37k - Mormon and Moroni Were Assigned by Jesus Christ to Prepare the Book of Mormon for Future Translation. Moroni's Role #5

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From The End of This Post

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TODAY'S THEME

Moroni Prays to the Lord Before Burying the Golden Plates -by Tom Lovell

The Brother of Jared Sees the Finger of the Lord -by Arnold Friberg

The paragraph and scripture below highlight what I have chosen for my TODAY'S THEME:

Many others besides Mormon and Moroni, by the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation, throughout history, and in our day as well as in the day of Jesus' original apostles, and long before in all ages of mankind, were and are able to speak the words Jesus Christ would have them speak. Therefore they they are His words.

Please note: The following are words of the Lord Jesus Christ as He revealed them to His Latter-day Prophet, Joseph Smith at Kirtland, Ohio, U.S.A. on September 22 and 23, 1832.

D. and C. 84: 53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—

58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

Please take note that in verse 57 the Lord said: "not only to say, but to do according "to that which I have written"-- Did you catch that? the Lord is saying that His writings are found in the:

Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

We, I and you readers of this blog post, all know that the Prophets Mormon's and Moroni's writings are found in the Book of Mormon. Why would the Lord say, First, let me simply say: that which the prophets Mormon and Moroni wrote throughout that part of the Book of Mormon that they abridged (condensed), Secondly, that which I quoted above from the Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was what Joseph Smith was inspired to write, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. While Joseph Smith, or more likely, one of his scribes, was writing what Joseph Smith was dictating to him by the power of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. Therefore the words that were written were the Lord's Own Words!

"that which I have written?"

was done by them, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.

Another angle to this: In the Preface of the recent first publication: THE JOSEPH SMITH PAPERS, one of the editors of that book reminds its readers that there are those who have developed the skill of identifying authors by the way they put their words together forming their own unique style of expressing things, (That particular editor was one of those with that learned skill) can rather easily identify which individual of several individuals wrote a particular statement by examining the unique pattern style of that which was written.

The aforementioned Joseph Smith Papers editor wrote in that book's Preface that by that skill which he has learned, it is very easy for him to differentiate between Joseph Smith's own words and the words which the Lord Jesus Christ had "spoken" through Joseph Smith.

Going back to the original premise of TODAY'S THEME, perhaps you may still question my interpretation of "that which I have written" from D. and C. 84 above. Please bear with me as I attempt to define and clarify the "The Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy." I have done this in a number of posts I have published since beginning this Blog in March 2008. I will now excerpt the following from my Post 19, "The Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation"

Painting: Greg K. OlsenIn Luke 2:26-27 we read regarding Simeon:

26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the
custom of the law. . .

Anna also expressed her gratitude for having seen Him, the baby Jesus.

Please read what Anna said.

Luke 2:25-39

Please note that these two, Simeon and Anna, were not prophets of ancient Israel, but relatively speaking, just common folk. However, it is not surprising that they, by the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation, identified the long expected Messiah. Doing things by that spirit was something that occurred often in Israel over the centuries including now, during our time on earth.

Please note that Luke termed Anna, a prophetess. Women. as well as men, can possess the Spirit of prophecy and revelation! Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both men and women, of all ages, can possess this gift, but must live worthily to use it. In Revelations 19:10 the Apostle John wrote:

"... for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Because the Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ we must expect much evidence of there being many instances of "prophecy and revelation" throughout that sacred record as well as in the Bible, which is a Testament of Jesus Christ, both in the Old and in the New Testaments.

I will begin here to give you one example from the Book of Ether, an example of the words of Jesus Christ which the Prophet, Moroni wrote along with a brief comment from me afterwards.

This example is Ether, Chapter Four.  It is possible for you to listen to as well as to read this scripture.  Ether 4:1-19

Comment: The words of the Lord Jesus Christ spoken by his prophet, Moroni, son of Mormon, invite you and I to rise to a higher spiritual level, at which we would be using the power of the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation. This invitation is emphasized in verses 14-19. I will print them here so you can prayerfully review them:

Ether 4:
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.

