What’s the point of Moroni 9?

Moroni 9 is such an unpleasant chapter, giving a peek from Mormon at the horrible things the Nephites were doing, that it is hard to see why Moroni chose to include it in the Book of Mormon. I have usually pointed to the horrible stuff as an index of how bad things can get, and yet I don’t know if that was Moroni’s intent for including it. Did he really mean it to be a bellwether of society’s depravity or decadence? 

            I think the key to its inclusion lies between the awful stuff.

            In between the reports of cannibalism, rape, torture, starvation, disorder, and disobedience, we see that Mormon is still hard at work.

--He’s preaching to the people, trying different approaches—sharpness or gentleness—and noting whether it works or not.

--He’s determined to keep trying to preach, for his own spiritual benefit, even if his listeners don’t accept it.

--He’s determined to conquer Satan in his own life, even if others are not.

--He maintains his faith in God’s justice and anticipates God will judge his people.

--He seems to have wanted to relieve those starving in Sherrizah, even if circumstance and his people were against him doing that.

--He prays for Moroni (actually this was in Moroni 8)

--He trusts in Christ that Moroni will be saved to either witness Nephite repentance or their complete destruction.

--He trusts he will be spared long enough to pass sacred records to Moroni.

--He is still engaged in the work of record-making and record-keeping.

--He exhorts his son to be faithful in Christ and remember the resurrection and Christ’s mercy and long-suffering forever.

--He anticipates the day when all things will be subject to Christ (even if few seem subject at that time)

--He recognizes that the things he’s written could weigh Moroni down, but he exhorts him to be lifted by Christ.

In all of this, we see a righteous man doing his best to use his good influence on those around him, anxiously engaged in good causes, attempting to show charity, expressing faith in Christ, expressing hope for a glorious future (though stuck in a dismal and decadent present), exhibiting long-suffering among the evil around him, keeping a perspective of justice in noting that his people are worse than the Lamanites, and so forth.

He’s a great example of a good person who maintains his integrity in awfully wicked conditions. This is probably what Moroni wanted us to see. His example shows us it is possible.

Personal News Item: I've been working like crazy on a commentary on the Book of Revelation, so that is my next big project to come down the pipe.  This will take some of the blog posts I've done and add to them. My thinking has evolved a lot, so not all the posts I've put up here will be included.  I'm very excited about the things I'm learning and can't wait to share them with you!

One of Mormon’s observations on the Nephite records

In the middle of telling us what the Nephites did to deal with the Gadianton robbers and telling about the passage of time, we get this bit from Mormon about the Nephite records and history:

8 And there had many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous; nevertheless, they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of what was done among so many people in the space of twenty and five years;

9 But behold there are records which do contain all the proceedings of this people; and a shorter but true account was given by Nephi.

10 Therefore I have made my record of these things according to the record of Nephi, which was engraven on the plates which were called the plates of Nephi. (3 Nephi 5:8-10)

I find it interesting that among all the records Mormon notes a “shorted but true” account given by Nephi. That makes me think there were records of the same events that had been romanticized and distorted and twisted and elaborated upon. Mormon probably compared the different accounts and trusted Nephi’s account because of his righteousness. Prophets tend to see historical events through the perspective of “how is this increasing or decreasing society’s ability to repent, make good choices, and come closer to Christ?”

It is interesting to see that Mormon comments that some would find things that transpired and were recorded to be “great and marvelous,” but he doesn’t go into detail about who exactly that would be. Would righteous people find those things great and marvelous, but there just wasn’t the room on the plates for them? Or would the world find those things great and marvelous, but they weren’t worth noting because Mormon had to stick to the spiritual things?

Either way, I suppose these verses tell us why Mormon sticks to condensing using the plates of Nephi instead of the plethora of other records available. It is always fascinating to see what he interjects about the records he’s working with throughout the text. It is as though he feels someone (or a group of someones) looking over his shoulder who wonder why he makes the choices he does, and he feels he has to explain his methodology or why the alternatives aren’t attractive.

I can’t help but be grateful for the hard work he did. When I try to imagine what it would be like to condense a library of history books down into one book, especially while on the run from one’s enemies, I’m pretty awed.  But then, someday I will have to condense the events of my journals down into a condensed history of my life, so perhaps I should be more alert and thinking about how he does what he does.

