My Prayer Is Concerning My Brethren

I was struck by this statement of Mormon as I read it yesterday: “And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.” The “brethren” here appears to be the Lamanites, for he said a few verses later: “And I know that they will be preserved; for there are great things written upon them, out of which my people and their brethren shall be judged at the great and last day, according to the word of God which is written” (Words of Mormon 1:8, 11). His people (the Nephites) and his brethren (the Lamanites) would all one day have the words that he was writing. As another confirmation that Mormon was indeed referring to the Lamanites when he said “brethren,” he wrote this during their battles: “We were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren” (Mormon 2:26). His son Moroni was more explicit when he finished the record of his father: “I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord… Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites” (Moroni 1:4, 10:1). And so, when Mormon was finishing his record and after having “witnessed almost all the destruction of [his] people, the Nephites”—destroyed at the hands of their enemies, the Lamanites—whom did he pray for? He prayed for those enemies. Mormon had witnessed great abominations at the hands of the Lamanites. For example, he wrote elsewhere to his son Moroni of one awful deed of his enemies: “The Lamanites have many prisoners, which they took from the tower of Sherrizah; and there were men, women, and children. And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain; and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers; and no water, save a little, do they give unto them” (Moroni 9:7-8). Mormon spent many years trying to lead the Nephites to battle against the Lamanites and witnessed the most atrocious of things as a part of that war. And yet, when it was all over, he still found the strength to pray for those enemies who had wiped out his entire people.

                I think this verse highlights the fact that Mormon indeed was filled with the love of God as he taught his people to have. Even in the midst of their great war, he had taught followers of Christ to be filled with charity: “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. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:47-48). If Mormon could be full of charity towards the Lamanites and pray earnestly for their future salvation, surely we can do more to be filled with love for those around us who annoy us or make us mad or wrong us. Mormon showed that indeed he was “filled with this love” at the end of his life when he could have instead been so bitter at the way things turned out. He most certainly had followed his own teachings and had prayed with all his heart to be filled with the love of God when those around him were filled with so much hatred. He followed this most challenging teaching of the Savior and invited us to do the same: “But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you” (3 Nephi 12:44).