Moroni

I was just reading some words from a great prophet named Moroni.  His writings are found at the end of the Book of Mormon.  He was the last to write in this great book.  His father, Mormon, was the chief compiler of this Book, and he passed it on to his son, who was the last living soul in his family to survive. 

He says in Moroni chapter 1:

1 Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me.

 2 For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.

 3 And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.

 Moroni buried the golden plates in the ground, on a hill in present day Palmyra, New York.  He finished his writings with this awesome injunction:

Moroni 10:32

 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

Hundreds of years later, he appeared to Joseph Smith, as an angel, and told him of the record deposited in the earth:

 

 Joseph Smith later found the plates, and eventually was able to translate them into English through the power of God.  This was brought forth as the Book of Mormon.  It has now been translated into 82 languages!

 

 A statue of Moroni graces the steeple of many of our temples.  He is blowing a trumpet, which is a symbol of proclaiming the truth to the world.   He represents the angel who John prophesied about:

 

Revelation 14:6

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people..."

 

 Moroni has a special role to play in the spreading of the gospel.  One day, he will be there at judgment:

Ether 12:38 "And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood."

This great prophet has given his life to the cause of Christ.  I am excited to meet him someday.

Angels

Sometimes,  when I am having a lonely or ponderous moment, I will feel someone by my side.  I can't see her, but I know my grandma is there to comfort me.  She has been a guiding presence all my life.  Now that she has passed on to the other side, sometimes I feel that she is an even more powerful guide. 

We believe in angels.  Not angels with wings, but angels who look like us.  Patterned in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). 

In the history of Joseph Smith, he describes an angel who visited him:

     "While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.
 

      He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom.

      Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me."

 

This was the angel Moroni, one of the writers of the Book of Mormon.  He returned to visit the earth as an angel in order to help Joseph Smith bring forth and translate the gold plates.   

We learn a little bit about the ministry of angels in Doctrine and Covenants, section 130:5, which states:

there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.

It makes sense to me, as a member of a family, that the Lord would ask those who have died to minister to their loved ones.  What angel would love me more than a grandparent?  

One of my favorite scripture stories is found in 2 Kings 6:16-17.  Elisha the prophet is surrounded by the Syrian army, ready to attack.  When Elisha's servant freaks out at the posing threat,  this is the prophet's response:

And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Elisha showed the young man that truly, they were surrounded by angels, ready to fight their battles.  

I think we will be surprised after we die to realized how many times angels intervened in our behalf.  

 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, in a talk entitled The Ministry of Angels, gives examples of angelic ministration in just one portion of the New Testament:

"When the time for this Savior’s advent was at hand, an angel was sent to announce to Mary that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. ³  Then a host of angels was commissioned to sing on the night the baby Jesus was born. ⁴  Shortly thereafter an angel would announce to Joseph that the newborn baby was in danger and that this little family must flee to Egypt for safety. ⁵  When it was safe to return, an angel conveyed that information to the family and the three returned to the land of their heritage." ⁶

 

 

The Bible and Book of Mormon are filled with such accounts, where angels are sent to perform the work of God.  

I know that angels continue to bless us today, and carry out the errands given to them.

Truly,

They that be with us are more than they that be with them!