15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.

16 And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John (the apostle, John, the Revelator) be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed.

17 Therefore, when ye shall receive this record (The Book of Mormon) ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land.

18 Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.

19 And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. And behold it is I (Jesus Christ) that hath spoken it. Amen. (emphasis and clarification added)

That is a scripture you may want to mark in your Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, so that you can return to it often to study and pray about being blessed as the Savior promises you can be blessed.

In the next Post, we will review other things that the prophet Moroni wrote in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.



Mormon Messages


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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

____________


TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other Blog Post You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: Both Anna and Simeon by the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation Knew Their Each Coming to the Temple in Jerusalem that Day Would Allow them to See the Baby Jesus, the Long Awaited Savior of Mankind! -Post 37k. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).

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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

____________


I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.
I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

37j - Mormon and Moroni Were Assigned by Jesus Christ to Prepare the Book of Mormon for Future Translation. Mormon's Role #6

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From The End of This Post 

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TODAY'S THEME



Mormon Abridging Nephite Records on Plates of Gold -by Tom Lovell



Because of the frequent emphasis in my recent blog posts on the extremely faithful Nephite Prophet Mormon's key role in providing our modern day descendants of his relatives, the Lamanites, and also you and me (to whom he refers to as Gentiles,) The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I have often begun these posts with the painting provided above.

One reason for that repetition is that I only have access to two paintings of Mormon and the other one of him shows him just before he died in battle. I realize full well that it is only right that Mormon's role in our having the Book of Mormon to use in our day and time ought to be emphasized so I keep using the same photo in my posts.

I highlighted in red the words to use, above because I intend to emphasize in Today's Post as its THEME, the critical importance of our using what we learn from the Book of Mormon in our own lives. I have come to realize personally that the Lord, through His Servant, Mormon's great accomplishment in abridging (condensing) his peoples' records, wants us to USE the teachings of this sacred book in our daily lives! He actually gives us tips here and there in his abridgement to help us (the Gentiles) and the Lamanites of our day which we can use.

Speaking of daily lives, please take another look at the painting above. I have actually completely overlooked something in it until I began this post. (Of course, it is the artist's interpretation of Mormon's daily life, but I'm sure this artist took great care to make his painting as accurate as possible by studying what is said in the Book of Mormon about the Prophet, Mormon's life.)

I always notice in that painting the evidence of Mormon's sacred errand from the Lord in inscribing the words of his people's history and teachings on plates of gold. However, there is also evidence of something else which must have, at times, overwhelmingly occupied Mormon's time and attention, which surely made his daily life at least at certain times, extremely challenging and hectic.

Please notice two objects that can be seen in front of Mormon which he has leaned against his work table:

His battle shield and club-sword!

That tells us something about Mormon's great dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ's cause! He obviously placed a high priority on the assignment the Lord gave him of bringing about The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, but there is no doubt from my reading the record he wrote, that out of necessity he faced frequent and most likely, unexpected battles in a his role as a general! Otherwise, his weapon of war would not be so accessible to him (and so easy to grab and run with it along with his shield, out the door when called to battle).

The terror and bloodshed Mormon was forced to experience was brought about by the vast majority of his people when they, quite early in his lifetime, completely abandoned the nearly perfect way of life which the Resurrected Jesus Christ in A.D. 34 had brought to their ancestors (about three hundred years before Mormon's time in life) and which had continued to bring them perfect peace for over two hundred perfect years. That was a great record, but when it was over it was really over!

Painting: John Scott

This great prophet and teacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Mormon, by emphasizing the importance of doing the Lord's "errand for him," in bringing about The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, while often living in serious danger, demonstrates his great love for you and me, whether we be Gentiles or we be Lamanites, people he would never meet in his lifetime!

