Man Must Hope



Moroni buries the plates

Life is made up of mostly mundane, routine, everyday stuff, isn’t it? Sleeping, eating, working, commuting. Homework, yardwork, schoolwork, paperwork. Small talk. Hitting ‘snooze.’ Feeding the dog. Taking out the trash. Watching TV.

But of course, life is also seasoned with experiences and moments that are unforgettable, right? Milestones, vacations, goals, family time, you name it. Lots of great stuff, some of which will endure, literally, forever. Some of my favorite, best remembered moments in life are conversations I’ve had. Friends, family members, coworkers, bosses—those conversations can come from anywhere, be shared with anyone.

Some of the conversations I cherish most? Discussions about spiritual, important things, especially with close friends and family. I remember discussions I had with teachers 35 years ago, with fellow missionaries and Church members and curious investigators 25 years ago. I’ve had memorable talks with friends and co-workers throughout my life. My favorites are those I have with family—and some of the greatest are those I’ve had with my parents.

I remember great lessons they taught me when I was just a little kid—for example the one about the spirit and body, in which Dad used a pen and pen cap to illustrate. I remember talks about Joseph Smith’s life and death. And of course, talking about Jesus; His life, parables, and the atonement. Some great conversations—and the great thing is that we can still have these conversations, and do, every time we get together.

I have been lately pondering the conversations Moroni might have had with his father, Mormon. We have a few epistles and chapters in the Book of Mormon to give us a pretty good idea of what they spoke about. With the thought of those wonderful conversations as a backdrop, I’d like to ponder for a moment the writings of Moroni.

Consider the lives that Moroni and Mormon led. They saw their loved ones, their families and friends all killed. Mormon was finally murdered by a civilization which delighted in wickedness as vile as you can imagine—including human sacrifice and cannibalistic torture. Mormon’s life’s work—compiling and editing the history of two great civilizations—was cut just short, and his son Moroni was charged with its completion.

Mormon and Moroni spent years on the run, as two of the last twenty-four living Nephites. Moroni spent at least two decades alone—the last Nephite, in hiding after his father’s death. Etching carefully into metal plates, abridging Ether’s record, adding his father’s epistles and teachings, he avoided the hunting enemy. If anyone ever had reason to sorrow, it was Moroni. He wrote of his father being slain in battle, of the death of his friends and kinsfolk, of his not knowing whither to go or how long the Lord would let him live.

We know he lived like this for at least another 20 years. I can hardly think of a life more heartbreaking and traumatic. Five times, Moroni seems to end his record, bidding us farewell, ending his writing with the customary ‘amen.’ But five times, he continues that record, adding an epistle, a thought, an invitation, or a warning. Moroni had decades—decades—to think, ponder, and pray, completely alone.

He was visited by Christ. He wrote of those whose faith was so strong, things “could no longer be kept without the veil.” I imagine Moroni had faith of that nature. His writings on faith, charity, spiritual gifts, miracles, the atonement, the power of the Holy Ghost, and becoming perfected in Christ are some of the greatest ever recorded. But to me, there is one topic he and Mormon wrote about that might be most notable.

He wrote prolifically of hope.

In fact, more than two dozen times, Moroni speaks of hope. Moroni’s writing (less than fifty pages), has about as much teaching about hope as the other 480 pages of the Book of Mormon combined! A man who was left to wander alone, his family and friends all murdered by those that pursued him, gives us some of the most beautiful, uplifting, hope-filling words ever taught! (It’s also worth mentioning that the hunted, forsaken Moroni also wrote beautifully about hope’s close cousins, faith and charity).

Some examples:

   “But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen. Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith” (Ether 12:8-9).

   “… I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven” (Moroni 7:3).

   “Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope” (Moroni 7:42).

   “… pray unto the Father with all energy of heart, that ye may be filled with his love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen” (Moroni 7:48).

   “… because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love” (Moroni 8:26).

   “… thou hast prepared a house for man, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a more excellent hope; wherefore man must hope” (Ether 12:32).

