Jamie123

Moroni 6
v1: I was baptized at 8 years old.  I remember very little about it.  I remember there was an interview with the bishop, but I only have visuals (he ran a 5-and-dime store and there was a lot to see since the interview was in his office there (we had no church building, but used rented space in a government building).  I remember nothing of what was said.
v2-3: Whenever one was baptized, one should continually show worthiness of that ordinance and covenant through repentance and obedience.  It can be easy to forget that.  The Sacrament is meant to remind us.  It's amazing how two little verses can take a lifetime to master: broken heart, contrite spirit, repentance, taking Christ's name upon yourself, being determined "to serve him to the end".
v4: All that is so that you can have the Holy Ghost guide you.
Don't be the sort of member who doesn't give their contact information to the Church, who never responds to Church leaders and members trying to contact you.  Church membership isn't a mere formality, it's an active thing - names are taken so that we can live our religion, helping each other, asking and being asked for help.  We can't do any of that if we don't know how to contact each other.  Being "kept track of" is part of our Church! (per the end of verse 4, and other scriptures.)
Remember that it is only through Christ's merits that we have any hope at all, so rely on him.
v5-6: Meet together often with your fellow saints!  You need them, and they need you.
v7-8: Encourage others, and be encouraged, to live the gospel, to not give up.
v9: Learn to recognize and follow the Spirit.
(This and preceding chapters read to me like Moroni thinking, "OK, now what all am I going to need to teach this Joseph Smith guy, and how am I going to remember it all?  I'd better just write a few notes for him.")
Holy cow.  I should have done 6 yesterday.  7 is a doozie.  Will post it next.

Perhaps he intended them to be in tandem, the one completing the other - you must do good works with good intent to be good.
Are you so sure the following verses aren't the fine print?
Perhaps Mormon is not asserting that a person is one or the other, but rather is trying to teach how to become a good person, by telling you the sorts of things a good person does.
Perhaps the difficulty comes when using human, short-term perception to try to determine whether a thing is good or evil.
IMO, the difficulties you point out are the reason why we must continually study all scripture, not just some of it, and not just some of the time.  The whole collection is needed to paint a clearer picture, and repeated study is needed to gain more and more understanding over time.

Given Mormon's description of the state of the people in Mormon, I'm curious about just how many peaceable followers of Christ there were at this time. In Mormon, Mormon gave the impression that everyone was wicked. Moroni 7:3  Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ,
 
 
How many Nephites were walking peaceably with the children of men at this time? Moroni 7:4  And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men.
 
 
've never understood this and the next few verses. It seems to contrast with verses such as Matthew 7:22. A person can do good works for bad purposes. Does the fact that they did good works then make them a good person? Intent counts for a lot.   22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not aprophesied in thy name? and in thy bname have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Moroni 7:5 For I remember the word of God which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also.
 
 
Portions of this, and related verses, seem to have some similarities with nonsense. It is an almost universal trait of people to alternate, sometimes quite quickly, between states of good and evil and sometimes they can be in two states of mind at once. Is a man who pays 100% tithing and fully lives the word of wisdom but who spends hours looking at online porn good or evil? And if he spends Saturday night looking at porn and then gives a gift of tithing on Sunday morning, is that gift accepted? The same person can be good on Monday and evil on Tuesday and good again on Wednesday and evil again on Thursday. There are also teachings, particularly in Mosiah, that the natural man is an enemy to God. How can an enemy to God do good things? Mormon seems to be painting a picture of people as being wholly good or wholly evil, which is completely untrue. Evil people do good things and good people do evil things all the time. In the previous verse, Mormon highlights the importance of works, saying that if their works are good, then they are good also, but in this verse he highlights the importance of intent, suggesting that unless the works were done with real intent, it profiteth him nothing. Its not easy to see how both verses could be correct. Moroni 7:6 For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.
 
