth means selective depth — covering the whole text in one book, it cannot go as deep on any single passage as a multi-volume commentary devoted to a smaller stretch
Best for
- Latter-day Saints who want context at their elbow while reading the Book of Mormon cover to cover
- Members following the Come Follow Me schedule who want commentary keyed to each week’s chapters
- Teachers and parents preparing lessons who need background and quotations gathered in one place
- Longtime readers building a permanent study shelf who prefer one comprehensive companion volume
Avoid if
- You want a short, read-it-once book rather than a thick reference you keep open beside the scriptures
- You do most of your study on a phone and prefer free digital tools that travel light
- You are looking for a tradition-neutral commentary rather than one written from within the Latter-day Saint tradition
- You want the deepest possible treatment of a single book and would rather buy a focused multi-volume commentary
What The Book of Mormon Study Guide is
The Book of Mormon Study Guide: Start to Finish is a comprehensive, single-volume study companion to the Book of Mormon, edited by Thomas R. Valletta and published by Deseret Book in 2016. It is written from within the Latter-day Saint tradition and for a Latter-day Saint readership. Rather than summarizing or paraphrasing the scripture, it accompanies it: working through the text from 1 Nephi to Moroni, it supplies background, verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter commentary, maps, and study helps designed to be read alongside the Book of Mormon itself.
The commentary is gathered rather than authored as a single argument — Valletta and the contributors assemble insight from Church leaders and respected Latter-day Saint scholars and arrange it next to the relevant passages. As neutral buyer information: it is a study resource keyed to a volume of scripture distinctive to the Restoration tradition, and it assumes that tradition’s canon and vocabulary throughout. The result is a thick reference hardcover meant to be opened to the chapter you are studying, not read front to back like a continuous narrative.
Why Latter-day Saints keep this one within reach
The single biggest practical difference between this guide and most books about the Book of Mormon is that it is not meant to be read instead of the scripture — it is meant to be read with it, in real time, verse by verse. A great many study aids ask you to read them first and then return to the text with what you learned. This one assumes the Book of Mormon is already open in front of you and that you have just hit a verse you want to understand better. Its commentary is keyed so tightly to the passages that the answer to “what is going on here?” is usually right there, rather than something to look up afterward.
That changes how the book functions in ordinary study. A member working through the weekly Come Follow Me chapters, or simply reading at their own pace, can keep the guide beside the scriptures and consult it exactly when a question surfaces — the name they cannot place, the geography of a journey, the meaning of an archaic phrase, what a prophet or apostle has said about a particular verse. Because it covers the whole text in order, the help never runs out partway through. For the reader inside the tradition who wants to read slowly and deeply, it turns a solo read into a guided one without ever taking the wheel.
Verse-by-verse commentary across the entire text
The spine of the Study Guide is its verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter commentary, and the word in the subtitle that matters most is “start to finish.” The guide does not pick a handful of famous chapters and leave the rest bare; it moves through the whole Book of Mormon in order, from Nephi’s opening account to Moroni’s closing words, supplying notes the entire way. For a reader, that completeness is the point — there is no stretch of the narrative, however quiet, where the help suddenly disappears and you are on your own.
What sits in those notes is a mix of background, explanation, and gathered commentary. The guide identifies who is speaking and when, untangles the closely related names and places that can trip up a reader, clarifies phrases written in the King-James-style English of the text, and arranges insight from Church leaders and Latter-day Saint scholars next to the passages they illuminate. Because it is organized by the scripture’s own chapters and verses, a reader never has to translate between the guide’s structure and the book’s — you open to the chapter you are reading, and the commentary is already lined up with it.
Background, maps, and study helps in one volume
Beyond the running commentary, the guide pulls together the apparatus a careful reader wants and gathers it into a single book. There are maps that chart the journeys, migrations, and movements that fill the narrative — a real aid in a text where peoples travel, divide, and relocate constantly and a reader can easily lose the geography. There is background that sets up each book and section, orienting the reader before they enter it. And there are study helps that connect one part of the story to another, so the long arc stays visible even while you are deep in the details of a single chapter.
The value of having all of this in one place is mostly a matter of friction. A reader who wanted background here, a map there, and a leader’s comment somewhere else would otherwise be assembling a small stack and flipping among several books. The Study Guide consolidates those layers so that the maps, the context, and the commentary all live with the verses they serve. For a teacher preparing a lesson or a parent preparing family study, that consolidation is a genuine time-saver — the supporting material is gathered, not scattered.
