Moroni 7-10

MORONI 7—MORMON’S SERMON

It may be that Moroni’s offering of Mormon’s address on faith, hope, and charity—what we now call chapter 7— constitutes Moroni’s finest gift to his readers. In his characteristically modest willingness to cede space to Mormon, Moroni brings forth one of the records most important moments of theological reflection.

David F. Holland, Moroni, a Brief Theological Introduction, pg. 60

SOURCE OF GOOD AND EVIL

The nature of the source defines the essence of the output regardless of appearances. This is a challenging notion, but Mormon’s language seems unrelenting on the matter.

David F. Holland, Moroni, a Brief Theological Introduction, pg . 63

If a bitter fountain can never bring forth good water, how can that fountain ever change its ways? If an act by a corrupt heart counts for nothing—including even the act of prayer—what can that heart ever do to alter its own character? If an entity cannot produce anything other than what it already is, it is eternally stuck. What, then, can a sinner do to pursue salvation?

David F. Holland, Moroni, a Brief Theological Introduction, pg.64

THE GIFT

If we do not fully confront the necessarily unbreakable bars of the prison cell that is our own character, we cannot fully recognize the abundant gift of the Brother whose blood has set us free. Mormon wants us to understand that gift and the freedom it facilitates.

To put this another way, Jesus gives us both the power to choose and the ability to choose well, the capacity to see at all and the light by which to see it all.

David F. Holland, Moroni, a Brief Theological Introduction, pg. 67

MIRACLES

Why would a sermon that begins with the immovable problem of impure hearts and ends with the irresistible promise of pure love be preoccupied in the middle with miracles?

The divine act that has enabled us to choose and change is actually a more inexplicable wonder than the moving of the mountains or the parting of seas. When we appreciate the existential miracle involved in the former we will see both the necessity and the possibility of believing in miracles like the latter. When we understand that we carry within us a witness of Christ’s power to overcome the fetters of logical constraint, we may come to understand more thoroughly that God is ready and willing to work any other necessary marvel in our lives. And to lose faith in one is to undermine the other.

David F. Holland, Moroni, a Brief Theological Introduction, pg. 70

AGENCY

In seeing agency as a gift, I can better recognize its divine diversity of forms; I will be both more appreciative of what other human beings can do and more patient with what they cannot do. (Maybe that is why Mormon said that the telltale characteristic of those who understand the doctrine of Christ is their peaceable walk with the rest of humanity.) Through this theological lens, each soul’s endowment of agency—its lengths and its limits—begins to look very personalized, just as one would expect from gifts of a thoughtful giver.

David F. Holland, Moroni, a Brief Theological Introduction, pg.72

FAITH

I sometimes regret the fact that we use the word "faith" in religious discussions.

Why? Because I think it's become a technical term that obscures for many what should be and is a very simple concept. This has created serious controversies and unnecessary misunderstandings. The Greek word "pistis," which English Bibles typically render as "faith," also means "confidence" or "trust," and these ordinary, everyday terms convey very neatly what scriptural faith entails.

The first readers of the New Testament didn't have to ask what "pistis" meant. Paul hadn't invented the word. They knew it already; it had been common in Greek for centuries. And in the standard English lexicon of classical Greek, the first definition of "pistis" is "trust in others."

While theological factions might argue-and, in fact, have argued-for decades over the definition of "faith," we all have a reasonably clear idea of what it means to have "trust" in someone.

When the Greek New Testament was translated into Latin, "pistis" was rendered as "fides," which again meant "trust" or "confidence." Our English word "faith" comes from the Latin "fides," but today we tend to think of "faith" as "belief in something without proof," and, often, more as agreement with a set of propositions than as trust in a person.

But God is a person, and saving faith - although it surely entails agreeing with certain propositions - is trust in him, as a person, to love us and to keep his promises to us.

Daniel Peterson

HEALERS

We can be of little use to those who have been dragged into the darkness until we have resolutely faced the actual evil of which our species is capable.

We cannot be healers if we shield our eyes from the wounds.

David F. Holland, Moroni, a Brief Theological Introduction, pg. 93

MORONI EXHORTS READERS...

1. remember God’s mercies (vs. 3)

2. ask God for a witness (vs. 4)

3. not deny God’s power (vs. 7)

4. not deny God’s gifts (vs. 8)

5. remember the source of every good gift (vs. 18)

6. remember that God is unchanging (vs. 19)

7. remember his words (vs. 27)

8. come unto Christ [and lay hold of every good gift] (vs. 30)

Grant Hardy, Annotated Book of Mormon

  

Moroni 1 - 6

 . . . . the process of creating order and meaning out of a text--especially when we recognize that we are doing it, and doing it thoughtfully--is one of the ways that the Spirit can teach us as we meet together in the words of scripture. Engaging with scripture is an active, creative process, and collaborative thinking with a text is itself a sacred work. 

Rosalynde Welch - "Sharing the Sacrament with Moroni at the End of Time." Maxwell Institute Blog. https://mi.byu.edu/news-blog-section/moroni-1-6-sharing-the-sacrament-with-moroni-at-the-end-of-time

Despite its disparate elements, Moroni’s book has a unifying theme: how to find peace in the midst of social disintegration. This was a challenge Moroni himself had faced as he saw his civilization collapse, and he believes the lessons he learned from history, his father, and his own revelations will someday be useful to the descendants of the Lamanites. His first answer is to become part of a well-regulated religious community that conducts its affairs according to Christ’s teachings and the power of the Holy Ghost (chs. 2–6). Grant Hardy, The Annotated Book of Mormon. 

The first two theological declarations of the book of Moroni intertwine in its opening verses: Jesus is the Christ, and uncertainty is an unavoidable part of our existence in this mortal world. The uncertainty affects even the most devoted disciples at even their most urgent moments of need. The sustaining gifts of faith in Christ are the necessary complement to that uncertainty, and those gifts come not only despite our inadequacies but also sometimes through them. A prophet on the lam—troubled by the specter of his mistakes, inclined to worry and self-doubt in a world falling apart around him, and determined to hold on to his faith—shows these things to be true as he composes the final chapters of an epic book.

David F. Holland, Moroni.

. . . even as these opening passages on ordination and authorization point to the official structures of a Christian community, Moroni’s history of Christ’s visit simultaneously reminds us that the authority of office is not the same thing as divine power. Indeed, these chapters seem to insist on driving home a distinction between the two. The act of ordaining may convey a role of particular responsibility within the church, but the power of God is something other than that. It is bigger in its capacity and more universal in its distribution than a narrow fixation on ordination could possibly accommodate.

Note that, in chapter 2, even though Christ gave his twelve disciples the assignment and the authority to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost, the apostles would not have the “power” to accomplish this thing until “after” they had sought the Lord in “mighty prayer” (Moro. 2:2). In other words, the power came not through ordination but through prayer; it was then to be used in a specific way to meet the ordained responsibilities of a particular office.    

David F. Holland, Moroni.

To put this concept in the language of current Church usage, priesthood office carries the authority of specific community roles, but priesthood power is within the reach of every Saint.

David F. Holland, Moroni.

Moroni 3:4 I should not lose confidence in it because it was brought to me by a fellow fallen creature. In other words, when I am the giver, I should strive to meet the highest standards of spiritual power; when I am the receiver, I should not devalue the offering by the imperfect vehicle that bears it. 

David F. Holland, Moroni.

To go through the motions of the sacrament, without consciously tuning its repetitive actions toward the formation of a new self, is to miss its purpose. Put simply, sacramental habit can be powerfully transformative, but only if it does not descend into thoughtlessness. I have to be intentional about my quest for holiness when I place that bread on my tongue and bring the water to my lips over and over again. Otherwise, I squander the gift. I have “lost power.”

David F. Holland, Moroni.

The prayers are a reminder of the point made repeatedly in scripture—from the spit and dirt with which Jesus heals blindness in John 9, to the stones that become instruments of light in Ether 3, to the imperfect disciples who are made special witnesses throughout the standard works—that God can take the most mundane of materials and turn them into miraculous instruments of redemption. He is the Sanctifier of previously unhallowed elements. He changes things.

David F. Holland, Moroni.

Dr. Saba Mahmoud observing Muslim women in their devotion to the Islamic practice of daily prayer rituals:

Dr. Saba Mahmood notes that the rituals are usually seen by their practitioners as a substantive way to connect with the divine while they are usually seen by academic observers as symbolic expressions of identity and an affirmation of group cohesion. In close observation of her subjects, however, Mahmood noticed a third implication of their ritual lives. She recognized that the women approached their prayer rituals as repeatable acts of spiritual training, disciplines whose repetition over time would facilitate a gradual internal transformation. They did them less as professions of faith and more as avenues toward faith.

They did not observe their prayer practices because they self-identified as part of a righteous people; they observed them in the hope of developing into righteous people. Their rituals were about the diligent, repetitive work of forming a new self. They were not static symbols so much as active exercises. Mahmood’s women did these things in order to become.

