Moroni 1

Moroni 1:1,4 I had supposed not to have written more

Much to his surprise, Moroni finds himself alive decades after the battle at Cumorah. He may well have expected to become a martyr for Christ as his father had before him (Mormon 8:3), for they put to death every Nephite that did not deny the Christ (v. 2). It seems that Moroni had some preconceived notions about how his life would turn out, or rather, how his life would end. Don't we all?

Yet, the Lord's plans for us are often different. How many stories do we hear of fellow saints whose work assignments took them to places they never imagined, only to find that the Lord had a purpose and a mission for them there? How often do we find that unexpected callings have a divine purpose which we could never have imagined or predicted? The Lord, who knows the end from the beginning, does things differently than we expect. Therefore, we should not narrow our possibilities by our own narrow-mindedness, especially when the Lord is always whispering in our ears, Be still, and know that I am God (Ps 46:10).

Moroni 1:4 that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day

Moroni's statement, "perhaps they may be of worth," is quite an understatement. How indebted are we for Moroni's discussion on faith, hope, and charity? How useful are the writings of Mormon included in chapters 8 and 9? What would the Book of Mormon be like without the challenge given in Moroni 10:3-5? He says, "perhaps they may be of worth"-from a latter-day perspective, there is no "perhaps" about it.

"These words not only reveal to us Moroni's purpose in writing the book, but lay open to our minds the magnanimous character of the man. A person who can love his enemies so much that he contributes to the eternal welfare of their descendants has a great soul." (FARMS: Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, vol. 4, no. 1, Spring-1995, p. 38)