A companion built to pair with Come Follow Me
Because the guide follows the Book of Mormon in its own order, it fits naturally alongside the way many Latter-day Saints already study. The Church’s Come Follow Me curriculum moves through the scriptures on a schedule, assigning a block of chapters each week for home and class study. A companion organized chapter by chapter slots directly into that rhythm: when the week’s reading is a particular set of chapters, the guide’s notes on exactly those chapters are right where you would expect them, with no need to reshuffle or search.
That pairing is where the guide earns its keep for a lot of readers. Come Follow Me supplies the schedule and the prompts; the Study Guide supplies the deeper context for the verses in front of you. Used together over a study year, they let a member move through the entire Book of Mormon with both a plan and a running commentary — the plan keeping the pace, the guide keeping the depth. It is not required for Come Follow Me, and the curriculum stands on its own, but for readers who want more context than the lesson material alone provides, this is a natural complement.
Pricing
Hardcover
~$30
The standard Deseret Book hardcover and the edition most readers own — a durable single volume meant to live next to the scriptures and be opened often. The everyday default for this title.
Kindle / eBook
~$15–25
A searchable digital edition for readers who study on a tablet or phone. Lets you jump to a chapter quickly and carries nothing but the device, at typically a lower price than the hardcover.
Used / secondhand
~$10–20
Since the guide has been in print since 2016, used hardcovers turn up through resellers and Latter-day Saint bookshops — a budget route to the same content.
Companion scriptures
Free
The Book of Mormon text the guide accompanies is free in the Gospel Library app and at churchofjesuschrist.org, so the only real cost is the guide itself.
The Book of Mormon Study Guide is a retail title, which sets it apart from the Church’s own free study materials — you buy this one. The good news for a buyer is that it is a single volume rather than a multi-book series, so the whole companion is one purchase. Mark the hardcover as the everyday default; at around $30 it is a durable reference meant to be opened often and to last for years on a study shelf.
If you do most of your reading on a device, the Kindle or eBook edition is the one to consider. It typically runs somewhat below the hardcover, and it adds searchable text and the ability to jump straight to a chapter — useful for a reference book you consult rather than read in sequence. The tradeoff is the usual one: a screen instead of a physical book you can lay flat beside your scriptures.
Because the guide has been in print since 2016, the secondhand supply is healthy. Used hardcovers surface through resellers and Latter-day Saint bookshops, often a fair bit below new, which is a reasonable route for a reader who does not mind a previous owner’s copy.
It is worth remembering that the scripture this guide accompanies is itself free — the Book of Mormon text lives in the Gospel Library app and at churchofjesuschrist.org at no cost. So the only spend here is the companion. Most readers do not need more than the single hardcover (or the eBook); at this price it is a straightforward, one-time purchase for someone who wants a comprehensive guide to keep.
Where The Book of Mormon Study Guide falls behind
Length and density. This is a thick reference volume, and it makes no apology for it. A reader hoping for something short or breezy will find it substantial, and opened cover to cover it is a lot to take in at once. That heft is exactly what makes it comprehensive, but it does mean the guide rewards a reader who consults it steadily over a study year rather than one who expects to finish it in a weekend.
Companion-not-standalone design. The guide is built to be read with the Book of Mormon open beside it, and read on its own it can feel fragmentary — the notes assume you are looking at the verses they discuss. That is the correct design for its purpose, but it is worth knowing going in: this is a tool that accompanies the scripture, not a book that summarizes or replaces it, and a reader expecting a self-contained narrative will be surprised.
Print weight and portability. As a hardcover it is a commitment to carry, and a reader who does most of their study on a phone may prefer the lighter digital scripture tools that live on a device. The eBook edition addresses this, but readers who want the physical book should know it is a desk-and-shelf companion more than a backpack one.
Selective depth by necessity. Covering the entire Book of Mormon in a single volume is the guide’s great strength, but it is also a constraint: a one-book companion cannot dwell on any single passage the way a multi-volume commentary devoted to a smaller stretch can. For most readers the breadth is the right trade, but a student who wants the deepest possible treatment of one book may want a more focused resource alongside it.
The Study Guide vs. the free Book of Mormon vs. Come Follow Me
It helps to see where this guide sits among the Book of Mormon resources a Latter-day Saint is likely to use. The Book of Mormon itself — free in the Gospel Library app, in print from missionaries, and as audio — is the scripture; it ships with its own footnotes, chapter summaries, and topical guide, which are enough for many readers and cost nothing. The Study Guide is not a competitor to the text but a layer on top of it: where the built-in footnotes are brief, the guide expands the context and gathers commentary keyed to each passage.
