Who is Moroni? Many millions have been blessed as recipients of the enormous spiritual blessings from the Book of Mormon, which Moroni delivered to Joseph Smith to translate. Yet, few understand the depth of Moroni’s mission and the impact it will have in the future.
The great prophet, Moroni, has seen more clearly our day and time than any other. Yet, his unique and far-reaching insights are not known to most. As his commission by the Lord, there is so much more to who he is and what will be because of him and his mission than is commonly understood. For instance, Moroni is the foreordained angel spoken of by John the Beloved in Revelations to take the “everlasting gospel” to all nations (Rev. 14:6-7; D&C 27:5; 133:35-39).
Moroni’s Commission
While the Book of Mormon contains “the fulness of my everlasting gospel,” we will see that there is much more to his mission than what he delivered to Joseph. Because of his great mission, the Prophet Joseph Smith was promised by the Lord, “wherefore, marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with Moroni” (D&C27:5; the bolding is mine).
Before, “the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah” Moroni had been commanded by his father, Mormon, who died in the battle, to “write a few things” (Mormon 8:1-2). In addition to that request, the Lord had “a great work” for Moroni to do over the next 36 years after his nation was destroyed.
Left alone, but far from idle during that time, the blessings yet to come from his efforts over those 36 years are enormous. Those efforts will eventually bless the world at large, perhaps more than they have been blessed through the restoration brought about by the Prophet Joseph.
Moroni’s Thirty-Six Year Contribution
Let’s look at what is coming from Moroni’s 36-year mission and onward efforts, which were commissioned by the Lord for the whole world community.
In the future, the sealed portion of those plates—compiled and sealed by Moroni—will be read from the “housetops” to the world. They will reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.
“And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the housetops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth” (2 Nephi 27:10-11).
That transcendent event alone will be more impactful for the world population than anything the world inhabitants have witnessed since the infinite atonement of our Lord and Savior. Isaiah prophesied about it, but most miss his message: “And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed,…” (Isaiah 29:11).
Notice, the Lord says, “…the vision of all is [come]… unto you as… a book that is sealed…” I believe when the Lord says, “All” He means it.
What Moroni Has Shared and Will Share with the World
During those 36 years, Moroni had access to the grand repository of all their records hidden up in the Hill Cumorah (Mormon 6:6). He had the Urim and Thummim and could read all those ancient languages. These included the writings of the Jaredites, who spoke the language of Adam, over their 1,600 or so years here in North America. Especially relevant is the vision of the brother of Jared (Mahonri Moriancumer), who, because of his faith, was given a vision of “all the inhabitants of the earth” from the end to the beginning of the world.
Mahonri was told by the Lord, “I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men” (Ether 3:25-27). This is part of Moroni’s commission—from the “housetops.” This is why Moroni says to us, “I know your doing” (Mormon 8:35). Moroni records:
Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw, and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared. Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them, and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up, and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord (Ether 4:4-5).
Because of his mission and commission, the Lord has given Moroni the keys of the stick of Ephraim, as He revealed to the Prophet, Joseph Smith:
I have sent unto you [Moroni] to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel, to whom I have committed the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim; And also with Elias, to whom I have committed the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began, concerning the last days; (D&C 27:5-6; see also Eph. 1:10).
Ephraim, The Birthright Tribe
So Moroni has the keys of the “stick of Ephraim,” and Ephraim is the birthright tribe of the House of Israel. With those keys, Moroni has the responsibility to help in the gathering of Israel in the latter days. As Joseph in Egypt , Ephraim’s father, saved the house of Israel from the “seven years of famine,” (Gen. 41:30) the Savior will use the House of Ephraim to share with the world the infinite atonement (the fullness of the everlasting gospel) that will save Israel both temporally and spiritually in the End-Times (Ether 13:1-12; D&C 133:32–24).
In the same context, it is important to realize that the book “eaten” by John the Beloved mentioned in Revelations Chapter 10, “was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things” (D&C 27:14; Eph. 1:10). In Revelations 7 we learn that the angel from the east is John the Beloved working with four angels. From the context of these scriptures, one of those is Moroni, who holds the keys of the “stick of Ephraim.