The ordinances are therefore not the culmination of my righteousness; rather, they are a foundational exercise that allows me to develop righteousness.

David F. Holland, Moroni.

A moment of reverence can often open new doors, provide new pathways which might have otherwise been left unexplored. 

Alan Bradley, The Golden Tresses of the Dead.

. . . Moroni did have a choice. There were societies he could join—secret combinations and warring tribes—if he were willing to betray both his better nature and his testimony of the Christ. As agonizing as prolonged solitude is to souls wired for connection, Moroni concluded that there is in fact something worse: a community in which inclusion comes at the price of core convictions. And so he walks on, alone with his faith in Jesus, maintaining his mentally projected sense of place among a community of righteous writers and reflecting on what a well-ordered, Christ-centered people once looked like. For him, that reflection begins with the ordinances.

David F. Holland, Moroni.

Ether 6-15

Quote: In these chapters, we learn the history of the Jaredites. They contain just one doctrinal discourse, but they do teach solemn admonitions about the evils of wickedness, immorality, idolatry, political strife, power struggles, secret oaths, violence, failing to heed prophetic warnings, and refusing to repent, and thus these chapters are relevant today, even though they come from a very different time and place. (Inspirations and Insights from the Book of Mormon. John W. Welch pg. 295)

Quote: The narratives of the Jaredites and Lehi’s family crossing the ocean in their vessels share similar conditions and outcomes, yet the tales themselves serve two separate purposes. The Jaredite record states that the Lord God caused furious winds, and that the people were “tossed upon the waves of the sea” as their vessels were pushed forward to the Promised Land. By contrast, we know that disobedience caused the great storm on the voyage of Lehi’s family to the Promised Land. In other words, it was not an easy voyage – they had their trials, but they ultimately made it to their desired destination. In both narratives, the people were traveling to their promised land for the same general purpose. In one scenario, the Lord provided the tempest that pushed the Jaredites toward the Promised Land. Those people were allowed to learn and grow through trials and tribulations – not of their making – along the journey. In the other scenario, the disobedient choices of a few caused unnecessary delay and difficulty for everyone aboard the ship.

We can metaphorically apply this situation to ourselves. When we face trials, tribulation, or trauma, it may be for a greater purpose. We may undergo difficult experiences to reach our desired destination. We can also slow our own progress through haughtiness and disobedience. (Inspirations and Insights from the Book of Mormon. John W. Welch pg. 296)

Quote: Among the Jaredites, the people were brought unto repentance when the king protected the prophets. In contrast, when a later king did not protect the prophets, the people hardened their hearts and did reject all the words of the prophets, with the result that the Spirit of the Lord ceased striving with them, and Satan had full power over the hearts of the people. They then reached the fulness of iniquity, which brought down upon the fulness of the wrath of God. (Merrill, “They Wrote to us As If We Were Present,” 15).

Quote: Why did the Jaredite people reject the prophets? The Jaredites followed a pattern of prophetic rejection evident in all ages. The Jaredites would say with the corrupt Ahab, “I hate the prophet Micaiah; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always prophesied evil.” That kind of hate for a prophet’s honesty cost Abinadi his life. As he said to King Noah: “Because I have told you the truth ye are angry with me…Because I have spoken the word of God ye have judged me that I am mad or, we might add, provincial, patriarchal, bigoted, unkind, narrow, outmoded, and elderly. (Holland, “Cost and Blessings of Discipleship”, 7)

Quote: The experiences of Emer are some of the most promising moments in these chapters of rampant wickedness among the Jaredites. As a very righteous leader of his people, Emer was privileged to have the veil parted and see the Lord Himself….Moroni may have desired to show us through Emer that not only righteousness but perfect faith is possible in a world sandwiched in on all sides by wickedness. (Judd, “Jaredite Zion Societies,” 150).

Quote: Shortly after my call as a new General Authority, I had the privilege to accompany President James E. Faust for a stake reorganization. As I drove the car to our assignment in beautiful Southern Utah, President Faust was kind enough to use the time to instruct and teach me. One lesson I will never forget. Said he, “The members of the Church are gracious to the General Authorities. They will treat you kindly and say nice things about you.” Then he briefly paused and said, “Dieter, always be thankful for this, but don’t you ever inhale it.” This important lesson about Church service applies to every priesthood holder in every quorum of the Church. It applies to all of us in this Church. 

To be effective Church leaders, we must learn this critical lesson: Leadership in the Church is not so much about directing others as it is about our willingness to be directed by God. 

There is nothing wrong with wanting to serve the Lord, but when we seek to gain influence in the Church for our own sake—in order to receive the praise and admiration of men—we have our reward. When we “inhale” the praise of others, that praise will be our compensation. (The Greatest Among You, Uchtdorf. Ensign April 2017)

Quote: Moroni may have been inspired (or sobered) by the failure of Ether to stem the tide of destruction and mutual annihilation of the warring Jaredite factions. Ether had cried repentance from morning until night, but without success. He had prophesied many things, which people did not believe. This caused Moroni to ponder, why would they not believe? Why had his own people failed to believe? In response to his musings, Moroni was inspired to write about faith. He wants to show the whole world that “faith is things which are hoped for and not seen,” and that people “receive no witness until the trial of their faith. (Inspirations and Insights from the Book of Mormon. John W. Welch pg. 302)

Quote: The scriptures link three words powerfully together: faith, hope, and charity. The gift of hope is a priceless endowment from God. The word hope is used for many things we want to have happen. For example, “I hope it won’t rain,” or “I hope our team wins. My intent is to speak of our sacred and eternal hopes centered in Jesus Christ and the restored gospel and our confident expectations of the promised blessings of righteousness.

As we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, we see beyond our struggles to the blessings and promises of eternity. Like a light whose brilliance grows, hope brightens the darkened world, and we see our glorious future.

Just as the Holy Ghost brought hope to Adam, the power of the Lord’s Spirit enlightens the faithful today, illuminating the reality of eternal life.

The Savior sends us a Comforter, the Holy Ghost, a companion bringing faith, hope, and peace “not as the world giveth.”

We feel the Lord’s approval for our meek willingness, and we await the promised peace the Lord will send in His chosen timing.

The Apostle Paul taught, “The God of hope [will] fill you with … joy and peace … , that ye may abound in hope,” “rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation;” “through the power of the Holy Ghost.” .

My brothers and sisters, hope is a living gift, a gift that grows as we increase our faith in Jesus Christ. 

To fortify our hope in a time of increasing wickedness, the Lord has directed His prophet to dot the earth with His temples.

As we enter the Lord’s house, we feel the Spirit of God, verifying our hope.

There is no pain, no sickness, no injustice, no suffering, nothing that can darken our hope as we believe and hold tightly to our covenants with God in the house of the Lord. It is a house of light, a house of hope. 

Brothers and sisters, the peace you seek may not come as quickly as you desire, but I promise you that as you trust in the Lord, His peace will come. I testify that our hope is our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the God of hope—the triumph of hope. . (The Triumph of Hope. Anderson. Liahona November 2024.)

The “Why?” of Ether

Quote: As Moroni wrote, “it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you … that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men” (Ether 8:23, 26). 

Ether 1-5

THE TOWER OF BABEL

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Genesis 11:1-9 NIV Study Bible: Updated Edition (Kindle Locations 3038-3061)

 THE BOOK OF ETHER

The first thing to note is how atypical the Jaredite history is, in a book that otherwise focuses on an isolated branch of Israel and the mission of the house of Israel in general. Because the Jaredites are descended from a group of people who left the Old World before the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they are not Israelites and thus know nothing of the Abrahamic Covenant or the Mosaic Law (hence their keeping of swine at 9.18). In addition, there is little indication that the Jaredites were Christian, which is unexpected in the Book of Mormon given its current subtitle, “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” It is true that the brother of Jared saw the pre-mortal Christ in a vision, but he was instructed to seal up his account of that experience and not share it until Jesus came to earth and was “lifted up on the cross” (3.21, 27–28; 4.1). That seems to have been what happened, for while there are Jaredite prophets who warn their people to repent or be destroyed, they are never portrayed as speaking specifically of Christ, as opposed to the general term for deity, Lord (though one king, Emer, and one prophet, Ether, are reported to have seen private visions of the future Jesus.)

In these passages Moroni underscores the aspects of Jaredite history that he believes are especially relevant to Gentiles, Jews, and Lamanites in the latter days: God’s insistence that the inhabitants of the Americas should serve him or suffer divine retribution, the power of strong faith and perfect knowledge, the dire perils of secret combinations, the transformative power of humility and charity, and the urgency of historical precedents.

Hardy, Grant. The Annotated Book of Mormon (p. 679). Oxford University Press.

CHASTENING IN THE WILDERNESS

Perhaps they were building the barges but had not yet used them. For whatever reason, the time had come for them to depart, and the Lord had to chastise the brother of Jared because they had not yet done so.