When Ammaron gives 10-year-old Mormon charge of the records

2 And about the time that Ammaron hid up the records unto the Lord, he came unto me, (I being about ten years of age, and I began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people) and Ammaron said unto me: I perceive that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe;

3 Therefore, when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed concerning this people; and when ye are of that age go to the land Antum, unto a hill which shall be called Shim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord all the sacred engravings concerning this people.

4 And behold, ye shall take the plates of Nephi unto yourself, and the remainder shall ye leave in the place where they are; and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people. (Mormon 1:2-4)

It is extraordinary that Mormon was chosen for this role of record-keeping at age 10. Ammaron’s words about him are that he was a sober child and quick to observe. I have to wonder how much Ammaron had to search and do some observing himself as he was trying to decide who would be not just a good caretaker of the records, but who would be willing to write more for them and who would have edifying things to write.  It would have to be someone who was willing, who was able, who was committed, and who had the resources to take the time.  I think it is very likely that the Spirit helped Ammaron choose Mormon.

It is interesting to think about Ammaron’s faith as he gave this charge to a 10-year-old boy.  He had to have faith that Mormon would stay faithful, not only up to age 24, but for the rest of his life. If at any point Mormon had fallen away from the church, the records would have been in jeopardy and would have to be taken away from him.

I notice that once Ammaron found Mormon, he didn’t automatically dump all the records on him immediately. (And he couldn’t, since the records were hid up in the hill Shim, probably in enormous piles.) Instead, he gave him a charge to begin the record-keeping and writing of observations on the plates starting at age 24. This would give Mormon time to grow and mature into the role.

I wonder if Mormon had a really good memory, or if he began writing his observations immediately to prepare for that day and then had to condense when he turned 24.

I also wonder if maybe the charge of future record-keeping also acted as both a spur and a stabilizing factor in Mormon’s life, especially during the difficult times as he led the Nephites in their battles until the Lamanites wiped them out. Before he was 24, I wonder if he made important life choices according to whether they would fit him better spiritually for his record-keeping duties.  And once he retained the plates, I wonder if he ever found himself making choices according to whether it would help him write with the Spirit or not.

I’ve noticed writing this blog has done a bit of that for me, though I don’t see this blog as anywhere near the imperative for the future that Mormon’s record-keeping was.  For some reason I feel driven to write, even if I don’t know why. But I have noticed that keeping it going requires I live at a little higher level.  I’ve noticed I have to be more careful about the media I consume. I have to make good choices about what I do so I can be prepared to write.  It’s both a goad and a stabilizing blessing to me.

Perhaps you have writing that gives you the same feelings.

The Power and Faith of the Saints in Moroni’s Past

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As Moroni takes over writing on the plates from his father Mormon, he spends some time talking about factors besides the Lord’s purposes that will bring about the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. One of these that caught my attention was the prayers of the Saints.

23 Search the prophecies of Isaiah. Behold, I cannot write them. Yea, behold I say unto you, that those saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this land, shall cry, yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the Lord; and as the Lord liveth he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them.

24 And he knoweth their prayers, that they were in behalf of their brethren. And he knoweth their faith, for in his name could they remove mountains; and in his name could they cause the earth to shake; and by the power of his word did they cause prisons to tumble to the earth; yea, even the fiery furnace could not harm them, neither wild beasts nor poisonous serpents, because of the power of his word. (Mormon 8:23-24)

When I have read these verses before, I just assumed the saints referred to were the disciples of Christ, because of the reference to the furnaces and beasts that could not harm them and how similar that was the description of how the three Nephites were miraculously preserved. And yet, I now wonder if there is a reason Moroni called them “saints” and not “disciples of Jesus.” It makes me think that this could be describing the faith of the general church membership, not just the highest leaders.

I also notice that when Moroni refers to Isaiah, he repeats enough of an image—“crying from the dust”—that we can identify exactly where Moroni was thinking of: Isaiah 29. But he reworks the meaning a bit for his own purposes. Instead of terrible ones crying from the dust, Moroni has saints crying from the dust, essentially praying during mortality and beyond in behalf of their brethren. In v25 he also says their prayers were for the one who would bring forth the Book of Mormon, so it is a good bet it was also for all those engaged in the Restoration as well, as it continues today.