There are so many amazing doctrinal and inspirational truths in the last fifty pages of the Book of Mormon. I believe it is even more meaningful when you consider those pages also contain undoubtedly the most harrowing descriptions of circumstances found in the Book of Mormon—these great prophet-historians lived in the worst of times, yet had strong faith and the sweetest of teachings.

The message of hope is even more significant when you consider the definitions of the word itself. Currently, Merriam-Webster defines hope as “to cherish a desire with anticipation” and “to desire with expectation of obtainment” and “to expect with confidence.” However, looking at the meaning in the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary is probably more descriptive and accurate, as these would have been closer to the meanings revealed to Joseph Smith as he translated the work.

The 1828 dictionary adds “confidence in a future event; the highest degree of well-founded expectation of good; a desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable That which gives hope; he or that which furnishes ground of expectation, or promises desired good. An opinion or belief not amounting to certainty, but grounded on substantial evidence.”

That’s a lot deeper, isn’t it? There’s also another point made in the 1828 version. “Hope differs from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired, or the possibility of possessing it. Hope therefore always gives pleasure or joy; whereas wish and desire may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety.”

Read that last part one more time… Hope always gives pleasure or joy, whereas wish and desire may produce pain and anxiety. One might imagine a woeful, depressed, broken Moroni, clinging to life and sanity. Reading his writing, and considering the true meaning of one of his favorite topics, we get the real picture. Moroni was full of faith, hope, and charity, working on becoming perfected in Christ, loving his brethren and inviting us all to come unto Christ. If Webster’s was right, in 1828, Moroni was full of joy, not hate, fear, or self-pity. He was full of hope!

If you’re not quite convinced, take five minutes and read the last two and a half pages of the Book of Mormon—Moroni’s last words to us. Read about faith, hope, charity, despair, love, grace, spiritual gifts, gratitude, good, truth, sanctification, and rest. While he exhorts and challenges us, he does it with a sense of joy and love and hope for us as he bids his final farewell.

A last note about the power of these last chapters of the Book of Mormon. In late June, 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, along with a couple of Apostles of the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were headed to yet another jail on yet another trumped up charge. As they traveled, Joseph told his companions, “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning.”

That day, his brother Hyrum read to him from the Book of Mormon, presumably to comfort his brother and their companions. Hyrum read from Ether Chapter 12, in which Moroni is bidding farewell to the Gentiles, praying to the Lord to give them grace and charity. Hyrum read the comforting, ultimately prophetic verses, then turned down the corner of the page to mark the verses which he read. Two or three days later, Joseph and Hyrum were murdered by a mob of 150 to 200, shot to death in an Illinois jail (see Doctrine and Covenants 135).

How inspiring and humbling it is to think about this amazing cycle of spiritual connection. I imagine Joseph Smith, twenty years earlier, laboring to translate the records, learning of men like Mormon and Moroni. I see him reading their very prophecies of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and I envision Mormon and Moroni learning of how the record and Christ’s restored Church will come forth. I envision Joseph reading and preaching from the scriptures, teaching others, seeing their conversions through the words of this powerful book.

And then I imagine Joseph Smith, being torn yet again from his family, and imprisoned yet again by conspirators and mobsters. I can see Hyrum and Joseph reading in their last hours on Earth from the book they helped bring forth, which would bless countless lives for eternity. And I expect they, like Moroni and Momon, were once again filled with hope, comfort and joy.

Life is hard for us all, at some time or another. We face challenges; some of us will even have trials similar to those faced by Moroni and Mormon—losing family or friends, finding ourselves alone. Perhaps that is why their message is so meaningful to so many—they endured the unthinkable. I’m grateful for their sacrifice and their teaching. Even more, I appreciate the sacrifice, teaching, and love of Christ, the source of all good gifts, who did endure all things so He could comfort us. I appreciate His encouragement and belief in us. Through Him, we can experience that same comfort and joy… and hope.

Moroni was right... Man must hope.

On Dry Ground (Helaman Ch. 8 & 12)

Moses parting the Red Sea

Throughout the book of Helaman, the prophet Nephi gives many examples of how the Lord has shown His power to His children. In Helaman Chapter 8, Nephi reminds us of God's miracles with the children of Israel, for example their crossing the Red Sea on dry ground.