It is interesting that in Revelations Chapter 7, John is describing himself and telling the four angels–one of whom is Moroni–“Hurt not the earth… till we have sealed… an hundred forty and four thousand” (verses 3 and 4).
The Mission of the 144 Thousand
From the scriptures, we see that John the Beloved, Moroni, and three other angels coordinate the ordination of the 144 thousand from the tribes of Israel to take the gospel, “that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language…[and] to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.” (D&C 90:11; 77:11).
This blessing to the human family will be greater than anything we have ever seen like it, for those who accept the fullness of the gospel are then prepared to rejoice with our Savior as He comes to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords during His millennial reign.
When Shall These “Greater Things” Be Revealed?
The Lord tells Moroni, “And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people” (Ether 4:16). Read the Book of Revelations and you will know the incredible story of the End-Times.
We see the Kingdom of Heaven coordinated effort as both the cleansing of the wicked, as described in Revelations, who have rejected the God of Israel and the massive sharing of the fullness of the “everlasting gospel” all across the globe by the one hundred forty-four thousand, who have been ordained by angels.
Then the Lord told Moroni, “They [Moroni’s sealed portion] shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord… Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief. Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you… then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.” (Ether 4:6, 13-15).
Ezekiel also prophesies of these transcendent events:
“The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,…take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand… I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:… I will save them out of all their dwelling places,… and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore… And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore (Ezek. 37:15-28).” [They will be a ZION pure in heart people, 1 Ne. 13:37. (The bolding is mine)
The Stick of Judah and the Stick of Ephraim
As the gathering of Israel comes into full flower, which includes the “lost ten tribes,” we will see that the “stick of Judah” is much more than the Bible, and the “stick of Ephraim” is much more than the Book of Mormon, as phenomenal as those books are (Ezek. 37:15-28; 2 Sam. 1:18; Joshua 10:15; 1 Nephi 13:39; 2 Nephi 29:4-14).
John the Beloved, Moroni, and the other three angels have this great commission as described in Revelations chapters 7 and 10 and D&C 77:14. How grateful we should be for Moroni’s 36 years of preparation for the great day of the Lord.
Moroni prepared a special stone box high up on the Hill Cumorah and to the south of the grand repository for the first set of plates, which he placed there in 421 AD. It is important to remember that part of those plates were “sealed.” He knew that he would deliver those plates to Joseph Smith, along with the Urim and Thummim. Eventually, the sealed portion will be read to the world from the “housetops… by the power of Christ.”
I Know Your Doing
Moroni was then about 90 years old and was then impressed to write the Book of Moroni, which is a wonderful capstone to the whole Book of Mormon.
Additionally, you can read some of his amazing insights into our day, since he says, “I know your doing,” in Mormon chapters 8 & 9, in Ether chapters 4, 5, 8:19-26, 12:6-41, & 13:1-12. As an example of his insights, I share in a past blog article, how he flagged the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum.
From all of Moroni’s uncountable insights, I share three fundamental messages, since he saw our day and time more clearly than any other prophet. He knew he was speaking to us today:
1. North America is the Promised Land spoken of in the Book of Mormon, and “whoso should possess this land of promise… should serve him… God or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them” (Ether 2:8). People cannot say they didn’t know that North America is the promised land.
2. “…when ye shall see [worldwide conspiracies] come among you… awake [for they seek] to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries… that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you” (Ether 8:20-26). John warns us of it in Revelations 17.
3. As mortals, we cannot perfect ourselves. One of the many profound messages of the Book of Mormon, and Moroni shares this great message as he closes the book, is: “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:32-33).
Note: For those who lack faith and want to increase faith in God.
And the following is a scientific validation of our scriptures.
David W. Allan
P.S.
As an interesting side note, our son, Sterling, wrote a book, “The Vision of All, Our Past, Present, and Future as Foretold in Book of Mormon History.” Click the link and you can receive it for $10.
Photo: CC Flickr