The brother of Jared was chastised “for the space of three hours.” We don’t know how they would have measured time, but it was surely a significant amount. Had the brother of Jared not prayed at all? That is a possible reading, but another reading would be that he had not asked the essential question about when they should begin the journey that God had already told them to take.”

Brant Gardner, Book of Mormon Minute , Volume 4

MIRACLE OF THE SIXTEEN STONES

He does involve us in the process (the miracle) and that is so gracious of Him.

Dallas Jenkins, BYU Forum, October 2024

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/dallas-jenkins/five-loaves-and-two-fishes/

THE VISION OF THE BROTHER OF JARED

As a rule, prophets are invited into the presence of the Lord, are bidden to enter His presence by Him and only with His sanction. The brother of Jared, on the other hand, stands alone then (and we assume now) in having thrust himself through the veil, not as an unwelcome guest but perhaps technically an uninvited one. ... Obviously the Lord Himself is linking unprecedented faith with this unprecedented vision. If the vision is not unique, then it has to be the faith—and how the vision is obtained —that is so remarkable. The only way this faith could be so remarkable would be in its ability to take this prophet, uninvited, where others had only been able to go by invitation.

Jeffrey R. Holland, “Rending the Veil of Unbelief,” 61.

Where other prophets were insulated from the shock of God’s full glory though the preparatory mediation of vision, angels, and texts, the brother of Jared is not. Empowered by some potent combination of deep faith, frank innocence, and compelling humility, the brother of Jared reaches straight through the veil and immediately grasps the live wire of divinity with both bare hands.

What others see in vision, hear from angels, or glean from prophecies, the brother of Jared sees with his own eyes.

Adam Miller, Seven Gospels

Unlike the Nephites, the brother of Jared does not try to escape his initial misinterpretation; he does not flee the punishment he believes is coming. Instead, he steadies himself, looks and listens a bit longer, and rises to stand when Christ calls him. He trusts God. And because he leans into his trust rather than his fear, he enters into Christ’s full presence. He’s taught to read the true meaning of Christ’s body: not an instrument of punishment, but the manifestation of God’s love and the fulfillment of his promise to be with us. Condescension. Immanuel.

When we banish God from our world and look for him with a telescope, expecting that he is far way, he appears threatening and angry. When we instead look for him close by, when we use a magnifying glass instead of a telescope, we see that his hand is extended in blessing, not in violence. 

Rosalynde F. Welch, Seven Gospels

FAITH

I sometimes regret the fact that we use the word "faith" in religious discussions.

Why? Because I think it's become a technical term that obscures for many what should be and is a very simple concept. This has created serious controversies and unnecessary misunderstandings. The Greek word "pistis," which English Bibles typically render as "faith," also means "confidence" or "trust," and these ordinary, everyday terms convey very neatly what scriptural faith entails.

The first readers of the New Testament didn't have to ask what "pistis" meant. Paul hadn't invented the word. They knew it already; it had been common in Greek for centuries. And in the standard English lexicon of classical Greek, the first definition of "pistis" is "trust in others."

While theological factions might argue -- and, in fact, have argued -- for decades over the definition of "faith," we all have a reasonably clear idea of what it means to have "trust" in someone.

When the Greek New Testament was translated into Latin, "pistis" was rendered as "fides," which again meant "trust" or "confidence." Our English word "faith" comes from the Latin "fides," but today we tend to think of "faith" as "belief in something without proof," and, often, more as agreement with a set of propositions than as trust in a person.

But God is a person, and saving faith -- although it surely entails agreeing with certain propositions -- is trust in him, as a person, to love us and to keep his promises to us.

Daniel Peterson

REDEMPTION

The brother of Jared follows a different path from the standard Nephi progression of faith, repentance, and baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, death, resurrection, judgement, and eternal life with God. Instead, the Jaredite prophet is reunited with God in this life, through sure faith and certainly knowledge.

In some instance, apparently, extraordinary faith can substitute for priesthood ordinance, particularly when they are unavailable.

Hardy, Grant. The Annotated Book of Mormon (p. 677). Oxford University Press.

A PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

Moroni’s use of this same description in Ether 3 strongly implies that the brother of Jared saw, in advance, this same crucified-but-resurrected body. And, too, I think this description strongly implies that the brother of Jared’s “manner” of witnessing this body involved feeling for himself this same wounds in Christ’s hands, feet, and side.

Christ’s body isn’t present to the brother of Jared in the image of an unarmed and invulnerable sprit. Rather, just the opposite: Christ’s spirit body already bears the image of his crucified-but-resurrected flesh. Somehow, even before the world’s creation, Christ was already “the Lamb slain from he foundation of the world.” And somehow, even before he was born, Christ already inscribed his love for us on the palms of his hands.

Adam Miller, Seven Gospels

DISCIPLESHIP

The brother of Jared’s story is distinguished by the fact that he meets Christ. But the man himself is defined by his relationships and the space he makes for them. The bother of Jared’s life isn’t about himself, it’s about the people he is with. Perhaps, then, it is no surprise that he can give place to God, that he can make so much room for God to show so much of himself.

To be a disciple of Christ is to lean into this same work of being “there” for God’s arrival. To be a disciple is to devote yourself to the work of making space for God to not only show himself to you but in you and through you.

Adam Miller, Seven Gospels 

Mormon 7 - 9

Moroni Alone. Maddie Baker.

Chapter 7 - “Somewhat remarkably, Mormon makes an urgent, generous appeal to the posterity of the enemies who have just annihilated his people.” Grant Hardy, The Annotated Book of Mormon, chapter seven footnote.

Chapter 8 - Moroni wrote his first farewell in the 400th year (see Mormon 8:6), approximately 15 years after the final battle at Cumorah (see Mormon 6:5), with no date for his second farewell (Ether 12) and his final farewell was delivered after the 420th year (see Moroni 10:1), 20 years after his first farewell. 

Three Farewells 

1. The Voice of Justice - Moroni 8

2. Moved by Sympathy - Ether 12

3. Turned the matter over to the grace and will of God - Moroni 10

"Readers may wonder why Moroni would deliver a farewell address and then later go on to include an abridgment of the book of Ether, ten more chapters of a book bearing his own name, and two more farewell endings, one in Ether 12:38–41 and the other in Moroni 10:34. One consideration is that, as time progressed, his circumstances and perspectives may have changed and the agony of defeat may have dimmed and healed. In any event, Moroni may have welcomed the opportunity to convey different concluding messages that he felt the Book of Mormon deserved.

As Elder M. Russell Ballard has pointed out, “The Restoration is not an event, but it continues to unfold.” So too, with Moroni, his endings for the Book of Mormon also unfolded, as he was able to revisit and add point upon point to his concluding messages."

https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/why-did-moroni-write-so-many-farewells

Kimberly Matheson - Mormon 7-9: Hope in Christ

"Moroni reminds us that even despair is an acceptable posture before Christ. Righteousness does not always result in happy, shiny people. Here a prophet of God, tasked with one of the most crucial steps in the transmission of the Book of Mormon, feels desolate in the face of certain trials. Surely, then, modern Latter-day Saints can also struggle under depression and loneliness and still be welcome in the pews, in prayer, in their callings. It is at times like these, in fact, that pews and prayers and callings arguably matter most.

But I am struck by something else in this early introduction to Moroni. Somewhere around verse 11, his tone begins to change. The change is slight—barely perceptible, even. But ever so faintly, Moroni begins to dwell less on his present and more on the future; he speaks less in terms of what he does not know, and more in terms of what might be possible (Mormon 8:12). And there are clues about the reason for this slightly renewed hope: he reports being “ministered” to by Jesus’ Nephite disciples (Mormon 8:11) and hints at some kind of revelation of “all things” (Mormon 8:12) that includes, at the very least, a vision of his latter-day readers (Mormon 8:35). Though we can’t be sure of what, exactly, Moroni has seen, it’s clearly something that begins to outstrip his individual despair. As he witnesses the larger scope of Jesus’s redemptive work, his individual misery begins, just barely, to matter less." 

https://mi.byu.edu/news-blog-section/mormon-7-9-hope-in-christ

Chapter 9

Chapter 9:19 Unchangeable God

Kimberly Matheson - "Mormon 1-6: The Day of Grace"

"In the sorrow of true repentance, we change by turning toward God, whose love is constant. In the sorrow of unrepentant sin, God appears to change by turning our sin against us, while we remain constant in our resentment.

Having a soft and repentant heart turns out to be just one side of our relationship with God. Someone in this relationship will be changeable and someone will not; either the Lord or we ourselves will turn out to be fixed in our attributes. But when we refuse to be the changeable party, we find ourselves among the stagnant bitterness of the damned. It is only when we are humble enough to repent that God’s constancy can come into view.

