Book of Mormon (Plain English Version)/Mormon/Chapter 8

by Timothy B. Wilson

Moroni finishes his father's book...
(compare Mormon, chapter 8)

Now I, Moroni, finish the record of my father, Mormon. There are only a few things he told me to write.

After the tremendous battle at Cumorah, the Nephites who had escaped. to the south were all hunted and killed by the Lamanites. My father was also killed by them.

Only I remain to write the sad tale of my people's destruction, for they are all gone. I alone fulfill my father's commandment, not knowing if the Lamanites will kill me, too.

I will write and then hide these records in the earth. After I do this, it does not matter where I go.

My father made this record and wrote its purpose (see Title Page). I would also write the purpose if I had room on the plates, but I do not.

And I have no ore, for I am alone. All my friends and relatives have been killed in battle, and I do not know where to go, nor how long the Lord will allow me to live.

Four hundred years have passed since the coming of our Lord and Savior. The Lamanites have hunted down my people in every city until they have become extinct. It has been a great and marvelous destruction.

The Lord's hand has done this. The Lamanites are now at war with one another, and on the whole face of this land there is one continual round of murder and bloodshed.

I will write no more about the Lamanites, for only Lamanites and robbers are left. There is no one left who knows the true God, except Jesus’ three disciples. The Lord would not allow them to stay with us because of the people's wickedness, and no one knows where they are. But my father and I have seen them, and they have visited us.

Whoever receives this record and does not condemn it because of its imperfections will know greater things than these.

Note: "Greater things" are mentioned in 2 Ne 28:30, 3 Ne 26:8-10, and Ether 4:6-8.

If it were possible, I would make all things known to you. This is all I will say about our people.

I am the son of Mormon, who was a descendant of Nephi. I am the one who hides this record unto the Lord.

These gold plates themselves are of no worth to anyone, for no one will be allowed to have them to sell for money. However, the messages written on these plates are of great worth, and whoever brings them to light will be blessed by the Lord.

Only those who work to glorify God, and for the welfare of the ancient and long-dispersed covenant people of the Lord, will have the power to bring these records to light. He who will bring them to light is blessed according to God's word.

By His power, these records will come out of the earth, shining out of darkness, and will come unto the knowledge of the people.

If this record has faults, they are the faults of men. We do not know of any faults (historically or doctrinally), but God knows all things. Whoever condemns this record is in danger of spiritual destruction.

Whoever says, "Show me a sign that this is true, or you will die," is doing what the Lord forbids. For whoever judges rashly will be judged in the same manner. All will be paid according to their works. So whoever destroys others will be destroyed by the Lord.

The Lord says in the scriptures,

"Do not kill or judge, for judgment and vengeance are mine, and I will repay.”

Those who fight the Lord's work and His covenant people--the house of Israel, saying, "We will destroy the Lord's work, and the Lord will not remember the covenant that He made to the house of Israel," will be in danger of being cut down and burned.

For the Lord's eternal purposes will continue until all His promises are fulfilled.

Study all of Isaiah's prophecies, for I cannot write them all.

The saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this land, will cry (pray) from the dust to the Lord.

As the Lord lives, He will remember the covenant He made with them. The Lord has heard their prayers, made in behalf of their descendants.

He knows of their faith, for in His name they moved mountains and caused earthquakes.

By the power of His word they caused prisons to collapse. Fire, wild animals and poisonous snakes could not hurt them.

They prayed for the man whom the Lord would allow to bring forth these records.

They will come forth because the Lord said they would. By His hand, they will come out of the earth, and no one can stop it.

These records will come at a time when people will say that miracles are over.

They will come forth as one speaking from the dead.

These records will come forth when the blood of the saints will cry to the Lord for justice to be brought upon secret combinations and works of darkness.

These records will come at a time when God's power is denied, when churches are defiled, and when church leaders and teachers are lifted up with so much pride in their hearts that they will envy members of their own church.

These records will come when fires, storms and volcanoes will occur in foreign lands.

There will also be wars and earthquakes in various places.