 
This verse, and the surrounding verses, should be read in conjunction with Matthew 5: 23 - 24, 6:2, Matthew 7:11, Matthew 10:42, and Acts 8: 18 - 24 Moroni 7:7 For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness.
 
 
ee Acts 5: 1- 5 I'm uncertain as to whether the inherent goodness involved in giving a gift is entirely overcome, or completely nullfied, by any lack of purity motivating the giving of a gift. I'm thinking of the foreign aid programs of many governments that are typically motivated by a variety of benevolent and self-interested purposes. It might even be the case that the church, when deciding how, and how much aid to give in response to a disaster, might be influenced by considerations of what is in the best interests of the church to do. If a person has a single gift that he is willing to give to one of two people in equal need and he gives it to the one who he believes it is in his best interests to give it to, does that then remove, or lessen, any blessings he might receive for giving that gift, or is he counted evil before God for not giving it to the other person? 1 Samuel 15: 12 - 26 is also relevant. Moroni 7:8  For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God.
 
Mormon, who wrote this letter, recorded his personal experience of praying, seemingly with great intent, but with no faith in Mormon 3:12 We see a good example of prayer without intent in Alma 31: 14 - 18. Moroni 7:9  And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such.
 
 
Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. This is a promise from God to receive those who come unto Him with no fine print about intent. Moroni 7:9  And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such.
 
 
Again, Matthew 7: 9 - 11 when Christ said that evil people can give good gifts. Moroni 7:10 Wherefore, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift.
 
 
he sweetest waters - a broken heart and a contrite spirit - sometimes come from the most bitter of places - a heart torn by sin and regret. Perhaps one could go so far as to say that it is absolutely essential for a bitter fountain to bring forth good water. Moroni 7:11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water;
 
 
I think what I am reacting against the most here is my impression that Mormon is saying that a person is either good or bad. Its difficult to see how that might be true. We are all, always, both. I suspect that pure evil and pure goodness are both as rare as each other. Moroni 7:11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.
 
 
If a person has wandered 5 degrees of the straight and narrow path, he is still closer to God than the devil, but the fact that he has wandered could suggest that to a limited extent he is following both Christ and the devil. If he wanders more than 90 degrees off the path than he is actually going backwards and we could say that he is closer to the devil than to Christ. Moroni 7:11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.
 
 
 have always had trouble understanding what this scripture means. I attended Friday services at a mosque a few weeks ago. The people who attended believe in a false concept of God but they do believe in some form of god. Is that evil or good? Islam exhorts its followers to live a virtuous, perhaps even righteous, way of life, but if you tried to attract them to the higher, holier beliefs and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, any such attempt would probably be met with rejection and maybe even hostility. This idea of living a righteous life is common to all major religious and it is a good thing, so according to Mormons' line of thinking, because it is good, it must come from God. But if the effect of these other religions is to hinder people from seeking a higher truth, and to bind people into a false form of worship and keep them from the source of all truth, then that would be a bad thing. If you are worshipping a false form of God, with faith and real intent, is that a good or a bad thing?   Moroni 7:12  Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil;
 
 
What would Mormon have thought of the churches described in 4th Nephi 1:26- 27? They seemingly believed in Christ but they had many problems. What is the situation of those organisations which invite and entice to do good continually, such as Alcoholic Anonymous, but which only acknowledge a higher power, and not God. Or Rotary, or the Masons or any such organisation which entices its members to do good, entirely seperate from any religious beliefs? The legal system strives to do good but it will not be influenced by any overtly religious arguments (even though they require witnesses to swear on the bible). Moroni 7:13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
 
 
I think there are many who blame misfortune on God. And the scriptures certainly make clear that a lot of unfortunate events can be directly attributed to God, the great flood being just one example. Moroni 7:14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God
 
 
 
 

That would be the MSG and high fructose corn syrup talking.    (PS: You can stuff Stovetop into the bird.  The slimy slop comes from folks who don't know how to cook a stuffed bird.)
 