And Moroni wants us to know those prayers will be efficacious because of the great faith of those praying, and he cites the miracles they could do in the name of Jesus and by the power of His word as evidence of their spiritual power.

I don’t know about you, but it gets me thinking about what I might need to do so that my faith as a Latter-day Saint can grow to match those ancient Saints.

I don’t need to move mountains, but what obstacles in my life would I like to remove? I can think of a few, for sure.

I would rather not shake the earth, but it might be nice to use my faith to shake my false complacency.

What psychological prisons that hold me captive could use some destruction? What flame wars and beastly poisonous behavior could I use protection from by the power of Christ’s word?

How might our prayers, acting in Jesus’s name and by the power of His word accomplish?

Indications of the sad state of the Nephite church in Mormon’s day

There are some disturbing things in the text of Mormon from time to time that indicate the how the church kept falling further and further.

In Mormon 2:8, Mormon observes there was one complete revolution throughout the land, and it may be that there was massive rebellion in the government and in the church.

In Mormon 2:15, there is an observation that many of the Nephites were hewn down in “open rebellion against God” after cursing God, wishing to die, but struggling for their lives.

I have to wonder in what way they were openly rebelling.  To openly rebel and then be hewn down makes me think that the rebellion was related to something that would have kept them safe in war.  Perhaps it was open rebellion against summons to gather all the Nephites in one place as protection against the Lamanite armies. It is possible they didn’t want to because of the thieves, robbers, murder, and witchcraft in the land that would make a high concentration of people very oppressive to each other.  Also, with such revolution previously, the spirit of rebellion and ain’t-no-one-gonna-tell-me-what-to-do may have spread to the point that they questioned even the necessity of safety measures.

In Mormon 2:23, when the Nephites are up against a wall, Mormon urges them to fight for their wives, children, houses, and homes. This is similar to Captain Moroni’s Title of Liberty, but noticeably absent are thoughts of fighting for their religion and God. It suggests that religion and God would not have been compelling motives for the Nephites and the Nephites had an increased cynicism about the worth of their religion, probably based upon the lack of spiritual gifts and absence of true disciples of Christ.

In Mormon 3:2, the Lord tells Mormon to preach repentance with a specific message—1) repent, 2) come to me, 3) be baptized, 4) build up again my church. It sounds like many of the Nephites had been excommunicated or left the church and rebelled, but had not defected to the Lamanites. 

I think this pattern shows the effects of how growing individual wickedness among members pollutes the aggregate church until the church itself loses moral authority and trust in the larger society.  It’s a warning to us of something we don’t want to cause in our day.

Why did the Nephites have confidence in Mormon as a commander?

And it came to pass that I did go forth among the Nephites, and did repent of the oath which I had made that I would no more assist them; and they gave me command again of their armies, for they looked upon me as though I could deliver them from their afflictions. (Mormon 5:1)

It is interesting that the Nephites thought Mormon could deliver them from their afflictions. It is hard to know whether they thought he could make everything better, or whether they thought military victory was the be-all-end-all of success, or whether they hoped victory could give them breathing room they needed to fix other things.

Another question came to me too here: What evidence is there that the Nephites’ confidence in Mormon’s military leadership was well-placed? There is so much written about Captain Moroni in the Book of Alma, so what record is there of Mormon’s skill as a commander? The Nephites would not have resorted to him if he didn’t have some skills.

As I looked for the answer to this question, I realized that Mormon really downplays his own role as a military leader and any credit in Nephite victories. While he went into great detail as a historian on the clever tactics and practical hows of Captain Moroni and Helaman and Teancum in the past, he is very self-effacing about his own victories. Here and there he might drop a few words about fortifying or gathering or protecting key points or hint at a motivating speech, but otherwise he’s very brief, saying simply, “we beat them” or “we withstood them” or something of that sort, preferring to wrap his efforts in with the army at large.  And usually at the same time that he notes a victory, he also makes mournful spiritual observations about the wickedness of the people.

Considering the pride of the Nephites, Mormon’s style of leadership would have been hard to take. They probably felt he was a bit of a downer. It is extraordinary he was given command by these people in the first place; he wasn’t the type to draw attention by tooting his own horn.

