44. “I Speak unto You As If Ye Were Present”

“Moroni, the Last of the Nephite Prophets,” H. Donl Peterson, Fourth Nephi, From Zion to Destruction 

To complete and preserve the great abridgment of the Nephite history from destruction, Mormon asked Moroni to finish it and then “hide up the records in the earth” until the Lord would have them discovered (Mormon 8:4).

“Preach the Gospel to Every Creature,” Bruce A. Van Orden, Fourth Nephi, From Zion to Destruction

In the midst of his challenge to readers of the Book of Mormon to exercise faith and build trust in Jesus Christ, Moroni cited a statement the Lord made to his disciples when he visited them in the new world, telling all to go “into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

“The Precise Purposes of the Book of Mormon,” Jay E. Jensen, Religious Educator 4, no. 1

Moroni summarized his father’s intent in a purpose statement in Mormon 9. It has many similarities to the concluding chapter of the Book of Mormon, Moroni 10.

“Ether and Mormon: Parallel Prophets of Warning and Witness,” E. Dale LeBaron, The Book of Mormon: Fourth Nephi Through Moroni, From Zion to Destruction

This paper shows the similarities and differences of Ether and Mormon’s ministries. Ether and Mormon were different in their backgrounds and situations, and similar in their missions and convictions.

“Mormon’s Outline of the Book of Mormon,” LeGrand L. Baker and Stephen D. Ricks, Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord?: The Psalms in Israel’s Temple Worship in the Old Testament and in the Book of Mormon

This short article structures the entire outline of the Book of Mormon, in order to see Mormon’s logic in abridging the Book of Mormon. Mormon redacted and organized the Book of Mormon to emphasize the importance of covenants, ordinances, and the temple in many instances.

“Mormon, the Man and the Message,” Richard N. Holzapfel, The Book of Mormon: Fourth Nephi Through Moroni, From Zion to Destruction

Mormon was not only the abridger of the plates, but he was a Nephite record-keeper, a general, an apostle and prophet, and a father, and he may have also been a prophetic type.

“Mormon and Moroni: Father and Son,” Gary Layne Hatch, The Book of Mormon: Fourth Nephi Through Moroni, From Zion to Destruction

This article provides commentary on Mormon’s work as a general and abridger of records. He walks through the narrative of Mormon’s life and comments on Moroni’s relationship with his father. Through years of work and faith, Mormon and Moroni were able to compile the magnificent record of the Book of Mormon.

“Mormon’s Agenda,” Grant Hardy, Reexploring the Book of Mormon

This short piece highlights one of Mormon’s main purposes in writing this sacred record. As he demonstrates in Helaman and Mosiah, Mormon wants to show that unless the Lord afflicts his people, they will not remember Him.

A Comprehensive Commentary of the Title Page of the Book of Mormon, Paul Nolan Hyde

This volume provides extensive commentary on the Title Page of the Book of Mormon, written by the hand of Mormon. This title page serves as an introduction and preface to all that the reader encounters in the Book of Mormon, and reflects Mormon’s own feelings about the work and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“The ‘Author’ and the ‘Finisher’ of the Book of Mormon,” John M. Butler, The Book of Mormon: Fourth Nephi Through Moroni, From Zion to Destruction

In the Church we speak of Jesus Christ as the author and finisher of our faith (Moroni 6:4; Heb. 12:2). This paper examines and compares Mormon as an “author” and Joseph Smith as a “finisher” of the Book of Mormon. Perhaps no other prophet personifies the preparation and achievements of Joseph Smith better than the prophet Mormon. He was a type for the Prophet Joseph–foreshadowing Joseph’s life and important mission.

Mormon 8

“Moroni: The Final Voice,” Mark D. Thomas, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12, no. 1

Moroni, the final writer and compiler of the Book of Mormon, provides three endings to the book. His first ending, in Mormon 8-9, can be called a “signature ending”–the primary purpose here is to state that the writing is finished and to identify the author and his father and nation. Moroni, yet alive, provides a second ending, a “farewell ending,” in Ether 12. This type of ending both concludes the work and wishes the reader well but then warns or rejoices that the narrator will meet the reader at the final judgment. In the final farewell ending (in Moroni 10), Moroni, the lone survivor of his people, expresses joy and hope. The three endings remind latter-day readers to acknowledge the destruction of the Nephite and Jaredite nations and provide doctrinal, logical, and scriptural arguments in defense of the Book of Mormon and its doctrines.

Mormon 9

“Two Notes on Egyptian Script,” John Gee, Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s

In Mormon 9:32, Moroni informs the reader that the Book of Mormon is written in reformed Egyptian. John Gee proposes two possibilities of Egyptian script that may represent the Book of Mormon’s “reformed Egyptian”: abnormal hieratic and carved hieratic.

“Semitic Texts Written in Egyptian Characters,” Stephen D. Ricks, Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s

In discussing the nature of “reformed Egyptian,” Stephen Ricks proposes that it could be Hebrew that instead of being translated was rather transcribed into Egyptian hieratic. Several examples show that some Israelites were familiar with both languages and could transcribe Hebrew into Egyptian characters.

“Hebrew and Uto-Aztecan: Possible Linguistic Connections,” Brian Stubbs, Reexploring the Book of Mormon

In a different approach to the subject of reformed Egyptian, Brian Stubbs studies the linguistic evolution of Uto-Aztecan and finds possible connections to Semitic languages such as Hebrew.

“Inscribed Gold Plate Fits Book of Mormon Pattern,” John A. Tvedtnes, Insights 28, no. 1

This short note highlights an important discovery for the Book of Mormon. A third century AD Jewish burial revealed a small gold plate inscribed with a Hebrew text. However, the Hebrew text was not written with the Hebrew alphabet, but rather with the Greek alphabet.

“The “Golden” Plates,” Robert F. Smith, Reexploring the Book of Mormon

Moroni talks about the size of the gold plates in Mormon 9:33. This article talks about how large the gold plates probably were. The possible dimensions and weight are surmised from various accounts by Joseph Smith and witnesses of the plates.

“Notes and Communications: Jewish and Other Semitic Texts Written in Egyptian Characters,” John A. Tvedtnes and Stephen D. Ricks, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5, no. 2

An Egyptian script was possibly used to write Hebrew text on the Nephite record. Documents from the correct location and time period have texts and languages in varying scripts that lend credence to this scribal phenomenon.