Different jobs. Come Follow Me is the curriculum — a free, official, week-by-week schedule with prompts for home and class study; it tells you what to read and when. The Study Guide tells you more about what you are reading: it is the deeper context for the verses Come Follow Me sends you to. Many readers use them together, with the curriculum setting the pace and the guide supplying the background. Neither replaces the other, and neither is required to use the other.
If you are deciding where to put your money and attention, the question is how much help you want as you read. The free scripture with its own helps is a complete starting point. Add Come Follow Me for structure — it is free too. Add the Study Guide when you want a comprehensive, verse-by-verse companion gathered into one volume, and you would rather own that depth than assemble it from scattered sources or look it up online each time. For broader scholarship and study resources online, Scripture Central is a website worth knowing, while the Study Guide is the one-book, on-the-shelf version of the same impulse.
The bottom line
The Book of Mormon Study Guide: Start to Finish is the comprehensive one-volume companion a Latter-day Saint reaches for when they want to read the whole Book of Mormon with context at their elbow. Edited by Thomas R. Valletta, it moves verse by verse across the entire text, gathering background, commentary from Church leaders and scholars, maps, and study helps into a single hardcover keyed to the scripture. It is long, dense, and built to be read alongside the book rather than on its own — a reference, not a quick read. For a member following Come Follow Me, preparing lessons, or simply reading slowly and deeply, it consolidates a great deal of help into one volume, and on those terms it delivers.
Alternatives to The Book of Mormon Study Guide
The Book of Mormon
The scripture this guide accompanies — free in print, app, web, and audio, with its own built-in footnotes and study helps.
Come Follow Me
The Church’s free week-by-week study curriculum — the schedule and prompts the Study Guide pairs with chapter for chapter.
Gospel Library
The official free app of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — the easiest place to read the Book of Mormon with footnotes and audio.
Scripture Central
A website hosting scholarship and study resources for the Book of Mormon — the online counterpart to a printed study companion.
Frequently asked questions
- What is The Book of Mormon Study Guide: Start to Finish?
- It is a comprehensive, single-volume study companion to the Book of Mormon, edited by Thomas R. Valletta and published by Deseret Book in 2016. Written from within the Latter-day Saint tradition, it moves verse by verse and chapter by chapter through the entire text, supplying background, commentary gathered from Church leaders and scholars, maps, and study helps meant to be read alongside the scripture.
- Is this the Book of Mormon itself, or a companion to it?
- It is a companion, not the scripture. The guide accompanies the Book of Mormon rather than replacing or summarizing it — it is designed to be read with the text open beside it. You still read from the Book of Mormon itself (free in the Gospel Library app or in print), and you consult the guide for context on the passages you are studying.
- How much does it cost?
- The standard hardcover runs around $30 from Deseret Book and major retailers, and it is the edition most readers own. A Kindle or eBook edition is usually somewhat cheaper, and because the book has been in print since 2016, used copies turn up secondhand for less. The Book of Mormon text it accompanies is free.
- Does it cover the whole Book of Mormon?
- Yes — that is the meaning of “start to finish.” The guide runs through the entire text, from 1 Nephi to Moroni, rather than sampling a few well-known chapters. There is no stretch of the narrative where the commentary simply stops, which is part of what makes it a true reference companion.
- Does it work with Come Follow Me?
- It pairs naturally with it. Because the guide is organized chapter by chapter in the scripture’s own order, it slots cleanly alongside the Come Follow Me weekly schedule: when the week’s reading is a set of chapters, the guide’s notes on those chapters are right where you would expect them. The curriculum supplies the plan; the guide supplies the deeper context.
- Is it written for a Latter-day Saint audience?
- Yes. It is written from within the Latter-day Saint tradition and for readers in it, drawing on that tradition’s scripture, vocabulary, and the teachings of Church leaders and scholars throughout. A reader outside the tradition can use it, but will encounter it as one tradition’s study companion rather than a tradition-neutral reference.
- Who is this guide best for?
- Latter-day Saints who want context at their elbow while reading the Book of Mormon cover to cover, members following Come Follow Me who want commentary keyed to each week, and teachers or parents preparing lessons who need background and quotations gathered in one place. It is less suited to readers who want a short, single-sitting book or who study only on a phone and prefer light, free digital tools.