Now here’s an odd thought: Mormon observed the Nephites put him in charge of the armies at the beginning because he was “large in stature” (Mormon 2:1) in his sixteenth year. The way he puts it, we get the sense that the Nephites were incredibly shallow to put that much trust in Mormon’s callow youth just because he was a big guy.  You also get the idea that Mormon wasn’t qualified for the position, but did his best anyway. This angle takes a dim view of both Mormon and the Nephites.

But if we take into account Mormon’s humility, it might be he was downplaying it. Turn it around and we could easily imagine a proud Mormon saying, “The Nephites cleverly chose me to lead their armies when I was only 16 years old—younger than Captain Moroni—because my observations suggested I would be excellent at military strategy and my large stature made me a poster child for men of war.”

It is probable that Mormon downplayed himself deliberately to keep himself humble when he could have let his position go to his head.  In the end, his humility allowed him to see the impending doom of the Nephites coming closer, even while that doom may have seemed sometimes on occasion to be masquerading as triumphant victory.

This suggested me that humility is a skill to practice even in victory or opportunity. Mormon’s life essentially proves to me it is necessary to spiritual survival. It will enable us to see the truth, piercing the comfortable illusions of society. It will also put us out-of-step with those around us, and we have to accept that.

Mormon speaks to those who don’t believe in Christ

1 And now, I speak also concerning those who do not believe in Christ.

2 Behold, will ye believe in the day of your visitation—behold, when the Lord shall come, yea, even that great day when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, yea, in that great day when ye shall be brought to stand before the Lamb of God—then will ye say that there is no God?

3 Then will ye longer deny the Christ, or can ye behold the Lamb of God? Do ye suppose that ye shall dwell with him under a consciousness of your guilt? Do ye suppose that ye could be happy to dwell with that holy Being, when your souls are racked with a consciousness of guilt that ye have ever abused his laws?

4 Behold, I say unto you that ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell.

5 For behold, when ye shall be brought to see your nakedness before God, and also the glory of God, and the holiness of Jesus Christ, it will kindle a flame of unquenchable fire upon you.

6 O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day. (Mormon 9:1-6)

When I have read this in the past, I have mentally been prone to say, “Yeah, you tell ‘em, Mormon! Stick it to those atheists and agnostics!”   

However, I eventually came to the interesting point of wondering how atheists and agnostics would have a chance to read Mormon’s words.  I suppose the Lord can bring about those circumstances somehow, but it is more likely that Mormon meant to address unbelievers in the church itself. 

After all, Latter-day Saints have the book and plenty of opportunity to read it.  And it is true that no matter what the dispensation, there have been people part of the church who go through the motions, hollowed-shells of performance without faith.  Mormon certainly would have seen far too much of that in his day, as he watched the Nephites (who were supposed to be Christians) self-destruct into depravity.  And he’s desperate to say something to help these people, to shake them out of apathy and show them the danger they are in.

In verse 2, Mormon asks the unbelieving reader whether they will persist in their unbelief at the day they are brought to stand before God to be judged.  It might be tempting for some to disbelieve in the judgment as well as Christ, but Mormon’s experience precludes that.  Mormon is an ancient apostle of Christ, one who has seen the resurrected Christ Himself. He knows there is a Christ, and he knows there will be a final judgment.  The whole reason there is a Christ is to make a way for that final judgment to happen and to make a way to escape the penalties of sin at that day.

So, the unbelieving reader must exert themselves to imagine a day of final judgment, of standing before God. It is something made even more inescapable and inevitable than death.

And what if the unbelieving reader persists in not believing in God until that day when they are actually resurrected and come face to face with God in judgment?  Well, then it is too late to prepare. Because then you’re there and there’s no time left.  The preparing has to happen before you come face to face with God. So to prepare, one must believe that event will happen and get ready.

In verse 3, Mormon asks the unbelieving reader to imagine whether they would feel comfortable in the presence of God once they realize that they had broken, scorned, and avoided all the commandments God gave.  Mormon points out that if the unbelieving reader has always broken and abused the scorned God’s laws, they will know they have sinned. That knowledge will make it very miserable for them to face God, and they’ll be more comfortable with the damned.  

