Fall Festival

[Justice]

Our Ward gets together this time of the year and "celebrates" fall and we have a chili and pie cook off. Good stuff, Maynard!

Anyway, I was asked to give a talk at this get together, and I've been toying with this idea. Let me know what you think:

The Book of Mormon. A very small percentage of the world’s population understands why or how the Book of Mormon got its name. I trust that most of you know. (Ask Brother _____—Mormon abridged the records)

That’s right. Mormon abridged the records, so the entire Book of Mormon was written by his hand, except for 2 chapters in the book he wrote, which is named after him, and the abridgement of Ether, and then what chapters Moroni, his son, wrote. Mormon was a remarkable man, and what little we know about his life story is incredible.

At the age of 10 he was approached by Ammaron, who we assume was the High Priest of the Church, or the Prophet, because he was given charge of the sacred records, or all the plates held by Nephi and all the prophets up until Ammaron. When Mormon was 10, Ammaron approached him and told him that when he was 24 he needed to go recover the records which he buried in a hill named Shim. So, at 10, he was told the location of the plates, and he was entrusted with a great secret, because Ammaron “perceived he was a sober child, and quick to observe.”

At the age of 15 he was “visited of the Lord.” At the age of 16 he was put in charge of the entire Nephite army and led the army in a huge campaign against the Lamanite army. Later, presumably when he was 24, he recovered the plates that had been buried by Ammaron.

He led the Nephite army for many, many years and witnessed many, many thousands of deaths of his people, many of which were his good friends. He mentioned 3 of these friends by name to Moroni in a letter he wrote to him. The Nephite army under his command grew more and more wicked, so much so that at one point he refused to lead them and stepped down as their leader. Later, after they lost many battles, he wrote that he repented and returned to lead them again. He wrote that leading them was a lost cause because the spirit had ceased to strive with them.

The Lamanite army hunted and killed them all across the land. As the Nephite army came across a town or city they instructed all the Nephites in that town to join them, or follow them, because the Lamanite army was right behind them. Those that didn’t follow swiftly enough were hewn down and trodden under the feet of the Lamanite army.

Mormon said: And it came to pass that we did again take to flight, and those whose flight was swifter than the Lamanites’ did escape, and those whose flight did not exceed the Lamanites’ were swept down and destroyed.

He also wrote: And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people

Finally, they came to the hill Cumorah. He wrote a letter to the leader of the Lamanite army and asked if they could have sufficient time to gather all the Nephites in one place on the hill. Now, the Nephites were so outnumbered that the leader of the Lamanite army agreed. After they were all gathered, Mormon writes this:

Chapter 6: 7 And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.

8 And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers.

9 And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war.

10 And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst…

12 And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.

13 And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst.

14 And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.

15 And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even aall my people, save it were… twenty and four...

Mormon wrote about the Nephites: 19 O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!

22 O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy.

Then he wrote to the Lamanites: … 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:

...repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ.

Moroni, in his writings, included 2 letters that his father, Mormon, wrote to him. Here are the last words we have written by Mormon, which were at the end of the second letter to Moroni, in the Book of Mormon:

25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.

26 And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever.

I am thankful for Mormon. Not for just abridging the plates, but for the example he was during perhaps the most difficult time in Nephite history. I believe it was right to honor this man by naming the Book of Mormon after him. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon. We all have reason to be thankful for the Book of Mormon. It has changed our lives. It has made us different. It has given us hope unto faith in Jesus Christ. It teaches us the truth about God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. It gives us the knowledge and teaches us how we can be with our families forever. It has given us angels and prophets on the earth today. And because of it, we have been shown the right way. I am thankful to Mormon for everything he did in bringing us this book and everything that came along with it. We all have reason to be thankful.

[FernRL]

That’s right. Mormon abridged the records, so the entire Book of Mormon was written by his hand, except for 2 chapters in the book he wrote, which is named after him, and the abridgement of Ether, and then what chapters Moroni, his son, wrote. Mormon was a remarkable man, and what little we know about his life story is incredible.

Actually the first part--The Small Plates of Nephi, 1st Nephi through Omni--were also included as written without Mormon's abridgment. :)

But I really do like your talk.

[kittymac1969]

Really nice talk... thank you for sharing it.:)

[Justice]

Actually the first part--The Small Plates of Nephi, 1st Nephi through Omni--were also included as written without Mormon's abridgment. :)

Ahhh... thank you for the clarification. I wasn't sure whether or not the small plates were abridged or not.

Thank you.