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Tuesday, April 21, 2009 – Moroni 10
Everyone that has read through the Book of Mormon multiple times always goes about it the same way. Start at the beginning and finish at the end. Not this time! I’m starting with Moroni 10 and reading my way backwards from here.

420 years had passed away since the birth of Christ. No doubt, Moroni had wandered far from where he originally started out in attempt to escape the Lamanites that sought to kill him. If anyone has any doubts about there being enough archeological or cultural evidence of the Book of Mormon, I think this provides an incredible perspective. These are the last words of the last prophet of God’s People here in America. Their enemies want to completely erase Christianity, yet we know full well that traditions of the coming of Christ survive in virtually every Native American tribe. That is impressive considering that we are about to enter 1600 years (420 AD – 1820AD) with no prophets and no men of God keeping record. We know going into this long age of darkness that the Lamanites seek to kill anyone who will not deny the Christ. Traditions of the coming of the “great white god” survived the long night of Apostasy anyways. But 1600 years is a long time. It is 600 years longer than the entire recorded history of the Nephites in the Book of Mormon. Look to any other culture in the world and you learn that 1600 years is more than enough time to erase countless powerful ancient cultures and kings and emperors from human memory. Add to that the fact that the Lamanites were actively trying to erase the Nephites from memory, and it becomes surprising how much evidence actually did survive.

Moroni has spent all those years hunted by the Lamanites, yet his final words are an appeal to them – or more specifically, to their descendants. That is truly an example of the true love of God. The famous “pray about it” scripture: Moroni 10:3-5. I won’t be the first nor the last to analyze this passage.
1.) Remember that God is merciful.
2.) Pray to God in the name of Christ.
3.) Ask with a sincere heart – in other words do not go to God with the answer already dead set in your head.
4.) Be honest and open to both possible answers.
5.) And don’t pray just because someone else said you should or for any contrived reason. Pray because you truly want to know. God does not answer questions that we don’t want the answers to.
6.) Ask with real intent. This means you’re laying it on the line and committing to do something about it if you get an affirmative answer. I have known many people who prayed about the Book of Mormon and any number of other things in their lives. They say they didn’t get an answer. It usually comes down to this piece. They wouldn’t have been willing to change their life or taken any action if God had answered them. This acts as a giant brick wall to the Holy Spirit. As CS Lewis put it, “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’”
7.) The truth of the Book of Mormon will be manifested by the Holy Ghost.
8.) The answers to all questions and all knowledge and all learning will come through the Holy Ghost if you properly seek it. These verses are not just a formula for knowing the Book of Moron is true. These are a formula for receiving personal revelation and answers to our prayers about EVERYTHING.

As we continue on in the chapter we find the gifts of the Spirit. There are many of them, and we should not take any of them lightly. Gift of wisdom, of knowledge, of healing, of miracles, of tongues and interpretation of tongues, of prophesying, of angels, etc.
This chapter has some of the best insights into something that I often don’t understand well enough: Hope. If we have true faith, we will not spend every hour of every day asking ourselves if we are good enough. We trust in the Atoning blood of Jesus Christ. We believe Him when he says He has paid an infinite price and believe him when he says that it will cover our finite guilt and sin. Living with hope as Moroni describes it is living with an iron-clad sense of trust that God will take care of me in spite of my failures and imperfections. All that I have to do is continue to try my best and most importantly, never give up no matter what. Some day long after I am dead, I may become perfect. That is not the way life on this Earth works though. Live with hope. Stand up and be happy, not miserable because I’m a failure at perfection. Stay in the covenant and I know Christ will take care of me. I don't have to live in constant terror of not being good enough. Leave the covenant and I have no such promise. It is the power of hope, through faith, that any true Christian catches fire and becomes something truly wonderful to behold.

Verse 32-33 is perhaps the best invitation to come unto Christ in all scripture anywhere.