If we refuse to grant any change on our side of the ledger, God can only appear to us as erratic and unreliable. But where we are willing to change, to break our hearts and come with contrition before Him, we will find on the other side God’s goodness unchanging." 

https://mi.byu.edu/news-blog-section/mormon-1-6

Jack Welch - 9:27-29 Moroni gives us 22 commandments to know how to live and to be successful - 

BYU Hawaii speech - September 2021 - Jack Welch 

https://speeches.byuh.edu/devotionals/celebrating-moroni-day

1. Despise not.

2. Wonder not.

3. Hearken unto the words of the Lord.

4. Ask the Father in the name of Jesus Christ for whatever ye shall stand in need.

5. Doubt not.

6. Be believing.

7. Begin as in times of old.

8. Come unto the Lord with all your heart.

9. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before God.

10. Be wise in the days of your probation.

11. Strip yourselves of all uncleanness.

12. Ask not to consume uncleanness on your lusts.

13. Ask with a firmness unshaken that ye will yield to no temptation.

14. Serve the true and living God.

15. See that ye are not baptized unworthily.

16. See that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily.

17. See that ye do all things in worthiness.

18. Do all things in the name of Jesus Christ, the son of the living God.

19. Endure to the end.

20. Condemn me [or others] not because of mine [or their] imperfections.

21. Condemn not my father [Mormon] or those who have written before him.

22. Give thanks that God has made manifest our imperfections, that ye may be wiser than we have been.

Mark D. Thomas - “Moroni: The Final Voice.” 2003

This holy wanderer on the border of life and death, on the boundary of meaning and meaninglessness, passes a note to us regarding the collapse of our own house on the top of our own final Cumorah. We think we are reading of the fall of Moroni’s world when we are only reading of what can happen in our own world if we disregard his salvific call to “come unto Christ” (Moroni 10:32) 

https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1314&context=jbms

Kimberly Matheson - Mormon 7-9: Hope in Christ

He presses forward in fidelity to a covenant work that outstrips his individual griefs, acute and unimaginable though they may be. He is a saint who lived and experienced life in its entirety, who expressed hope in Christ not by being happy and smiley all the time, but by showing up in faith precisely when he was not feeling happy and smiley.

https://mi.byu.edu/news-blog-section/mormon-7-9-hope-in-christ

Mormon 1-6

 Main Messages 

I can follow Jesus Christ regardless of what other people do

Godly sorrow and repentance will lead me to Christ and lasting chang

Jesus Christ stands with open arms to receive me

Quote: Ammaron knew that this 10-year-old boy was very precocious, and he trusted him. Being trusted with some major assignment can be very influential in the development of confidence in the formation of the character of a young person, and indeed Mormon remembered that description. Being told that he was trustworthy likely made Mormon even more so. He was, even at that age, a very responsible person.

 Quote: Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines “sober” this way:  A person who is sober is calm, not under the influence of passion, without intemperate passion. He is cool, calm, moderate, free from inordinate passions, free from the heat of passion, calmness, coolness, habitual freedom from enthusiasm, inordinate passion or over-heated imagination. Gravity without sadness or melancholy. It also meant being moderate, frugal, continent, reasonable, and sensible.”

Mormon was, by nature, all of these things. His disposition was calm and level-headed in the worst of situations.

Quote: Mormon was no ordinary person. At the age of 10, he was appointed to become the steward of the sacred Nephite records. At the age of 15 he was “visited of the Lord’. And in his 16th year Mormon was made a leader over the Nephite army. Apparently, Ammaron, the Lord, and Mormon’s people all saw something extraordinary in his capacity and character as a young man.” These three significant events – his calling as a historian and record-keeper, his installment as a military leader, and the visitation of the Savior – likely influenced much of his editing and telling of the Nephite story.

Quote: I mention the first two attributes together—being an example in word and in conversation. The words we use can lift and inspire, or they can harm and demean.

Let us speak to others with love and respect, ever keeping our language clean and avoiding words or comments that would wound or offend.

Quote: The next attribute mentioned by Paul is charity, which has been defined as “the pure love of Christ.”3 I am confident there are within our sphere of influence those who are lonely, those who are ill, and those who feel discouraged. Ours is the opportunity to help them and to lift their spirits.

Quote: Next, we are to be an example in spirit. To me that means we strive to have in our lives kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, and goodwill. These qualities will provide for us a spirit which will touch the lives of those around us.

Quote: To be an example of faith means that we trust in the Lord and in His word. It means that we possess and that we nourish the beliefs that will guide our thoughts and our actions. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in our Heavenly Father will influence all that we do.

In order to gain and to keep the faith we need, it is essential that we read and study and ponder the scriptures. Communication with our Heavenly Father through prayer is vital.

Quote: Finally, we are to be pure, which means that we are clean in body, mind, and spirit. We know that our body is a temple, to be treated with reverence and respect. Our minds should be filled with uplifting and ennobling thoughts and kept free from those things which will pollute. In order to have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, we must be worthy.

Quote: As we prove to be examples in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity, we will qualify to be lights to the world.

My brothers and sisters, our opportunities to shine surround us each day, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. As we follow the example of the Savior, ours will be the opportunity to be a light in the lives of others, whether they be our own family members and friends, our co-workers, mere acquaintances, or total strangers.

That each of us within the sound of my voice may pledge to follow Him, thus becoming a shining light to the world, is my prayer

Quote: Frustrated with the cowardice and wickedness of his people, Mormon looked for inspiration to another young general, who lived over 400 years earlier and was able to inspire his people to victory through righteousness. Captain Moroni, chief captain of the Nephite armies, is a man Mormon greatly admired. He devotes a large part of his abridgment to the wars fought by Captain Moroni and may even have names his son after this courageous captain. The description of Captain Moroni in the book of Alma (which was written by Mormon) gives some insight into Mormon’s personality. He admires Moroni for his skill as a general but even more for his faith in God. (Hatch, “Mormon and Moroni”, 107)

Quote: The scope and significance of that horrible slaughter may be seen more readily when we realize that the great American Civil War of the 1860’s, the costliest war, in terms of human life, that the United States has ever known, took the lives of 140,000 men in a five-year period. Here, 230,000 fell in a single day. (Jeffery R. Holland. Mormon: The Man and the Book Part 1)

 

3 Nephi 27-4 Nephi

THE NAME OF THE CHURCH

“The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have work before us to bring ourselves in harmony with His will. In recent weeks, various Church leaders and departments have initiated the necessary steps to do so. Additional information about this important matter will be made available in the coming months.”

Official Church Statement, August 6, 2018

“Thus, the name of the Church is not negotiable. When the Savior clearly states what the name of His Church should be and even precedes His declaration with, ‘Thus shall my church be called,’ He is serious. And if we allow nicknames to be used or adopted or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended.

What’s in a name or, in this case, a nickname? When it comes to nicknames of the Church, such as the ‘LDS Church,’ the ‘Mormon Church,’ or the ‘Church of the Latter-day Saints,’ the most important thing in those names is the absence of the Savior’s name. To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior’s name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement.”

Pres. Russell M. Nelson, October 2018

“After all He has endured—and after all He has done for humankind—I realized with profound regret that we have unwittingly acquiesced in the Lord’s restored Church being called by other names, each of which expunges the sacred name of Jesus Christ!

Taking the Savior’s name upon us includes declaring and witnessing to others—through our actions and our words—that Jesus is the Christ. Have we been so afraid to offend someone who called us ‘Mormons’ that we have failed to defend the Savior Himself, to stand up for Him even in the name by which His Church is called?”

Pres. Russell M. Nelson, October 2018

PRESIDENT NELSON’S 7 PRINCIPLES OF UNITY

“The labels that had divided the people for hundreds of years receded before a more enduring and ennobling identity. They viewed themselves—and everyone else—according to their relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Diversity and difference can be good and significant to us. But our most important identities are those related to our divine origin and purpose.

First and foremost, each of us is a child of God. Second, as a member of the Church each of us is a child of the covenant. And third, each of us is a disciple of Jesus Christ. I urge all of us not to allow any other identifier to displace, replace or take priority over these three enduring designations.”

President Russell M. Nelson, Liahona, October 2024

PRESIDENT NELSON’S 7 PRINCIPLES OF UNITY

1. Covenants

2. Conversion

3. Fairness, equality and helping the poor

4. Obedience

5. Meeting together

6. Love

7. Divine Identity

“surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.”

