As Fast as We Are Able to Bear Them
Book of Mormon Notes - Tuesday, May 7, 2024, Ether 3, Part 5
This morning I was impressed by Moroni’s description of the brother of Jared’s experience with the Lord:
And now, as I, Moroni, said I could anot make a full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he bshowed himself unto the Nephites.
And he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him. (Ether 3:17-18)
Notice how Moroni connects the Lord’s appearance to and ministry among the Nephites to the Lord’s appearance and ministry to the brother of Jared. There are significant difference between them, but there are also significant similarities. The most obvious difference is that the Lord appeared to and ministered among many Nephites, a large group of people, whereas the Lord appeared and ministered to one man, the brother of Jared. Another obvious difference is that the Lord appeared to and ministered among the Nephites in the flesh, after His Resurrection, whereas He appeared and ministered to the brother of Jared as Jehovah, the pre-mortal Messiah. There are many other differences to consider. However, the similarities and the connections between the two appearances and ministries are significant.
For example, both of the events took place in a sacred place - among the Nephites at the Temple and to the brother of Jared upon the top of Mount Shelem, which mountain is symbolic of the Temple. The Lord ministered to, healed, and taught the Nephites one by one (not just as a group), and the Lord ministered to, healed, and taught the brother of Jared one on one. Moroni informs us that the Lord ministered unto the brother of Jared even as He ministered unto the Nephites. We might review Third Nephi to remember how the Lord ministered unto the Nephites, and perhaps especially how He ministered unto the Three Beloved Disciples.
I mention the Lord’s ministry to the Three Beloved Disciples because the Lord’s ministered unto them, and both the Lord and the Three Beloved Disciples ministered unto Moroni and his father:
And there are none that do know the true God save it be the adisciples of Jesus, who did tarry in the land until the wickedness of the people was so great that the Lord would not suffer them to bremain with the people; and whether they be upon the face of the land no man knoweth.
But behold, my afather and I have seen bthem, and they have ministered unto us. (Mormon 8:10-11)
Furthermore, the Savior ministered personally unto Moroni as well:
And then shall ye know that I have aseen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me bface to face, and that he told me in cplain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things; (Ether 12:39)
Thus Mormon’s abridgment of the Nephites’ experience with the Lord and Moroni’s abridgment of the brother of Jared’s experience with the Lord take on new meaning. These are prophet-historians to whom the Lord and His Beloved Disciples personally ministered, and thus they understood in a special way the ministries of the Lord that they describe.
Moroni, like Nephi before him, seems eager to reveal more - even as the Lord Himself is eager to reveal more. But the Lord determines the portion of the word that is best for us to receive, according to our faith and preparation. There is so much more that the Lord did and taught among the Nephites, and there is so much more that the Lord did and taught to the brother of Jared:
And whoso receiveth athis record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of bgreater things than these. Behold, I am Moroni; and were it possible, I would make all things known unto you. (Mormon 8:12)
And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;
But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.
And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.
And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.
And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.
Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people. (3 Nephi 26:6-11)
The revelation of the greater things that the Lord has in store depends upon our faith in Him and our preparation:
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. (John 16:12)
And all this ye shall observe to do as I have commanded concerning your teaching, until the fulness of my scriptures is given. (D&C 42:15)
The point is that the Lord and His servants, including the brother of Jared, Moroni, Mormon, Nephi, Joseph Smith, and others, have much more to teach us:
God hath not revealed any thing to Joseph, but what he will make known unto the Twelve & even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them.
The Lord wants us to know Him, and the Lord’s servants want us to know Him. The Lord is the Master Teacher, and He knows what we are able to bear. He tries the faith of His people, and we must first receive and live up to the portion that we have already been given before the Lord can give us more.
It is instructive that the great Moroni, who, like Nephi before him, wanted to make all things known to us, directs us to seek the Lord and to study the words of Isaiah in particular:
And now, I would commend you to aseek 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 brecord of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen. (Ether 12:41)
Search the prophecies of aIsaiah. Behold, I cannot write them. Yea, behold I say unto you, that those saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this land, shall bcry, yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the Lord; and as the Lord liveth he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them. (Mormon 8:23)
In other words, at least part of the “all things” that Moroni would like to make known unto us will be found by seeking this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, and by searching the prophecies of Isaiah. Another part of “all things” that Moroni would like to reveal is contained in the record of the brother of Jared. Moroni continues his summary and commentary of his abridged record of the brother of Jared:
And because of the aknowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the bveil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had cfaith no longer, for he knew, nothing ddoubting.
Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could anot be kept from within the veil; therefore he bsaw Jesus; and he did minister unto him. (Ether 3:19-20)
The brother of Jared sought this Jesus and found Him. And even though the brother of Jared’s original purpose was to discover a solution to the problem of lighting the barges for their journey across the ocean, the Lord blessed the brother of Jared with much, much more:
And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the world, until the atime cometh that I shall glorify my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall btreasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man.
And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a alanguage that they cannot be read.
And behold, these atwo stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.
For behold, the alanguage which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write.
And when the Lord had said these words, he ashowed unto the brother of Jared ball the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he cwithheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth.
For he had said unto him in times before, that aif he would bbelieve in him that he could show unto him call things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things.
And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and aseal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men.
And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the two astones which he had received, and show them not, until the Lord should show them unto the children of bmen. (Ether 3:21-28)
One of the reasons that the Lord was able to reveal so much to the brother of Jared is because the Lord knew that He could trust him. He knew that the brother of Jared would treasure up His word and show it to no man. He showed the brother of Jared all things and entrusted him with the two stones in order to magnify to the eyes of men the things that the brother of Jared would write in his unknown language.
When the Lord showed unto the brother of Jared ball the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be, when He cwithheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth, and when He showed unto him call things, it was because the brother of Jared believed in Him with perfect faith. It was because the brother of Jared was prepared and could be trusted with the revelation. His faith had been tested and tried, and the Lord knew that he was prepared to receive them.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught this principle of revelation:
The reason we do not have the secrets of the Lord revealed unto us, is because we do not keep them, but reveal them; we do not keep our own secrets, but reveal our difficulties to the world, even to our enemies, then how would we keep the secrets of the Lord? ‘I can keep a secret till Doomsday’. What greater love hath any man than that he lay down his life for his friend, then why not fight for our friend until we die.