Clearly, the takeaway is, don’t abuse God’s laws, even when having a hard time with them. They are there for a reason, even if that reason doesn’t make sense.  They are there to discipline us to become more like God. They are exercises adapted to the capacity of a mortal, physical body to allow the body to experience spiritual things and develop divine characteristics.

  

Verse 5 tells us that when an unbeliever is brought face to face with God and comprehends how holy and just God is and then compares him or herself, that comparison will be very painful and kindle an unquenchable fire of misery. 

This isn’t going to be an all-at-once comprehension, but a questioning and reporting process in which the unbeliever’s every excuse will be shown to be hollow and insincere.  The unbeliever will see and honestly acknowledge the incredible efforts Christ made to reach them.  They can no longer take refuge in self-deception; they will be brought to comprehend and assent to all the mercy and long-suffering of God.  It will be understood that Christ know all their pain and sin and could have and would have healed them, but the unbeliever would not even try to accept the gift.

This is all very uncomfortable to contemplate, but the happy thing is the unbeliever can come out of this kind of thought exercise realizing they still have time to prepare in this life.

So what’s unbeliever to do?  Verse 6 gives Mormon’s best answer. At the very least, the unbeliever must realize they have to be cleansed from sin. Mormon advises the unbeliever to turn to the Lord and pray mightily in the name of Jesus that perhaps they might be found spotless and pure at that judgment day.  At the very least, pray that you’ll be found clean in the end.  Pray that every day, even if you can’t muster the belief in anything else. I notice Mormon gives no guarantees; He makes no judgments about what the results will be because God is the judge. But the fact that He advises that course of action shows that if an unbeliever does that they will be spiritually better off than if they did nothing at all.  Raw repentance and prayer counts for something in the eternities, even if we don’t know what.

Faith in Christ is one of the first principles of the gospel.  Jesus said He was the vine and we are the branches (see John 15:5). Yet faith in Christ is easy to forget among all our efforts to keep the commandments, which means we are all at risk of becoming one of the unbelievers.  We are prone to wander.

For me, this reminds me how important faith in Christ is. I feel my faith could be improved.

 

I hope you will join me in an experiment to see how our lives can be made better by living through our days and solving our problems with a conscious (rather than merely subconscious) faith in Christ.

Mormon’s hopes for Moroni in the wicked Nephite society

After Mormon tells Moroni the awful details of the wickedness among the Nephites and Lamanites, he ends his letter by blessing Moroni in an interesting way:

And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen. (Moroni 9:26)

This can be difficult to parse because of a gigantic dependent clause stuck between the subject and the verb in the sentence. What it essentially says is, “may the grace of God the Father… and our Lord Jesus Christ …be, and abide with you forever.”  Be strong in God and Christ.

So what is that middle stuff trying to say?  “God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him..” 

Again, Mormon has just finished telling Moroni a number of awful ways the Nephites are disobeying his [Mormon’s] authority as preacher, as general, as apostle, as testifier of Christ. The Nephites are without order and don’t listen to authority, so it is comforting to Mormon that God and Christ rule in the heavens, and even if Mormon can’t enforce his commands, God can enforce His. And even if all Mormon’s society and his enemies are determined to defy God, it can’t and won’t last because eventually Christ will subject all things to Him.

It’s a comfort for today as well.  Even if the world seems determined to tread Christ and the commandments under their feet, it can’t last because God and Christ do rule in the heavens, and someday every knee shall bow and every tongue confess their authority. The best we can do is subject ourselves to them as soon as possible.

Mormon on the interplay between faith and hope

40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?

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.

42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.

 (Moroni 7:40-42)

These verses caught my attention recently.  Looking close, it seems that if we are trying to tell which comes first—faith or hope—it becomes a chicken-or-the-egg problem.  We have to have hope before we have faith, and we need to have faith or we cannot hope.

It is nice that Mormon (as quoted by Moroni) spells out exactly what church members hope for—it is hope of eternal life through the atonement of Christ and the resurrection.  That is one grand hope to center our attention on.  It is the hope that softens grief at the death of loved ones. It is the hope that consoles when new medical problems crop up. It is the hope that can drive us to reach for the Savior in our extremities and sins.  Hopes of worldly successes may be frustrated, but our hope in eternal life through Christ will not, provided it is accompanied by our sincere faith.

