The beginning of the formal address begins in the same way as a formal written piece. There is the introduction of the person. It would seem that the cultural form of written and oral presentation have at least this introductory form in common. The colophon is the personal introduction, and we have seen it in several holographic books in the Book of Mormon. We find the same introductory declaration of person in this discourse.
Mormon also indicates that he speaks “by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Following the post-Messianic-appearance understanding of the godhead, Mormon makes a distinction and separation between the Father and Christ, which was not the theology of the pre-Messianic-appearance Nephites.
Mormon’s next statement is also interesting. He notes that it is “because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time.” (italics added). We have so little information about who was permitted to “preach and exhort” that it is presumptuous to make too much of Mormon’s statement, but he does appear to indicate that he is speaking by right of calling. Certainly Mormon would be expected to be one of the elders, and not necessarily a designated teacher. However, he functions here as a teacher in the role of providing exhortative discourse. Whether this is simply rhetorical introduction that declares his priesthood function as well as his name, or whether there was some limitation on the pool of speakers in the congregation is not known.