In doing this he certainly was also demonstrating his great allegiance to His and our Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ, because Israel and believers from other nations are the Lord's people and serving them is the errand He gave the Prophet Mormon and his son, Moroni!

As promised above, I'll now give you just one example of how Mormon in his abridging of the Nephite accounts onto the golden plates from which The Book of Mormon was ultimately translated by the Prophet of God, Joseph Smith, in the early Nineteenth Century into english and then later into a very large number of modern languages spoken throughout the world in our day;  of how he exhorts and instructs us how to live righteously, or in the words I used above Mormon, would want us to:

I have quoted the following from an article entitled, "Mormon's Poetics" written by Heather Hardy and published in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, A Publication of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University (Volume 16/Number 2/2007)

"USE the teachings of His sacred book in our daily lives! He actually gives us tips here and there in his abridgement to help us (the Gentiles) and the Lamanites of our day to actually do that." (emphasis added)

This very insightful view by Heather Hardy gives us and all readers of the Book of Mormon a very clear example of how the Prophet Mormon, in his putting together the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, shows us, the readers of that Book of Books, the attitudes we should have in order to live our lives worthily. Sister Hardy sums up what Mormon was saying to us in these words:

As Mosiah, Chapter 23 opens, Mormon has just concluded the tale of the people of Limhi--how they were in bondage to the Lamanites, escaped from slavery, and then were led back to Zarahemla by Ammon (Mosiah 19-22). At this point Mormon inserts a heading: "An account of Alma and the people of the Lord, who were driven into the wilderness by the people of King Noah." In this way, Mormon tells his readers that he is disrupting the chronology by picking up a story he left off earlier, As Mormon returns to the story of Alma and his people, it is not surprising that "they began to prosper exceedingly in the land" (Mosiah 23:19). This is exactly what we have come to expect in reading the "first book" (You would have to read Heather Hardy's entire article to understand that term I have italicised) as the consequence for those who follow the prophet, enter into covenants, and keep the commandments; indeed, it is satisfying and reinforcing to see the righteous duly rewarded. But there is a problem coming, and Mormon tells us directly and ahead of time so that the clear moral of his tale is neither diluted nor confused by what happens next:

at Mosiah 18:33-34: "And now the king (Noah). . . sent his army to destroy them. And it came to pass that Alma and the people of the Lord were apprised of the coming of the king's army; therefore they took their tents and their families and departed into the wilderness."

Mosiah 23: 21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.

23 For behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.

24 And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings. (emphasis added by Neil Birch)

"Don't be too concerned about what you are about to read (next). God is in control; he has his reasons and everything will turn out happily in the end." (The word, next, was added by Neil Birch)

Now, I'm suggesting that you to read an account given in the LDS Sunday School Reference Book being used throughout the Church: Throughout this world-wide Church sometime in July 2009 in many different languages, members of the church, including my wife, Melva and I, will review or have already reviewed (as she and I have already done) this pivotal part of this Church's History.

OUR HERITAGE, A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In our Sunday School Class we also viewed a video which reviewed in an interesting and well done manner this point in Church History I would like you to read now. I wish I could show you the video, but that project would be a much too advanced for my present technological abilities.

Training of Leaders in Zion’s Camp

The Church was in great need of priesthood leaders who had been tried, given experience, and proven faithful, who would remain true to the Lord and his prophet under any circumstances. An opportunity to prove obedience in difficult circumstances and to be trained personally by the Prophet Joseph Smith was provided by the march of Zion’s Camp.

Zion’s Camp was organized to help the Saints in Missouri who were being severely persecuted because of their religious beliefs. Many had been driven from their homes. On 24 February 1834, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that he should organize a group of men to march from Kirtland to Missouri and help restore the Saints to their lands (Read D. and C. 103:36) The Lord promised that his presence would go with them and that “all victory and glory” would be brought to pass through their “diligence, faithfulness, and prayers of faith”. Most of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Quorum of the Seventy were prepared for their future responsibilities by this experience.

