Mormon's Witness of Christ

The Book of Mormon ends with three chapters from the words of Mormon followed by Moroni’s last testimony.  Those three chapters—Moroni 7-9—are very different in content from each other.  Chapter 7 covers a handful of gospel topics centered on faith, hope, and charity.  Chapter 8 is all about infant baptism and the doctrines surrounding that.  Chapter 9 is very unique in its awful depiction of the Nephite and Lamanite wickedness but also contains very encouraging words for his son Moroni.  As I thought about these three chapters, I asked myself, what theme ties them together? 

I think the most important is the testimony that Mormon bore in all three of them concerning the Savior.  Each contains powerful words about the divinity of the Savior, His mission, and His power, and it’s fitting that the book that bears Mormon’s name would finish with so many witnesses from him of Jesus Christ.  Here are some principles of the gospel relating to the Savior found in these three chapters:

·         All people are given the Spirit of Christ to show them how to judge good and evil, and all good things in the world come from Christ.  He said, “For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ” (Moroni 7:16).

·         If we have faith in Christ we can accomplish anything that God requires of us.  Mormon recorded it this way: “And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).

·         Real hope comes because of the atonement and resurrection of Christ.  He testified, “Ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal” (Moroni 7:41).

·         The pure love of Christ is the greatest thing we can gain on earth.  Mormon said, “Cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him“ (Moroni 7:46-47).

·         Little children don’t need baptism because of Christ’s atonement.  Mormon wrote to Moroni, “And he that saith that little children need baptism denieth the mercies of Christ, and setteth at naught the atonement of him and the power of his redemption” (Moroni 8:20).

·         Christ is unpartial and unchangeable.  Mormon wrote emphatically that “Little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons” (Moroni 8:12).  In other words, Christ’s atonement allows Him to be perfectly just to all, including children. 

·         Our trust is in Christ.  After speaking of much of the wickedness of the people of Nephi, he said to his son, “But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God, and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved” (Moroni 9:22).  Mormon trusted in Christ for his and his son’s salvation. 

·         Because of Christ’s sufferings we can make it through our trials and ultimately be saved.  He wrote this powerful encouragement to Moroni: “May Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever” (Moroni 9:25).

Moroni wrote on the title page of the Book of Mormon that the book’s purpose was to convince “Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.”  Mormon’s testimony in these final chapters certainly contributes to that overarching goal and is a powerful final witness of the Savior.