And I should now note that I don't especially like stuffing, but when I have it, prefer Stovetop1 cooked until it's quite dry on the stove and wouldn't cook a turkey, let alone stuff one except to save myself from starving.  But I hate deception and falsely presented truths.  There's no danger is stuffing a turkey.2  Try it out:
buy a (dead) turkey stuff something - anything (that's not still alive, please) - inside it toss the whole kit and kaboodle in the trash can wash your hands and forearms well report back afterwards whether you're still alive There is danger is under-cooking food - any food that needs to be cooked.  It isn't complicated to cook a stuffed bird sufficient to cook the stuffing and kill off any bacteria that may be present - you just have to learn how.
 
1chicken flavor over turkey flavor
2above and beyond the danger of handling the turkey at all during prep (assuming the turkey is dead - if it's still alive, there are probably other dangers in trying to stuff it...)

Well that was what would have happened if Scrooge hadn't changed his ways - but we all know how the story ends!

That's why the Good Lord invented gravy!

I think most people who really thought about it would agree with that. The promise of the coming Messiah can be found throughout the Old Testament - though of course they could not have called him "Jesus Christ" because that name is Greek. Their equivalent would have been something like "Yeshua Messiah" - which is presumably what the Book of Mormon people would have called him.

I think we'd do well to call it the dangers of under-cooking food.  Everyone ought to already know that.

I feel like I've always known about the dangers of turkey-stuffing. Huh.
President Bartlet on The West Wing also doubted when he first heard of the risk.

Merry Christmas, @Jamie123!
No, I've never heard of such a thing, but folks of the modern world can't seem to find enough things to be afraid of, so they have to make them up!  (Apparently it's been too long since we had real things to be afraid of.)  I imagine a handful of people over the decades have failed to sufficiently cook their bird and its stuffing, and have thereby gotten food poisoning.  The ridiculous reporter heard someone's family tale and decided to turn it into a Stuffing Contaminosis Epidemic - probably because her boyfriend broke up with her two days before Christmas.
Ahem, gobble, gobble, gobb-eck!  Of course, s/he died from something other than the stuffing, and not in your house, so yes, I guess the statement is still true.
May you and your family survive Christmas and enjoy your stuffing, even if it does come out of a chicken.
Please, please tell me you didn't use mosquitoes to stuff your churkey!
Before or after cooking it?  If before, your Dad is fortunate to have a son who loves him.  If after, hooray for reason!

Ether 13
v2: Personally, I consider this testimony of a global flood.  Think of it what you will.
We know from elsewhere that where much is given, much is expected.  That's the only reason I can think of for special emphasis on this chosen land.  After all, I think @askandanswer is right - the Lord wants all people everywhere to serve him.
v4: @Jamie123, I've mentioned it before, but here's another example - we believe that all the prophets knew and testified of Christ.
v7-8: That the Lord seems to go to great lengths to preserve genealogical lines emphasizes to me the importance of sealing parents and children back through the generations - as if the Lord needs individuals throughout each of these lines to do the work of sealing those lines - or something.  I expect we'll learn much more in the Millennium.
v11: The Lord fulfills his promises.
v13: Don't cast out (literally or figuratively) the Lord's prophets.
v17: I couldn't connect Cohor and Corihor to anyone or any title.  I'd guess they were leaders of the day?
v21: Interesting that Coriantumr was chosen to be the lone survivor.  Perhaps this was as punishment.
v22: It's sort of understandable that Coriantumr wouldn't listen to Ether.  C would have seen E as his political rival - probably the rightful king.
And it starts to sound very much like the end of the Nephites.