Zion’s Camp was formally organized in New Portage, Ohio, on 6 May 1834. It eventually included 207 men, 11 women, and 11 children, whom the Prophet divided into companies of tens and fifties, instructing each group to elect a captain. One recruit, Joseph Holbrook, reported that the camp was organized “according to the ancient order of Israel.” For 45 days they marched together to Clay County, Missouri, a distance of over 1,000 miles. They traveled as quickly as possible and under harsh conditions. It was very difficult to get enough food. The men were often required to eat limited portions of coarse bread, rancid butter, cornmeal mush, strong honey, raw pork, rotten ham, and maggot-infested bacon and cheese. George A. Smith, who was later to become an Apostle, wrote that he was frequently hungry: “I was so weary, hungry and sleepy that I dreamed while walking along the road of seeing a beautiful stream of water by a pleasant shade tree and a nice loaf of bread and a bottle of milk laid out on a cloth by the side of the spring.”

The camp placed great emphasis on spirituality and obeying the commandments. On Sundays they held meetings and partook of the sacrament. The Prophet often taught the doctrines of the kingdom. He said: “God was with us, and His angels went before us, and the faith of our little band was unwavering. We know that angels were our companions, for we saw them.”

However, the difficulties of the camp began to take their toll on the participants. This refining process revealed the grumblers, those who did not have the spirit of obedience and often faulted Joseph for their troubles. On 17 May the Prophet exhorted those who were possessed with a rebellious spirit “to humble themselves before the Lord and become united, that they might not be scourged.”

By 18 June the camp had reached Clay County, Missouri. However, the governor of Missouri, Daniel Dunklin, would not keep his promise to help the army of Saints reinstate the Church members who had been forced from their homes. For some in the camp, the failure of this military objective was the final test of their faith. Disappointed and angry, some openly rebelled. As a result, the Prophet warned them that the Lord would send upon them a devastating scourge.

Soon a calamitous epidemic of cholera spread through the camp. Before it ended a third of the camp was afflicted, including Joseph Smith, and thereafter 14 members of the camp died.

On 2 July, Joseph again warned the camp to humble themselves before the Lord and covenant to keep his commandments and said that if they did so, the plague would be stayed from that hour. The covenant was made by uplifted hands, and the plague ended.

In early July, the camp members were honorably discharged by the Prophet. The journey had revealed who was on the Lord’s side and who was worthy to serve in positions of leadership. The Prophet later explained the outcome of the march: “God did not want you to fight. He could not organize his kingdom with twelve men to open the gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless he took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham.”

Wilford Woodruff, a member of the camp who later became the fourth President of the Church, said: “We gained an experience that we never could have gained in any other way. We had the privilege of beholding the face of the prophet, and we had the privilege of traveling a thousand miles with him, and seeing the workings of the spirit of God with him, and the revelations of Jesus Christ unto him and the fulfilment of those revelations.”

While viewing the video of Zion's Camp I pondered over how many of those men who were involved in that Camp, had studied The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, sufficiently that teachings in it like the author, Heather Hardy cited in that part of her article I provided you above, actually helped those of Zion's Camp bear their challenges well.

Looking over the list of names in the Zion's Camp article I quoted from our Sunday School Reference Manual, I realize that I know personally quite a bit about the men on that list who were later called, by the Lord Jesus Christ through His Latter-day Prophet, to lead in His Church. I venture to say that most of them, if not all, at some early time in their lives as Church members, had become very well-acquainted, with the teachings found in the Book of Mormon.

I would like to think, but I can't prove it, that some of those faithful men in Zion's Camp, actually thought about what Mormon taught in Mosiah, Chapter 23:21-24 and/or in similar Book of Mormon passages during their arduous and very long trek from Eastern Ohio to Western Missouri and back on foot.

Regarding those Zion's Camp members who did not listen to the Prophet Joseph Smith's counsel, I suggest that most of them had not really studied the Book of Mormon and gained a testimony of it by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, let alone using the inspired teachings in it to guide them through life's difficulties with the right attitude!

