“Mormon Speaks to His Seed and to the Gentiles”

Monte S. Nyman

The date of Mormon’s writing is not recorded. While it seems he is writing of A.D. 380, it could be anytime between A.D. 380 and 384. The Gentiles who would scatter this people (v. 9 above) are the people of the United States of America who scattered the modern-day descendants of Lehi that we call the American Indians or Lamanites. The same American people have responsibility to care for the house of Israel, but there is a smaller group among them who know from whence the Lamanite blessings will come (v. 10). These American people are the cultural Gentiles, or those “who are identified with the Gentiles” (D&C 109:60). These are members of the Church who have been gathered into the fold of Israel. As Nephi interpreted Isaiah 49:22–23, after his seed was scattered there would be “a marvelous work among the Gentiles which would be of great worth to our seed” (1 Nephi 22:8). Of course that marvelous work is the Restoration of the gospel and the spiritual nursing of the Lamanite people through teaching them and performing saving ordinances for them. Mormon speaks of the sorrow that church members will have for the house of Israel who did not repent (Mormon 5:11). These members know that the Lamanites are of the house of Israel, but most of the Lamanites do not know they are of the house of Israel. Through missionary work and the Book of Mormon, we must bring them to this knowledge. Mormon will say more on this later.

Book of Mormon Commentary: I Mormon Make a Record

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