Moroni tells us he is writing “a few more things, contrary
to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more”
(Moroni 1:4). As he finished his father’s record, he wrote, “how long the Lord
will suffer that I may live I know not” (Mormon 8:5).
The Book of Moroni, not being an historical account,
discusses various gospel topics.
The Book of Moroni
Chapter 1
Moroni writes for the
benefit of the Lamanites—The Nephites who will not deny Christ are put to
death. About A.D. 401–21.
“After his first two attempts to conclude the record, Moroni
returned to building this ‘house of Israel,’ perhaps in part because he was
dissatisfied with his efforts in writing a grand summary for his story and its
accompanying narrator commentary. He may have added multiple endings simply
because he lived longer than he expected. But because he changed his entire
narrative approach in the final ending, it is probable that he continued to
write at least in part because he was not entirely satisfied with his first two
endings. After his first formulaic ending, he added many more pages of
narration and narrator commentary. Maybe this final ending provides the
resolution that has evaded him in his previous endings.”[1]
The wars continue. Nephi described them.
“And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of
the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in
multitudes upon the face of the land.
“And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw
wars and rumors of wars among them; and in wars and rumors of wars I saw many
generations pass away” (1 Nephi 12:20-21).
It appears there were still Nephite Christians. Moroni tells
us the Lamanites killed any Nephite who refused to deny Christ. Alma2
told Helaman1, “But whosoever remaineth, and is not destroyed in
that great and dreadful day, shall be numbered among the Lamanites, and shall
become like unto them, all, save it be a few who shall be called the disciples
of the Lord; and them shall the Lamanites pursue even until they shall become
extinct. And now, because of iniquity, this prophecy shall be fulfilled” (Alma
45:14).
“Seventy years later, Moroni2, the last custodian
of the Nephite record, reported that his extinct people's enemies were engaged
in fighting that was ‘exceedingly fierce among themselves’ (Moroni 1:2). ‘The
Lamanites [and, he implies, independent robber groups] are at war one with
another; and the whole face of this land is one continual round of murder and
bloodshed; and no one knoweth the end of the war’ (Mormon 8:8–9). So the
Nephite retreat and defeat constituted only one episode within a more general
pattern of widespread social and political degeneration quite unlike the less
sharp conflicts of earlier times.”[2]
Moroni makes it clear he will not deny Christ. This is why
he wanders wherever he can for his own safety.
Even though the Lamanites destroyed the Nephite
civilization, Moroni writes in the hope his words “may be of worth unto my
brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord”
(Moroni 1:4).
[2] Last-Ditch Warfare in Ancient Mesoamerica Recalls the
Book of Mormon, John L. Sorenson,
Maxwell Institute website.
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