Moroni's Exhortations

 Moroni introduced what we have as the final chapter in the Book of Mormon by saying that he would speak “a few words by way of exhortation unto you.”  The dictionary defines an exhortation as “an utterance, discourse, or address conveying urgent advice or recommendations.”  Moroni proceeded to give us these urgent recommendations in Moroni 10 that are powerful invitations to have faith in the Savior and to come unto Him.  His was an heartfelt plea for us to believe in the power and gifts of God.   

Moroni gave us eight specific invitations in this chapter in which he used the word exhort.  The first two exhortations are very familiar to Book of Mormon readers since they are part of the promise of obtaining a witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  He wrote first that we should remember and ponder the mercy of God: “I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things… that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts” (v3).  He then invited all to pray to the Father for a testimony of the truth of the book: “I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true” (v4).  These exhortations have been read millions of times over and have helped countless come to know the truth of the Book of Mormon through the power of the Holy Ghost.  They are a reminder to us that revelation comes as we remember how merciful God has been to us and then pray fervently to Him. 

Once we have obtained that witness from the Lord, the next five invitations, probably less familiar to most readers, invite us to continue on our path of discipleship by believing in the gifts and power of God in our lives.  He wrote, “I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever” (v7).  If we have faith, God can work through His power in our lives.  He does that in part by the spiritual gifts that He gives us, and Moroni invited us to believe in those gifts: “And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God” (v8).  He then listed many of those gifts that can come to us by the power of God, such as teaching by the Spirit, having exceedingly great faith, healing, working mighty miracles, prophesying, beholding angels, and speaking and interpreting in tongues.  If we truly believe in Christ and have faith, then these kinds of spiritual gifts should be a part of our lives.  He then exhorted us to remember where they come from: “And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ” (v18).  We must remember that spiritual gifts come from Christ—we merit no commendation for them on our own—and that He will grant them in all ages: “And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men” (v19).  If spiritual gifts aren’t present, then we do not have enough faith.  He emphasized this again his next exhortation: “And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me… if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief….  For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God…. And I exhort you to remember these things” (v23-27).  In our day of secularism when faith in God and miracles and scoffed at by many in society, Moroni’s urgent plea to us is to remember that through faith the power and gifts of God will be made manifest. 

              The final exhortation from Moroni is perhaps the most important to us and is a fitting final invitation from the Book of Mormon: “And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing” (v30).  Through the gifts and power of God we can come unto Christ, rid ourselves of everything unclean, and then “by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of [our] sins” we can “become holy, without spot” (v33).  This last chapter of the Book of Mormon is an urgent invitation to all of us to come unto the Savior through remembering, praying, believing, and witnessing the power and gifts of God in our lives.