Thoughts About Mormon

I noticed some new things when I was reading in Mormon recently. 

First of all, what kind of person was Mormon?  When Mormon was 10 years old, the record keeper (Ammaron) came to him and asked him to retrieve the plates when he was older.  Ammaron must have had divine direction that Mormon was the right person for this job—but I think it might have been already obvious that Mormon was not just an ordinary guy.

Because when he was 16, in the next chapter, the Nephites appointed him to be the leader of their armies.  Of their armies!!!  What’s more, he really gives it his heart and soul, even though he knows how unrighteous the people are.  He essentially spends a major portion of the next 4 decades of his life leading the Nephites into battle. 

He must have been amazing.

 

So now back to 10 year old Mormon, asked by Ammaron to retrieve the plates when he’s older.  In his record, Mormon records that when he was 11, “his father carried him into the land southward, even the land of Zarahemla.”

We don’t much about the geography of the Book of Mormon, but I assume that traveling large distances was not easy.  Young Mormon might have been a little worried about how he was going to get back to the right location to retrieve the records when it was time.  Especially once he was chosen as the leader of the armies.

What I read next was fascinating to me.  Moroni leads the army when he is 16.  They are intimidated by the large forces of the Lamanites and retreat towards the North.  In the next 3 years they are defeated and retreat two more times before they make a stand and are victorious over the Lamanite army.  When Mormon is 33 the Nephites again begin to flee from the Lamanites, and then end up in the land of Jershon “before it was possible to stop them in their retreat.”

The next part was what caught my attention.

“And now, the city of Jashon was near the land where Ammaron had deposited the records unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed. And behold I had gone according to the word of Ammaron, and taken the plates of Nephi…”

 

“Look,” I said to myself, “See that.  The Lord provided a way!  He plan was not undone at all by Mormon’s father moving him to a new city—he still provided a way for Mormon to go and get the plates.”

My next thought was even more amazing to me.  “Look,” I said to myself.  “It’s quite possible that Mormon was really devastated that his army kept losing these battles and retreating.  He might have felt that if he had been able to do a better job the Nephites would have won.  But—the Lord wanted him to end up in the right place so that he could get the plates!”

At that point I reviewed in my mind how vitally important it had been that Mormon get the plates.  I realized again that there is a good reason we call it the Book of Mormon—he was that vital to the finished product.  Mormon abridged all of the records.  ALL of the records.  How many times does he say that he is not able to include “a hundredth part.”  How accessible would the Book of Mormon be to us if it was 100x as big as it is now?  If we had to wade through all of the day to day bits and pieces of thousands of years of New World history?  And it was Mormon who (and this gives me chill bumps as I type it) heard the whisperings of the spirit and included the small plates of Nephi along with his abridgement when gave the plates to his son, Moroni.  Where would we be without the small plates of Nephi? 

 

I finished my scripture study that day filled with gratitude.  That a man like Mormon walked the earth.  That the Lord provided a way for his plan for Mormon to be accomplished.  And that Mormon was obedient and faithful and that my life is blessed because of him every day.

Wow.