Setting

After writing two final chapters to end his father’s book, Moroni wrote a history of the Jaredite civilization, which had lived on the American continent before his people arrived. After wandering for some time, hiding from his enemies, the Lamanites, he returned to the record and added a few final chapters. In this final chapter, he issues a number of calls to action, urging his modern readers to do eight things after reading the book.

Purpose

Moroni’s purpose in writing this final chapter was to summarize the message of the Book of Mormon and to invite his readers to take some specific actions.

Outline

1. Introduction: I’m writing this record to the Lamanites (Moroni 10:1-2).
2. The promise: If you will ponder God’s mercy, then ask Him if this book is true, He will answer you by the power of the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:3-5).
3. The power and gifts of God are real (Moroni 10:6-19).
   1. Don’t deny God’s power or his gifts (Moroni 10:6-8).
   2. God’s gifts include teaching, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, visions, and tongues (Moroni 10:9-16).
   3. Every good gift comes from Christ, and He will never stop giving those gifts unless we stop believing (Moroni 10:17-19).
4. By faith, hope, and charity, you can receive the gifts of God and inherit His kingdom (Moroni 10:20-26).
5. You will see me “at the bar of God,” and you will know that my words are true (Moroni 10:27-29).
6. “Come unto Christ,” and be perfected and sanctified by receiving His grace (Moroni 10:30-33).
7. Conclusion: Farewell, until we meet at the judgement bar of God (Moroni 10:34).

My Takeaways

Moroni urged his modern readers to believe in a active God, who will answer our prayers, give us gifts, and exercise His power on our behalf if we will believe in Him and approach Him. Don’t be afraid to ask Him if these words are true, he says. You’ll know it eventually, but you can know today. Take the time to ponder in your hearts what you have learned about his mercy. Don’t deny His power or His gifts.

That last point is particularly poignant. Only a few chapters earlier, Moroni declared that, even at the peril of his life, he “would not deny the Christ.” Now, he urges us not to deny God’s power, to hold fast to our own faith, with much less risk and at a much lower cost. If he was able to hold his faith under such horrific circumstances, surely we can maintain our faith in the midst of relatively comfortable lives.

I will respond to Moroni’s message by believing in God, by believing that He not only lives but can be active in my life. I will ponder the ways God is acting in my daily life and the ways He has blessed me and others in the past. I will strive to exercise faith, knowing that hope and charity will necessarily follow, and believing that, if I choose to receive the blessing, God will perfect me, sanctify me, and bring me back to His presence.

Blog Posts About Moroni’s Final Message

• What Does It Mean to “Come Unto Christ?” (2/11/2019)
• 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 Gift of Tongues? (1/16/2019)
• What Are the Characteristics of a Good Question? (1/3/2019)
• Moroni’s Final Message – Moroni 10 (9/30/2018)
• The Title Page and Moroni 10 (7/1/2017)
• I Would Exhort You… – Moroni 10 (6/30/2017)
• The Manifestations of the Spirit of God – Moroni 10:8 (1/23/2016)
• The Pleasing Bar of the Great Jehovah – Moroni 10:34 (12/31/2015)
• Remember How Merciful the Lord Hath Been – Moroni 10:3-5 (12/30/2015)
• Moroni 10:32-33 Come Unto Christ, and Be Perfected in Him (12/31/2014)
• Moroni 10:8 Deny Not the Gifts of God, for They Are Many (12/31/2014)