Moroni 10

Besides his marvelous challenge to “ask God, the Eternal Father, if these things are not true,” Moroni next positions his plea for us to seek the Gifts of the Spirit; the essential gifts being faith, hope and charity.  My dad told me once to pay attention to the position of that plea.  It is so important it is the next to the last thing he wants us to do, coming after our praying to know if the Book of Mormon is true.  Finally, Moroni posts this marvelous invitation echoing all of his fellow prophets:  “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ…that ye become holy without spot.”  Farewell Moroni; I can’t wait to meet you.

Moroni 7

Moroni records the words of his father, Mormon, in this beloved chapter most often quoted for the doctrine of charity; therein, I found an intriguing question:  “And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing?”  Mormon repeats the words, “every good thing” four times.  He answers his own question, “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me…Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name and have faith in me, that ye may be saved.” It is fun to ponder what “every good thing” means to me.  Every good thing means my wife and family, my grandparents, my parents, my grandchildren.  Every good thing means a Christ-centered life.  Every good thing means a comfortable home and food to eat.  Every good thing means friends and friendship.

Ether 12

Ether 12:6 and Ether 12:27 are rich and deep and wide.  But Ether 12:39-41 gives us a glimpse of Jesus that I find profound.  Moroni, after having an interview with the Lord Jesus Christ says this:  “And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things;”  and then he adds this humble invitation: “I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever.”

Friends, we have it from an eye witness that if we were to see and talk to Jesus that he would talk to us in plain humility!  I love Jesus.  I also commend him to you.

Mormon 8

Here is a wonderful verse about Joseph Smith and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon recorded by Moroni who took over the record keeping after his father, Mormon’s death:  “And blessed is 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.”

“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. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not.  Behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.”

Moroni saw that we would struggle with pride. “Doubt not, but be believing,…and come unto the Lord with all your heart…strip yourselves of all uncleanness…ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.”

Mormon

The saddest book in the Book of Mormon is written by its abridger, Mormon.  Yet, in the account of the downfall of the Nephites, there are magnificent words and phrases to lift us up in the latter days:

“I know that I shall be lifted up at the last day.”

“I did even as the Lord commanded me.”

“…believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you.”

“…clasped in the arms of Jesus.”

“…they had Christ for their shepherd.”

“Repent ye and humble yourselves before him.”

Mormon leaves us with the keystone of our faith.  We are forever in his debt.