Moroni 6

#Moroni Chapter 6

#Scripture Mastery

Moroni 6:2-4 Moroni outlines the requirements for baptism in the Nephite church of his day.

Moroni 6:5-6 Moroni describes the habits of worship of the few remaining Nephites who were being hunted by the Lamanites. And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.

verses 1-4 Elder John A. Widtsoe enhanced our understanding of the earthly priesthood ordinances such as baptism:

Great eternal truths make up the Gospel plan. All requirements for man’s earthly guidance have their eternal spiritual counterparts. The earthly ordinances of the Gospel are themselves the reflections of heavenly ordinances. For instance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and temple work are really earthly symbols of universal realities and of truths that must be recognized if the Great Plan is to be fulfilled. The acceptance of these earthly symbols is part and parcel of correct earth-life, and being distinctly of the earth, cannot be performed elsewhere than on earth.

In order that absolute fairness may prevail and eternal justice be satisfied, all men, to attain the possible fulness of their joy, must accept these earthly ordinances. There is no water baptism in the next estate, nor any conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of earthly hands. The equivalent of these ordinances prevail, no doubt in every estate, but only as they are given on this earth can they be made to aid, in their onward progress, those who have dwelt on earth. For that reason, those who have departed this life without having accepted the earthly ordinances which constitute in part the conditions of entrance to the Church, must have that work done for them on earth. By proxy they must be baptized by water, receive the laying on of hands and accept temple ordinances. By this method, the path of eternal life, which all must tread, is made invariable in fairness and without discrimination. Were there any departure from this order, it would be a short time only until men might take upon themselves the authority of devising various methods whereby eternal joy might be obtained. This would be unnatural because order prevails throughout nature (A Rational Theology, 150-52).

1 And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized save they brought forth fruit meet that they were worthy of it.

2 Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.

3 And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.

verses 1-3 Moroni describes the qualifications for baptism into the Nephite Church. They are virtually the same as those listed by the Lord through revelation in this dispensation: “And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church” (D&C 20:37).

A “broken heart and contrite spirit” is a vital and specific gift of the Spirit we may earn through our diligent obedience to the Lord’s commands. It is the gift of divine motivation. This gift, once earned and acquired through personal revelation, provides the individual with constant and enduring motivation to obey the commandments. The reader should make certain he understands the concept of gifts of the Spirit. For a thorough discussion of this important topic see Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 1 chapters 7 and 8: Spiritual Growth—Gifts of the Spirit and The Blessings of Spiritual Gifts. For a discussion of the specific gift of the Spirit called a “broken heart and contrite spirit” see “The Solution to Pride—A Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit” in The “Natural Self” and “Spiritual Self,” in Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 1, chapter 5.

The word “meet” in this context means suitable, fitting, proper. The “fruits meet for baptism” are faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; an attitude of gratitude for the Savior’s atonement and a recognition of one’s total and complete dependence upon his merits and mercy; an anxious willingness and desire to obey and serve him at all costs; and a yearning to repent.

verses 4-9 It is fascinating to read in these verses Moroni’s description of the practices of the Nephite Church. At the time of his writing, with all the Nephites in constant danger, it is not possible to know how many church members remained and what the nature of their worship might have been. Moroni’s descriptions here of the practices of worship of the Nephites were likely based on the Nephites’ practices of worship prior to the great final battle of the Nephites and Lamanites.

4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

verse 4 “they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered” Here is the Nephite Church’s equivalent of our modern-day membership record system.

“nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way” They studied the scriptures. Obviously “perfecting the saints” was a major mission of the Church then, as it is now. We are also reminded of the necessity of diligently fellowshipping new converts. President Gordon B. Hinckley has recently taught that every new convert needs a friend, a church calling, and “the good word of God, to keep them in the right way.” Isn’t it interesting to learn that the need for fellowshipping has not changed in the last sixteen hundred years!

“relying alone upon the merits of Christ” This phrase implies that man lacks sufficient merit of his own to entitle him to return to the presence of the Lord. He must depend completely upon the mercy and grace of Christ. Each man is a beggar at the throne of grace (Mosiah 4:20).

“the finisher of their faith” Faith in the Savior must be converted to spiritual growth or progress. This is done through the process of sanctification wherein the blessings of the atonement are repeatedly extended to an individual as he repents of his sins and imperfections, re-covenants to obey the commandments at the ordinance of the sacrament, and then succeeds in actually obeying the commandments. Thus, is our faith “finished.”

