INTRODUCTION: By studying the final testimony of Mormon and the initial writings of Moroni, we better understand the role and purpose of the Book of Mormon. Moroni declared: “I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing” (Mormon 8:35). Moroni’s prophetic vantage point allowed him to complete the Nephite record with total awareness of both the escalating wickedness and the great spiritual blessings of the dispensation of the fulness of times. In a day when some people might be inclined to abandon faith in the face of great difficulties, Moroni’s words teach us to see miracles and revelations as evidence that “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (see Mormon 9:9). Although the spiritual and social conditions in the world may be in a state of constant change and decline, God’s covenant people can have full confidence that He is eternally the same. (Institute Manual)
“Believe in Jesus Christ” and “lay hold upon [His] gospel.”
READ In his final words, Mormon addressed the descendants of the Lamanites and affirmed that they are a “remnant of the house of Israel” (Mormon 7:1). Even though the Lamanites were his mortal enemies, his love for them demonstrated his spiritual maturity and the importance of the full blessings of the gospel. Consider Mormon’s final testimony and counsel as if he were speaking directly to you.
He taught what we need to know.
READ Mormon 7:1 And now, behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are spared, if it so be that God may
give unto them my words, that they may know of the things of their fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel; and these are the words which I speak:
2 Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.
Mormon’s message to the remnant of the Lamanites also applies to all members of the house of Israel.
3 Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.
4 Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.
-Should we follow this counsel?
READ President Spencer W. Kimball declared “We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel--ships, planes, missiles, fortifications--and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom of God: we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching….’that ye may be the children of your Father, which is in heaven.’ (False Gods We Worship, 6)
5 Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.
READ Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reflected on Mormon’s poignant plea to those of the latter days.
45 CFM Nov 4–10: “I Speak unto You as If Ye Were Present.” Mormon 7–9
to believe in Christ: “In a soliloquy of death, Mormon reached across time and space to all, especially to that ‘remnant of the house of Israel’ who would one day read his majestic record. Those of another time and place must learn what those lying before him had forgotten—that all must ‘believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God,’ that following his crucifixion in Jerusalem he had, ‘by the power of the Father … risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up’ [Mormon 7:2, 5]. …
“To ‘believe in Christ,’ especially when measured against such tragic but avoidable consequences, was Mormon’s last plea and his only hope. It is the ultimate purpose of the entire book that would come to the latter-day world bearing his name” (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 321–22)
6 And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment-seat.
7 And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.
-What is it we need to know?
He also taught what we need to do.
The Book of Mormon is of great worth.
READ In verses 8-9 Mormon foresaw the coming forth of the Bible and the Book of Mormon, including their focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ and the impact they can have in our day. It is helpful to read these verses as follows:
READ Mormon 7:8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which will come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.
9 For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them
-What is it that we must do?
-What does it mean to you to “lay hold upon the gospel of Christ”?
READ In these verses Mormon has boldly proclaimed that true believers in the Bible will also believe the Book of Mormon (and that likewise, the Book of Mormon supports belief in the Bible). This is similar to Nephi’s final declaration over 900 years earlier, when he stated that true believers in Christ will also believe in Nephi’s writings in the Book of Mormon. Nephi wrote: “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” (2 Nephi 33:10).
He taught why we need to know and do.
READ 10 And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.
-So if we “know” and “do” what is our blessing?
READ Mormon 8:12 And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these. Behold, I am Moroni; and were it possible, I would make all things known unto you.
13 Behold, I make an end of speaking concerning this people. I am the son of Mormon, and my father was a descendant of Nephi.
14 And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the
record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless.
15 For none can have power to bring it to light save it be given him of God; for God wills that it shall be done with an eye single to his glory, or the welfare of the ancient and long dispersed covenant people of the Lord.
16 And blessed be he that shall bring this thing to light; for it shall be brought out of darkness unto light, according to the word of God; yea, it shall be brought out of the earth, and it shall shine forth out of darkness, and come unto the knowledge of the people; and it shall be done by the power of God.
17 And if there be faults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire.
18 And he that saith: Show unto me, or ye shall be smitten—let him beware lest he commandeth that which is forbidden of the Lord.
19 For behold, the same that judgeth rashly shall be judged rashly again; for according to his works shall his wages be; therefore, he that smiteth shall be smitten again, of the Lord.
20 Behold what the scripture says—man shall not smite, neither shall he judge; for judgment is mine, saith the Lord, and vengeance is mine also, and I will repay.