TRUE MILLENNIAL VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p13Td7auHCk&t=41s

3 Nephi 20-26

Quote #1: When you hear people use terms like house of Israel, do you feel like they’re talking about you? The Nephites and Lamanites were literal descendants of Israel, “a branch of the tree of Israel,” and yet they felt “lost from its body”. But the Savior wanted them to know that they were not lost to Him. “Ye are of the house of Israel,” He said, “and ye are of the covenant”. He might say something similar to you today, for anyone who is baptized and makes covenants with Him is also of the house of Israel, “of the covenant.” In other words, when Jesus speaks of the house of Israel, He is talking about you. The instruction to bless “all the kindreds of the earth” is for you. The invitation to “awake again, and put on thy strength” is for you. And His precious promise, “My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,” is for you. (Come Follow Me Manual)

Quote #2: In a departure from the ordinance of the previous day, when it appears that the Savior alone blessed the bread and wine to be administered to all, he commanded that the twelve disciples should break and bless the bread, then give it to the multitude. We presume the same pattern was followed with the wine. In this conscious act of involving the twelve disciples in the ordinance, Christ was obviously showing the multitude that these brethren had authority to administer it, and it was not a one-time occurrence to be administered by Christ alone. Partaking of the sacrament was, after all, a new experience for them, and without that visible expression of permission and authority for the twelve disciples to officiate, the multitude might have resisted any perpetuation of the ordinance once Christ had departed. (Christ and the New Covenant. Jeffrey R. Holland pg 282)

Quote #3: One of the invitations inherent in the sacramental ordinance is that it be a truly spiritual experience, a holy communion, a renewal for the soul. Jesus said to these Nephites, “He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled.” (Christ and the New Covenant. Jeffery R. Holland pg 283)

Quote #4: To go through the motions of the sacrament, without consciously tuning it’s repetitive actions toward the formation of a new self, is to miss its purpose. Put simply, sacramental habit can be powerfully transformative, but only if it does not descend to thoughtlessness. I have to be intentional about my quest for holiness when I place that bread on my tongue and bring the water to my lips over and over again. Otherwise, I squander the gift. I have “lost power”. (Moroni – a brief theological introduction by David F. Holland pg 43)

Quote #5: Such intense focusing on the life of the Savior, and in particular His Atonement, is designed to produce a supreme spiritual feast. Brigham Young declared, “The Lord has planted within us a divinity; and that divine immortal spirit requires to be fed…that divinity within us needs food from the Fountain from which it emanated.” That food may be found at the sacrament table. Bur Elder Melvin J. Ballard cautions, “We must come…to the sacrament table hungry”. (Callister, Infinite Atonement, 287-88)

Quote #6: Emily Belle Freeman – On this occasion, I was the only one taking the sacrament. One piece of bread. One cup of water. At church, my mind often focuses on the delivery system of the sacrament—the preparing, the blessing, and the passing. But on that afternoon, I pondered the gift of God’s power available to me through the sacred ordinance itself and the covenant promise I was making as I took that piece of bread and that cup of water. This was a time when I needed power from heaven. In the midst of great heartache, exhaustion, and uncertainty, I wondered about this gift that would allow me to draw upon the power from Him that I so desperately needed. Partaking of the sacrament would increase my companionship with the Spirit of the Lord, allowing me to draw upon the gift of God’s power, including the ministering of angels and the Savior’s enabling strength to overcome.

Quote #7: Elder Patrick Kearon – We may have been conditioned to suppose that the purpose of the sacrament is to sit in the pew thinking only about all the ways we messed up during the week before. But let’s turn that practice on its head. In the stillness, we can ponder the many ways we have seen the Lord relentlessly pursue us with His wonderful love that week! We can reflect on what it means to “discover the joy of daily repentance.” We can give thanks for the times the Saviour entered into our struggles and our triumphs and the occasions when we felt His grace, forgiveness, and power giving us strength to overcome our hardships and bear our burdens with patience and even good cheer.

Yes, we ponder the sufferings and injustices inflicted upon our Redeemer for our sin, and that does cause sober reflection. But we sometimes get stuck there—in the garden, at the cross, inside the tomb. We fail to move upward to the joy of the tomb bursting open, the defeat of death, and Christ’s victory over all that might prevent us from gaining peace and returning to our heavenly home. Whether we shed tears of sorrow or tears of gratitude during the sacrament, let it be in awesome wonder at the good news of the Father’s gift of His Son!

Quote #8: Elder Patrick Kearon – We do not gather on the Sabbath simply to attend sacrament meeting and check it off the list. We come together to worship. There is a significant difference between the two. To attend means to be present at. But to worship is to intentionally praise and adore our God in a way that transforms us!

Quote #9: The promises God made to the posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are real! The Abrahamic covenant is not an allegory; it is not a Bible story that is to be spiritualized away. The gathering of Israel will be literal, and it is literal Israel that is to be gathered. The promises given to the seed of Abraham are as real as the dirt and dust upon which he set his feet of flesh and blood. (McConkie, “Final Gathering to Christ,” 193-94)

Quote #10: Portions of this chapter are quoted often in scripture. John the Revelator and Paul referred to it. So did Nephi, Jacob, the wicked priests of King Noah, Abinadi, Moroni, and Christ in the book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants. Clearly this chapter resonated with other prophets, and even with Christ. This suggests that we should give this chapter extra study and pondering. (Kerry Muhlestein “Learning to Love Isaiah”, 423)

Quote #11: In 3 Nephi 20, the Savior quotes part, not all, of Isaiah 52. Clearly the ideas of this chapter are important. They have applications in various time periods, but especially in the days of Cyrus, the Savior’s day, and our day. It is worth the reader dedicating serious time to studying how the Savior used Isaiah 52 to teach the Nephites. He especially emphasizes how it refers to the gathering of Israel. He does not quote the entire chapter, and he rearranges the order of the verses citing verse 8-10 first, followed by verses 1-3, then verses 6-7, and finally verses 11-15. While there are certainly other interpretations of Isaiah 52, the Savior’s emphasis on gathering should color much of how we read this chapter. (Kerry Muhlestein “Learning to Love Isaiah”, 424)

Quote #12:

·         Put on thy strength – refers to putting on the authority of the priesthood

·         Uncircumcised and the unclean – disobedient, sinners, or disbelieving Gentiles. Zion will be free of   all such

·         Arise, sit down – Get up from the dust where slaves must sit, and sit in a place of honor, as on a throne.

·         Bands of thy neck – That which holds one captive. Here referring to the curses of God placed upon scattered Israel. These curses are removed as members of the house of Israel return to the Lord and repent of their sins.

(Largey, Book of Mormon Reference Companion pg 357)

Quote #13: The influence of parents who honor covenants and obey commandments indeed can have a decisive spiritual impact upon children who stray by activating the tentacles of divine Providence – in ways that have not been revealed fully and are not understood completely. However, righteous parental influence (1) does not replace in the life of an individual the need for the redeeming and strengthening power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, (2) does not overrule the consequences of the unrighteous exercise of moral agency, and (3) does not negate the responsibility of an individual as an agent to act…and not to be acted upon. (Bednar, “Faithful Parents and Wayward Children: Sustaining Hope While Overcoming Misunderstanding,” 32)

 

  

3 Nephi 17 - 19

"When the resurrected Jesus showed himself to the disciples in Jerusalem and the Nephites in ancient America, he used his hands as a token or symbol or recognition for who he was, which can help us better understand our own temple worship.

In Jerusalem, the disciples knew that Jesus had died. They watched it happen, so when the resurrected Christ appeared, they needed to know that he was really alive again. That this was the same person. So Christ let them clasp his hand as a token of his identity.

In the new world, the Nephites could clearly see that this man who descended from heaven was alive. In order to verify that this was the prophesied Messiah, they needed to know that he had really died. So Christ let them feel the prints in his hands and the wound in his side as a token of his sacrifice.

In the Latter-day Saint temple and in the sacrament of the Lord's supper, we make sacred covenants that help us become disciples of Jesus Christ. We promise to take upon ourselves symbols of Jesus Christ, so that when we meet our maker at the end of our lives, Christ will be in our hands, hearts, countenance, in everything we are, and we will be identified as a true follower of Jesus Christ."                                    

Jasmin Rappleye, Scripture Plus

The previous chapters show us how to be more like the Savior, more Christ-like -  3 Nephi 17-19 really takes us into the heart of the Savior, to see what brings him joy and what brings him sorrow.                  

John S. Tanner, The Scriptures are Real with Kerry Muhlestein 

It seems reasonable to assume that the Savior had power to heal all present among the Nephites without their being brought forth to Him. Even before His resurrection, the Savior healed people in groups without touching them and was able to heal those not within a specific proximity to Himself (see Mark 7:24–30; Luke 7:1–9). The Lord chose among the Nephites, however, to have the sick brought close to Him, and as the record implies, He touched each one personally. 

According to the Book of Mormon model, ministering often occurs “one by one” as disciples come in contact with the Savior and with one another. In many cases a personal “touch” is a symbolic means of transmitting God’s love and power to an individual. In several instances, however, the touch is another way of expressing that hands were laid upon an individual. The context of these several examples among the Nephites seems to indicate that an ordinance is being performed by the laying on of hands (see 3 Nephi 18:36). Being chosen to minister is also a call to serve innocent and pure children and the faithful Saints, just as Jesus and the angels did during His appearance among the Nephites.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we should recognize that Jesus swept away the legalistic regulations of the Mosaic code and touched those who had been considered “untouchable” under the law (see 3 Nephi 17:7, see also Leviticus 13; 3 Nephi 15:2–9). He commanded the Nephite disciples to do the same and encouraged them to invite everyone to join with them in worship as they ministered to one another. Likewise, for the modern believer, a call to discipleship is more than just joining a study class. It is a call to perform the work of the Lord and His angels spontaneously, to minister as a servant among mortals. In particular, it is a call to serve the physically, mentally, emotionally, economically, and spiritually infirm, modern society’s “untouchables.” These individuals should not be “cast out from among” us but should be ministered to and touched by true disciples, as Jesus demonstrated. Through the ordinances of the gospel performed individually, and as prescribed by the resurrected Savior by His chosen disciples, “the power of godliness is manifest” (D&C 84:20).