About twenty one months before Zion's Camp began their historic march to Western Missouri and then back to Kirtland Ohio, the Lord revealed the following through His prophet, Joseph Smith, from which I quote:

D. and C. 84: 57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—
58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion. (emphasis added)

I hope that you who may be readers of this blog post, whether members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not will feel the Spirit of the Lord whispering to your soul telling you that The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ provides you with guidance that will, if you study its inspired words and USE them to guide your lives, lead you safely back, along with many if not all of your family members, at the end of this life, into the loving arms of Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Savior. I now repeat Mormon's inspired words we read earlier in the excerpt from Heather Hardy's article for your and my benefit:

Mosiah 23: 21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.23 For behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.

24 And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings. (emphasis added by Neil Birch)

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Mormon Messages

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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.


____________



TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other Blog Post You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: The Book of Mormon - Using/Living by Its Teachings -Post 37j. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).



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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
_____________



I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

37i - Mormon and Moroni Were Assigned by Jesus Christ to Prepare the Book of Mormon for Future Translation. Mormon's Role #5

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From The End of This Post

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TODAY'S THEME



Mormon Abridging Nephite Records on Plates of Gold -by Tom Lovell

The prophet Mormon, in the above verses of the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, refers to the remnant of his people, whom both he and his son, Moroni, considered Lamanites because during the great wars that Mormon was involved in, according to those prophets' words, the Nephites were forced to become Lamanites, and deny the Christ, except for Moroni who was able to escape from their enemies.

Moroni eventually hid up the plates of gold on which was enscribed his and his father's writings, to be hidden until many centuries later when he, Moroni, as a resurrected man/angel appeared to the future young American prophet, Joseph Smith, to help him prepare to translate the precious record which had been engraven on plates of gold.

Within the Book of Mormon we learn of many Nephites who went by large ships northward to find places to live and prosper. Several of those ships never returned:

Alma 63:
7 And in the thirty and eighth year, this man, (Hagoth), built other ships. And the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter into it; and they also took much provisions, and set out again to the land northward.

8 And it came to pass that they were never heard of more. And we suppose that they were drowned in the depths of the sea. And it came to pass that one other ship also did sail forth; and whither she did go we know not. (clarification and emphasis added)

Some, including myself, suppose that many Pacific Islanders may be descended from ancestors who sailed from their Nephite homelands in Central America ending up in places which are now known as Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, etc.

George Q. Cannon among 10 first missionaries to Hawaii

By Sharon Haddock

Mormon Times Tuesday, Jul. 21, 2009

The 10 Mormon missionaries who opened up the "Sandwich Islands" included George Quayle Cannon, a former editor of the Deseret News. Cannon -- along with President Hiram Clark and Elders Henry Bigler, Hiram Blackwell, John Dixon, William Farrer, James Hawkins, James Keeler, Thomas Morris and Thomas Whittle -- arrived in Oahu on Dec. 12, 1850. Cannon was 22.

The next day, they climbed a hill that overlooked Honolulu, where they constructed a stone altar and dedicated the land.

The work was challenging. The Hawaiian governor refused to let them meet freely, and Protestant ministers preached loudly against the "Mormon sinners."

Cannon and the others were often ill and homesick. They ran out of money. The language barrier was frustrating.

But citing inspiration to do so, he focused his energy on the native islanders rather than the few white men and slowly made progress.

His journal entries -- excerpted in Davis Bitton's biography of Cannon -- reflect his great love for the people.

When five of his disheartened companions decided to leave, he said, "This left me in this situation either to stay here and be blessed or to go home under condemnation."

He was determined to see to the Lord's work.

"In fact, every time I had prayed to the Lord that there might be a good work done here, I had felt my bosom warm and felt the spirit continually whispering to me if I should persevere, I should be blest."

