Chapter 8
The Lamanites seek out
and destroy the Nephites—The Book of Mormon will come forth by the power of
God—Woes pronounced upon those who breathe out wrath and strife against the
work of the Lord—The Nephite record will come forth in a day of wickedness,
degeneracy, and apostasy. About A.D. 400–421.
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.
Moroni has been give the plates by his father. The responsibility
of keeping the records and finishing them has fallen to him. “[B]ehold I,
Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people … I
made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all
the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it
were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni” (Mormon 6:6).
“Mormon did not envision the Book of Mormon plates being
sealed up or buried during his own lifetime. Moroni confirmed this point when,
some 16 years after the final Nephite/Lamanite battle, he declared he would
write a few things that his father had commanded him to write.”[1]
After the rout at Cumorah, some Nephites escaped but were
tracked down by the Lamanites and killed. “And it came to pass that there were
ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all
my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few
who had escaped into the south countries…” (Mormon 6:15).
As we know from previous references, the Book of Mormon was intended
to convince the descendants of the Lamanites the truthfulness of this record
and bring them to Christ. “And this testimony shall come to the knowledge of
the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in
unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers, whom the Lord has suffered
to destroy their brethren the Nephites, because of their iniquities and their
abominations” (D&C 3:18).
“[T]he Nephites found themselves moving into uninviting
regions—their motive was flight; they left their homes with great reluctance,
they did not want to go anywhere, but they had to get away (Mormon 5:5). As
long as a relentless hereditary foe pursued them, they had to keep moving. And
the enemy was not to be appeased, as we see in the brutal and systematically
thorough mopping-up operations which went right on after the Nephite nation had
been destroyed in battle (Mormon 8:2).”[2]
Mormon was dead and Moroni was alone to record the
destruction of the Nephites. He has no idea what will happen to him. Will he survive
or will he die at the hands of the Lamanites?
After Moroni finishes his writings he will hide the records.
After that is complete, it doesn’t matter where he goes and what happens to
him. “Now these things are written unto the remnant of the house of Jacob; and
they are written after this manner, because it is known of God that wickedness
will not bring them forth unto them; and they are to be hid up unto the Lord
that they may come forth in his own due time” (Mormon 5:12).
“Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I
write unto my brethren, the Lamanites; and I would that they should know that
more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away since the sign was
given of the coming of Christ.
“And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few
words by way of exhortation unto you” (Moroni 10:1-2).
“We presume that it was Moroni who hid the plates in the New
York hill, though this is never explicitly stated in the scriptures or by
Joseph Smith. During his time as scribal custodian of the Nephite records,
Moroni indicated that he would ‘hide up’ the plates (Mormon 8:4, 14).”[3]
Moroni would write more on the plates, but he has little
room on the plates. He is alone and does not know “how long the Lord will surfer
that I may live…” (Mormon 8:5). “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” (Moroni 1:1).
“We know that Mormon and the other record keepers faced a
number of constraints that limited the length of their records. One was
spatial—the surface area of the available plates was relatively small … Moroni,
finishing his father’s record, states, ‘I would write it also if I had room
upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none [to make additional
plates], for I am alone [with neither family nor friends who could obtain
plates]’ (Mormon 8:5). Moroni apparently left room for an abridgment of the
Jaredite record (the book of Ether), then was surprised to find that there was
still some space on the plates and that he was still alive to write something
(see Moroni 1:1, 4).”[4]
At this point, we are told, four hundred years had passed
since Christ’s ministry to the Nephites. “And these are the words: Behold, I
perceive that this very people, the Nephites, according to the spirit of
revelation which is in me, in four hundred years from the time that Jesus
Christ shall manifest himself unto them, shall dwindle in unbelief” (Alma
45:10).
Moroni obtained the plates from Mormon 385 AD. “What was
Moroni doing those sixteen years alone? Where did he go? What adventures befell
him in enemy country? These and a host of other questions we may ask ourselves,
but all to no avail. The record is silent. But what would we not give for a
day-by-day account from the pen of Moroni himself! At any rate, it was probably
the memory of his father’s command that led him to retrace his steps to
Cumorah, there to write a ‘few things’ and ‘hide up the records in the earth’
(Mormon 8:1, 4).”[5]
[1] More
Light on Who Wrote the Title Page, Clyde J. Williams, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Volume 10, Number 2, 2001:29.
[2] An
Approach to the Book of Mormon: Strategy for Survival, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell
Institute website.
[3] The Book
of Mormon and Other Hidden Books, Speech from the Dust, Maxwell Institute
website.
[4] Women
in the Book of Mormon: Inclusion, Exclusion, and Interpretation, Camille S.
Williams, Journal of Book of Mormon
Studies 11/1 (2002): 76.
[5] Moroni
the Lonely: The Story of the Writing of the Title Page to the Book of Mormon,
Sidney B. Sperry, Maxwell Institute website.
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