Episode 61: Moroni explains why there are errors in the Book of Mormon

Mormon 6-9

The Lamanites kill a million Nephites on hill Cumorah

6^1-3 Mormon sent a letter to the king of the Lamanites inviting him to a battle at hill Cumorah (near present-day Manchester, New York). ^4-5 So in 384 CE, Mormon and all of the surviving Nephites marched to hill Cumorah (in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains), where they pitched their tents and waited for the Lamanites to show up.

⁶ Mormon began to be old, and since he (somehow) knew that this would be the last Nephite battle, he decided to write down a record on the plates of Nephi and bury them on hill Cumorah (except for a few that he gave to his son Moroni). ^7-8 The Nephites' hearts were filled with terror as they watched the huge Lamanite army march toward them.

^9-15 The Lamanites killed all 230,000 of the Nephite soldiers (23 groups of 10,000), along with all the women and children. Only Mormon, his son Moroni, and 23 others survived, except for a few soldiers who deserted to the Lamanites.

Mormon preaches to the descendants of the Lamanites (the Native Americans)

7^1-10 Mormon, who was wounded at the battle of hill Cumorah, speaks (somewhat) to the remnant of the survivors (the latter-day Lamanites, i.e., modern Native Americans). He tells them the usual things: that their ancestors came from Israel; that they must repent to be saved; that they must be baptized with water, fire, and the Holy Ghost; that they must not fight, unless God tells them to; that they must believe in Jesus; and that they must believe in the Bible and Book of Mormon.

Moroni preaches to no one

8¹ Moroni takes over the writing duties from his father, Mormon. He says he only has a few things to write; things that his father commanded.

^2-3 The few Nephites who survived the Battle of Hill Cumorah were hunted down and killed by the Lamanites, including Moroni's father, Mormon.

^4-5 Moroni says he's going to write a bit more if he can find room on the plates. He doesn't have much to say; but whatever he says, he says over and over again. ⁸ He says that the land is one continuous round of murder and bloodshed -- and it's all the Lord's fault.

^9-11 So now there are no more true believers left, besides Moroni and the three immortal disciples that are roaming around somewhere. But both Moroni and his father, Mormon, have seen them. But no one knows where they are now.

^14-15 God will bless whoever finds and translates the plates that Moroni buries. ¹⁶ The plates that Moroni buries will someday be dug up by the power of God. ¹⁷ If there are any mistakes in the Book of Mormon, they are the mistakes of a man. But Moroni doesn't know of any faults in the Book of Mormon. ¹⁸ But fault or no fault, don't condemn the Book of Mormon or God will smite you and send you to hell.

²⁴ True believers (Mormons) can move mountains, cause earthquakes, destroy prisons, be unharmed by fires, wild beasts, or poisonous snakes. ²⁷ Someday the blood of the (latter-day) saints will cry to the Lord because of the secret combinations and works of darkness.

³⁴ God (in 400 CE) showed Mormon some of the "great and marvelous things" that were soon to come. ³⁵ No use trying to hide; Jesus showed Moroni everything you've ever done. And it is awful! You've been proud; you've worn fancy clothes; and you attend a polluted church. (All churches are polluted, yea, everyone.) ^38-40 So why did you pollute the holy church of God? Why are you ashamed to take on the name of Christ (as in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)? And what's the deal with those nasty secret abominations? ⁴¹ Well, just you wait. Jesus is going to come and get you. His sword of vengeance hangs over your head.

Moroni explains why there are errors in the Book of Mormon

9^1-5 Moroni asks those who don't believe in Christ what they will say when the end of the world comes and they are about to be thrown in with the damned souls in hell -- that there is no God? How will they feel when their naked filthiness is fully exposed before God?

⁶ Moroni suggests that unbelievers turn to God so that they might be made fair and white. ¹² And that Jesus is both the Father and the Son. ¹⁴ He that is filthy will be filthy still. ²⁰ Jesus doesn't do miracles anymore because everyone has dwindled in unbelief. ²¹ If you believe in Christ, whatever you ask for will be given to you.

²³ Moroni quotes one of the worst verses in the New Testament: He that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)

²⁴ Here's how you can tell a true believer (i.e., a Mormon): They cast out devils, speak in tongues, handle poisonous snakes, drink poisonous fluids without harm, and heal the sick by touching them. (This verse is also taken from the added ending to Mark's gospel.)

²⁷ Believe anything and everything, no matter how absurd. ³¹ Don't reject the world's most perfect book because of its imperfections. ^32-33 The book of Mormon was written in "reformed Egyptian." If the plates had of been larger, Moroni would have used Hebrew and there wouldn't have been any mistakes. (Reformed Egyptian is a really tricky language.) ³⁴ Because nobody knows "reformed Egyptian" anymore, God arranged for Joseph Smith to translate the golden plates.

³⁵ Moroni and the other Book of Mormon authors wrote what they wrote to wash the blood of their brethren who had dwindled in unbelief off their clothes. (It's really hard to get the blood of people who dwindle in unbelief off of your clothes.)