But Few Things to Write

As Moroni began the final portion of the Book of Mormon, he wrote this: “Behold I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father, Mormon. Behold, I have but few things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father.” He indicated that he would only be able to write but a few things, and though he wrote a fair amount, he repeatedly mentioned his limitation in writing. For example, a few verses later he said this: “Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone.” He could not write the “intent” of the Book of Mormon because he did not have any more room, at that time, on the plates. Later he also wrote this: “Search the prophecies of Isaiah. Behold, I cannot write them” (Mormon 8:1, 5, 23). He wanted to write on the plates the prophecies of Isaiah, just as Nephi had done, but he could not do it. Moroni described another limitation because of the size of the plates: “We have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record” (Mormon 9:32-33). He could not write in Hebrew because the plates were not large enough. In these first two chapters, Moroni mentioned how he could not write the intent of the Book of Mormon, he could not write the prophecies of Isaiah, and he could not write in Hebrew. In short, he felt very limited in what he was able to write.     

            In the book of Ether, Moroni also highlighted several instances where his writing was restricted. As he began he said this, “Therefore I do not write those things which transpired from the days of Adam until that time; but they are had upon the plates; and whoso findeth them, the same will have power that he may get the full account” (Ether 1:4). He did not write a description of what happened from Adam down to the time of the Jaredites. After describing the incredible vision that the brother of Jared had, Moroni said this, “Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared. Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord. For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord” (Ether 4:4-6). Here he was able to write the things that the brother of Jared saw, but he had to seal them up so that, at least for now, we cannot read them. Moroni’s writing cannot yet reach us. Later as he described a time of wickedness among the Jaredites, he wrote this: “And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites” (Ether 8:20). Again. here Moroni highlighted what he was not going to write. He described his feelings about his weakness in writing when he said this to the Lord: “And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them. Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words” (Ether 12:24-25). He felt that he could write only a little and was concerned at those who would mock the words he did write because of his weakness. And when he described the last Jaredite prophet, Moroni wrote this, “And I was about to write more, but I am forbidden; but great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether; but they esteemed him as naught, and cast him out; and he hid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people” (Ether 13:13). Once again, Moroni underscored what he was not able to write.

            Despite all that Moroni was not able to write, and the weakness that he felt in writing, he did write this which has became one of the most important passages in the entire book: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:4-5). That invitation, written by Moroni, has impacted millions as they have read the Book of Mormon, prayed to the Father, and come to know of its truthfulness. Whatever weakness in writing that Moroni had, his words that he left us are a powerful witness both of the Savior and the truth of the Book of Mormon’s testimony of Jesus Christ.