Sounds similar to Lehi Ether 13 He prophesies, is cast out,
 
 
I think the same applies to every other land. Ether 13:2 wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof;
 
 
I'm guessing this is referring to the destruction by the Babylonians rather than the destruction by the Romans. I'm not sure for how long Jerusalem remained a holy city. Ether 13:5 And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city
 
 
I guess this could be interpreted in two ways. One way is that the house of Joseph is a remnant of a larger part and the other way is a remnant, or part, of the house of Joseph. If we take the latter interpretation then that raises questions about the rest of the house of Joseph. Ether 13:8 Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph
 
 
Right now, Independence, Missouri sounds like the most likely contender, but at the moment that location is a long way from what it needs to be. Salt Lake probably used to be something like a holy city, but it no longer seems to have the character it once did, and Nauvoo is still not much more than a village. I note its exactly 80 miles from  Adam-ondi-ahman to the Temple Lot, Independence, Missouri. Ether 13:8 Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old;
 
 
This may suggest that at some point there will be a lot of baptisms in the old Jerusalem. Ether 13:11  And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb;
 
Why is this past tense? Ether 13:10 and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.
 
The Lord seems to be exercising tight editorial control on decisions about what is not written. I wander if there was the same degree of control over what was written. Ether 13:13 And I was about to write more, but I am forbidden; 
 
 
Night time is not usually the best time to do observations - its usually quite dark. What and how much could Ether view at this time? Ether 13:13 and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people.
 
 
In verse 13 Moroni mentions how great and marvellous were the prophecies of Ether but they don't seem to have had any impact. Ether 13:17 and in fine, there were none of the fair sons and daughters upon the face of the whole earth who repented of their sins.
 
 
Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. And the same deal is on the table for all of us, all the time - repent and be spared, don't repent and you won't be spared. Ether 13:20–21 he should go and prophesy unto Coriantumr that, if he would repent, and all his household, the Lord would give unto him his kingdom and spare the people—21 Otherwise they should be destroyed, and all his household save it were himself.
 
 
I wander if these are Jaredite place names or Nephite place names. Ether 13:28 did pursue him until he came to the plains of Heshlon.
 
 
 

