29th Floor Sunday School Ben James

Final chapter of The Book of Mormon. Moroni gives us 8 exhortations, starting with exhorting us to remember how merciful God is to us and culminating with the exhortation to come unto Christ. The Book of Mormon is a record of God’s mercy to a small group of wanderers somewhere in the American continent and its ultimate purpose is to help us come unto Christ. Moroni also promises that by the power of the Holy Ghost we can know the truth of all things, which I understand to be not a question of historicity, but whether something is true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ultimately our greatest desire should be for the Holy Ghost to testify that we are true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we have no better tool to help us stay true than The Book of Mormon!

Moroni shares the teachings of his father, Mormon, including a sermon he gave to the Nephite church and letters he wrote to Moroni. His sermon teaches the importance of doing the right thing for the right reason, which is the only way the we can attain personal growth and progress. Through the grace of Christ, we are able to “lay hold” of the good that we do, meaning that it helps us to progress back towards our heavenly goal. Once we have hope, in that we believe in where we are going, and we have faith, in that we believe in the path to get there, then we add to that charity, which is the fuel the enables us to move forward on that path towards our goal. All three work together in the Plan of Salvation and are made possible through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormon condemns the practice of infant baptism, in that it denies the grace and goodness of the Plan, replacing it instead with “dead works,” as opposed to being alive in Christ.

Moroni, finding himself still alive, gives guidance to members of the future Church of Jesus Christ about a few critical aspects of a church, choosing to focus on the power to give the gift of the Holy Ghost, ordaining and calling teachers, the sacrament, baptism, and meeting together. In a world where COVID has forced many of our normal church activities online, we discuss the limitation of virtual church and the importance of having physical experiences to further our spiritual growth.

In addition to the covered chapters, this lesson also draws from (1) Melvin J. Ballard’s talk “The Sacramental Covenant,” delivered at a Mutual Improvement Association conference on June 8, 1919, which you can find here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1976/01/classic-discourses-from-the-general-authorities-the-sacramental-covenant?lang=eng&id, and (2) David A. Bednar’s talk “Things as they Really Are,” delivered at a Church Education System fireside on Mary 3, 2009, which you can find here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2010/06/things-as-they-really-are?lang=eng&id

Moroni finishes his account of Ether, the great prophet and rightful heir to the Jaredite throne. Ether teaches to believe in God, repent, and hope for a better world. Moroni then discourses on faith and hope, and how both are necessary in order to receive the “heavenly gift,” which is returning to the presence of God. Hope is believing in the destination; faith is believing the map that takes us there. God cannot perform miracles in our lives if we do not have faith, and the greatest miracle is taking us back to his presence, which is our eternal destination. The Jaredites reject Ether and his message and, rather than building a society to bring them closer to God, they descend into hell and eventually destroy themselves.

Moroni recounts nearly 2,000 years of Jaredite history, beginning with the journey across the ocean in eight barges by the light of 16 small stones touched by the hand of God. Discussion of the meaning of this journey to us 4,000 years removed and its importance to the Jaredites going forward. Moroni then goes into unusually detail as to the historical record, while only occasionally drawing spiritual conclusions for the reader. One of the important conclusions is the dangers of secret combinations, which caused the destruction of the Jaredites, the Nephites, and any other nation for which darkness replaces light.

Discussion of the beginning of Ether. Moroni condensed the Jaredite record to focus on two main events: their coming to the promised land and their destruction. The former teaches us about Christ, the temple and the Plan of Salvation, while the former is a warning to everyone that has entered into covenants with God. The Brother of Jared is a type of Christ, while Jared was also likely a righteous and spiritual man. The Brother of Jared has a temple experience when he learns the true nature of God, and just as Christ revealed himself as he touched the stones to bring light to the Jaredites in their voyage, so too will the Nephite record reveal Christ and give light to all who read The Book of Mormon as we struggle to return to the presence of God.