The overarching theme of the Book of Mormon is that God will not abandon his people and will support them in their trials if they harken to his word, and that Jesus Christ, mankind's savior, sent prophets to his people, the Nephites, in the New World and even appeared to them in America after his death and resurrection.

The Book of Mormon relates the story of Lephi (an Israelite of the tribe of Manasseh) and his family who are called by God to leave Jerusalem and journey to the New World. It relates their many struggles to convert or defend themselves against the unrighteous Lamanites. When the Nephites follow their prophets and the word of God (which they have brought with them from Jerusalem) they are safe. Only when they become prosperous and turn away from God in their pride and wickedness will their enemies have power over them. These themes were meant to be a warning to nineteenth century. Americans that were increasingly turning away from God under the influence of enlightenment skepticism and materialism.

A secondary theme is that the devil works his plans against God's people through the 'secret combinations' or conspiracies of wicked men in secret societies who plot and take secret oaths to subjugate, corrupt and plunder God's people.

The theme of God calling a remnant of his people through the wilderness to a new promised land echoes the archetypal theme of God calling the children of Israel out of Egypt through the wilderness to a new promised land. This theme was familiar to the forbears of the Latter Days Saints whose own Puritan ancestors had considered themselves called by God called to leave behind an unrighteous England to journey through the wilderness of the New World to establish a new Zion in America. The theme is repeated again when the Latter Day Saints believe they are called by God to leave a skeptical and unbelieving America behind to journey through the deserts of the west to establish themselves as God's covenant people in a new Zion.