Richard Neitzel Holzapfel - One by One: The Fifth Gospel’s Model of Service

With impressiveness similar to that attending the institution of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper among the apostles in Jerusalem, Jesus made plain the sanctity and significance of the ordinance, saying that authority for its future administration would be given; and that it was to be participated in by all who had been baptized into fellowship with Christ, and was always to be observed in remembrance of Him, the bread being the sacred emblem of His body, the wine the token of His blood that had been shed. By express commandment, the Lord forbade the sacrament of bread and wine to all but the worthy; “For,” He explained, “whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood, ye shall forbid him.” But the people were forbidden to cast out from their assemblies those from whom the Sacrament was to be withheld, if so be they would but repent and seek fellowship through baptism.    

James Talmage, Jesus the Christ

"Every sacrament meeting is a testimony meeting. We are testifying together of Jesus Christ."              

John S. Tanner, The Scriptures are Real with Kerry Muhlestein 

3 Nephi 12-16

 3 NEPHI 11-28

“Christ visited the people of Nephi at Bountiful on three consecutive days. The book of 3 Nephi, however, records only the events of the first day (11:1-18:39) and the second day (19:15-26:14) Jesus’s theme for the first day was the Law, and for the second day the Prophets—categories that were important for the formation of the Jewish cannon but which also appear in the Book of Mormon. Rather than give an account of the third day’s visit to the multitude, it substitutes a report of a subsequent appearance of the resurrected Christ to the twelve disciples.”

Grant Hardy, The Annotated Book of Mormon, pg. 586

THE BEATITUDES

Name given to certain declarations of blessedness in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3–11; Luke 6:20–22). They describe certain elements that go to form the refined and spiritual character, all of which will be present whenever that character exists in its perfection. Rather than being isolated statements, the Beatitudes are interrelated and progressive in their arrangement. A more comprehensive and accurate listing is found in 3 Ne. 12:1–12, where a greater spiritual emphasis is given. (The JST wording is similar to 3 Ne.)

A BROKEN HEART AND CONTRITE SPIRIT

“Heart break is inevitable; contrition is not. Let us not waste our suffering.”

Lili Anderson, Choosing Glory Podcast

SUFFERING

“Our specific trials are designed to develop generalized abilities in us. They are not for us to endure and survive. They are provocative moments that entice us and invite us to grow.”


Joseph Greeny Faith Matters Conference, 2024

DISCOVERING MY TRUE IDENTITY LEXI WALBECK'S STORY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nuexC6bdTo

3 Nephi 8 - 11

In the last few years, there has been a language change, I first noticed in Grant Hardy’s Maxwell Institute Book of Mormon Study Edition about the Three Nephites—nowhere in the scriptures are they called the three Nephites. They may have been Lamanites, Nephites, or both.

In President Dallin H. Oaks' April 2023 General Conference talk, he said, "After His ministry in the Holy Land, Jesus Christ appeared to the righteous on the American continent." Other scholars have used a variety of descriptors including, Lehi’s descendants or Lehi’s children,  Nephites and Lamanites, and Lehite survivors. This is something to consider as we work through these chapters of the Savior's visit.

3 Nephi 8:5, 6, 17-19, 21-23

Timing

Even in the bright light of written commentary and artistic depiction, a question persists about the dating of the risen Jesus’ visit to the Americas. One view holds that approximately one year had passed following the severe destruction that attended Jesus’ death. A second view suggests that the Savior’s visit occurred in connection with or soon after his initial appearance to his disciples in Jerusalem following the resurrection (see Luke 24:28–43; John 20:11–18). A third view, which stands between these two, maintains that the Savior’s manifestation occurred only following his forty-day ministry (see Acts 1:3–4). 

S. Kent Brown, “When Did Jesus Visit the Americas?” in From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1998), 146–156.

https://rsc.byu.edu/jerusalem-zarahemla/when-did-jesus-visit-americas

“As with other ancient measurements of time, the term hour is not necessarily a standard unit of time. The word “hour” does not even appear in the Bible until the book of Daniel, and the word “hour” in the New Testament can mean anything from an instant, to 45 minutes, to an hour and a quarter, a period of three hours or even longer.” That there may be different measurements in Mesoamerica for the term hour is evidenced in Alma 18:14, where it indicates that the “king answered him not for the space of an hour according to their time”. Although the length of an hour is not necessarily critical to this hazard analysis, a longer hour may provide for a longer length of time for the hazards that are delimited to the three-hour period identified in 3rd Nephi.” Jerry Grover. 2014

https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/destruction-timeline

3 Nephi 8:5 This is the seventh and last event in the BoM to be dated precisely, by year, month, and day. The others were Amulek’s encounter with an angel (Alma 10.6); Alma and Amulek’s deliverance from prison (Alma 14.23); the destruction of Ammonihah (Alma 16.1); an invasion by the Lamanites (Alma 49.1); the death of Amalickiah (Alma 52.1); and Captain Moroni’s receipt of a letter from Helaman (Alma 56.1). (Footnote)

Hardy, Grant. The Annotated Book of Mormon (p. 634). Oxford University Press. 

Three Days of Darkness 

The Know

In the 1960s, Hugh Nibley compared these Book of Mormon accounts to descriptions of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Since that time, several other scholars, including many professional geologists, have examined these accounts and widely agreed that the three-day darkness and other destructive forces described in the Book of Mormon accounts involve a volcanic eruption.

The main reason for this is the three-day period of darkness. Geologists who have studied the 3 Nephi 8 account generally agree that nothing except volcanic ash and dust clouds could account for the three days of darkness, as it is described. Not only the darkness, but the excessive lightning, thundering, tempest, and many other features can all be explained by volcanic activity.

The Why

In graphic detail, the Book of Mormon documents a divinely caused natural disaster occurring at the time of Christ’s death that many geologists agree appears to have involved a volcanic eruption, most likely occurring simultaneously with an earthquake along a strike-slip fault line. Thus far, current geologic evidence supports the following conclusions:

At least one region in the Americas (Veracruz, Mexico) possessed the necessary geologic characteristics. 

At least one volcano in that region (San Martín) appears to have erupted in the first century AD. 

There was further volcanic activity in Mesoamerica in and around the first century AD.

Ice core samples indicate that a major volcanic event took place somewhere in the world around AD 30–40—around or close to the time of Christ’s death.

While none of this can be linked directly to the events described in 3 Nephi, it goes to show that, as with the sign at Christ’s birth, there is nothing scientifically implausible in the account given in 3 Nephi 8–10. In fact, the fulfillment of this prophesied volcanic disaster is strikingly realistic, especially its three days of smoky vapor and thick darkness.

Also, as was the sign of great light at the time of Christ’s birth, the profound darkness at his death and time in the tomb is strongly symbolic. Just as the “excessive light surrounding Christ’s birth acts as a kind of morning,” the “darkness surrounding Christ’s death acts as a kind of evening.” Alvin Benson aptly stated, “It appears that the earth was symbolically manifesting its gloom over the death of its creator.” 

https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/what-caused-the-darkness-and-destruction-in-the-34th-year

Now, it's easy enough to say these are horrible destructions, natural disasters. We see more of these today than we would like to. But the ancients would've seen this in a very particular way. . . . [the] wind,  . . . fire . . . sea. . . . earth. And the way the ancients looked at things, these were the four primal elements. You have wind, earth, fire, water, and those elements that constitute the building blocks of creation are being undone.

Eric Huntsman, https://followhim.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BM-39-Dr.-Eric-Huntsman-3-Nephi-8-11-followHIM-Podcast-SHOW-NOTES.pdf

3 Nephi 9:14-15, 18-21

President Oaks

“Most of the scriptures reporting Jesus’s mortal ministries are descriptions of what He did. My message today consists of a selection of the words of our Savior—what He said. These are words recorded in the New Testament (including the inspired additions of Joseph Smith) and in the Book of Mormon.

After His ministry in the Holy Land, Jesus Christ appeared to the righteous on the American continent. These are some of the words He spoke there:” 

3 Nephi 9:15.

3 Nephi 9:18–21

3 Nephi 11:38.

I affirm the truth of these teachings in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

President Dallin H. Oaks

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/04/51oaks?lang=eng

Jason Olson

Whereas in the Book of Mormon, it is a bridge testament, and you actually transition from the Nephites before the coming of Jesus Christ living according to the Torah and the covenant that they took with them from Jerusalem, and then you can actually see their transition into covenant teachings that Jesus Christ brought them.

In the Book of Mormon, God is not creating a new people. He's working with the same people.

