Once again, Moroni likens to his words to speaking from the
dead. He does this because he knows the day will come when we will receive his
words. We will have no excuse for not knowing them.
“And no one need say they shall not come, for they surely
shall, for the Lord hath spoken it; for out of the earth shall they come, by
the hand of the Lord, and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it
shall be said that miracles are done away; and it shall come even as if one
should speak from the dead” (Mormon 8:26).
“And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time
speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the
bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto
you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea,
even as one speaking out of the dust” (Moroni 10:27).
“Mormon and Moroni were writing for a future time. They had
to be. Mormon did most of his writing during the long lull before what he knew
would be an exterminating battle, and Moroni’s writings are those of the lone
wanderer destined to bury his precious work in the earth. From title page to
parting words, father and son make clear that what they are inspired to include
is first to the latter-day Lamanites and then to latter-day Gentiles and Jews.
They speak as though ‘from the dead’ to an audience living many generations
hence (Mormon 9:30). In prophetic collapsed time, Moroni speaks to this
audience ‘as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ
hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing’ (Mormon 8:35).”[1]
Critics of the Book of Mormon, who have obviously never read
or learned anything about the Book of Mormon, say we claim the Book of Mormon
is “perfect.” This is based on Joseph Smith’s statement, “I told the brethren, that
the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth…”[2]
Nowhere does Joseph Smith (nor does anyone else) claim the Book
of Mormon is perfect. Why would they. In the preface of the Book of Mormon, we
read, “And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore,
condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the
judgment-seat of Christ.”[3]
In the Book of Mormon we read scriptures like these. “And if
there be faults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault;
nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let him be
aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire” (Mormon 8:17).
“And I said unto him: Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these
things, because of our weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty
in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing; for thou hast
made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost
which thou hast given them” (Ether 12:23).
“Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my
father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him” (Mormon
9:31).
Moroni tells us to be grateful the Lord made their imperfections.
Knowing this, we have the opportunity to avoid the mistakes they made.
“We can … study the scriptures to see how others faced their
problems, sometimes failing and sometimes succeeding, and we can benefit from
the lessons they learned (Mormon 9:31). We can ‘liken the scriptures unto
ourselves,’ drawing perspectives from the texts, taking them to the Lord as
guidelines and seeking confirmation from him (D&C 9).”[4]
[1] Feasting
on the Word of Christ, “To Come Forth in Due Time” – Introduction, Maxwell
Institute website.
[2] “The
Most Correct Book,” Robert Millett, BYU Religious Studies Center.
[3] Title
page of the Book of Mormon.
[4] Mosiah:
The Complex Symbolism and Symbolic Complex of Kingship in the Book of Mormon,
Gordon C. Thomasson, Maxwell Institute website.
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