So which comes first, faith or hope? 

It seems to me that when I hear the promise of eternal life and its conditions, hope arises that it is attainable.  Then my faith in Christ is exerted to comply with the conditions, and my hope of attainment is strengthened.  And every time we are reminded of the atonement (as we must be over and over), we have opportunities to act in faith and again strengthen that hope.

On the other hand, we have elsewhere the statement that without hope, we’d be in despair, and despair comes because of iniquity.  I would probably add that despair comes of iniquity we are not willing to repent of.

So to get out of that, we have to humble ourselves and repent. Then we gain hope.  We have to be meek to learn what the Lord has to teach us so we can become more like Him.

The way Mormon goes into depth about hope teaches me about why Christ is sometimes called “Hope of Israel.” He’s the reason we can have hope.

Faith and hope are pretty abstract concepts and it is easy to have our eyes just glaze over on the topics.   And too, I don’t think faith and hope are something we really think about as we go through the faith-repentance-obedience process.  Rather, these are things that happen by themselves as we respond spiritually to invitations to act and promises of blessings.  I think Mormon wants to make us aware of these things so that if spiritual problems come up, we can do a little self-evaluation and see if we have these things we’re supposed to have.  It’s sort of like how the mechanic opens the hood of the car and does through engine checks when something has gone wrong. Usually we don’t look at the engine every time we drive somewhere, and the faith-hope interplay is like that. We just have to keep the Savior in our thoughts and trust Him.

Laying hold on every good thing

I’ve been studying Moroni 7 recently (a talk of Mormon's which Moroni recorded) and re-examining my assumptions about what some things meant. It’s been rather instructive.

19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.

20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing? (Moroni 7:19-20)

When I read this, the first thing I noticed was the exhortation to search diligently in the light of Christ to know good from evil. This seemed a little odd to me because I never thought of knowing good and evil as requiring diligent searching.  I have generally been one to make snap judgments. Things seem pretty obvious.

But thinking more deeply, I realize that no, that discernment between good and evil is not always as easy as it looks. I may only get one side of the story, or I may not get enough information about either side. Plus, there is so much of what we call spin and even outright deception in the world that appearances are not always trustworthy.  Evil slings mud at good to try to turn people away from it.  Maybe there is a lot more misinformation out there than truth.  So maybe it does require diligent searching to tell good from evil.

The next part I was drawn to is this phrase Mormon used—“every good thing”—as he encourages the Saints of his day to lay hold on it.  Just what does he mean by laying hold on every good thing?  I think I must have a very materialistic perspective because for the longest time I took it for granted he meant tangible goods or good experiences.  And that sounds rather overwhelming to have to do that.

But what has challenged that interpretation is Elder Oaks’ talk “Good, Better, and Best.” Elder Oaks taught we should focus on the best things, not merely good things. So it first made me wonder if Elder Oaks’ teaching superseded Mormon’s because it is more applicable to our modern circumstances of abundance and glut. But I started to realize that maybe my definition “every good thing” was off somehow, and perhaps there was a way Elder Oaks and Mormon harmonized instead of conflicting.

(By the way, I also noticed that “every good thing” and variations of it were all over this and the next eight verses. It is obviously that is what Mormon wants to emphasize.)

So I went looking for things that Mormon considered fit his definition of “every good thing.” The first two things that stuck out to me were v26 and 33.

“…And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be done unto you.” (v26, emphasis added)

I started to wonder if this meant it would be done for us or done to us. Having things done for us is God acting to change our circumstances, but having things done to us is God changing us for the better, with our permission. It suggests “every good thing” includes positive changes.

“And Christ had said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.” (v33, emphasis added)

This tells us that another good thing to lay hold on is the power from Christ to do what He tells us to do and to use our agency to do other good acts that we decide on our own need doing.

Then I noticed v22. (It’s kind of funny how I have to jump around to notice bits and fit them together.)

For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing. (v22, emphasis added)

For a long time when I read that, for some reason I would always first associate "every good thing" with inventions and scientific advances because I’ve been taught to see all those things as inspirations from God to push His work along. That’s what “in Christ should come every good thing” made me think of.

