“Lord the Gentiles Will Mock at These Things”

Bryan Richards
“The weakness that troubles Moroni is his inability to express in writing what he feels inside, what he can express in speech through the power of the Spirit. He is obviously moved by the literary power and skill of the brother of Jared. His own writing pales by comparison, and he feels below the task of translating and abridging the work of this great writer and prophet. We can understand Moroni’s feelings of inadequacy. A comparable task for us might be to paraphrase and abridge all 38 of Shakespeare’s plays, preserving some of the continuity and brilliance of the originals. We, too, would worry that others would mock at our words.” (Gary Hatch, Book of Mormon Symposium Series, 4 Nephi - Moroni, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 111)
"Perhaps Moroni sees his own inadequacies and wonders how it is possible for him to accomplish his work or how he can represent the power of faith through the written word. He refers to the ‘awkwardness of our hands’ and says, ’When we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words’ (vv 24-25).
“We see in Moroni what we often see in ourselves when our faith falters or when we feel incapable of accomplishing what lies before us. First, we love to absolve ourselves of any responsibility and blame others for our problems. Moroni seems to do this when he says to the Lord, ’Thou hast made us that we could write but little’ (Ether 12:24; emphasis added). Can you hear yourself in a calling or situation for which you feel unprepared? How often do we lament, ’You got me into this. I never thought I could do this job?’ Second, Moroni compares himself to the brother of Jared whose writings were ’mighty even as [the Lord], unto the overpowering of man to read them’ (v 24). Third, he fears others might ridicule or treat his work with contempt: ‘I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words’ (Ether 12:25). And so we see in Moroni what is so common in ourselves: a tendency to [look to] others for our feelings of inadequacy, compare ourselves to others who appear to have talents we do not, and fear what others will think of our work as opposed to what God will think.” (Carolyn J. Rasmus, Book of Mormon Symposium Series, 4 Nephi - Moroni, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 252)

Neal A. Maxwell

"The concluding lines of the title page of the Book of Mormon read, ’And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.’ Likewise we read these comments:
"’If there be faults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire.’ (Mormon 8:17.)
"’Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.’ (Mormon 9:31.)
"’Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing; for thou hast made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost which thou hast given them.’ (Ether 12:23.)
“These concerns are noted not because of any array of imperfections in the Book of Mormon, but rather to show the conscientiousness of the dedicated writers and editors who with blood, sweat, and tears bequeathed the Book of Mormon to all mankind.” (Plain and Precious Things, p. 3 – 4)

GospelDoctrine.Com

References