Who was Mormon? Mormon was the last great prophet-general of the Nephite nation, but he is better known to us as the custodian and the compiler of the records of his people. He was the editor of the greater portion of the work named after him and known to us as the Book of Mormon. Mormon's father was a descendant of Nephi. He had the same name as his illustrious son, who was born on the northern continent in 311 A.D.
When the younger Mormon was eleven years of age, he went with his father to Zarahemla. A year before their departure south, he became acquainted with Ammaron, the keeper of the sacred records. Because of the iniquity of the people, Ammaron hid these records in a hill in the Land Antum. He informed young Mormon of what he had done, and placed Mormon, who was then only ten years old, in charge of the buried treasure. Ammaron instructed Mormon to go, when he was about twenty-four years of age, to the hill where he had hid them and take the Plates of Nephi, and record thereon, the things he had observed concerning the people. The remainder of the records, and other holy things which he had buried with the plates, Ammaron told Mormon to leave where they were. Mormon did as he was bid, but soon events occurred that altered his instructions.
Mormon was, as was Nephi in the beginning, commanded by the Lord to make a set of plates. Upon these plates, he was to condense into an abbreviated account what he found written upon the "Larger Plates of Nephi." Mormon, through the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, discovered many instructions which would be valuable and important to future generations to whom they might come. These teachings Mormon included in his abridgment.
In his inspired preface, and written after he had finished his abridgment, Mormon wrote:
Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites-Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel;...Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation-
... also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations....
Nephi wrote concerning the second set of plates (the Smaller Plates) he made:
And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates; wherefore, the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things that transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates.
And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known to the Lord." (1 Ne. 19:2-3)
The Smaller Plates relate the story of the departure of Lehi and his family from Jerusalem, 600 B.C., to about 200 years before the birth of the Messiah in Judea.
When Nephi grew old, and was about to die, he gave the Smaller Plates to his younger brother, Jacob, who succeeded him as leader of the Saints whose chief city was in the Land of Lehi-Nephi. Of the Smaller Plates, Jacob says,
And he gave me, Jacob, a commandment that I should write upon these plates a few of the things which I considered to be most precious; that I should not touch, save it were lightly, concerning the history of this people which are called the people of Nephi.
For he said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed from generation to generation.
And if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ's sake, and for the sake of our people. (Jacob 1:2-4)
It should be noted, here, that, in addition to Nephi, who wrote the greater part of the Smaller Plates, Jacob, and seven of Jacob's descendants also engraved upon them.
That the Smaller Plates should be preserved for the benefit and blessing of future generations, is, we may be sure, the purpose for which Nephi was commanded to make them. We shall see in the pages that follow, the fulfillment of the prophetic words of Mormon; we shall see in them, the presence, and the power, and the purposes of God.