But this time I realized that true as it is, that is not the tenor of the verse. The verse is focused on the foreknowledge and revelation of God about Christ. It’s talking about “every good thing” as exemplified by Christ. It’s character traits. Christ gained every good character trait so He could help us gain them too.

And then I noticed other good things we can acquire, which were scattered over the rest of the chapter, so I started making a list of all I found.

Good things men can lay hold on:

--change of character (v26)

--every good character trait (v22)

--power to do good things (v33)

--miracles (v27)

--salvation (v36)

--angelic ministry (v29-30)

--prophetic ministry (v23,25)

--power of the Holy Ghost (v36)

--mercy Christ has the right to bestow (v27)

--faith, hope, and charity (v40-44)

All of these are intangible good things, so they can’t be bought. They have to be prayed for and worked for. They all require faith in Christ.

Odds are everyone could use something on that list today.  Which means we all have opportunities to experiment on the word, exercise our faith in Christ, and pray for what we need.  Let’s take that opportunity today and begin to lay hold on every good thing.

Black Comedy in the Scriptures?

I was just looking through a book called The Anatomy of Story by John Truby and I went to the chapter called “Moral Argument.”  He described different ways that a writer’s moral vision is conveyed in a story.  One of the methods is black comedy.

I was surprised when I read the following:

Black comedy is the comedy of the logic—or more exactly, the illogic—of a system.  This advanced and difficult form of storytelling is designed to show that destruction is the result not so much of individual choice (like tragedy) but of individuals caught in a system that is innately destructive.  The key feature of this moral argument is that you withhold the self-revelation from the hero to give it more strongly to the audience.  This is how the black comedy moral argument works:

·      Many characters exist in an organization.  Someone explains the rules and logic by which the system operates in great detail.

·      Many of these characters, including the hero, go after a negative goal that involves killing someone or destroying something.

·      Each believes strongly in the goal and thinks what he is doing makes complete sense.  In fact, it is totally illogical.

·      The opponents, also within the system, compete for the same goal and also give detailed but insane justifications.

·      One sane person, usually the ally, continually points out that none of this makes any sense and action will lead to disaster.  He functions as a chorus, but no one listens to him.

·      All the characters, including the nominal hero, use extreme, sometimes even murderous, methods to reach the goal.

·      The actions of the characters lead to death and destruction for almost all.

·      The battle is intense and destructive, with everyone still thinking he is right.  The consequences are death and madness.

·      No one, including the hero, has a self-revelation.  But it is so obvious that the hero should have had a self-revelation that the audience has it instead.

·      The remaining characters are horribly maimed by the struggle but immediately resume their efforts to reach the goal.

·      Slightly more positive black comedies end with the sane person watching in horror and either leaving the system or trying to change it.

This tricky form is easy to screw up.  For the moral argument in black comedy to work, you must first make sure your hero is likable. Otherwise the comedy becomes an abstraction, an intellectual essay, as your audience backs away from the characters and feels morally superior to them.  You want the audience to get sucked in so that they suddenly discover that they are these characters in some fundamental way and not above them.

Besides a likable hero, the best way to pull the audience emotionally into a black comedy is to have your hero speak passionately about the logic of his goal.  Writers who want to add some hope to the bleakness of the form give the lone sane person an alternative to the madness, worked out in detail. (pp135-136)

When I was reading those bullet points above, I said to myself, “Oh my gosh!  This is like the Book of Mormon (the one inside the Book of Mormon) and end of the Book of Ether!” 

