Mormon’s Sermon in the Synagogue – Moroni 7

Setting

Near the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni quotes a sermon his father, Mormon, delivered in a synagogue on the topic of “faith, hope, and charity” (Moroni 7:1). This sermon was delivered to a group of believing church members. (See Moroni 7:3-5.)

Purpose

Mormon’s intent was to help a group of believers receive “every good thing” (Moroni 7:21).

Outline

1. Introduction: I speak to you by the grace of God and because of my calling (Moroni 7:2).
2. How to discern between good and evil (Moroni 7:3-19)
   1. I can tell that you are doing well spiritually because of the way you treat other people (Moroni 7:3-4).
   2. The Savior taught that we can know people by their works (Moroni 7:5-11).
   3. All good things come from God, and evil things come from the devil (Moroni 7:12-17).
   4. Be careful not to judge wrongly. In particular, don’t reject good things (Moroni 7:18-19).
3. Developing faith, hope, meekness, and charity (Moroni 7:20-48)
   1. Faith (Moroni 7:20-39)
      1. Faith will enable you to lay hold upon every good thing (Moroni 7:20-21).
      2. God sent angels, which enabled people to exercise faith in Him (Moroni 7:22-26).
      3. Have miracles ceased? No. Angels still minister to people. God still answers prayers (Moroni 7:27-34).
      4. If miracles have ceased, it is because of unbelief (Moroni 7:35-39).
   2. Hope: “How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?” (Moroni 7:40-42)
   3. Meekness: A person “cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart” (Moroni 7:43-44).
   4. Charity (Moroni 7:45-48)
      1. Characteristics of charity (Moroni 7:45)
      2. Charity never fails. (Moroni 7:46-47)
      3. The admonition: “Pray…with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love” (Moroni 7:48).

My Takeaways

Mormon’s plea in this sermon is for a group of disciples of Christ to deepen their discipleship, to develop more fully the attributes of Christ, and to receive and accept the good things that will come into their lives as a result.

I think it’s significant that he begins by teaching them not to reject good things. There would be little use in qualifying for additional blessings if they didn’t recognize and enjoy those blessings when they come.

Another important theme is the interconnectedness of Christlike attributes. Faith, hope, meekness, and charity go hand in hand, and in developing one of those, we develop them all.

I will respond to Mormon’s sermon by seeking after good things and striving to recognize and appreciate them when they come. I will also pray to be filled with faith, hope, meekness, and Christlike love.