Before Jesus is coming to Bountiful, they're living the law of Moses and they're building temples and we don't have that much evidence, but it's clear that they're at least living the Sabbath and I can see patterns where they're living the holy days. 

3 Nephi 9:20

Jason: And this is where you can see perfectly the transition from you could say Old Testament to New Testament. Jesus says, “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

Everything Jesus is doing is actually just taking us further inward. So Jesus is getting rid of all the superficialities and he's going inside.

Jason Olson, The Burning Book: A Jewish-Mormon Memoir

https://scripturecentral.org/archive/media/audio/book-episode-8-burning-bush

3 Nephi 10:1-13

“Cumulatively, Christ says, in effect: I have done everything I could, I would do more if you let me, and I will continue to do everything I can. For Mormon, Christ’s maternity is reflected at least in the consistency of his love: that he has, does, would, and will continue to extend his hand to Israel.”

Daniel Becerra, 3rd, 4th Nephi Maxwell Institute Brief Theological Introduction.

10:4–7: These four questions beginning with how oft—which range from the past, to the hypothetical past, to the future—are all variations of Jesus’s lament for Jerusalem at Mt 23.37 and Lk 13.34. The first two questions are addressed to the deceased Nephites, the third to deceased Jerusalemites, and the fourth to those hearing his voice. In contrast with the NT parallels, the last question was still an open one, an invitation that could be either accepted or rejected.

Hardy, Grant. The Annotated Book of Mormon (p. 634). Oxford University Press.

3 Nephi 11

Although Book of Mormon prophets regularly foretold Jesus’s life in Judea, there were only a few references to his New World ministry (1 Ne 12.4–7; 2 Ne 26.1–9; 32.6; Alma 16.20; 45.10). In particular, Samuel the Lamanite apparently said nothing about it, even though he prophesied in detail about the signs the Nephites would see of Christ’s birth and death (Hel 14; cf. 1 Ne 19.10–12). The Nephites in the city of Bountiful eventually remember prophecies that the Lord would appear to them, but this was not something they had been specifically looking for.

Hardy, Grant. The Annotated Book of Mormon (p. 555). Oxford University Press.

3 Nephi 1-7

Quote #1: Here we witness a phenomenon which is repeated ad nauseam in the Book of Mormon: the wicked who refuse to believe dare not allow others to believe. There is no room in their tightly controlled epistemological system for faith or spirit or revelation or hope. They do not know so they conclude that no one else knows. They cannot feel, so they dare not allow others to feel. In this case they shun the light of evidence that comes from God and refuse others the right to wait patiently on the Lord for the signs to be given” (McConkie et al., Doctrinal Commentary, 4:5).

Quote #2: Although there is only little difference between a thief and a robber in most modern minds, there were considerable differences between the two under ancient Near Eastern law. A thief was usually a local person who stole from his neighbor. He was dealt with judicially. He was tried and punished civilly, most often by a court composed of his fellow townspeople. A robber, on the other hand, was treated as an outsider, as a brigand or highwayman. He was dealt with militarily, and he could be executed summarily. (Welch and Ward, “Thieves and Robbers,”248).

Quote #3: The descendants of Lehi’s party consistently divided themselves into seven tribes. Significantly, these references come from the earliest as well as the latest periods of Nephite history, indicating the importance and persistence of kinship as a basic element in this society….

Though different forms of government might come and go in Nephite history, the underlying family fabric of this society remained permanent. Even in the darkest days or political collapse, all the people still had ‘much family,’ and the tribal structure was present to supplant the collapsed government. This tribal government had always been in place. What we see in 3 Nephi 7 is a default government, not centralized like that formerly headed by kings or chief judged, yet sufficiently capable to enact and administer their laws, every one according to his tribe. A version of that dispersed political structure surely continued following the appearance of Jesus Christ, because nothing is said of any central government from then until possibly the time of Mormon. (Sorenson et al., “Seven Tribes,” 93-94).

Quote #4: The word heart is used five times in these three verses to discuss the influence of Satan over the Nephites who had wandered into apostasy. They became “hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds.” They now discounted and disbelieved the wonders and miracles they had seen. They imagined it had been “some vain thing in their hearts” – something that had been conjured up by men with the aid of the devil to “deceive the hearts of the people.” Thus, Satan had led away their hearts into disbelief. As the people began to resist the gospel of Jesus Christ and ceased to keep some of the commandments, Satan further led away their hearts, “tempting them and causing them that they should do great wickedness.” Thus, apostasy is largely a condition of the heart. Once the people forgot, took for granted, and rationalized their blessings, they stopped believing and were easily led into sinful behaviors. (John W. Welch. Inspirations and Insights from the Book of Mormon. Pg. 240.)

Quote #5: Jesus taught that signs are not a cure for disbelief. The unbelievers in 3 Nephi were not changed by the signs they had seen, including the night with no darkness – they rationalized them away or scribed them to the devil. Mormon stated, despondently, “And thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again:. Signs that follow faith tend to strengthen faith, but signs alone do not function well in generation faith and may even lead to rationalization. Well might we say instead of “seeing is believing,” that “believing is seeing.” (John W. Welch. Inspirations and Insights from the Book of Mormon. Pg. 240)

Things that weaken conversion….

Things that strengthen conversion….

What is the lesson for me here?

3 Nephi 1:5-11

3 Nephi 1: 29-30

3 Nephi 2:1-3

3 Nephi 3:12-16

3 Nephi 4:8-10;30-33

3 Nephi 6:13-18

3 Nephi 7:15-22

Agnostic: I don’t know if there’s a God

Atheist: I don’t believe that there’s a God

Apathyist: I don’t care if there’s a God

Why should I walk a covenant path?

Do I need to enter a house for making covenants?

Why do I wear the holy garments?

Should I invest in a covenant relationship with the Lord?

Quote #6: President Nelson told a group of young adults: “I believe that if the Lord were speaking to you directly tonight, the first thing He would make sure you understand is your true identity. My dear friends, you are literally spirit children of God. Designations, labels and identifiers can be important and positive, but can be of unequal value and also change with the passage of time, but if any label replaces the most important identifiers, the results can be spiritually suffocating. First, I am a child of God, I am a son of god; then a son of the covenant; then a disciple of Jesus Christ and a devoted member of His restored Church. Next would come my honored titles as a husband and father, then Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Other labels – such as a medical doctor, surgeon, researcher, professor, lieutenant, captain, Caucasian, Ph.D., American and so forth – would fall somewhere down the list. With that in mind, first and foremost, each of you is a child of God. Second, as a member of the Church, you are a child of the covenant, and third, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Tonight I plead with you not to replace these three paramount and unchanging identifiers with any others, because doing so could stymie your progress or pigeonhole you in a stereotype that could potentially thwart your eternal progression….Please do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that other designations and identifiers are not significant. I am simply saying that no identifier should displace, replace or take priority over these three enduring designations: ‘child of God’, ‘child of the covenant’ and ‘disciple of Jesus Christ’.”

Quote #7: President Nelson “My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives….When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation, and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy. We feel it at Christmastime when we sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.” And we can feel it all year round. For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is joy!....How, then, can we claim that joy? We can start by “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” “in every thought.” We can give thanks for Him in our prayers and by keeping covenants we’ve made with Him and our Heavenly Father. As our Savior becomes more and more real to us and as we plead for His joy to be given to us, our joy will increase…..Joy is powerful, and focusing on joy brings God’s power into our lives. As in all things, Jesus Christ is our ultimate exemplar, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” Think of that! In order for Him to endure the most excruciating experience ever endured on earth, our Savior focused on joy!

And what was the joy that was set before Him? Surely it included the joy of cleansing, healing, and strengthening us; the joy of paying for the sins of all who would repent; the joy of making it possible for you and me to return home—clean and worthy—to live with our Heavenly Parents and families.

If we focus on the joy that will come to us, or to those we love, what can we endure that presently seems overwhelming, painful, scary, unfair, or simply impossible?

What will you and I be able to endure as we focus on the joy that is “set before” us? What repenting will then be possible? What weakness will become a strength? What chastening will become a blessing? What disappointments, even tragedies, will turn to our good? And what challenging service to the Lord will we be able to give?

As we diligently focus on the Savior and then follow His pattern of focusing on joy, we need to avoid those things that can interrupt our joy.”

When Faith Endures

I will not doubt, I will not fear;

God’s love and strength are always near.

His promised gift helps me to find

An inner strength and peace of mind.

I give the Father willingly

My trust, my prayers, humility.

His Spirit guides; his love assures

That fear departs when faith endures.

Text: Naomi W. Randall, 1908–2001. © 1985 IRI

Music: Stephen M. Jones, b. 1960. © 1985 IRI

Helaman 13-16

Quote #1: Never before have the Nephites been wicked enough to attract a prophet from outside

their nation, and never before have the Lamanites been consistently righteous enough to provide one

Never before has the economy allowed Lamanites and Nephites to freely enter one another’s

territory. (Helaman: a brief theological introduction. Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 94.)

