Moroni is concerned the Gentiles will not have charity because
of their weaknesses.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and
have not charity [GR love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling
cymbal.
“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could
remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2).
He asked the Lord to prove them, take away their talent
which they received, and give them to those “who shall have more abundantly”
(Ether 12:35). Moroni prayed that he would give the Gentiles grace “that they
might have charity” (Ether 12:36).
“Moroni despairs that those readers will mock what he is
writing, that they will not have faith in what he writes, that they will not
have charity. In other words, he is exhorting them to exercise faith, hope, and
charity by accepting the Book of Mormon itself (see Ether 12). He prays to God
that readers of the record might have charity to believe in the book despite
his weakness in writing (see Ether 12:35–36).”[1]
“Moroni in his solitude—even after having witnessed the
complete destruction of his people—believed in hope. In the twilight of the
Nephite nation, Moroni wrote that without hope we cannot receive an inheritance
in the kingdom of God.”
[2]The
Lord responded, if the Gentiles don’t have charity it should not matter to
Moroni. He has been faithful and his garments will be clean. “And go ye out
from among the wicked. Save yourselves. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of
the Lord. (D&C 38:42).
He has seen his weaknesses will be made strong. He will sit
in the mansions prepared by the Father.
“[Moroni’s]
only answer was: ‘If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou
hast been faithful’ (Ether 12:37). God will not force and man to have charity,
which must be spontaneous and unsolicited, as Paul says, seeking nothing for
itself (1 Corinthians 13:5). Charity is the one thing a person must have in
himself and of himself. And so there Moroni leaves it: will we have charity, or
will we not?”[3]
“Faith in Christ is a sustaining theme throughout the Book
of Mormon. Christ is the answer to the existential limits of life facing all
people. Certainly faith in Christ is the answer to the limits facing Moroni
(the loss of all cultural meaning and context and the painful realities of
loneliness and impending death).”[4]
Moroni bid the Gentiles farewell. Those who receive this
message will see Moroni at the judgement seat. “But why dost thou judge thy
brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before
the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10).
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he
hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
“Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this
corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the
bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good
or whether they be evil” (Mosiah 16:10).
“And Amulek hath spoken plainly concerning death, and being
raised from this mortality to a state of immortality, and being brought before
the bar of God, to be judged according to our works” (Alma 12:12).
“And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me; therefore
I write unto you all. And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know
that ye must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, yea, every soul who
belongs to the whole human family of Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of
your works, whether they be good or evil” (Mormon 3:20).
When we meet him, we will know his garments are not stained
with their blood. “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from
the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26).
“And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us
the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we
did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring
with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their
blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the
last day” (Jacob 1:19).
When they stand before the judgement seat, all will know he
saw Jesus and talked with him face-to-face. He told him these things “in plain
humility” (Ether 12:39).
“And only a few have I written, because of my weakness in
writing” (Ether 12:40).
“Moroni closes telling us to seek the Savior. ‘[T]he prophets
and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord
Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and
abide in you forever’ (Moroni 12:41).”[5]
[1] Moroni:
The Final Voice, Mark D. Thomas, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/1
(2003): 96.
[2] The
Infinite Power of Hope, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2008 General
Conference.
[3] The
Prophetic Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute website.
[4] Moroni:
The Final Voice, Mark D. Thomas, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/1
(2003): 99.
[5] He
Is Risen, President Howard W. Hunter, April 1988 General Conference.
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