One of Joseph Smith’s revelations declared, “Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor. How did the gold get there in the first place? As we remember it today, we declare our solemn testimony to all mankind that, indeed, Moroni did come! This includes the historic Tabernacle and Assembly Hall. According to Smith, the angel was the guardian of the golden plates, buried in the hill Cumorah near Smith's home in western New York; Latter Day Saints believe the plates were the source material for the Book of Mormon. (Moroni 10:3-5]), Revelation 14:6 reads "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.". Moroni's 36 year trek to New York by Douglas K. Christensen It is interesting to note that the brethren mentioned on these documents were contemporaries of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and they credited him with the notion that the travels of Moroni began in the land Bountiful, which was in Central America, and went through to western New York. A fight against a hostile force that outnumbered them thousands to one. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten. Description of the Urim and Thummim. For a chart outlining said visits, click here.. New: Shop to Support Independent Journalism. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. Raw Story is independent. Early command. In the last chapter of the book, Moroni leaves the reader with an exhortation and a promise: "Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. He believed this temple would fulfill a verse. The iconic Salt Lake City Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints faced only minor damage. Mormons: How did Moroni become an angel? The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. But we need your support to do what we do. Some gold was said to be left by Spanish entrepreneurs who forced the Native Americans to dig some of the mines for them. As a general, he led the last army of his people in a desperate fight for survival. The Angel Moroni (/ m oʊ ˈ r oʊ n aɪ /) is an angel whom Joseph Smith reported as having visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. click here to become a subscriber. Moroni was left alone and described his situation: "My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go" (Mormon 8:5]). Eleven days after the book was printed, the Church was organized. Moroni declared “that the time was at hand for the Gospel 3 in all its fullness to be preached in power, unto all nations” and that Joseph was “to be an instrument in the hands of God” in that work. That temple will face west, as will the statue, according to the rendering. The 12-foot angel standing on the building’s highest tower was shaken to such an extent that the trumpet once positioned to its lips was dislodged and plummeted to the base of the spire. Thank you. On his "Moroni Faces East" page, Brian Olson states: “Does the Angel Moroni on LDS Temples Always Face East?”, "Know Your Moroni, A Field Guide to Angel Moroni Statues", The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, https://www.mormonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Moroni&oldid=38976. Others drew on an obscure item of folklore (as much. Moroni (/ m ə ˈ r oʊ n aɪ /), according to the Book of Mormon, was the last Nephite prophet, historian, and military commander who lived in the Americas in the late fourth and early fifth centuries.He is later known as the Angel Moroni, who presented the golden plates to Joseph Smith, who translated the plates upon which the Book of Mormon was originally written. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. However, this angel was not specifically Moroni, it was just a generic angel and was a part of a weathervane. Three years later, Smith claimed that an angel named Moroni appeared to him. It was published in 1830. Latter-day Saints associate this appearance of Moroni with a verse from John the Revelator’s vision of “another angel fly[ing] in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Moroni serves both as a symbol of Latter-day Saint heritage but also of the Saints’ responsibility to preach the gospel in the last days.