That He May Write

Mormon expressed this desire as he finished his record: “It is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them” (Words of Mormon 1:2). Moroni indeed did survive the people, and I believe he fulfilled both of his father’s desires. Moroni wrote “somewhat concerning [his people]” when he first obtained the record and summarized their destruction at the hand of the Lamanites: “Behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed…. Behold, the Lamanites have hunted my people, the Nephites, down from city to city and from place to place, even until they are no more; and great has been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites” (Mormon 8:2,7). More importantly, he also wrote concerning the people as he summarized the religious activities of the Nephite faithful in the time before they turned to wickedness. He gave us a description of “the manner which the disciples, who were called the elders of the church, ordained priests and teachers” (Moroni 3:1), “the manner of their elders and priests administering the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church” (Moroni 4:1), and a summary of how they “were received unto baptism” and “did meet together oft” (Moroni 6:4-5). These summaries are invaluable to us and were very influential in helping Joseph and Oliver know how the Church was to be organized. We are very grateful that Moroni indeed “wrote concerning [his people]” as his father Mormon desired.

               Moroni also wrote “somewhat concerning Christ” as his father Mormon had desired. He wrote of how Christ will come in glory in the future, questioning the unbeliever this way: “Behold, will ye believe in the day of your visitation—behold, when the Lord shall come, yea, even that great day when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, yea, in that great day when ye shall be brought to stand before the Lamb of God then will ye say that there is no God? Then will ye longer deny the Christ, or can ye behold the Lamb of God?” He testified boldly of the mission of the Savior: “I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth…. Because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man. And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord.” He told of how Christ did “many mighty miracles” and how through him we can have miracles today: “He ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles…. Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him" (Mormon 9:2-3, 12-13, 18, 21). Moroni also wrote concerning Christ as he abridged the Jaredite record. He recorded these powerful words of the premortal Messiah to the brother of Jared: “Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters” (Ether 3:14). He wrote down this invitation of the Savior to him and us: “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” And then he told how he had personally “seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face” and Moroni then invited us in these words: “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” (Ether 12:27, 39, 41). His final words included another invitation to come to the Savior: “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.” Yes, Moroni indeed did write “somewhat concerning Christ” as his father had desired, and how grateful we are that he did! His testimony of the Savior is a powerful witness of the reality and power of the Savior, “the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead” (Moroni 10:32, 34).