When he could no longer pay the $10 demanded to rent a house, a woman by the name of Nalimanui offered him her hut and later her mat and blanket when he fell ill crossing the sea to Oahu.

Determined to get out among the people, Cannon visited Maui on foot, with the natives often carrying him on their backs across the island streams.

One day, crossing a swollen stream, he fell in the water, and a hospitable native and chief, Judge Jonathana Napela, took him in. Napela told him he'd had a vision of a minister of the gospel coming his way. He told Cannon, "My house, land and horses are all yours" and later painstakingly helped Cannon translate the Book of Mormon to "Ka Buke a Moramona." (emphasis added by blogger)

Elders Cannon and Keeler organized the first branch at Kealahou, the Pulehu Branch, in August 1851, in Kula on the island of Maui.

William Kauaiwiulaokalani Wallace III, a former director of BYU-Hawaii Hawaiian Studies, called Cannon one of the "great pioneer people" who brought light and truth to the islands.

After leaving the islands. Cannon started a weekly newspaper in San Francisco -- The Western Standard -- that served as a forum for defending the church. Later, he worked for the Deseret News and was editor from 1867 to 1874. Before serving in the islands, he worked for the Times and Seasons in Nauvoo, Ill.

At age 33, Cannon became an apostle. He served as a counselor to Presidents Brigham Young, John Taylor, Lorenzo Snow and Wilford Woodruff. He died on April 13, 1901.

Laie Hawaii Temple

Kona Hawaii Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has flourished in the State of Hawaii. Two beautiful temples (Houses of the Lord) serve a large LDS population in the Islands of Hawaii. Many members there are possibly descendants of the Nephite-Lamanite population that may have ended up there by ship from Central America as we can suppose when reading The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ:

Please read these two verses: Alma 63:7-8 and:

Mormon 7: 1 AND now, behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are spared, if it so be that God may give unto them my words, that they may know of the things of their fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel; and these are the words which I speak:

2 Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.

3 Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.

4 Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.

5 Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.

6 And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment-seat.

7 And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.

8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and layhold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record (The Holy Bible) shall come from the Gentiles unto you.

9 For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.

10 And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen. (clarification and emphasis added)

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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: Mormon and Moroni Were Assigned by Jesus Christ, Mormon's Role #5 - Post 37i. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To A Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetic Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)
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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
_____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

37h - Mormon and Moroni Were Assigned by Jesus Christ to Prepare the Book of Mormon for Future Translation. Moroni's Role #4

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From The End of This Post

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TODAY'S THEME

Painting: Del Parson                                                     Painting: Tom Lovell           

Jesus Christ Speaks with Moroni

Ether 12:23 And I said unto him: Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing; for thou hast made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost which thou hast given them;


24 And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them.25 Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words.


26 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

28 Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness.

29 And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith; (emphasis added)

The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ
Joseph Smith, who translated the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, by the power of God, and those of faith who humbly read it, have (or will have) learned of its truthfulness and be guided in their lives by its great teachings. Thank you Dear Moroni! And Thank you Dear Mormon! Thank You most of all, Dear Lord!

Painting: Del ParsonJoseph Smith Translating the Plates

I, Neil Birch, am deeply touched by the words from Ether 12 quoted above. I love Moroni and his father, Mormon, for their great devotion to the Lord in bringing about this great book. The Book of Mormon was and still is a key part of the Lord's Latter-day Work in preparing a people to greet Him and the Hosts of Heaven as they descend from the sky on that great day!

Painting: Harry Anderson

The Second Coming

From the very beginning of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, was a very powerful tool in the hands of missionaries called to serve in various places in the United States as it was constituted in that day.

By 1837 the Lord, through His Prophet, Joseph Smith, called several members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to open missionary work across the Atlantic Ocean in England. Of course, the Book of Mormon became a very important part of the Lord's work there.