In Helaman Chapter 12, Nephi again recounts many ways the Lord has and will demonstrate His power to us, including the ability to "dry up the waters of the great deep." This week, I have been thinking of why the Lord used this teaching example. More importantly, I've been reminded of a miracle that-- to me, anyway-- is no less impressive than parting the sea.

Before you hear of my miracle, first let's consider why the Lord uses this example for teaching us. In the case of the Red Sea, He caused a great wind to create a gap in the sea so Moses and the children of Israel could cross it. The Egyptian soldiers, with their swords and horses and chariots, were swallowed up in the depths of the water as they pursued Moses and his people.

This story is amazing, isn't it? It's exciting, and even a little scary to envision those walls of water, towering above you as you faithfully follow the prophet. But to me, the most significant, poignant point of this account is a seemingly small detail that begs the question, why did God make the ground dry?

Think of it... They could have crossed over on damp sand. They could have walked carefully around a few puddles. They could have splashed through an inch or two of ankle-deep water as they walked to safety. But the Lord caused the ground to be dry, as we read in several accounts throughout the Old and New Testament, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. In all of those accounts, including Nephi's retelling, the ground was dry.

The Lord may have made the ground dry so the Israelites would have more courage in walking between the walls of water. He may have made the ground dry so they could more quickly get across, creating just enough distance between them and the Egyptians as the water came crashing down. Could it be that the dry ground was just an inconsequential little detail or coincidence? I don't think so.

I believe the Lord wanted to demonstrate His absolute power to deliver us, His absolute attention to our lives and our trials, and His absolute ability to get us through them. God made it clear through this event that He is real, and that He loves us, and that He is omnipotent-- the Creator of Earth and Heaven. The Israelites had more trials ahead, and God blessed them with this faith-promoting miracle-- the undeniable delivery across the dry ground. There is no way the children of Israel could have seen this event in any other light.

MRI showing the growth at right

This past year, God gave our family a miracle that is just as powerful as those from the Old Testament days. In February of 2015, just a couple weeks after we moved from the Seattle area to the Portland area, our then-fourteen-year-old son Liam was diagnosed with an unusual growth between his brain and inner cranium. The condition required neurosurgery to repair, and his recovery was slow. He was in the hospital for a week, lying in bed, barely moving after the day-long surgery. He spent several weeks afterward recovering gradually at home.

We were so grateful he was able to get through the surgery and have no problems with the eye which this condition had affected, and that he hadn't had adverse effects prior to the surgery. Doctors were shocked that he had not had dizziness or headaches or problems before his surgery. The condition would have likely soon caused damage to his optic nerve, and probably meningitis. But he'd had no real discomfort before the diagnosis. There were, however plenty of headaches and dizziness as he recovered from surgery, and it was several weeks before we felt okay about him walking around unaccompanied by my wife or me.

We were still grateful for this miracle. He had gotten the diagnosis, received amazing care, and had an incredible surgery to repair the linings around his brain. His neurosurgeon had dealt wonderfully with this issue which she had never seen or heard of ever presenting in a patient this way before, and there was no cancer or malignancy. These were all miracles that were the result of priesthood blessings and prayers and fasting by people all over the U.S and Canada, some of whom we have never even met. But it is only now, almost a year later, that I can see a greater miracle has happened.

Liam recovering in the hospital

Liam had many visits with occupational therapists during his stay in the hospital and for several months afterward. They gave him exercises and tests, and kept us appraised of his progress and challenges. A few months after the surgery, Liam was still having some issues processing and following verbal instructions. The therapists let us know he would likely need someone to accompany him at school all day, making sure he captured all the instructions the teachers gave him. Or, at the very least they could get the teachers to write out all of their instructions especially for Liam, essentially giving him a transcription of what they would talk about at class.