5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.

verse 5 “the church did meet together oft” Anthon H. Lund declared: “Unless the saints attend their meetings, it will be hard for them to keep alive in the gospel” (CR, October 1907, 9).

“speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls” They taught and fellowshipped one another.

6 And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.

verse 6 The vital role of the sacrament in our spiritual progression has been abundantly discussed—again, see “The Role of the Sacrament” in Baptism, the Ordinance that Brings Spiritual Growth, in volume 1, chapter 18 of Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine.

7 And they were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; and whoso was found to commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the church did condemn them before the elders, and if they repented not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not numbered among the people of Christ.

verse 7 The importance of church discipline is two-fold. First, it maintains the spiritual integrity of the Church. Second, it helps the offending individual along the road to repentance. For additional discussion of the principle of church discipline, see the commentary for Mosiah 26:6, 29-30.

The principle of witnesses, outlined in this verse, continues to guide the modern Church (D&C 20:83; 42:80-83; 102; 134:10).

8 But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven.

9 And their meetings were conducted by the church after the manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; for as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.

verse 9 The word “whether” here is used with an archaic meaning and does not imply that only one alternative was possible. “Whether” here might be interpreted as meaning when.

“or to sing” Here, as part of Moroni’s instructions regarding how church “meetings were conducted,” he mentions singing. Evidently, the Nephite church, as Moroni knew it, made singing a part of their worship services, as guided by the Holy Ghost. Although the text does not indicate when this practice was officially instituted, there is a long history of the use of music and hymns in Judeo-Christian worship. Nephite worship practices fit nicely into this tradition.

The singing of hymns extends back to the sacred ceremonies of the ancient Israelite Temple of Jerusalem and beyond (There are several songs recorded in the Old Testament, even outside of the book of Psalms, that arguably predate the Temple of Solomon. Examples include: Exodus 15:1–18; Numbers 10:35–36; 23– 24; Deuteronomy 32–33; Judges 5; 1 Samuel 2:1–10. Gary A. Rendsburg commented further: “From as far back as our sources allow [the third millennium BCE], hymns were part of Near Eastern temple ritual, with their performers an essential component of the temple functionaries.” Gary A. Rendsburg, “The Psalms as Hymns in the Temple of Jerusalem,” in Jesus and Temple: Textual and Archaelogical Explorations, ed. James H. Charlesworth, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2014, 95. Also, Sigmund Mowinckel, The Psalms in Israel’s Worship, trans. D.R. Ap-Thomas, 2 vols., New York, NY: Abingdon, 1962, 2:85–90). Biblical scholar Margaret Barker has stated, “The Psalms were the hymn book of the temple, and in them we glimpse something of the ancient liturgy” (Margaret Barker, Temple Themes in Christian Worship, London, UK: T&T Clark, 2007, 137. The word “psalms” in Greek (psalmoi) means, simply, “songs.” Although many of the Psalms may not have been written or collected until the time of the Second Temple, most scholars agree that a large number were composed and in use in the First Temple period. See, e.g., Rendsburg, “The Psalms as Hymns,” 100). The Bible indicates that one of the functions of the priestly tribe of Israel, the Levites, was to sing in the tabernacle and, later, the temple in Jerusalem (See, e.g., 1 Chronicles 6:33; 9:33; 15:27; 2 Chronicles 5:12–13; 29:30; 35:15; Ezra 2:40– 41; Nehemiah 7:1, 73; 10:28, 39; 11:22. See John A. Tvedtnes, The Most Correct Book: Insights from a Mormon Scholar, Salt Lake City, UT: Cornerstone Publishing, 1999, 169. See also the writings of Josephus, e.g., Antiquities of the Jews, 7.12.3; 20.9.6; and the Mishnah, Tamid 7:5).

This practice continued through the development of Judaism and was adopted by the earliest Christians as well. The Jewish group(s) who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls were clearly interested in composing and singing hymns. Among the scrolls, more texts from the book of Psalms were found than from any other biblical book. Furthermore, many other scrolls containing psalms / hymns not known from the Bible have been found (A few examples include: the Thanksgiving Hymns, Hodayot, the Songs of the Maskil, the hymns of the War Scroll, and the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice. See, e.g., Bilhah Nitzan, Qumran Prayer and Religious Poetry, Leiden: Brill, 1994. Esther Chazon identified over 300 psalms, hymns, and prayers among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Chazon, “Hymns and Prayers in the Dead Sea Scrolls,” in The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment, ed. James C. VanderKam and Peter W. Flint, Leiden: Brill, 1998, 244–270. See also James H. Charlesworth, Critical Reflections on the Odes of Solomon, Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998, 51).

