It Mattereth Not

Moroni introduced the book of Moroni with these words: “Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished….  Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren” (Moroni 1:1, 4).  This means that what he wrote in the book of Ether was going to be the last thing that he wrote, and if he had not written more then the last chapter of Ether would have been the final words of the Book of Mormon.  I am certainly glad that Moroni did write more, for ending the book with the sobering description of the destruction of the Jaredites would not have been quite the uplifting ending a reader wants to have.  We also have incredible messages in the 10 chapters we do have now in Moroni, including truths about Priesthood ordinances, charity, baptism, the gathering of Israel, revelation, and much more.  How blessed we are to have these powerful messages from Moroni!

               That said, perhaps we can look at the final words of the book of Ether as particularly important since that is how Moroni was at one point going to end the Book of Mormon.  After describing the final destruction of the Jaredites, he wrote how Ether finished the record and left them for the people of Limhi to find.  Moroni then recorded, “Now the last words which are written by Ether are these: Whether the Lord will that I be translated, or that I suffer the will of the Lord in the flesh, it mattereth not, if it so be that I am saved in the kingdom of God. Amen” (Ether 15:24).  As I have pondered this verse, I’ve wondered why Ether would have thought he was going to be translated, or taken to heaven without tasting of death.  Typically in the scriptures that only happened for those who needed to keep their bodies for a later visit, as was the case for Elijah and Moses who came to the Mount of Transfiguration.  As far as we know, Ether wasn’t needed for such a return visit, so why did he write about possibly being translated?  My guess is that by the end of his civilization, he simply wanted to go home to God.  How utterly depressing it must have been for him to witness the entire destruction of his people and then to find that he was all alone with his whole people slain.  Perhaps he yearned for his life to be over so he could return to his Father in Heaven, and by “translated” he was really referring to having the Lord take him right away.  In other words, “Whether the Lord will take me now, or that I suffer longer in the flesh, it mattereth not, if it so be that I am saved in the kingdom of God.”  Moroni obviously could relate very well with Ether, and he may have written down that final verse, closed the plates, and hoped like Ether that he too could be taken back home to God.

               The most important phrase of that final verse of Ether is for me “it mattereth not.”  I believe Ether was leaving his testimony that it’s okay to suffer and struggle and face trials on earth; it mattereth not if we are saved in the kingdom of God.  If we consecrate our experiences on earth towards our eternal salvation, then it matters not if we have to suffer and struggle a little more than we want.  In the end, it will all work out and it won’t matter as long as we find ourselves in the kingdom of God.  That is a powerful final message from a lonely prophet who stayed true to the Lord against all odds.