Although I was just heartbroken about how he would probably have to go through high school, potentially with someone walking with him from class to class, I was still grateful. At this point, the Lord had certainly done enough to show us He was mindful, loving and powerful. Our son was safe and healthy and humble and happy. However, the Lord must have really wanted to show us how mindful, loving, and powerful He is. He wanted to show us the "dry ground."

As the summer closed, and as we prayed for Liam's continual improvement, we decided to let him try to go to school on his own, without the accommodation that was recommended. We figured we'd see how bad it was for him, then decide which course of action to take with the therapists once he got started back at school. About five months after his brain surgery, he started high school as a freshman, in a new city in which he'd never attended school.

As Liam began the school year, he worked hard, doing homework every day. He must have checked his online grade tracking every day of that first quarter. He was doing well-- working hard, occasionally bumping into a tough challenge here or there, often having to research topics online at home as he figured out what the teachers needed from him. But he was able to get through that first quarter with the best grades he had ever gotten-- all A's and A-minuses!

Liam today with his sisters

In fact, Liam finished the first semester and is now in his third quarter with a 3.95 GPA for the year-- all A's and one A-minus. He's not taking any special classes, and has had no accommodations. He is working harder than he ever has, and we are prayerful and grateful, and just plain amazed at the way the Lord has blessed him!

I know the Lord does not always just remove obstacles for us, the way He did when parting the Red Sea. I also know that He does not heal every faithful, believing person who has a setback like the one Liam and our family faced. But I do know He chose to show our family His power and love in a way that we could never have expected. He surpassed every hope I had for Liam’s recovery, not only healing Liam and restoring his health, but also blessing him with the capacity, desire and capability of doing things he has never done before, academically and physically.


The Lord got us through this trial, leading us figuratively across dry ground in a way for which we'll be ever grateful. How has the Lord shown you His love and power?

My Heart Sorroweth (2 Ne. 4:17)

Throughout my life, learning of the obedience and diligence of men and women like Nephi shaped in me a belief that they were real-life spiritual superheroes, perfect in their faith and resolve. Life’s experience, as well as further study and prayer, have taught me these people had the same doubts, fears, and discouragement that we all encounter in life. As I've pondered some of Nephi’s admitted struggles, he has become even more endearing to me.

Nephi thought it was important we know he faced both afflictions and blessings throughout his life—the first verse he writes foreshadows the heights and depths he will take us through as we read his account. Think of it—he went from a life of privilege to that of a wandering pilgrim. He was commanded do to things that were super-human and beyond comprehension! In his family life, he experienced great joy and the worst situations imaginable—attempted murder and ultimately, war among his own family.

Nephi writes of “being sorrowful” and of their difficulties time and again; when trying to retrieve the brass plates as commanded, when they are without food and permanent shelter, and when he is unable to convince his brothers of the goodness (and reality) of God. He speaks of their affliction as family members died, and as women bore and raised their children in the hardest of circumstances. Nephi does not go into great detail; in fact he states that it was not possible to write of all their afflictions and difficulty.

Nephi writes with sadness of the afflictions and challenges faced by his younger brothers, who witness much anger and violence at young ages. He shares how others were punished for ‘sticking up’ for him, or pleading on his behalf when he was under attack by his wicked, scheming brothers. He writes of his wife pleading tearfully for his life, and the tears and prayers of his own children, begging for Nephi’s release at the hand of his treacherous brothers—their uncles.

Perhaps the worst moments and deepest sorrows he endured could not be put into words. While his family wandered in the wilderness, and when he was probably in his early- to mid-twenties, Nephi saw in vision his entire posterity—all of his seed and family—overcome by the seed of his wicked brothers. In the same vision he saw the family of Laman and Lemuel ultimately suffer, become scattered, and very nearly become extinct. Imagine going on for another fifty-plus years, striving, trying, preaching, begging, praying, and seemingly never giving up on attempting to convince his people to come unto Christ, while knowing, from a mortal perspective at least, it was all in vain—they were going to perish.

Nephi’s lesson to us, however, is that we love and strive and keep pressing forward, even while knowing we’ll face seemingly insurmountable challenges. If he could endure all he did, knowing the mortal calamity that would be the result for his posterity, we can keep going, can’t we? Nephi maintained an eternal perspective, knowing Christ’s atonement meant all would be resurrected, and there is spiritual hope and repentance available to each of us—and that progression does not end with this life.

