A friend who was
distancing herself from the Church asked
me: "why would Moroni lug around heavy gold plates for 20 years, hide them
in the earth and have them discovered when they were hardly necessary?" I
was shocked by this question because I presumed that everyone in the Church
understood just how necessary the gold plates were that Joseph translated into
the Book of Mormon.
One has only to read the book of Enos to understand the 'why'. Enos prayed
earnestly for preservation of the records that were handed down to him by his
father Jacob (Jacob 7:27). So much did he cry to God about it that God
COVENANTED with him that He would bring them forth in His own due time (Enos
1:16). Not only did Enos ask this of the Lord but his fathers also (Enos 1:18).
So it goes without saying that everyone who wrote on the plates was desperate
to have them preserved. Now this is the interesting bit. The Lamanites knew of
these records and swore that they would destroy them and "all the
traditions of the fathers" (Enos 1:14). And what were these traditions? In
Nephi's words: "...we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of
Christ, we prophesy of Christ.."(2 Nephi 25:26). So what then was the
purpose of the preservation? Jacob says so that their posterity would know that
they believed in Christ (Jacob 4:1-5). Enos went one step further and pleaded
with the Lord to preserve the records so that the Lamanites would one day,
because of them, be brought unto salvation (Enos 1:13). Why? Because they
testify of Christ.
Mormon was 10 years old when he was
told of the plates by Ammaron (Mormon 1:1-3). Imagine being 10 years old and
given such a charge to preserve the second testament of Christ that would
prepare the world for the Second Coming. I am thinking that both Mormon and
Moroni understood Jacob's admonition that all who reject Christ and the power
of His redemption would one day 'stand with shame and awful guilt before the
bar of God' (Jacob 6:8-10). I am convinced both of these men read this and took
it to heart. Being men of God who themselves testified of Christ and
having seen our day in visions, it was imperative to them that the Book of
Mormon saw the light of day, at all cost. And I'm thinking this is why
Moroni lugged the gold plates around for 20 years. Did he care how heavy they
were? Did he care how long he had to do it? I am convinced his testimony of
Christ far outweighed the gold that was in his hands:
"Behold.....I
am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have
no friends nor whither to go...therefore I will write and hide up the records
in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not." (Mormon 8:4,5)
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Moroni Travels by Katie Payne)
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