Truby’s description of black comedy	The Book of Mormon at the end of the Book of Mormon	The end of the Book of Ether
Many characters exist in an organization.  Someone explains the rules and logic by which the system operates in great detail.	By this time, readers have a lot of knowledge about Nephite, Lamanite, and Gadianton robbers. Readers have also learned about the characteristics of legitimate “holy war.”	We learn some about Jaredite kingship and lots about the evils of Gadianton robbers.
Many of these characters, including the hero, go after a negative goal that involves killing someone or destroying something.	The Nephite civilization plays the part of the hero (and it has been heroic for most of its history until this time). Their negative goal is to sweep off the Lamanites. The Lamanites want to destroy the Nephites. The Gadiantons want power and gain.	Coriantumr takes the part of the hero (though we debate whether he deserves the label). His negative goal is to prove he can defend his throne and protect his people without repenting. He is opposed by a succession of warlords (Shared, Gilead, Lib, Shiz).
Each believes strongly in the goal and thinks what he is doing makes complete sense.  In fact, it is totally illogical.	The Nephites believe they have to avenge the blood of their brethren and make oaths that they will do so. This is totally illogical because their oaths force them to make revenge the main focus of their lives, driving out all higher considerations.	Coriantumr thinks it makes perfect sense to defend his throne and protect his people, even though Ether knows they are no longer worthy of defense because of wickedness.
The opponents, also within the system, compete for the same goal and also give detailed but insane justifications.	The Lamanites justify destroying the Nephites on the grounds they must reclaim their right to rule. The Gadiantons also want to reclaim their right to rule.	Gilead, Lib, and Shiz want to take Coriantumr’s throne and kill Coriantumr to prove Ether’s prophecy is wrong, avenge relatives’ death, etc.
One sane person, usually the ally, continually points out that none of this makes any sense and action will lead to disaster.  He functions as a chorus, but no one listens to him.	Mormon and Moroni both play the part of the ally of the Nephites, trying to point out the Nephites must repent or be destroyed.  The church dwindles. Mormon’s mouth is shut when he tries to preach as a teen.  He and his son are generals in the Nephite army, but near the end, they can no longer enforce their commands.	Ether plays the part of the ally to Coriantumr and the Jaredites. He calls Coriantumr and his family to repentance, but they don’t listen and try to kill him.
All the characters, including the nominal hero, use extreme, sometimes even murderous, methods to reach the goal.	Constant war as most delight in bloodshed. Nephites rape and cannabalize Lamanite women. Lamanites feed their Nephite prisoners human flesh of their family members and sacrifice prisoners to idol gods.	Sieges and killing drunken armies. Secret combinations. People steal anything not nailed down. Shiz slays women and children and burns cities, forcing civilians to flock together in armies.
The actions of the characters lead to death and destruction for almost all.	All people not killed are gathered for final battle at Cumorah	War is so swift and speedy that no one could stay to bury the dead. Even women and children are armed.
The battle is intense and destructive, with everyone still thinking he is right.  The consequences are death and madness.	Almost all Nephites die at Cumorah, except those that desert to the Lamanites.	2 million Jaredites die in years of back-and-forth fighting.
No one, including the hero, has a self-revelation.  But it is so obvious that the hero should have had a self-revelation that the audience has it instead.	The Nephites persisted in their wickedness. The Spirit ceased to strive with them. They are led about by Satan.	Coriantumr has a self-revelation that Ether’s prophecies had been fulfilled so far and 2 million of his people had died, but it happens too late and others drag him back into the war. The Spirit had ceased striving with them, and Satan has full power over the people. They are drunken with anger.
The remaining characters are horribly maimed by the struggle but immediately resume their efforts to reach the goal.	The Lamanites and Gadianton robbers who are left continue to fight among themselves.	Coriantumr and Shiz battle to the very end.
Slightly more positive black comedies end with the sane person watching in horror and either leaving the system or trying to change it.	Mormon tries to preach repentance, but is ignored. Mormon refuses to lead the armies anymore, but eventually decides to come back and try to help. At the end, he laments,“Oh ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord!” (Mormon 6:17)	Ether preaches to the Jaredites until they cast him out. By night he views what is happening to the Jaredites. Ether tries to convince Coriantumr to repent, but Coriantumr refuses and tries to kill him. Ether sees in the end that the Lord’s words were fulfilled.

Personally, I think this kind of story is badly named; I don’t see anything comedic about it.  It is incredibly tragic.  This is the kind of thing that the devil would laugh at, though.  (“Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen!” [3 Nephi 9:2])

In doing a bit of a survey of how others define black comedy, I suppose that Truby has taken a particularly bleak type of storyline and applied this term to it.  That’s his prerogative, of course.

As I’ve looked at the comparison between Truby’s definition and the events in the Book of Mormon, it seems to me that the warning of the Book of Mormon is all the more powerful because the Book of Mormon isn’t fiction.  This was history.  It really happened.  It shows that without repentance, society descends into black comedy.  If we don’t repent, we will become this.