Ether 12
This chapter probably deserves multiple days and a group discussion in real time.  I consider it one of the best discourses on faith out there.  For reference, when I think of faith, I generally think of two or three different definitions:
1. The kind of faith described in Lectures on Faith.  The principle of action - that any action you do is driven by faith in an outcome, basically.  I believe this is the sort of faith God has / uses - to see what could be and act as if it already were / were certain.
2. Faith in Jesus Christ - this is the faith that leads to salvation.
3. Faith in any other true principle or virtue - faith that kindness or patience are worth practicing, faith that following the prophet will yield positive results, faith that the Book of Mormon contains true teachings which can improve the lives of those who act accordingly, etc.  This is the sort of faith Alma described when he talked about planting the word of God in your heart (and perhaps also #2, since Alma also taught of Christ).
4. I guess technically, there's a fourth, where it's used synonymously with "religion" or "belief system".
v1: The king is descended from the brother of Jared and is a usurper.  He or his predecessor(s) held the rightful king and his heirs captive.  Ether is one of those heirs - perhaps the person who should be king.
v2: Seek to follow the Lord to the extent that you are filled with the Spirit.
v3: "by faith all things are fulfilled" - that principle of action type of faith.  But also, #2 & 3 - by faith in Christ, we receive the word and by obedience to the word, we receive forgiveness and blessings.
v4: The surety comes only because you know that God keeps his promises (faith, knowledge of the character of God and the history of his dealings with me - through scripture).  Your faith gives you hope and that hope makes an anchor for your soul.  Anchors always have a chain or rope that is attached to something else - otherwise, they're no good.  If your hope is an anchor to your soul, then the other end has to be attached to Jesus Christ - the only sure thing to which one can anchor.  And your good works strengthen that connection and keep the hope and faith strong (see John 7:17).
v5: The Lord doesn't work the way the world does - you must believe before you can see.  Why?  Because it is your belief and faith (acting on that belief) that creates the thing you wish to see.  Belief is the idea (or hope).  Faith is the act of creation.
v6: The Lord will test our ability to have faith in him, to be faithful to him, and to live by faith - to act according to the agency we've been given - which means to act in his name (or in our own, to our condemnation).
v7-9: Christ showed by his resurrection that resurrection is possible.  His existence gives reason to hope and to have faith that the word of God is true and that God will keep his promises and that through Christ, we can be saved.  This is the anchor and our connection to it - our hope.
v10+: The prophets of old were called by faith.  They were able to do their work because they had faith (and the doing of that word was acting in faith).
v11: Christ makes all things possible for all of us, if we will have faith in Christ.
v12: I personally believe this is very literal and that whatever examples we may have that seem contrary are merely incidences where we don't have sufficient information.  Perhaps there are times when the interpretation is that the children of men will not perceive the miracle (despite it having happened, through the faith of someone) - is a miracle that is not perceived as a miracle still a miracle?  Or was it just an unexplained event?  A missed blessing?
v18: Here faith is explicitly tied to the Son of God.  No other faith has power to work miracles.  Indeed, even faith #3 (in principles, truths, virtues) is tied to Christ since he is the source of all truth and all good things.  If you are trying to help someone who is struggling and don't know what else to do, help them to increase their faith in Christ.
v19: Back to faith type #1 and verse 5 - first, you see with an eye of faith (the idea, the belief, the hope), second you act in faith to create (bring about, instantiate) what you saw only through faith, and then, once it has been created, your eyes see it.  This is how you create (bring about, instantiate), or allow God to create, all good things in your life: whether it's creating worlds without number, or rending the veil of unbelief and entering into the presence of God, or overcoming sin and weakness, or gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon, or believing that you can keep trying to be faithful for one more day - whatever it is, if it is a true thing, then seeing it in faith, and acting as if it is a surety will yield the foreseen results.  "...and they were glad."
v20-22: There are already many promises available to you.  These verses suggest to me that there's nothing wrong with seeking promises from the Lord - but as with all things, we should seek the promises with which the Lord already wishes to bless us.  Our patriarchal blessings may constitute such promises.
v23-26: There are multiple ways that the Lord may bless people.  Rather than be upset by the blessing you lack, seek to learn what you have, and then to seek more, according to the Lord's will
v26: Do not mock.  Just don't.  It's hard in this world, but break yourself of the habit.  We are all made in the image of God.  God is not to be mocked, therefore his children shouldn't be.  The works of God should not be mocked, therefore the works of his children shouldn't be.  Unworthy works should be lamented, mourned, avoided, or ignored, but don't risk your soul for the fun of mockery - it's an arrogant form of amusement.
"my grace is sufficient for the meek" - not for the proud, for the meek - "that they shall take no advantage of your weakness" - don't take advantage of others because of their weakness - don't cheat them because they are ignorant or foolish.  Don't mock them because they couldn't express themselves well or don't dress nicely.  Be meek, be humble, invite the Lord's grace.
v27: And oh how we need that grace.  The Lord has blessed us to be weak (note that weakness is singular), recognize it and be humble so that you can work in the strength of the Lord, by his grace.
v28: Plead for faith, hope, and charity.
v29: Believe what the Lord tells you!
v30: Perhaps you will never need to move a physical mountain, but all of us have symbolic mountains we need to move.  Do it through faith in Christ.
v31+: Prayer can include telling the Lord what you've learned about him - bearing testimony.  This can be a way to learn more, solidify what you learned, and receive correction of misunderstanding.
v34: "except men shall have charity" - this can work both ways - we must receive the gift (v36) of having charity toward others, but we also must be willing the receive the charity that Christ has for us - if we reject either, we cannot inherit eternal life.
v35: Moroni has been working through the logic / principle that Christ taught him.  Do you do that in prayer?  Perhaps we should do that in prayer.
Also, if you reject the gifts of God, he starts to take them away from you and give them to others.  Don't reject the gifts of God.
v36: Charity is a gift given to us, not a skill we develop on our own.  Practice it (pretend, work, think), but also plead for it.
v37: What a notion: "it mattereth not unto thee".  I can't expound on it, but it strikes me as something to ponder.  Learn to really see your weakness - be humble and meek.
v39: "in plain humility" - it's Christ's humility being described here!  He sets the example.  He always goes before.
v41: Do this - seek Jesus!  Seek him in scripture, seek him through your actions, seek him through the witness of the Holy Ghost.