 

Photograph: Alex ander L. Baugh

The River Ribble Near Preston, England

On Saturday evening, 29 July, 1837 the Mormon missionaries agreed to baptize fifteen of the eager investigators the following morning in the River Ribble near the tram bridge. There the small but tempestuous rapids on one side of the river partly swirled into a quiet eddy, creating a beautiful pool, edged by a grassy slope. Farther back were large weeping willows and bushes.

Accounts are not clear as to how the missionaries would select the first person to be baptized in England. Elder Heber C. Kimball, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who led the mission, recorded this:

A circumstance took place which I cannot refrain from mentioning, for it will show the eagerness and the anxiety of some in that land to obey the gospel. Two of the male candidates, when they changed their clothes at a distance of several rods from the place where I was standing in the water, were so anxious to obey the Gospel that they ran with all their might to the water, each wishing to be baptized first. The younger, George D. Watt, being quicker of foot than the older, outran him, and came first into the water.

It so happens that the older of the two foot racers at that first LDS baptism in England was 53 year old Henry Clegg who became the second person baptized in England. He is one of my wife, Melva Giles Birch's ancestors. He remained faithful to The Lord and to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the end of his life. Most all of his descendants know all about that footrace to become the first person baptized into the church in England.

You have just learned about the first baptism of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England. Thousands upon thousands of members of the church moved to the United States of America, especially in the early years of the Church.

In this the Twenty First Century, the Church is very strong in England. One important indicator of that is that for a good number of years there have been temples there. This is an indication that the Church is firmly strong in that great nation. I'm sure the Prophets Mormon and Moroni are pleased that the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ has a an important role in the growth of the Lord's Church in that Land.

London England Temple

Preston England Temple

The scripture used as TODAY'S THEME of this post is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest of all scriptures. Therefore, after haven given you the opportunity of reading seven of the forty one verses in that chapter, I'm now giving you the opportunity of reading and listening to all 41 verses of it. You won't regret choosing to do so!

Ether 12:1-41

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DISCLAIMER  
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.




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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: Mormon and Moroni Were Assigned by Jesus Christ, Moroni's Role #3 and Mormon's Role #4 -37h. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To A Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetic Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.




____________

"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.


_____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

37g - Mormon and Moroni Were Assigned by Jesus Christ to Prepare the Book of Mormon for Future Translation - Moroni's Role #3 And Mormon's Role #4

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From The End of This Post.

****

TODAY'S THEME

The Brother of Jared Sees the Finger of the Lord -by Arnold Friberg

Ether 3:6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?

8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.

 9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?

10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.

11 And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?

12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.

13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.

14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. (emphasis added)

The Brother of Jared Sees the Finger of the Lord. Those are words of Great Doctrinal Significance! Please go back right now and read once again all nine (6 through 14) of those verses from Chapter 3 of the Book of Ether (From the Book of Mormon).

In verse fourteen (14) just above, The pre-mortal Savior, Jesus Christ sums up His great Plan of Salvation in just a few precise words. I repeat this verse so you can more carefully read and understand them:

14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.

That which you have just read twice is very significant Gospel Doctrine which is clearly stated in that important passage from the Book of Ether, one of the sub-books within the Book of Mormon! In that one verse (14)The pre-mortal Jesus Christ told the Brother of Jared and each of the readers of the book (The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ) that which can give us much motivating hope in our lives, motivating us to live righteously while "believing on my (His) name".

I now invite you to read while listening to a clarifying eighteen verse section of the Book of Mormon entitled: The Words of Mormon which comes just before the Book of Mosiah.

The Words of Mormon

After you have read while listening to all that is contained in the Words of Mormon, I call your attention to several specific things that the Prophet Mormon told us in that important scripture:

 Words of Mormon: 4 And the things which are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the prophecies of the coming of Christ; and my fathers knowing that many of them have been fulfilled; yea, and I also know that as many things as have been prophesied concerning us down to this day have been fulfilled, and as many as go beyond this day must surely come to pass—

5 Wherefore, I chose these things, to finish my record upon them, which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people.