The New Testament depicts the Savior and his Apostles’ singing a hymn at the end of the Passover meal in which Christ instituted the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:30). Paul and James recommended the singing of hymns in their letters to church members (Ephesians 5:19; James 5:13). The Apostle John witnessed the singing of hymns in heaven, before the throne of God (Revelation 5:8–9; 14:2–3).

Likewise, the Book of Mormon contains many references to the singing of hymns. Lehi and Nephi, the book’s first authors, apparently brought the tradition of singing sacred songs with them when they left Jerusalem. Lehi “saw the heavens open,” with God on his throne, “surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God” (1 Nephi 1:8). The plates of brass, from which Nephi read, contained references to singing in the context of worshiping God (e.g., 1 Nephi 21:13; 2 Nephi 22:1–6).

King Benjamin spoke of his desire to “join the choirs above in singing the praises of a just God” (Mosiah 2:28). Alma spoke to the members of the Church in Zarahemla about singing “the song of redeeming love” (Alma 5:9, 26; cf. 26:8, 13). In 3 Nephi 4, after their victory over Zemnarihah, the Nephites “did break forth, all as one, in singing,” what was evidently a song that they all knew (3 Nephi 4:28–33). When Christ visited the Book of Mormon lands, many of the scriptural passages that He shared mentioned singing praises to God (See, e.g., 3 Nephi 16:18–19; 20:32–34; 22:1).

The singing of sacred hymns in Moroni’s day is by no means an unexpected occurrence. It was clearly part of the religious tradition of ancient Israel that continued not only into Book of Mormon practice, but also into that of later Jewish and Christian groups. Language from the Psalms can be found throughout the Book of Mormon and New Testament, which shows how memorable and important the words of these hymns were in the lives of ancient Israelites and early Christians. What is interesting to ask is why it was an important part of worship services. Beyond the fact that it was tradition and encouraged by the Scriptures, three significant reasons may be:

1. Composing and singing hymns was believed to be inspired by the Spirit and also to bring the Spirit. A Psalms scroll from Qumran declares that David was given the Spirit and that “he uttered all these [hymns] through prophecy which was given him from before the Most High” (11QPsa 27:4–11).

This idea that David’s psalms/hymns were inspired by the Spirit (by prophecy) appears to have continued into Christian belief (See, e.g., Acts 2:29–31). Furthermore, Dr. Barker has suggested that the singing of hymns was a way to invoke the Spirit, or presence, of the Lord (Barker, Temple Themes, 142). These notions fit well with Moroni’s comment that the church sang hymns “as the power of the Holy Ghost led them” (Moroni 6:9).

2. Singing hymns was apparently done in imitation of the angels in heaven. LDS scholar John Tvedtnes argued that when King Benjamin mentioned wanting to “join the choirs above” (Mosiah 2:28), it is likely that he was speaking at the Nephite celebration of the Israelite Feast of Tabernacles, “when a choir of Levites sang in imitation of the choir of angels” (Tvedtnes, The Most Correct Book, 169).

Lehi had seen the heavenly choir of angels (1 Nephi 1:8), as had Alma (Alma 36:22). The Bible mentions this angelic singing (Job 38:7; Luke 2:13–14), and some of the Dead Sea Scrolls indicate that human worshippers were to learn the songs of the angels and sing praises along with them (See 1QHodayota 3:22–24; also the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice.). This notion survived into later Jewish and Christian texts (For more on this topic, see Tvedtnes, The Most Correct Book, 167–169).

3. Singing hymns was an expression of gratitude to the Lord for his gift of redemption. The Book of Mormon contains several accounts in which the singing of hymns follows an event in which the Lord has saved an individual or group, or after the discussion of a redemptive act. For example, as mentioned above, when Alma rehearsed with the church members of Zarahemla the redemption of their fathers from physical and spiritual bondage, he emphasized that their fathers “did sing redeeming love” (Alma 5:9). Similarly, when the Nephites were victorious in battle (3 Nephi 4), they praised the Lord for having preserved them and, “did break forth . . . in singing” (3 Nephi 4:31).

Along with prayer, the singing of hymns has been a legitimate and central part of the worship of our Father in Heaven for millennia. The Lord told Joseph Smith in this dispensation that He is pleased by the singing of “sacred hymns.” His “soul delighteth in the song of the heart” and He considers “the song of the righteous [to be] a prayer unto me.” The Lord promised that the singing of such hymns by members of the Church “shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads” (D&C 25:11–12).