Ether 11
After reading the heading: One might think all this doom and gloom is depressing, and couldn't Mormon and Moroni have spent some more time abridging the good times, but we have to remember, they were instructed to write this for our day - a day the Lord showed them.  In short, it is warning us of our future and how to avoid it, if we will.  Utter destruction awaits all who "ripen" in iniquity, so don't do that!  Follow Jesus Christ instead!
v3: Those who receive the prophets are blessed.
v21: The Lehites.
v23: Note that Ether is born in captivity, in the line of the "rightful" kings, descended from Jared.  And that right now (per v17), a descendant of the brother of Jared has them in captivity and is the king.  (IMO, this will matter when the story resumes.)
If I have time (which seems unlikely), I'll try to get chapter 12 in today - we'll see.  It's a doozie and worth spending a lot of time on - one of the great discourses on faith.

I suspect that this statement is probably limited to faith only in those things which are true. There are many things, for example, that Sikhs have faith in, that will certainly not be brought to pass. And if we are being pedantic, I would speculate that it is by the power of the Priesthood that things happen more so than faith. Ether 12:3 by faith all things are fulfilled
 
 
The danger of having a testimony built on signs. Ether 12:5 which they did not believe, because they saw them not.
 
 
I guess that once we have seen something our faith is replaced by knowledge. But we see from 3rd Nephi 1 22 and 30 that even knowledge is insufficient. Ether 12:6 faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; 
 
 
How important is it for that belief to be focussed on something which is accurate/true. Is a belief in God with a body as tangible as man's better or the same as a belief in God as a spirit? If we were to accept the idea that both beliefs were of equal value, then it opens the question of where do we draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable beliefs in G/god. Is a belief in God the same as a belief in Allah? Is a belief in Allah the same as a belief in Krishna or Zeus? How does a belief in a god compare with belief in the God? From what i recall, there was a lengthy discussion of a question like this from a forum member a month or two back who seemed to be in favour of what he termed a universalist view. The first of the ten commandments suggests that its important to worship the right God and that belief in other gods is actually somewhat sinful. Ether 12:4  Wherefore, whoso believeth in God 
 
 
This is often a difficult concept for investigators to understand and accept. Man's way is show me and I will believe, God's way is believe and I will confirm. Ether 12:6 wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
 
There are perhaps 70,000 missionaries and many others involved in preparing a way for others to partake of the heavenly gift but only Christ could have overcome the otherwise insurmountable barriers that were in the way. Ether 12:8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, 
 
 
I have difficulty with the idea that there are any limits on the ability of God to do miracles. I note that Mark 6:5 expresses a similiar idea that there is a connection between faith and God's/Christ's willingness/ability to do miracles. Ether 12:12  For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; 
 
 
This raises a question that might be interesting. Did Alma and Amulek have faith that the walls of the prison would tumble or was their faith more in the general idea that they would be freed? I guess it makes sense that our faith should be centred on outcomes rather than methods. Ether 12:13 Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.
 
 
This seems to support the idea that it is not necessary that the recipients/beneficiaries/targets of a miracle to have faith, but that it is necessary for the person calling for such a miracle to have faith. There may be some inconsistencies with that idea and the idea that it is the faith of a person receiving a Priesthood blessing that makes that blessing operative, more so than the faith of the person giving the blessing. Ether 12:14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
 
One faith filled individual can make a huge difference. Ether 12:15  Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
 
 
 
 

Ether 10
v2: Again, remembering what the Lord has done helps one to remain faithful.  Spend time today remembering the Lord (shouldn't be hard).
v3: Don't the the sort of person who only brings peace to others by dying.
v28-: When the people are righteous, they prosper; when the leaders are wicked, people suffer.
v31: Oh, the lock icon (in my PDF, last week's thread) means they lived their whole life in captivity.