6 But behold, I shall take these plates, which contain these prophesyings and revelations, and put them with the remainder of my record, for they are choice unto me; and I know they will be choice unto my brethren.

7 And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.

8 And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.

9 And now I, Mormon, proceed to finish out my record, which I take from the plates of Nephi; and I make it according to the knowledge and the understanding which God has given me.

 Dear Blog Readers, I have highlighted two verses above in order to call your attention to how the Prophet Mormon, by the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation
knew that he was to include the writings of the early Nephite prophets which he found on those small plates. That happened in about A.D. 385 or about 351 years after our Resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ had visited the Nephite Nation, teaching and setting up his Church among them.

In our Book of Mormon we do not have the Book of Lehi. Either the Prophet Joseph Smith or one of the three main persons who wrote the words as he spoke them under the guidance of Heavenly means, tells us that is the name of the book which was translated first. We don't have that book in our present day Book of Mormon nor was it in any previous edition of the Book of Mormon.

It would have been recorded by Joseph's scribe (Martin Harris) on the 116 manuscript pages Joseph Smith dictated under inspiration from God.

As you may have learned previously from my blog posts or from your own reading, Martin Harris asked Joseph Smith for permission to take those pages (which were from the Book of Lehi) to show his wife who believed that her husband was waisting their time and money on an inconsequential matter. With that causing much tension in their marital relationship, Martin wanted to convince his wife that he was involved in a worthy effort!

Joseph inquired of the Lord three times and each of the first two times was told by the Lord that he shouldn't grant Martin Harris the request he had made. After the third request the Lord gave Joseph permission to allow Martin to take those manuscript pages back to Palmyra, New York which was about 65 miles North of Harmony, Pennsylvania where the translating had been taking place.

We can be sure that the Lord knew exactly what was going to happen, but allowed what the Prophet Joseph Smith had requested of him. One evidence of the truth of that is that which is written in verses six and seven in the Words of Mormon. I suggest that you scroll up ( like I just did without your seeing me do so) and read those two verses again and then scroll back down to this point.

From what you just read in those two verses I'm sure you can see that the Lord God knew that those records which contained such precious matters would be much needed in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

But what about the Book of Lehi which covered the same time span as did the writings contained in the Small Plates of Nephi? The fact is that many centuries before while Mormon was deliberating what to do about those Small Plates of Nephi, the Lord knew even then by His all "knowing of the future ability" that the Book of Lehi would be lost! Here is Just a small aside of mine regarding the Prophet Mormon:

Such great dedication the Prophet Mormon showed in his assignment given him by the Lord! And again, he possessed and used the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation which is something that every worthy member of the Lord's Church anciently and today was (and now is) entitled to access!

 I Continue relating to you that which occurred regarding the 116 manuscript pages that Martin Harris had written as the Prophet Joseph Smith dictated each of those words under the inspiration of Our God.

To sum up: the Prophet Joseph Smith, to his great dismay and disappointment was told by Martin Harris that those 116 manuscript pages were not in their family safe where he had put them. Most likely his wife, Lucy had given them to someone.

All of this was very upsetting to the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Lord chastised him for having given into Martin Harris's persuasions. Joseph did that even though the Lord had told him several times not to allow Martin to take those manuscript pages home to Palmyra. However, he did so only after the Lord finally gave him permission to do so!

Now each of us need to recall that the Lord knew there was a solution to the problem. Remember what the Prophet Mormon said in verses six and seven of the Words of Mormon!

It appears that the Prophet Joseph Smith repented of his having given in to the persuasions of Martin Harris and was allowed to continue translating under the inspiration of Heavenly Father until the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ was fully translated and subsequently published and continues to this day and way beyond to serve its very important role in the Lord's Latter-day work!

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 Mormon Message: Continue in Patience, Narrated by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

____________

DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

____________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: Mormon and Moroni Were Assigned by Jesus Christ, Moroni's Role #3 and Mormon's Role #4 -Post 37g. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To A Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetic Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)


____________


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

_____________


I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch