Moroni quotes a sermon delivered by his father. In the sermon, Mormon teaches a simple heuristic for distinguishing good from evil: things which invite us to do good and to believe in Christ are of God. He then teaches us how we can “lay hold upon every good thing:” by exercising faith. Miracles come when we have faith. Faith brings hope, hope brings meekness, and meekness brings charity. People who have those attributes will be ready to return to the presence of God.
Chapter Outline
- How to judge good from evil (v. 1-19)
- Faith brings miracles (v. 20-39)
- Hope is interconnected with faith, meekness, and charity (v. 40-44)
- Charity never faileth (v. 45-48)
My Takeaways
- Be grateful for your responsibilities.
- The gospel is not just about condemning evil. It is mostly about identifying and embracing good.
- Charity never faileth, so we can have confidence God’s enduring love and we can emulate that love by not giving up on others.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Judging good from evil – Moroni 7:1-19
“The Gift of His Calling” – Moroni 7:2
Are we grateful for our responsibilities? As Mormon began a sermon to a group church members, he acknowledged that he was only able to speak to them because of God’s grace and His will, manifest in “the gift of his calling unto me” (Moroni 7:2). In an earlier chapter, Moroni spoke of “the gifts and…
“Inviteth and Enticeth” – Moroni 7:12-13
In his sermon in the synagogue, before teaching his people how to “lay hold upon every good thing,” Mormon provided some instruction about how to distinguish between good and evil: All things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him…
❖ Faith – Moroni 7:20-39
Angels
An angel is a messenger. The Greek word aggelos (ἄγγελος) is probably derived from the verb agó (ἄγω) which means “to bring,” so an angel is someone who brings a message from God. Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi sees an expansive vision narrated by an angel. (See 1 Nephi 11-14.) Jacob…
How Do Angels Minister to Us?
Angels provide correction. They help God fulfill His covenants with us. And they strengthen our faith by declaring the words of Christ. Angels always have and always will minister to us, and we emulate them as we minister to one another.
The Chosen Vessels of the Lord – Moroni 7:31-32
29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.30 For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a…
“I Judge Better Things of You”
After telling his listeners that a lack of miracles implies a lack of faith, Mormon adds, “I judge better things of you.” God can help us see the good in others. We will be judged as we judge, so why wouldn’t we look for the best in the people around us?
❖ Hope – MOroni 7:40-44
Faith, Hope, Meekness, and Love: Interdependent Virtues – Moroni 7:39-44
Christlike virtues do not exist in a vacuum. We might talk about them in isolation; we might even work on them individually. But as we develop one virtue, others naturally grow. Mormon emphasizes the interdependence of several virtues near the end of his sermon in the synagogue: “I judge that ye have faith in Christ…
What Is It That Ye Shall Hope For? – Moroni 7:41
41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. (Moroni 7:41) We know that faith…
❖ Charity – Moroni 7:45-48
Charity Suffereth Long, and Is Kind – Moroni 7:45
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (Moroni 7:45) How can you tell…
What Does It Mean to Be “Puffed Up?”
The Greek word phusioo (φυσιόω) means “to puff or blow up.” It comes from the word phusa which means “bellows.” Some form of the word appears five times in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians and once in his epistle to the Colossians. In the King James Version of the Bible, it is always translated as “puffed…
Thinketh No Evil
People who have charity do not think evil of others. They don’t dwell on others’ faults but rather find joy in recognizing other people’s positive attributes and actions.
What Does It Mean to Believe, Hope, and Endure All Things?
In a sermon about faith, hope, and charity, Mormon listed some of the characteristics of charity (Moroni 7:45). His list is similar (but not identical) to a list provided by the apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthian saints (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). At the end of their lists, both Paul and Mormon state…
“Charity Never Faileth” – Moroni 7:46
After describing the characteristics of charity, including suffering long and enduring all things, Mormon followed up in the same way that the apostle Paul did in his first epistle to the Corinthians. He said, “Charity never faileth” (Moroni 7:46). (See 1 Corinthians 13:8.) Paul contrasted charity with several gifts of the Spirit— prophecies, tongues, and…
Which He Hath Bestowed – Moroni 7:48
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like…
What Does It Mean to “See Him as He Is?”
What we see depends on who we are. At the end of a sermon on faith, hope, and charity, Mormon encourages his listeners to pray that God will fill them with His love “that ye may become the sons of God, that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see…
Old Testament Foundations
Ministering Spirits
The apostle Paul declared that angels are ministering spirits. Mormon added that they continue to minister to us today. Joseph F. Smith testified that we are closer to our departed loved ones than we may realize. “We live in their presence.”
“Revive Thy Work”
God is unchanging. Therefore, if He performed miracles in the past, he can perform miracles today. This is a core message of the Book of Mormon. Nephi repeatedly appeals to scriptural accounts of miracles as evidence that his family can expect miracles in their lives. “The Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and…
The Valley of Decision
When Ahab, king of Israel, asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to join him in battle against the Syrians, Jehoshaphat responded with solidarity: “I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses” (1 Kings 22:4, see also 2 Chronicles 18:3). However, Jehoshaphat insisted on consulting with a prophet first. Ahab…
His Mercy Endureth Forever
When the ark of the covenant arrived in Jerusalem, the people gathered and King David delivered a psalm, which included the following words of praise: O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 Many years later, when the temple of Solomon was completed, the occasion was marked by music: singers, cymbals,…
Willing Hearted
On Mount Sinai, the Lord directed Moses to request an offering from the people. He made it clear that He cared about not only what they gave, but also how they gave: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my…
A Prophet
When God called Moses, He didn’t say, “I will make you a prophet.” Instead, He described the work He needed Moses to do: tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, and tell the children of Israel that God had sent him to lead them out of Egypt. (See Exodus 3.) He said, “I will be…
Every Word
As the children of Israel prepared to enter the promised land, Moses asked them to consider some of the lessons of their sojourn in the wilderness. One of those lessons came from the food they ate: manna, which mysteriously appeared every morning except the sabbath in sufficient portions to provide them with physical nourishment. (See…
New Testament Parallels
Charity
Charity means recognizing things that are valuable and treating them accordingly. Jesus gave His life for us because He had charity for us: He recognized our value. We must emulate Him in that way to receive the blessings He has prepared for us.
A Pure People
John wrote that we can become like God. “When he shall appear, we shall be like him,” he wrote, “for we shall see him as he is.” Then, he added, “[Everyone] that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). Mormon described a similar future state for those…
Giving Cheerfully
When we give or serve grudgingly, we miss out on the enjoyment that is inherent in these activities. The faster we can overcome our initial resistance, the sooner we can experience the joy and growth that come from giving cheerfully!
By the Grace of God
Paul gave credit to God for every good thing he had accomplished or become. Benjamin, Alma, and Mormon likewise expressed gratitude for God’s grace. We must not deny nor forget the power by which we are supported, delivered, and sanctified
“Ye Are Yet Carnal”
A good measure of your spiritual state is the way you treat other people. Paul saw weakness among church members in Corinth because of their envyings and strife. Mormon saw strength among his people because of their peaceable walk with the children of men
Doing Good
Peter told the Roman centurion Cornelius that Jesus “went about doing good.” As important as it is to avoid mistakes and to solve problems, it can be useful to simply take advantage of our many opportunities to do good.
The Bond of Perfectness and Peace
Charity is the bond of perfectness because it holds together all other Christlike attributes, making us more complete. It is the bond of peace because it helps us become more united. No wonder Mormon and Paul taught that all things must fail without it!
The Light of Christ
How would you treat people if you really believed that Jesus enlightens everyone? Perhaps you would be more optimistic about the good that people can do. Perhaps you would be more appreciative of the good that people from diverse backgrounds are doing. Perhaps you would have more confidence in yourself as well.
“Vaunteth Not Itself”
The word “vaunt” appears twice in the Bible: once when the Lord tells Gideon to reduce the size of his army, “lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me” (Judges 7:2), and again when the apostle Paul tells the Corinthians, “Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up…seeketh not her…
The Father of Lights
Shortly after encouraging us to seek wisdom from God, James explains why He is the best source of truth: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 With the twin imagery of gifts and light, James emphasizes that God is the ultimate source of…
Meek and Lowly
Jesus urged us to be “meek and lowly in heart.” Alma and Mormon also echoed this admonition. When we focus on doing good instead of looking good, we free up time and energy, increasing our capacity to do God’s work and receive gifts from Him.
Church History Connections
Enlightened
God can not only reveal information to us; He can also help us improve our ability to acquire knowledge and to use it wisely. The prophet Mormon indicated that we already have these abilities: “The Spirit of Christ is given to every man [and woman], that he [or she] may know good from evil” (Moroni…
Peaceable Things
In December of 1830, the Lord promised Edward Partridge that he would receive the Holy Ghost, which would teach him “the peaceable things of the kingdom” (Doctrine and Covenants 36:2). The following month, He made the same promise to James Covill (Doctrine and Covenants 39:6), and a month after that, He extended the promise to…
Godliness
In an 1829 revelation to Joseph Smith, Sr., God listed ten attributes we should remember as we do His work (Doctrine and Covenants 4:6). Today, I studied the seventh of those attributes: godliness. As President Russell M. Nelson observed, “Godliness is an attribute that seems as difficult to define as it is to attain” (“These…Were…
We Believe All Things
A person who has charity, according to the apostle Paul, “believeth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). Mormon made the same assertion in a sermon on faith, hope, and charity. (See Moroni 7:45.) And Joseph Smith included the statement in one of the Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “We…
All Posts Referencing Moroni 7
- Let God Prevail (3/2/2026)
- “Walk with Me” (1/27/2026)
- Shepherds: Keeping Watch (12/26/2025)
- 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)