The Greater Things

As Moroni took the plates from his father to finish it with his testimony, he gave us this invitation and promise: “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” (Mormon 8:12).  If we will receive the Book of Mormon, meaning that we will read and ponder and live its teachings, and if we will not condemn it or criticize faults we might think we find, then we shall know “greater things” than what is in the book.  So what are these greater things that we can learn, even greater than the truths contained in the scriptures that we already have? 

               Other references to the same thing in the Book of Mormon give us some indication about what “greater things” the Lord has in store for us.  As Mormon was writing about the Savior’s ministry and teachings among the Nephites, he wrote, “And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.”  So he only wrote a “lesser part” of the teachings of the Savior.  Though we have quite a bit of the account in 3 Nephi of what He did among them and what we taught, it is only apparently a small portion of everything the Lord had did and said.  Moroni continued, “And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation” (3 Nephi 26:8-10).  So we will receive the greater things when we have received the first—the Book of Mormon as we now know it—and then can we also have those greater things revealed to us that the Savior did and said among them.  Here the key word is the same as Mormon 8:12; we must receive the scriptures the Lord has already given us if we want more.  For, as He said in another context, “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:33) 

               At least part of these great things that the Lord revealed to the Nephites was the great revelation received by the brother of Jared.  Moroni recorded in his account of the brother of Jared’s vision: “And after Christ truly had showed himself unto his people he commanded that they should be made manifest” (Ether 4:2).  Though 3 Nephi doesn’t tell us this, the Savior must have opened up this account from the brother of Jared and shared it with the righteous Nephites.   These were not just “great things,” but rather the greatest that could ever be revealed for “there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared” (Ether 4:4).  Moroni recorded them and even put them on the plates, but they were sealed and have not yet come unto us.  But the Lord has promised that they can be ours with this invitation: “Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief” (Ether 4:13-14).  Again here we are promised “greater things” and “great things” if we will come unto the Savior and put away our unbelief.  Ultimately the key seems to be that we must embrace and receive the current word of God that we have already, pointing us to the Savior, and then in the Lord’s own time we can receive the greater things He has in store for all the faithful.