Ether 8
v2: Once again, beware people who use flattering or cunning words.
v9: This is interesting.  I don't remember a previous mention of a record, just that Ether's record included things from Adam on.  I think I always imagined an oral history.  But Adam kept records, and I would expect any who try to obey God to keep records, so, yeah, makes sense.  Sad that Jared's daughter ignored the tragedies that come from secret combinations and instead decided this would be a good tool to get what she wanted.
v10 (et al): Don't sin, not even for the prettiest girl in town.
v13: I'm thinking this family was already pretty wicked if Akish trusted them enough to tell the whole lot that he planned to murder the king. If your family is this wicked, maybe go find better folk to hang out with.
v17: "fair promises" - if it sounds too good to be true...
v23-25: If it sounds too good to be true...  (And how else do you overthrow freedom other than to promise wealth and easy and health and whatever other things everyone wants?  But no one can deliver such things  - people have to work for them or they won't happen.)
v26: Strive to do good continually.  Come to Christ and be saved!
Ether 9
v1-3: When the Lord tells you to get up and leave, don't drag your feet.   If you have to leave some things of value behind, do it - your life and obeying the Lord are of more value.
v5, 7: There is no loyalty or love among the wicked.  (One wonders where Jared's daughter was, and whether it was her son.)
v11: The people: "Well, as long as we've got money, we don't really care what our government is doing."
v12: Sometimes the wicked destroy each other quickly.
v19: Alas, still haven't found me a source for a pet curelom or even a cumom.
v20: Just serve the Lord.
v28+: When you don't have freedom of religion, but government oppression thereof, bad things follow.
v34: This is seriously stubborn - I'm just going to chase after carcasses to feed on and only after they and all other food are gone will I consider repenting.   Don't be that stubborn!  Don't move that far from the Lord!  Repent early and often.
 
Saving chapter 10 for Christmas day.

Merry Christmas to all!
I was just stuffing the "turkey" (actually a chicken) and my father came in and said he'd read in the paper "don't stuff your turkey" because of "contamination". Have you ever heard such rubbish? People have been stuffing their Christmas turkeys for years and years and I've never heard of any "post-Christmas turkey stuffing disease epidemic".  I've stuffed our turkey every year for years and no one in my house has ever died from it.
 I'd actually just finished the stuffing when my dad came in with the news, but much as I love him, I'm not going to unstuff the turkey just because some silly twonk who writes in the newspaper wants to make himself sound clever by saying "don't stuff your turkey or you'll die of malaria".
If we do die of malaria I shall stand corrected.
P.S. I have now unstuffed the chicken. My Dad was fretting.

Merry Christmas to all!
I was just stuffing the "turkey" (actually a chicken) and my father came in and said he'd read in the paper "don't stuff your turkey" because of "contamination". Have you ever heard such rubbish? People have been stuffing their Christmas turkeys for years and years and I've never heard of any "post-Christmas turkey stuffing disease epidemic".  I've stuffed our turkey every year for years and no one in my house has ever died from it.
 I'd actually just finished the stuffing when my dad came in with the news, but much as I love him, I'm not going to unstuff the turkey just because some silly twonk who writes in the newspaper wants to make himself sound clever by saying "don't stuff your turkey or you'll die of malaria".
If we do die of malaria I shall stand corrected.
P.S. I have now unstuffed the chicken. My Dad was fretting.

A right-wing devil:

Regarding  Moroni 10:31-32
Compare:
Notice this is repeated twice in the Book of Mormon.  Then a third time with an alteration.
I believe it was a dispensational change just as the baptism prayer was changed after the resurrection.
To be more clear, here is my personal interpretation/modification.