Quote #2: While it is understandable that Samuel would have known and used words spoken by his

missionary and friend Nephi, it is quite astonishing that these links between Samuel and Nephi were

so purposefully used by Samuel, preserved by Mormon, and were included and translated by Joseph

Smith with such exactness.

Quote #3: Samuel is introduced as a foil to Nephi. Beyond their role as the two preachers who

conclude the book, a whole rash of other textual details put Samuel and Nephi side by side. Both are

returning home when they are interrupted by a divine commission. Each prophet delivers two signs.

They both prophesy of a coming Messiah. Both call on the Nephites to repent. Each causes a division

among the people. They are both described in supernatural terms (God, devil). Both exit the narrative

together. The text’s last mention of Nephi occurs just two verses before Samuel’s exit from

Zarahemla.

As Narrative foils, however, the differences between the two are just as instructive. Where Nephi’s

preaching prioritized the contemporary consequences of Nephite wickedness, Samuel focuses on the

future calamities that await the people. While Nephi’s signs were local, political, and focused on the

Nephites, Samuel’s signs are cosmic – apocalyptic, even – and primarily concerned with the Messiah.

It’s also curious that Samuel seems largely uninterested in the Gadianton robbers, whereas Nephi

shaped his entire intervention around secret combinations. Mormon clearly hopes that a shared

picture will come into focus between these two prophets, but if Nephi gave us something like a fine

zoom on Nephite life, Samuel provides readers with a wide angle lens. Samuel’s inclusion in this

prophetic duo reminds us that divine messengers and vital perspectives often emerge right out of our

blind spot, and that it sometimes takes an outsider to help us hear the voice of God. (Helaman: a brief

theological introduction. Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 95.)

Quote #4: Samuel was a courageous Lamanite prophet sent among the Nephites to preach

repentance and the coming of the Lord shortly before Christ’s birth. Samuel is one of the most colorful

figures in the Book of Mormon, and few readers can forget the image of this fearless servant of God

announcing the dramatic signs of Christ’s birth and death, crying repentance from the walls of

Zarahemla. The proud, wicked, and prejudiced Nephites were offended by the presence of a

Lamanite reproving them for their sins. Historically, that was a Nephite prerogative, but now the roles

were reversed. (Largey, Book of Mormon Reference Companion, 697).

Quote #5: Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind.

When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus

Christ. Whether you are diligently moving along the covenant path, have slipped or stepped from the

covenant path, or can’t even see the path from where you are now, I plead with you to repent…

Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance – of doing and being a little better each day.

When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best

version of ourselves. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus

Christ…Prayerfully seek to understand what stands in the way of your repentance. Identify what stops

you from repenting and then, change! Repent! All of us can do better and be better than ever before.

(Nelson, We can Do Better and Be Better. April 2019)

Quote #6: There is an essential aspect of the plan of happiness of our Father in Heaven that is often

ignored even though it invariably yields peace and joy. This subject is widely misunderstood and often

feared. Some feel that it is to be employed only by those in serious transgression, while the Lord

intended that it be consistently used by everyone of His children. I refer to the blessing of true,

sincere, continuing repentance, the path to peace and joy. It is a conduit to the reforming power of the

Lord and, when understood and used, a dear and precious friend. (Richard G. Scott Path to Peace

and Joy” 25)

Quote #7: When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God. The

invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to run around and to

‘re-turn’ toward God. It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more

than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the

commandments. Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being

forgiven. They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel. (Anderson, “Repent That I May

Heal You,” 40).

Quote #8: We must have gratitude. We must always thank the Lord for our treasures. Where are our

hearts? What would it look like to hide up a treasure unto the Lord? It would look like abandoning the

fantasy that these treasures were yours to keep in the first place. It would look like sacrificing your

claim to all things.” (Mormon: a brief theological introduction. Adam S. Miller. Pg 51)

Quote #9: Many have asked why God would consistently reward the virtues of the Nephites with a

prosperity which almost infallibly destroyed that virtue. The answer is in the ‘almost’ – there is no

paradox here; wealth need not be destructive. A person in exuberant health is certainly more likely to

be tempted of the flesh than one suffering from a dire disease. And yet exuberant good health is a

reward of right living. The temptations of health and the temptations of wealth are real, to be sure, but

they are not irresistible, and they are necessary to test mankind in this life of probation. (Nibley, Since

Cumorah, 355)

Quote #10: Any honest assessment of life in the twenty-first century must admit: our grip on our

money is much harder to loosen than our grip on virtually any other part of our lives. We are often no

better than the Nephites on this score, and we are just as liable to listen to voices that alleviate our

guilt rather than stir us up to repentance. If scripture’s prophets begin to sound boorish or repetitive

on this point, it is only because we are as blind and self-congratulatory as the Nephites. (Helaman: a

brief theological introduction. Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 98.)

Quote #11: What pure, unadulterated hypocrisy it is for those who reject the living prophets to say ‘If

we had lived in former days, we would have accepted the prophets whom others rejected.’ Prophets

are prophets, truth is truth, and rebellion is rebellion. The spirit which leads men to fight God in one

age is the same that operates in every age. Those who reject the Lord’s anointed today would have

done so anciently. (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:622)

Quote #12: Every wrong decision one makes restricts the area in which he can thereafter exercise

his agency. The further one goes in the making of wrong decisions in the exercise of agency, the

more difficult it is for him to recover the lost ground. He then becomes an abject slave. By the

exercise of his agency, he has decreased the area in which he can act, almost to the vanishing point.

(Romney, “Perfect Law of Liberty,” 45)

Quote #13: The pivotal occasions when Christ has come to the earth, meaning both his first and his

second comings, have been preceded by signs so that the faithful may know and be blessed. Signs

help the Lord’s people to be prepared and, because they know what to watch for, to avoid deception.

(Parry and Parry, Understanding the Signs of the Times, 1).

Quote #14: Regarding the coming of Christ, Samuel most impressively quotes specific words found

in the Nephite scriptures. It is interesting to note that “the name” of Christ in the center of King

Benjamin’s speech in Mosiah 3:8 is found in Samuel’s text in Helaman 14:12. These words are (the

twenty-one-English-word) title for the Lord – “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of Heaven and

of earth, the creator of all things from the beginning.” The Nephites had taken the name upon

themselves by way of covenant, as they were instructed by King Benjamin. (John W. Welch.

Inspirations and Insights from the Book of Mormon. Pg. 235)

Quote #15: Elder John A. Widtsoe taught that evidence can remove honest doubt and give

assurances that build faith. ‘After proper inquiries, using all the powers at our command’, he said, ‘the

weight of evidence is on one side or the other. Doubt is removed.’ ‘Doubt of the right kind – that is,

honest questioning – leads to faith’ and ‘opens the door to truth, ‘for where there is doubt, faith cannot

thrive (Evidences and Reconciliations, 28-29). Elder Joseph Fielding Smith likewise affirmed that

evidence, as convincing as in any court in the land, proves ‘beyond the possibility of doubt that

Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery spoke the truth’. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:124) (Welch, “Power of

Evidence in the Nurturing of Faith, 155)

Quote #16: In a book full of slippery treasures, an unsteady earth, and Nephite morality in a constant

tailspin, the Lamanites are virtually the only immovable thing within these pages. Their firmness is so

extreme, in fact, that it has secured for them a fixed promise from the Lord. It is precisely through this

exemplary faithfulness, in other words, that the Lamanites secure the covenant future that the

Nephites are in the process of forfeiting.

The most miraculous nationwide conversions, the most famous and faithful band of soldiers (Alma

53), and even the famous “remnant” to whom the Book of Mormon itself is addressed – all belong to

the Lamanites. They have their moments of wickedness too, to be sure, but when they get it right,

they get it far more right than the Nephites ever did. (Helaman: a brief theological introduction.

Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 101-102)

Quote #17: Scriptures repeatedly warn that the father of contention opposes the plan of our Heavenly

Father. Satan’s method relies on the infectious canker of contention. Satan’s motive: to gain personal

acclaim even over God Himself. The work of the adversary may be likened to loading guns in

opposition to the work of God. Consecutive attacks with these guns containing germs of contention

are aimed and fired at strategic targets essential to that holy work. These vital targets include – in

addition to the individual – the family, leaders of the Church, and divine doctrine. (Nelson, “Canker of

Contention,”69).

Quote #18: If we come away from our reading of Helaman shaking our heads at the blindness and

willful stupidity of the Nephites, patting ourselves on the back for noticing what they failed to see, or

eagerly sleuthing for secret enemies lurking in the shadows, we will have missed the message of this

text. The message of Helaman is not “be hypervigilant against threat” but rather “you are not as good

at assessing threats as you think you are”. The book of Helaman encourages readers to turn a self-

critical eye on themselves, their relationships, and their treasures; to look in the mirror of prophetic

words to see where we fall short and where God is staring pointedly back at us; to excavate the

invisible corners of our hearts and clear room for heaven to surprise us. (Helaman: a brief theological

introduction. Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 11