These records will go throughout the earth when great pollutions are upon it, such as murder, robbery, lying, deception, prostitution and every other type of sin.

Note: In the scriptures, the words "pollute, polluted, and pollutions” were never intended to refer to a physical state. One of Moroni's main commissions was to describe the spiritual degeneration of the last days, and to wam us accordingly. An isolated description of urban environmental conditions would not only be an inconsistent use of the word "pollutions,” but irrelevant to the purpose of his record. Note the singular meaning of the words, "pollutions" and “polluted” in 1 Ne 8:33, Mosiah 25:11 and Mormon 8:38.

Many will say, "Do whatever you like. It doesn't matter, for the Lord will support you in the end."

Cursed are such, for they are controlled by their sins and are full of bitterness.

These records will come in a day when people will build up churches and say, "Come to me, and for money you will be forgiven of your sins.”

Oh you wicked, perverse, stubborn people. Why have you built up churches for yourselves to make money? Why have you distorted God's holy word (The Holy Bible), damning yourselves?

Look to God's revelations, for the time will come when all of these things will be fulfilled.

The Lord has shown me the great and marvelous things that will occur at the time when these records will come forth to you (Great and marvelous things? Review entire chapter of 3 Nephi 21).

I speak to you as if you were present, for Jesus Christ has shown you to me, and I know your works.

I know that except for a few of you, you are all proud, wearing fine clothes, envying, contending with and persecuting one another.

Every one of your churches has become polluted because of your pride.

You love money and the things you own.

You love fine clothing and adorning your churches more than you love the poor, the needy, the sick and afflicted among you.

Oh you polluted, hypocritical teachers who sell yourselves for nothing!

Why have you polluted God's holy church?

Note: Can we name "God's holy church", a church Moroni saw in vision in 400 A.D.? What would qualify a church to be God's church? What would qualify it to be holy? Of course it would have to be His church, established by Him alone.

Moroni saw people living in a time of great wickendess, in a time when "great and marvelous" things would be coming forth. What are those things? They are the messages of the brass plates (Alma 37:3-4). The messages of the rest of The Book of Mormon....the “greater” things. Those things will only come forth when the Gentiles (particularly LDS Gentiles) humble themselves and become sanctified as Jared's brother was sanctified (see Ether 4:4-7).

It has been made clear by latter-day prophets that all is not well in Zion. For example, read President Spencer W. Kimball's message to the LDS Church in the July 1976 Ensign entitled, "False God’s We Worship". Also read Pres. Ezra T. Benson's talk to the LDS Church on pride in the May 1989 Ensign. Nephi saw the future and wrote that we'd be telling ourselves, “all is well in Zion, yea Zion prospereth” and thus be carefully lead to hell (2 Nephi 28:21).

Futhermore, the Lord placed the entire Church under condemnation in 1832 (see D&C 84:54-57), and President Benson reminded the body of the Church no less than six times in as many years that this condemnation had not yet been lifted, that the only way to lift the condemnation was to read and heed The Book of Mormon (The New Covenant). Furthermore, speaking of a day of wrath, burning and desolation, the Lord said, "...and upon my house shall it begin.” (D&C 112:23-26).

Why are you ashamed to take the name of Christ upon yourselves?

Why do you value the world's praise more than endless happiness?

Why do you wear those beautiful things that have no life of their own, while ignoring the hungry, the needy, the ill-clothed, the sick and the oppressed who pass by you?

Why do you build up and uphold secret combinations in order to profit yourselves, and allow the widows and orphans to mourn as their dead fathers and husbands cry to the Lord for vengeance upon your heads?

Note: President Ezra T. Benson, in the ENSIGN, Jan. 1988, pg. 5, wrote to LDS Church members, “If we don't quit building up and supporting secret combinations, the situation will continue to degenerate as it did anciently." Compare this quote with Helaman 6:38.

The sword of vengeance hangs over you, and the time soon comes when the Lord will avenge the blood of the saints upon you, for He will not allow their cries to go unanswered.