A reader asked me today to comment on Moroni 7:6-10, which he described as “a bit unsettling.” As I reviewed those verses, I noticed how much they draw upon content from other scriptures, particularly the Sermon on the Mount. Here are the parallels I found, starting with verse 5:
| Moroni 7:5-10 | Related Scriptures |
|---|---|
| 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. | Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (3 Nephi 14:16, Matthew 7:16) |
| 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. | Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (3 Nephi 14:17-18, Matthew 7:17-18) Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3) |
| For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness. | [Abraham] believed in the Lord; and [the Lord] counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6; see also Romans 4:3-5) |
| 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. | Do not your alms before men to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven. (3 Nephi 13:1, Matthew 6:1) Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7) |
| 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. | And when thou prayest thou shalt not do as the hypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. (3 Nephi 13:5, Matthew 6:5) |
| Wherefore, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift. | If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (3 Nephi 14:11, Matthew 7:11) |
Why did my reader find these verses unsettling? Probably because they call into question the efficacy of our good works. If I give a gift or say a prayer, Mormon says that doesn’t count if I’m not a good person, and who among us would claim to actually be a good person? (See Matthew 19:16-17, Mark 10:18.)
Interestingly, Mormon goes so far as to say that we won’t even give a good gift if we are evil, which seems to contradict the Savior’s observation that even evil people give good gifts to their children. I think the solution is that the word “evil” means something different in those two passages. When the Savior calls us “evil,” He means less good than God. When Mormon says “evil,” he means a person who doesn’t have good intentions.
For Mormon, being good means having real intent.
Why don’t insincere prayers and gifts count? Because they fail to produce the desired outcome. Prayers and gifts, after all, are means to an end. Their objective is our growth and development. If we do those things perfunctorily and half-heartedly, they will not change us. We will stay as we are, insulated from the Savior’s transformative power. We will be like the people who at the Final Judgment will protest:
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works?
3 Nephi 14:22, Matthew 7:22
As President Dallin H. Oaks has taught, “The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions” (“The Challenge to Become,” General Conference, October 2000).
So for Mormon, being good means doing good wholeheartedly. As we pour our souls into acts of kindness and worship of God, we open our hearts to receive His grace which enables us to actually become good.
Today, I will strive to be good, not just to do good. As I offer gifts to others and prayers to God, I will strive to do so with real intent: sincerely, not grudgingly. I will remember that God’s ultimate goal is my transformation, not just an accumulation of accomplishments.