Moroni's Message for Future Lamanites

Book of Mormon Notes - Tuesday, June 25, 2024, Moroni 2

Of all the things that he could have written about in his own book after he thought that he was already done writing, why did Moroni choose to expound upon the Lord’s ministry among the Nephites?

Remember Mormon’s frustration because of his inability to record much about the Lord’s ministry:

And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people; (3 Nephi 26:6)

Moroni knew that a greater portion of the Book of Mormon was contained in other plates. Moroni understood more about the Lord’s ministry among the Nephites than his father was able to record, and he knew why the Lord prohibited his father from writing more. Mormon explained why he wrote only the lesser part of our Lord’s deeds and teachings:

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 26:7-11)

It seems to me that at least some of those who study the Book of Mormon and arrive at the Book of Moroni prove that they have received Mormon’s abridged record and the lesser part of the word so that Moroni can share a little bit more. It is significant that of all the things that Moroni could have written, he chose to return to the Lord’s ministry among the Nephites to share more of His deeds and teachings:

The words of Christ, which he spake unto his disciples, the twelve whom he had chosen, as he laid his hands upon them-

And he called them by name, saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles. (Moroni 2:1-2)

Furthermore, it is significant that of everything that Jesus Christ did and taught during his ministry among the Nephites, Moroni chose to reveal the ordinances and essential elements of the Church of Jesus Christ for the benefit of the future Lamanites. Why is this significant?

Think of it. Moroni had recently finished abridging the record of Ether. Moroni must have mourned at the destruction of the Jaredites, and he saw how the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from the Jaredites. Only Ether was left. The disciples of Christ and the ordinances and covenants of His Church had been removed from the midst of the Jaredites.

Then consider how the same tragedy befell the Nephites. Moroni had certainly read his father’s abridgment of Nephite history and he, like his father, mourned the destruction of his people. Moroni saw how the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from the Nephites. Only Moroni was left. The disciples of Christ and the ordinances and covenants of His Church had been removed from the midst of the Nephites.

But why would Moroni write for the benefit of the future Lamanites and not the Gentiles? In my opinion, Moroni and all the Book of Mormon prophets wrote for the benefit of the Gentiles and the Jews as well, but they foresaw that many of the Gentiles, like the Jaredites and the Nephites, would reject Christ, His Gospel, His Church, His ordinances, and His covenants. If I understand the Book of Mormon correctly, much of what has been prophesied pertains to future events. If the Gentiles refuse to repent, then we will inevitably experience the same decline and fall that both the Jaredites and the Nephites experienced. In my opinion, we are living in the midst of this decline and fall, and Moroni hoped to preserve the most essential and salvational elements of Christ’s words and deeds for the Lamanites who will yet build the New Jerusalem.

Yes, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have benefited and still benefit from Moroni’s final words. But Moroni clearly aimed to bless his brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord. Of course Moroni desired to bless the Gentiles and the Jews as well, as did each of the Book of Mormon prophets. But what did Moroni foresee that inspired him to direct his writing specifically to the Lamanites of the last days? Why would Moroni reveal the essential ordinances, covenants, and elements of the Church of Jesus Christ to future Lamanites, and not to the Gentile Church?

It seems to me that in his training of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Moroni was already focused on the special blessing of the latter-day Lamanites. Moroni’s final words have certainly blessed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in which the same ordinances, covenants, and essential elements are in effect. But these are the same ordinances, covenants, and essential elements of the Gospel and the Church that Jesus Christ established among the Nephites. In other words, Moroni preserves and reveals the basic elements of Zion that the Lord established among the Nephites for the benefit of the future Lamanites who will establish Zion again in the midst of the Gentiles.

What are those essential elements? In this and subsequent chapters, Moroni reveals how the Lord established His doctrine of conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost, the ordinance of the sacrament, the manner of ordaining priests and teachers to preach the Gospel, and the ordinance of baptism. These specific ordinances and teachings are things that Mormon left out of his abridgment of the Lord’s ministry among the Nephites, but his son Moroni was inspired to include them in his final record.

I believe that Moroni revealed more about the Lord’s ordination of apostles among the Nephites, and the conferral of the Holy Ghost, because these things pertain specifically to the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ among the latter-day Lamanites who will build the New Jerusalem, even if we, the Gentiles, follow in the footsteps of the Jaredites and the Nephites who apostatized and from whom the Church of Jesus Christ was removed.

Moroni recorded the words of Christ which he spoke unto His disciples, the twelve whom He had chosen, as He laid His hands upon them. Jesus Christ spoke these words unto the twelve during the time of His first appearing, but the rest of the multitude did not hear. However, the disciples heard, and kept a record. The Lord laid His hands upon them, called each one of them by name, and taught them how to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon other disciples. The Lord gave them power to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost, just as He did with his apostles in the Holy Land of the Old World.

Thus when we or the future Lamanites pray mightily and confer the gift of the Holy Ghost in the manner that the Lord taught, and in His name, and with His authority, the Holy Ghost falls upon the person who receives the ordinance. We believe in the same blessings and ordinances that the Lord established among the Nephites at the Temple in Bountiful:

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Articles of Faith 1:4)

It is interesting, however, that Moroni begins with the ordinance of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then the ordaining of priests and teachers, followed by the sacrament prayers, and then baptism. Why do you think that Moroni recorded these essential elements of Christ’s Gospel and Church in this order, rather than beginning with faith, repentance, and baptism?

This is a question to ponder as we continue our study of Moroni’s final words.