2 Nephi 4 is a favorite of mine—it includes the so-called “Psalm of Nephi.” This is as much detail, or at least depth of expression, that I’ve found in any of his writings. Nephi describes his heart groaning for his sins, he speaks of his afflictions, and he shares with us all the feelings of his heart, including pain, anguish, and sorrow. In the same breath, he demonstrates again his great faith, his resolution, his love of God, his awareness of His grace, his will to press on. The prayerful, positive self-talk he shares with us should be revisited again and again!

It is easy to look at a man like Nephi, and assume he was better than us, different from us, and that he was somehow impervious to the frustrations of life. However, upon closer study, we see he endured more challenge, frustration, and temptation than most of us will experience in our lifetimes. I’m grateful we have his record and example to learn from—it helps me get through the times when my own heart “sorroweth.” And mostly, I’m grateful God has blessed me with the knowledge of the Book of Mormon and of His plan of happiness. Like Nephi, I know I can get through today!

Led to a Land of Promise (1 Nephi 2:20)

In the opening pages of the Book of Mormon, Nephi’s father Lehi has a vision in which Jerusalem is destroyed. He is commanded by the Lord to warn the people of the city, who mock and even seek to kill him. Subsequently, the Lord commands Lehi to take his family and flee into the Arabian wilderness. He is told that if he keeps the Lord’s commandments, he and his family will be “led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands” (1 Ne 2:20).

We read of the family’s highs and lows, their periods of trial and times of blessing. Their course is not easy. Young mothers had babies and reared children in tents and on the move. They endured times of near-starvation, avoiding marauders along the way. There were internal family struggles, including death threats among brothers and in-laws. Loved ones died, their ailments and suffering certainly compounded because of the physical conditions they endured. A dozen years after leaving the comfort of the family’s lands and estate, they landed in the Americas, where they had to plant and harvest and build a new life and community from the ground up.

From a certain view, all that work and sacrifice may not seem like such a reward. However, all of God’s children can benefit from the sacrifice and faith of Nephi and his family. Consider the additional scriptures brought forth, the record of Christ’s visit to the Americas, and the restoration of so many of God’s truths and doctrines as a result. Nephi knew he was blessed, and because of his faithful perseverance, I’ve been blessed too.

Years ago, when our first son Ethan was just a baby, I had a dream. My wife Darcie and I were walking, pushing Ethan in a small, rickety stroller. We walked for miles, day and night for weeks and weeks. We were in a seemingly never-ending run-down city that can only be described as a slum. It was dirty, dangerous and scary, and we walked through wind and rain and heat. Finally, we climbed a great hill, arriving at a new house in a lovely neighborhood with tree-lined streets. We somehow knew this new house was our home, and we walked through its doors in peaceful, joyful comfort.

I have often pondered that dream, thinking of its significant lessons. On one level, I took comfort, knowing the six days a week I worked while we lived in a tiny, old, rented duplex would eventually pay off, and we would one day live in a nicer home. Over time, I grew to believe the dream was not meant to teach or remind me about striving for prosperity, but to encourage me as I fought through challenges that come to a young father doing his best to raise a family—a message something like, ‘don’t worry, you’ll get through this.’

After almost twenty years of thinking of this simple dream, I have thought of other lessons it teaches. The house in my dream was clean, bright, and beautiful, but also modest. It reminds me not to aspire for riches, but to put the Lord first and let Him take care of the rest of my temporal needs. The dream is also a reminder of the mansions the Lord has prepared for us in His Father’s house.

The parallel between traveling to the house in my dream, and the Nephites’ striving to reach a promised land prepared by God, didn’t dawn on me until a recent re-reading of Nephi’s writings. Prayerfully reading the scriptures, pondering them, and also contemplating the lessons of my own little dream has led me to ask myself a new question…

What promised land (metaphorically and literally) has the Lord prepared for me to reach in this life? And what land of promise has He prepared for you?