Blog Posts about Mormon’s Sermon in the Synagogue

• Persuasion (10/23/2025)
• Receiving Gifts from God (8/29/2025)
• Forms and Power of Godliness (8/3/2025)
• Vessels of Wrath, Vessels of Mercy (7/10/2025)
• Biblical References in Doctrine and Covenants 76 (7/8/2025)
• These Truths (7/4/2025)
• Discernible (6/24/2025)
• Confession (6/6/2025)
• Avoiding the Holmesian Fallacy in Our Search for Truth (5/22/2025)
• “Cleave Unto” Your Covenants (3/23/2025)
• Book of Mormon Elements in Doctrine and Covenants 20 (3/14/2025)
• Preface to Four Revelations, April-May 1829 (2/19/2025)
• A Job Description for Servants of God (1/31/2025)
• Meek and Lowly (12/13/2024)
• “I Judge Better Things of You” (12/12/2024)
• How Do Angels Minister to Us? (12/11/2024)
• Doing Good and Being Good (12/10/2024)
• Moroni’s Excellent Hope (11/6/2024)
• Mercy (3/26/2024)
• Developing Christlike Attributes (11/25/2023)
• Ask Not Amiss (11/14/2023)
• Ministering Spirits (11/1/2023)
• Beseeching (10/29/2023)
• Increase and Abound in Love (10/19/2023)
• Giving Cheerfully (9/19/2023)
• By the Grace of God (9/9/2023)
• “Covet Earnestly the Best Gifts” (9/6/2023)
• Charity (9/3/2023)
• Thinketh No Evil (9/2/2023)
• “Ye Are Yet Carnal” (8/23/2023)
• Doing Good (7/22/2023)
• Lovest Thou Me? (6/29/2023)
• The Bond of Perfectness and Peace (6/23/2023)
• “That They Might Know Thee” (6/7/2023)
• The Light of Christ (1/19/2023)
• The New Testament and the Book of Mormon (12/22/2022)
• “Revive Thy Work” (12/3/2022)
• The Valley of Decision (11/12/2022)
• His Mercy Endureth Forever (7/21/2022)
• “Open His Eyes” (7/10/2022)
• “Vaunteth Not Itself” (6/3/2022)
• Willing Hearted (5/4/2022)
• A Prophet (4/3/2022)
• Cleave (1/8/2022)
• Glory (12/28/2021)
• We Believe All Things (12/12/2021)
• Peacemakers (11/21/2021)
• Angels (11/9/2021)
• We Need Our Ancestors—and They Need Us (11/5/2021)
• A Pure People (9/11/2021)
• Every Word (9/8/2021)
• How to Worship (8/29/2021)
• Enlightened (7/31/2021)
• “Ye Are Gods” (7/11/2021)
• Not Grudgingly (6/26/2021)
• The Father of Lights (6/23/2021)
• “A Knowledge of the Goodness of God” – Mosiah 4:5-6 (5/28/2021)
• Peaceable Things (4/10/2021)
• Elias (3/20/2021)
• The Work, the Sword, the Sickle, and the Prayer (1/28/2021)
• Godliness (1/22/2021)
• How to “Come unto Christ” (12/22/2020)
• “Inviteth and Enticeth” – Moroni 7:12-13 (12/11/2020)
• “The Gift of His Calling” – Moroni 7:2 (12/10/2020)
• “Charity Never Faileth” – Moroni 7:46 (12/9/2020)
• Faith, Hope, Meekness, and Love: Interdependent Virtues – Moroni 7:39-44 (12/8/2020)
• “With What Judgment Ye Judge…” – 3 Nephi 14:2 (9/25/2020)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Refute? (12/29/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Affirm? (12/28/2019)
• How Does the Savior Bring Us Peace? (12/25/2019)
• How Does the Gospel Bring Us Joy? (12/23/2019)
• What Is Meekness? (12/22/2019)
• Would God Lead Us Into Temptation? (12/5/2019)
• How Much Power Does the Devil Have? (10/22/2019)
• How Can I Be a Both a Defender of Truth and a Peacemaker? (10/19/2019)
• How Do Different Forms of Revelation Support One Another? (10/5/2019)
• How Can I Tell the Difference Between Promptings from the Holy Ghost and My Own Thoughts? (10/1/2019)
• How Can I Learn to Recognize the Holy Ghost? (9/30/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Diligence? (9/22/2019)
• What Does It Mean to “See Him as He Is?” (9/13/2019)
• What Does It Mean to Be “Puffed Up?” (9/6/2019)
• What Is the Purpose of Suffering? (8/28/2019)
• How Can I Be More Hopeful? (8/25/2019)
• What Is the Ministering of Angels? (8/4/2019)
• What Does It Mean for Jesus to Be Our Advocate? (7/28/2019)
• How Can I Find Peace? (7/23/2019)
• What Does It Mean to Believe, Hope, and Endure All Things? (5/19/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Resurrection? (4/21/2019)
• What Does It Mean to Do Something with “Real Intent?” (4/18/2019)
• Why Do We Need Prophets? (4/15/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Kindness? (4/10/2019)
• What Does It Mean to Be “Long-Suffering?” (3/1/2019)
• How Does the Savior Invite Us to Come Unto Him? (2/12/2019)
• How Is the Word “Atonement” Used in the Book of Mormon? (1/30/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Grace? (1/28/2019)
• Why Does the Book of Mormon Quote from the Bible? (1/20/2019)
• What is the Relationship Between Faith and Humility? (1/11/2019)
• Meek and Lowly in Heart – Moroni 7:43-44 (7/1/2018)
• Every Thing Which Inviteth and Enticeth to Do Good – Moroni 7:13 (6/30/2018)
• That We May Have This Hope – Moroni 7:48 (5/23/2017)
• What Is It That Ye Shall Hope For? – Moroni 7:40-42 (5/23/2017)
• Has the Day of Miracles Ceased? – Moroni 7:35-37 (5/21/2017)
• Lay Hold upon Every Good Thing, Part 2 – Moroni 7:22-26 (5/20/2017)
• Lay Hold upon Every Good Thing – Moroni 7:19 (5/19/2017)
• Charity Never Faileth – Moroni 7:45-48 (11/19/2016)
• Have Miracles Ceased? – Moroni 7:27-29 (10/17/2016)
• The Chosen Vessels of the Lord – Moroni 7:31-32 (10/2/2016)
• That the Holy Ghost May Have Place in Their Hearts – Moroni 7:31-32 (6/21/2016)
• That Ye May Be Filled with This Love – Moroni 7:48 (4/9/2016)
• Charity Suffereth Long, and Is Kind – Moroni 7:45 (4/2/2016)
• He Must Needs Have Charity – Moroni 7:43-44 (3/29/2016)
• What Is It That Ye Shall Hope For? – Moroni 7:41 (3/9/2016)
• Without Faith There Cannot Be Any Hope – Moroni 7:40, 42 (3/8/2016)
• Lay Hold upon Every Good Thing – Moroni 7:14, 19 (12/27/2015)
• The Gift of His Calling – Moroni 7:2 (12/27/2015)
• Which He Hath Bestowed – Moroni 7:48 (12/26/2015)
• Moroni 7:45 Charity Suffereth Long and Is Kind (12/28/2014)