Moroni

This morning, Lisa and I were discussing Moroni.  I mentioned that I sometimes feel like Moroni felt.  Moroni is a great example of someone who persevered and endured to the end through all his hardships.

Moroni is the son of Mormon.  After Mormon compiled and abridged the record of the Nephites (The Book of Mormon) he gave the plates to his son Moroni.  This was about 400 years after Christ came.

Here is part of this story from The Book of Mormon:

Mormon 8: 1-5

1 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.

2 And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed.

3 And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not.

4 Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not.

5 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. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not.

Moroni was the last Nephite left and had to continually watch his back lest the Lamanites kill him.  Yet he still managed to abridge the record of the Jaredites.  The Jaredites were a people who left Jerusalem for the promised land much earlier than Lehi and his family. The Jaredites story begins around the time of the Tower of Babel approximately 2000 BC.  Then he also "wrote a few more things" which are recorded in the book of Moroni.

Moroni 1:1-4

1 Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me.

2 For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.

3 And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.

4 Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but 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.

I love Moroni.  He said he didn't plan on writing more but he hadn't perished yet so he would write a few more things that perhaps they may be of some worth to his brethren the Lamanites at some future time.  I find it interesting that despite the Lamanites' hatred towards him and desire to kill him that he still was concerned about their welfare.

Moroni epitomizes Christlike charity.  Moroni mentioned that the Lamanites would kill any Nephite who would not deny Christ.  That's a lot of hate for people you don't even know just because they believe in Christ.  That's how wicked the Lamanites had become.  Moroni had to wander whithersoever he could to protect his life from the Lamanites, because he would not deny Christ.  Moroni was all alone.  All of his people, the Nephites, had been killed by Lamanites.  Yet Moroni was still concerned for his "brethren, the Lamanites". Moroni was an amazing man.

After he completed his writings, Moroni buried the golden plates in the Hill Cumorah ~ 421 A.D. where they stayed until Moroni himself appeared to the prophet Joseph Smith as an angel and instructed him to obtain the plates.  The prophet Joseph Smith translated the plates into The Book of Mormon.

The book of Moroni contains doctrine and simple truths not found anywhere else.  Such as explaining about infant baptism not being necessary.  If Moroni hadn't been diligent in following the will of the Lord and keeping the records handed down by his father, Mormon, we wouldn't have the doctrines and truths explained so simply in The Book of Mormon.

I'm thankful for Moroni and his diligence in preserving the record that was written for our day.  The Book of Mormon is a great blessing to us. I'm thankful for Moroni's example of perseverance and enduring to the end despite numerous trials and hardships.

That's my two cents.