Mormon 7: "That ye may believe..."

With the Nephite people destroyed, in Mormon chapter 7, Mormon turns his attention to the Lamanites and attempts to bring them unto the Lord. His approach in doing so is interesting, though chapter 7 makes no mention of how it was received. It’s very direct and to the point; as far as I can tell, he makes no attempt to adapt the language he uses so that it is more culturally potent for the Lamanite people. Furthermore, considering the Lamanites literally just obliterated the Nephite people in the last chapter, he is incredibly blunt in his calls to repentance.

He begins by declaring the Lamanites as being of the house of Israel, suggesting to me that they had no idea of their origins or of the genealogy of their forefathers. It’s possible that in Mormon’s time, they hadn’t a clue that the Nephites were descended from the same genealogical line. How might a knowledge of their heritage have changed things? Who knows? It’s possible though, that knowing they were descended from a covenant and choice people may have led Lamanites to repentance and the Gospel. Or perhaps it would have prevented them from slaughtering the Nephites, as they may have viewed them as brotherly?

When urging the Lamanites to accept the Savior, he mentions that “ye must come to a knowledge of your fathers” (Mormon 7:5). “Ye must come,” he writes, not, "I will drag you along.” If we want to gain a knowledge of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the truths it contain, and of the restoration, we must work and study; search, ponder and pray.

Finally, in verse 9, Mormon writes, “This is written for the intent that ye may believe [Christ’s gospel]” (Mormon 7:9). The Book of Mormon was written for our benefit. We were provided the scriptures so that we could gain a greater knowledge of the potential for joy and a better sense of who Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are. “If ye believe [Christ’s gospel],” he continues, “ye will believe [The Book of Mormon],” (Mormon 7:9). Christ’s gospel, whether laid out in The Book of Mormon  or in The Bible, is exactly the same. The Bible and the Book of Mormon work in tandem to enhance one another and fill in missing gaps that were created due to the shortcomings of man.
(written Wednesday, December 28, 2016)