21 And he that shall breathe out wrath and strifes against the work of the Lord, and against the covenant people of the Lord who are the house of
Israel, and shall say: We will destroy the work of the Lord, and the Lord will not remember his covenant which he hath made unto the house of Israel—the same is in danger to be hewn down and cast into the fire;
READ Moroni shares critical instructions and assertions regarding the plates, for the benefit of Joseph Smith (as the future translator of the plates) as well as for the future readers of the Book of Mormon: “The plates thereof are of no worth … no one shall have them to get gain” ( 14). Thus, the plates would have no monetary value because the Lord had declared that nobody would be able to convert the plates’ precious metal into financial gain. This is why the Prophet Joseph Smith was shocked when he first attempted to remove the plates from the hill; as recounted in Saints: “Joseph could not help thinking that he now knew exactly where to find enough treasure to free his family from poverty…. He reached for them—and felt a shock pulse through him. He jerked his hand back but then reached for the plates twice more and was shocked each time. [The Angel Moroni explained:] ‘They are not deposited here for the sake of accumulating gain and wealth for the glory of this world.’” (Volume 1, pp. 25-26.)
Moroni continued, “but the record thereof is of great worth [and] none can have power to bring it to light save it be given him of God; for God wills that it shall be done with an eye single to his glory.… And blessed be he that shall bring this thing to light … and it shall be done by the power of God” (verses 14-16). Indeed, after his first visit to the site of the plates’ burial, Joseph needed four more years of tutoring and maturing before he was able to approach his prophetic task with “an eye single” to the glory of God.
Then Moroni added four more stern warnings to those who would encounter the Book of Mormon: (https://interpreterfoundation.org/cfm-study-and-teaching-helps-bom-lesson-43/
Moroni finalized these strong statements with:
22 For the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled.
I can keep the commandments even when others do not.
READ Who was Moroni? “Moroni was probably born close to the middle of the fourth century A.D. The only other member of his family rentioned is his father Mormon, the Nephite military commander-in-chief and the Lord’s chosen prophet. We do not know his mother’s name or whether he had siblings or was married. Mormon, who was well aware of the prophecies about his people, knew that his newly born son would experience a lifetime of bloodshed, turmoil, and strife.
“Knowing the difficulties his son would encounter,Mormon, no doubt, named his infant son after the legendary prophet and military leader Captain Moroni, whose history he had abridged.” (Peterson, Moroni, the Last of the Nephite Prophets, 253-56)
At times you may also feel like Moroni, alone in your efforts to keep the commandments.
READ Mormon 8:1 Behold I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father, Mormon. Behold, I have but few things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father.
2 And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed.
3 And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not.
READ Moroni witnessed the death of his father, Mormon, and the destruction of the entire Nephite nation. Nevertheless, his life was preserved, and he faithfully fulfilled his mission in mortality. The Lord appointed Moroni to finish writing “the sad tale of the destruction” of the Nephites
4 Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not.
5 Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not.
6 Behold, four hundred years have passed away since the coming of our Lord and Savior.
7 And behold, the Lamanites have hunted my people, the Nephites, down from city to city and from place to place, even until they are no more; and great has been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
8 And behold, it is the hand of the Lord which hath done it. And behold also, the Lamanites are at war one with another; and the whole face of this land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed; and no one knoweth the end of the war.
9 And now, behold, I say no more concerning them, for there are none save it be the Lamanites and robbers that do exist upon the face of the land.
10 And there are none that do know the true God save it be the disciples of Jesus, who did tarry in the land until the wickedness of the people was so great that the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people; and whether they be upon the face of the land no man knoweth.
11 But behold, my father and I have seen them, and they have ministered unto us.
-Who is Moroni referring to in these last two verses?
-What do we learn about the mission of the three disciples?
READ “The disciples of Jesus who knew the true God were the three who were blessed to remain on the earth until Christ came again. Their mission was to bring souls unto Christ. Thus their purpose in ministering to Mormon and Moroni was undoubtedly in this capacity. The had either ministered to them earlier and Moroni is recollecting their visit, or they had ministered to them in regards to their keeping the records. The three disciples may have been among the lost tribes since they had departed from the Nephites because of the wickedness of the people. “(Nyman, I, Mormon, Make a Record, 119)
.-What can you learn from the example of Moroni that could help?.
- If you could ask Moroni how he remained faithful, what do you think he would say?
The Book of Mormon was written for our day.
Jesus Christ showed Moroni what would be happening when the Book of Mormon came forth which led him to give bold warnings for our day.
READ Mormon 8:34 Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.
35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
READ Moroni sees our day. “Moroni acknowledged that the day in which the Book of Mormon would come forth would be a time of great difficulty and unbelief. In Mormon 8:26-41, he describes the circumstances that might inhibit acceptance of the ancient record:
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“Nonetheless, Moroni noted that notwithstanding the wickedness of the last days, the ancient record--the Book of Mormon--would indeed come forth by the living in these difficult days to pay heed to the revelations of God, for ‘all these things must be fulfilled.” (33)
(Valletta, The BofM Study Guide, 746)
-What evidence do you see in these statements that Moroni saw our day?
-How can the BofM help with the challenges that Moroni foresaw?
