Book of Mormon (Plain English Version)/Moroni/Chapter 7

Moroni writes Mormon’s words of faith, hope, charity...
(compare Moroni, chapter 7)

Now I, Moroni, will write a few of the words my father Mormon spoke about faith, hope, and charity. This is what he taught our people in their synagogue:

I, Mormon, speak to you, my beloved brothers and sisters. I am allowed to speak to you now because of the grace of God

the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, because of His holy will, and because of the gift of His calling to me.

Because of this calling, I speak to you who are of the church, who are the peaceful followers of Christ. You have obtained enough hope by which you can enter into the Lord's rest, from now until the time when you will rest with Him in heaven.

I believe this of you because you are at peace with all people. I remember God's word, that says by their works you will know them, for if their works are good, then they are good.

God said an evil person cannot do good, for if he offers a gift or prays to God without being sincere, he receives nothing, for his works are considered not righteous.

If an evil man gives a gift, he can only do it with a grudge, so it is the same as if he had not given the gift, and he is still evil before God.

It is the same when an evil person prays. If he prays without real intent of heart, he receives nothing, for God rejects such prayers. This is why evil people cannot do good nor give a good gift.

A filthy fountain cannot bring forth good water, nor can a good fountain bring forth filthy water. Those who serve the devil cannot follow Christ and those who follow Christ cannot serve the devil.

All good things come from God and all evil things come from the devil, for the devil is God's enemy and never stops fighting Him.

The devil invites and entices us to sin and do evil continually. But whoever invites and entices us to do good continually, to love God and serve Him, is inspired of God.

So take this warning, my beloved brothers and sisters, so that you do not mistake evil to be of God, or good to be of the devil. The way to judge good from evil is as plain as judging day from night, and you may have a perfect knowledge of what is good and what is evil.

The Spirit of Christ is given to everyone so they may know good from evil. Let me tell you how to use your gift in order to judge properly.

Everything that invites you to do good and that persuades you to believe in Christ is sent by Christ's power as His gift. By this you may know with a perfect knowledge that it is of God.

When something persuades you to do evil, to deny Christ and not serve God, by this you may know with a perfect knowledge that it is of the devil. For this is how the devil works. He does not persuade anyone to do good, not even one person, nor do his angels.

And those who surrender their will to the devil cannot persuade anyone to do good.

My brothers and sisters, now that you know of this light of Christ by which you may judge, be sure that you do not judge wrongfully. For you will be judged at the last day according to how you judged others on earth.

I beg you to search diligently, using the light of Christ, so you may know good from evil.

If you embrace every good thing and do not condemn it, you will certainly become a Child of Christ. And how do you embrace every good thing? Through faith.

Because God knows all things, He sent angels to His children to tell of Christ's coming, and that every good thing comes from Him. And God Himself told His prophets Christ would come.

There were many ways that God showed good things to His children, through their faith, all of which came from Christ.

If there were no faith, people would be fallen, and good things could not come to them.

Because of visiting angels and by God's words, people began to have more faith in Christ, and with that faith they accepted every good thing. This is how people were saved before Christ came.

After He came, people were also saved by faith in His name. By faith, they became the sons and daughters of God.

As sure as Christ lives, He spoke these words to our fathers:

"Whatever you ask the Father in my name, if it is good, and you have faith that you will receive, then it will be done for you."

My brothers and sisters, have miracles stopped because Christ has gone to heaven and sat down on the right hand of God, to claim His rights of mercy upon all people?

Christ answered the ends of the law, and He claims all who have faith in Him. Those who have faith in Him will hold onto every good thing. Christ pleads their cause as He lives eternally in the heavens.

And again I ask, because He has gone have miracles ceased? No, they have not, nor have angels stopped visiting people.

Angels are subject to Christ. According to His command, they show themselves to those who have strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.

The office of the angels' ministry is to call people to repentance and do the work that fulfills the Father's covenants. Angels also prepare the way of Christ by declaring His word to chosen servants, who in turn bear their testimonies of Him.

By sending His angels, the Lord prepared a way for people to have faith in Christ. And faith allows the Holy Ghost to have a place in their hearts, according to His power.

This is how the Father fulfills the promises He has made to all people (the covenant to Abraham, that through his descendants all the nations of the earth would be blessed).

Christ has said,

"If you have faith in me, you will have the power to do whatever is necessary for my cause. Repent, all people of the earth. Come to me, be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that you may be saved.”

If what I've said is true, are the days of miracles over? No, for with great power and glory, at the last day, God will show

you that these things are true!

Have angels stopped appearing to people?

Has God kept the Holy Ghost's power from them?

Will He ever withhold this power as long as there is one person on earth to be saved?

No, for miracles come by faith.

Angels appear and speak to people because of their faith. So if these things have stopped, it's because the people no longer believe.

Then they are cursed and everything they do is in vain.

No one can be saved according to Christ's words unless they have faith in His name. If miracles have stopped, then so has faith, and the people are in an awful situation, for Christ's redemption has no effect on them.

But I judge better things of you, for you have faith in Christ because of your meekness. If you had no faith in Him, then you would not be worthy to be numbered among the people of His church.

And how can you have faith unless you have hope? And what do you hope for? You hope to be raised to eternal life through Christ's atonement and the power of His resurrection. You hope for this because of your faith in Him and His promises.

So if you have faith, you also have hope, for without faith there is no hope.

And you cannot have faith and hope unless you are humble.

If you are proud, then your faith and hope are in vain, for only the humble are acceptable before God.

If you are humble and confess by the Holy Ghost's power that Jesus is the Christ, then you must have charity, for without charity you cannot do this, and you are nothing.

A person with charity is...

...patient
...kind
...not envious of others
...not boastful
...not selfish
...not easily provoked

A person with charity...

...does not think evil
...does not rejoice in sin
...rejoices in truth
...accepts all challenges from God
...believes and hopes in God
...endures all of God’s trials

If you do not have charity, you are nothing, for charity never fails.

Hold on to charity, the greatest thing of all, for all else will fail.

Charity, Christ's pure love, will endure forever.

And on the last day, things will be well for those who have charity.

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, pray to the Father with all the energy of your heart, that you may be filled with this love--a love He gives to all true followers of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Pray that you may become the sons and daughters of God--that when He appears you will be like Him, for we will all see Him as He is.l

May we have this hope and be purified, even as He is pure. Amen.