Moroni is one of my heroes

Moroni was such a cool warrior, prophet, and survival specialist. Yup.  There are people like that in the  Book of Mormon! How cool is that?

Let me tell you a little about him.  Moroni is one of my heroes in the Book of Mormon.  He went through SO much in his life.  He fought in countless wars beside his father, watching his people die all around him.  The prophecy made hundreds of years prior was coming true- the Nephites would be destroyed because of their wickedness. His people the Nephites, had become so aweful that they were sacrificing women and children.  They had to sleep with their swords because being safe was non-existent.  Moroni and his father Mormon (who the Book of Mormon was named after.  He abridged the Book of Mormon by putting all of the books together in one single book) were some of the only people that still followed God's law.  They knew that their people, the Nephites, were going to die but they fought with them any way because they are men of integrity and they wanted to safe who they could.

Moroni watched his father die.  He watched his friends die.  He became the last Nephite still alive who refused to deny his Christ.  He had to hide day and night for fear of his life.  He had no clue how long he would have to wonder and hide until he died and could return to his father above.  Moroni lived a very hard and lonely life.  I could not imagine what he must have felt.  Depression.  Sadness. Loneliness.  To depths that few of us will know.  He was a fugitive on the run.   Could you imagine?  My heart aches for him each time I read what he wrote.  In his loneliness he still stayed true to his beliefs.  He still had hope.  He even wrote a whole chapter on faith, hope, and charity, much like what  the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13. My favorite verses in Moroni's discourse on charity are verses 45-47.  They are just great.  If Moroni can keep the faith among all of the carnage and sadness he had to see and endure, than surely we can too.  I look up to him so much.   I am grateful that the Book of Mormon ends with the book of Moroni.  It's the best.  I hope I can endure to the end like Moroni did.  That's my goal.

This is what is so cool about studying the scriptures! They are so much more than just the word of God, and by the way, the Word of God is extremely important.  But, the scriptures are full of people just like you and me that are trying to live in a crazy world, just like you and me.  Their times were more primitive, but they were people just like you and me and they had feelings just like you and me.  They were intelligent just like you and me and they generally wanted to be good people, just like you and me.  Their history is just breathtaking.  I love learning about the PEOPLE in scriptures. Moroni was just a super cool person.  I hope I can be like him when  I grow up.  And, some day when I go to Heaven I can't wait to meet him and hear his stories in person.  How cool would that be?

Okay, now I guess I can talk about the scripture of the week.  I guess. ;)

Moroni helped his dad abridge the Book of Mormon, because Mormon died before he could finish.  So, Moroni took over.  The scripture this week is found in the last chapter of the Book of Mormon, Moroni chapter 10.  Besides Joseph Smith's account of  the first vision, this scripture is probably one of the most well known scriptures among Mormons.  When our missionaries are teaching people about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this is a scripture that they use when they have asked people to read the Book of Mormon.  This is part of what we call Moroni's promise.

Moroni 10:4 says, " And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." And verse 5 continues:
Can you see why it is so important?  The only real way to know whether the Book of Mormon is true, or anything really is to follow this advice.  LDS missionaries are not supposed to force our religion on people.  They are supposed to, however ask people to do one simple thing- they as people to pray and ask to find out for themselves whether it is true.  The Holy Ghost is the testifier of all true things.

I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost.  Time and time again I have been able to go to the Lord in prayer, and sincerely ask to have an answer to a question.  And I have always received an answer.  Sometimes the answer I would like is not the answer I get, but I always receive an answer.  I am so grateful for the guidance the Holy Ghost brings and that I can have that access 24/7 if I live worthy enough for it.

Is there something on your mind that you have a question about?  Does it seem impossible to find an answer?  I promise that if you follow Moroni's advice and ask in prayer with faith and sincerity you will receive an answer to your problem.

Ps.  I smile every time I think about the love of God because He has given us the Holy Ghost so we don't have to go this whole life thing alone.