Jesus Christ is a God of miracles.
Moroni concluded his father’s writings with a powerful message for people in our day who do not believe in miracles.
READ Mormon 9:1 And now, I speak also concerning those who do not believe in Christ.
10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.
11 But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.
Why do you feel a belief in miracles is needed today?
READ Moroni 7:27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
28 For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.
29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
-What do I learn about the Savior from these verses?
-What do I learn about miracles, past and present?
-What are the benefits of believing that Jesus Christ is a God of miracles?
-What are the consequences of not believing this?
-What miracles—large and small—has the Savior worked in my life? -What do these miracles teach me about Him?
“God Is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever”
READ Mormon 9:9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?
READ Moroni declared that God is an unchangeable being who will remain “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Mormon 9:9). Modern revelation confirms that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon proves God continues to “inspire men and call them to his holy work” in our day as He has in the past, “showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever” (D&C 20:11–12).
The Lectures on Faith state that in order to have perfect faith in God one must have a correct idea of God’s “character, perfections, and attributes” ([1985], 38). One of God’s characteristics is that He will not change: “[God] changes not, neither is there variableness with him; but that he is the same from everlasting to everlasting, being the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that his course is one eternal round, without variation” (Lectures on Faith, 41). Consider the blessing of knowing that God continues His holy work in our day and will always remain the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Moroni warned us that there are those who “have imagined … a god who doth vary” (Institute Manual)
READ Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we could not believe or trust in a God who changes or is still learning new truths:
“The omniscience of God in the minds of some well-meaning Latter-day Saints has been qualified by the concept of ‘eternal progression.’ Some have wrongly assumed God’s progress is related to His acquisition of additional knowledge. …
“… God derives His great and continuing joy and glory by increasing and advancing His creations, and not from new intellectual experiences.
“There is a vast difference, therefore, between an omniscient God and the false notion that God is on some sort of post-doctoral fellowship, still searching for additional key truths and vital data. Were the latter so, God might, at any moment, discover some new truth not previously known to Him that would restructure, diminish, or undercut certain truths previously known by Him. Prophecy would be mere prediction. Planning assumptions pertaining to our redemption would need to be revised. Fortunately for us, however, His plan of salvation is constantly underway—not constantly under revision” (All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience [1979], 14–15).
And Finally: a Touch of OT Humor, at least from my perspective
NOTE: This has nothing to do with, nor refer to, Suzie.(who has a personal
statute of limitations on arguments that I have the capability of remembering-
which seems to be within the last month)
LAST WORDS:
Moroni stated that he had the ability to write in at least two languages: Hebrew and Egyptian: Mormon 9:32–34 reads:
He noted that if the “plates had been sufficiently large” he would have written in Hebrew; however, those who kept the record used “reformed Egyptian” due to the lack of space (verses 32–33). Previously in the Book of Mormon, both Nephi and King Benjamin acknowledged their use of Egyptian. Nephi stated that he wrote in “the language of the Egyptians” when he engraved the small plates (1 Nephi 1:2). When speaking to his sons about the importance of the brass plates, King Benjamin noted that Lehi could read the record because he had “been taught in the language of the Egyptians” (Mosiah 1:4). Therefore, we understand that Lehi taught the gospel and Egyptian “to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children” (Mosiah 1:4). Evidently, this pattern continued through the generations of record keepers that followed until Moroni learned the language from his father. However, Moroni’s statement that he wrote in “reformed Egyptian” (Mormon 9:32) indicates that some adaptations in the use of the language had occurred over the thousand years from the time of Lehi. This could explain why Moroni concluded with the comment that “none other people knoweth our language” but that God had prepared means for the eventual interpretation and translation of the record. (Institute Manual, Mormon 9:32-34)
Elder James E, Talmage testified: “The translation of the Book of Mormon was effected through the power of God manifested in the bestowal of the gift of revelation….Joseph Smith received from the angel other sacred treasures, including a brest, to which were attached the Urim and Thummim…and by the use of these he was enabled to translate the ancient records into our modern tongue.”
Talmage also wrote: “There will be, there can be, no absolutely reliable translation of …scriptures unless it be effect through the gift of translation, as one of the endowments of the Holy Ghost. The translator must have the spirit of the prophet if he would render in another tongue the prophet’s words; and human wisdom alone leads not to that possession.” (Articles of Faith, 273 and 241)
I would note that the reading AND understanding of that which is read is also accomplished by the use of tools we receive from God: The Holy Ghost, prayers, our prophet and leaders and our special gift to be “doers.” We have been told many times that if we want to know the truths and doctrines of the gospel we must ask, seek and knock for: “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened,” (3 Nephi 14:7–8; Matthew 7:7–8)
If you have gotten this far you are on the right path. Knock yourself out. And, by the way, have a great week.
Greg