At this point, Mormon pauses his account and writes directly
to his readers (us). He makes it clear, Christ taught many things to the
Nephites, but it cannot be written in this record. What did Mormon leave
out? Robert Millet asks some questions. “That
is kind of a frustrating passage to read, isn't it? What does he mean that he
is going to use the Book of Mormon to try the faith of his people? How? That is
an odd use of words. How will he try the faith of the Latter-day Saints with
the Book of Mormon? If there are greater things yet to come, how will he assess
our readiness to receive them?” [1]
What we do know is the Nephites considered His words as
scripture. “The use of these materials throughout 3 Nephi corroborates the idea
that the sermon was immediately accepted as scripture, no doubt the most sacred
scripture these people had ever known. Although it is unknown what else Jesus
taught these people as he spoke to them ‘for the space of three days’ and often
thereafter (3 Nephi 26:6, 13), it is certainly possible that he recapitulated
the whole of the sermon in the course of those instructions, for his quoting
from the beginning (in 3 Nephi 15) and the ending of the sermon (in 3 Nephi 27)
may be a clue that the rest of his teachings embraced it all.”[2]
We do know, however, the day will come when we will receive
the entire contents of the large plates of Nephi. “Mormon further said that the
(large) plates of Nephi contained ‘the more part’ of what Jesus had taught and
that what he himself had written, ‘a lesser part,’ would come forth from the
Gentiles (see 3 Nephi 26:7–8).8 The abridgment of Nephi’s record was to try the
faith of the Lamanites and, more broadly, the Lord’s people in the latter days:
‘If it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater
things be made manifest unto them. . . . The Lord [said]: I will try the faith
of my people’ (vv. 9, 11). This suggests that highly valuable contents of the
larger plates of Nephi will come forth when a certain portion of the Lamanites,
as they are known today, and other church members accept the fulness of the
gospel as found in the Book of Mormon.”
There is another possible reason for Mormon’s silence. There
are things that are too sacred to discuss.
Each of us have spiritual experiences, that are so sacred, we don’t talk
about them. I have been reading Dr.
Andrew Skinner’s marvelous three volume set of the last week of Christ’s life.
In Golgotha (volume II), he addresses
this with a quote from President Howard W. Hunter.
“I have watched a great many of my brethren over the years
and we have shared some rare and unspeakable spiritual experiences together.
Those experiences have all been different, each special in its own way, and
such sacred moments may or may not be accompanied by tears. Very often they
are, but they are followed by total
silence.”
I am convinced this was a time which should be followed by
“total silence.”
Mormon makes it clear what we have “are a lesser part of the
things which he taught the people” (3 Nephi 26:8). He would later write, “And
if ye had all the scriptures which give an account of all the marvelous works
of Christ, ye would, according to the words of Christ, know that these things
must surely come” (3 Nephi 28:33).
“But now hold your peace; study my word which hath gone
forth among the children of men, and also study my word which shall come forth
among the children of men, or that which is now translating, yea, until you
have obtained all which I shall grant unto the children of men in this generation,
and then shall all things be added thereto” (D&C 11:22).
Mormon wrote the records will be brought by forth by the
Gentiles.
“Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be
wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed
which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity;
“For thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth
from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this
cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may
repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points
of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel”
(3 Nephi 21:5-6).
[2] Worthy of Another Look: Reusages of the Words of
Christ, John W. Welch, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other
Restoration Scripture 22/1 (2013): 68.
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