Ether 3
v1: It has been suggested that the brother of Jared knew the account of the "window" in Noah's ark and that it was similar to these stones and that was where it got the idea (learned from an institute teacher, also heard elsewhere, but I forget the details).
v2+: IMO, this is nothing like the sort of prayers we hear in the Church, but it ought to be.  There are a lot of lessons in this prayer, but I'm not sure I have the energy this (late) morning to explore them (my head is killing me).  At a high level: humility, confession, testimony, the attributes of God, our need of Him, why pray, the virtue of working and thinking...
v5: "thou canst do this" It's as if the brother of Jared is giving the Lord a pep talk.  Or just expressing confidence in the Lord.  Either way, it's an intimate and endearing exchange, for some reason.
v6+: The mixture of complete faith, knowledge, and revelation here is interesting.  As is the degree of confidence the brother of Jared has with the Lord.  I have to believe this comes from a combination of humility, constant repentance, striving hard to keep the commandments, and rock-solid faith.
v9: Surely the Lord knew full well what the brother of Jared saw, yet he asks.  The Lord's way of teaching is to ask questions - to get us thinking!
v11: I believe this is an eternal principle.  The Lord asks the brother of Jared if he (bofJ) believes (already, present tense) the words which the Lord shall (future tense) speak - before the Lord has spoken them, before the brother of Jared has heard them - does he believe something he doesn't even know yet!  I believe this is how the Lord works, it is a principle of receiving revelation.  If you would receive guidance from the Lord, you must believe it (or really, believe Him) first and receive it second.  This is what the scriptures mean by "sincere intent".  The Lord will only reveal things to you if you already believe and fully intend to act in harmony with those things.  This is also what "faith in Jesus Christ" means - like Enos, we must know that God cannot lie (and the brother of Jared, v12).  This is yet another way in which the Lord's ways are reverse of the world's: the world says "prove it and then I'll believe", the Lord says, "believe and then I will reveal it".
v12: It can be faith promoting to ponder these truths for a time -  that God speaks truth and cannot lie.
v13: "Because thou knowest these things ..."  What things?  The Lord has yet to speak whatever words he was referring to in v11, so far as we have here.  It appears that verse 12 contains "these things".  All the more reason to ponder on them!  (Perhaps, too, "these things" include v9 - that Christ will take upon himself flesh and blood.)
v14: Possibly the clearest explanation of the gospel or doctrine of Jesus Christ.
v15: Lots of speculation about this "never have I showed myself...", since other prophets before this had seen the Lord.  Most seem to think it's the manner in which the Lord showed himself - as he would look when mortal.
v24: Ah, disregard yesterday - Jared perceived it as the people being confounded, but here the Lord says it's the language he confounded (probably the same thing from different perspective, but still).
v25: This seems to be what happens with all prophets who are allowed into the Lord's presence, though it's not always been recorded.
v26: This is faith - have sufficient faith in the Lord and all the Lord's word to you will be fulfilled.
Some things are not (yet) for public consumption.  Learn to keep sacred things sacred.  Trust the Lord's timing.
Ether 4
v6+: The need for faithfulness in what you already have - if you hope for more, master what you already have.  Believe the Lord!  Believe in the Lord!
v12: How to know if it's from God.
v15+: Reason to believe.
v18-19: The message is always the same: Repent, come unto Christ and follow him.
Ether 5 (getting ahead)
Personal instruction to Joseph Smith!

My opinion, Moroni wasn't expecting to do anything except finish writing a few things his father told him to write.  But he survived longer than he thought, and the Lord instructed him to do more (and / or he just decided to add some more).  So I think Mormon 8 and 9 are Moroni's "well, I'll just wrap this up and we're done."  But then Ether and Moroni are Moroni's "huh, well, I'm still alive, so I guess I should do something useful."
But that's totally my opinion.  (You'll discover that Moroni includes in the book of Moroni some letters from his father.  So just as we have two Moroni chapters in Mormon, we'll have some Mormon chapters in Moroni. )
Alternate answer: Life is messy and unexpected.

I've been lagging behind, but I'm finally up to date again. This is all very grim stuff. Sorry if someone explained this already and I missed it ( i will go over the comments again more thoroughly tomorrow), but why is the latter part of Mormon, written by Morono, still called the "Book of Mormon" and not part of the book of Moroni?