Moroni 10

Moroni 10.4 – Ask if these things are not true – An Example of a Negative Question

Why does Moroni ask us to ask Heavenly Father if these things are not true?

This is an example of a negative question where the questioner is certain of the answer. Many negative questions such as this exist in the English translation of the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. It is similar to taking your family on a warm sunny day for a drive and asking, “Is not this the best weather today?”

While we usually do not speak in this manner, this was a common thing in the ancient world. From my Greek studies this past year I have seen this to exist in the writings of many Greek thinkers as well.

Some Examples in Scripture

Ben Spackman, writing about this very thing, has said:

A few examples will suffice to show that where the KJV translates the underlying Hebrew literally as a negative question, some newer Bible versions prefer to translate the intended positive or emphatic effect upon the hearer.

Deuteronomy 11:30 ^KJV Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh? ^NIVAs you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, west of the road, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. Isaiah 10:8^KJV For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? ^JPS For he thinks, “After all, I have kings as my captains!” Judges 4:14 ^KJV And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. ^NRSV Then Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand warriors following him.

Spackman notes that negative questions where the answer is known exist in the text of the Book of Mormon as well. He writes, “One good example of a potentially Hebrew-based negative question in the Book of Mormon comes from Helaman 9, where Nephi is accused of murdering the chief judge, Seezoram. In prophetically sending the authorities to the true assassin, Seantum, Nephi instructs them to ask Seantum, “From whence cometh this blood [on your cloak]? Do we not know that it is the blood of your brother?” (Helaman 9:32). In other words, “We do indeed know that it is the blood of your brother.” Seantum promptly confesses.”₁

Gifts in Moroni 10

Moroni, at the conclusion of the Book of Mormon, spends several verses outlining spiritual gifts. We read similar commentary in Doctrine and Covenants 46 and in 1 Corinthians 12. It is noteworthy that the Lord tells the Saints that the gifts are given to the church. He says, “And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds, what those gifts are, that are given unto the church” (D&C 46.10).

Elder Marvin J. Ashton taught that there are many gifts given to the Saints that are not expressly mentioned in the scriptures. He said:

Let me mention a few gifts that are not always evident or noteworthy but that are very important. Among these may be your gifts—gifts not so evident but nevertheless real and valuable…: the gift of asking; the gift of listening; the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice; the gift of being able to weep; the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a disciple; the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost.₂

The Pleading versus the Pleasing Bar of the Great Jehovah

The last verse of the Book of Mormon says the following:

And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal judge of both quick and dead. Amen. (Moroni 10.34)

Royal Skousen, professor of linguistics and English at BYU, has worked on the critical text project of the Book of Mormon since 1988. In 2001 he published the first two volumes and since then has published several more in his effort to get as close to the “original text” of the Book of Mormon as possible. From his studies he contends that the final verse of the Book of Mormon should not say pleasing bar of the Great Jehovah, rather, it should read the pleading bar of the Great Jehovah.

Skousen writes:

“Jacob and Moroni will meet us before “the pleading bar of God” … Phonetically, the words pleading and pleasing are nearly identical. What seems to have happened is that Oliver Cowdery, being completely unfamiliar with the legal term pleading bar, twice substituted the more familiar word pleasing for pleading, even though pleasing does not make much sense.

There are a number of examples in the original manuscript where Oliver made this kind of mistake—that is, if a word or a phrase was unknown to him, he substituted a more common word or phrase (but with varying degrees of success). In each of these cases, the substitution seems to have occurred in the original manuscript (O) as Oliver took down Joseph Smith’s dictation and later copied it into the printer’s manuscript (P): weed (O, P) instead of reed (1830 edition)1 Nephi 17:48 and whoso shall lay their hands upon me shall wither even as a dried weed > reed… bosom > besom of destruction (2 Nephi 24.23)… arrest > wrest them it shall be unto your own destruction (Alma 13.20)… arrested > wrested the scriptures (Alma 41.1)… drugs > dregs if a bitter cup (Alma 40.26)…. fraction > faction in the government (Alma 58.36).₃

Skousen reasons that the term pleading bar of God would fit in the context of a final trial at the judgment bar of God and that pleasing doesn’t really fit in this context. He writes that the term pleading bar was used in English courts during this time period and that this simply is the best explanation for the meaning of this verse. To be at the judgment bar “pleading” our case before God is essentially what it means now to us when we say that a defendant is “in the dock.” (Insights, p. 3). From this perspective, those at the judgment bar are essentially defendants, awaiting their sentence at trial, something which many Christians would be familiar with, the theological implications of standing at the bar of God and hoping for the Atoning blood of Jesus to justify them in the eyes of God.

John Welch contends that the verse should remain as it is and that in this case Skousen is incorrect. Welch contends that Skousen is incorrect in his reading of this verse on several grounds and he gives 10 reasons for why this is so. I will cite just a couple of Welch’s reasons, as you can read his arguments and decide for yourself.

The term the pleasing bar of God appears in more places that Moroni 10.34.₄ If it was the incorrect reading, would Joseph have not corrected this? Especially since it is in such a conspicuous place in the text?₅

Welch’s most persuasive argument in my mind comes from his analysis of the culture and perspective of Moroni, an ancient Israelite. As a man from a time far distant from our own, Welch asserts that Moroni had a different view of the judgement than modern readers. He writes:

(The) Jews anciently welcomed God’s judgment and saw it as a moment of vindication for his people, not as a terrifying and foreboding event. Thus, as C. S. Lewis astutely observed in his classic Reflections on the Psalms, it is Christians who tend to see the final judgment as a courtroom proceeding in which they position themselves as the accused in a criminal case “with [the Christian] himself in the dock; the Jew pictures it as a civil case with himself as the plaintiff. The [Christian] hopes for acquittal, or rather for pardon; the [Jew] hopes for a resounding triumph with heavy damages.” Thus the idea of Jacob’s “pleasing bar” is not problematic if one emphasizes an Israelite background for Jacob’s introduction of this phrase in Jacob 6.13. In fact, Jacob speaks like the Israelite he is when he sees the judgment bar of God as a “pleasing bar” but warns that in this “bar striketh the wicked with awful dread and fear” (Jacob 6.13).

I find Welch’s arguments to be persuasive. That being said, I can see this text read both ways. The judgement will be a pleasing prospect to all that have taken Jesus at his word, exercised faith in him, and come unto him. Those that refused will feel in their bones the essence of being in the dock! Certainly both sentiments are expressed in Jacob 6.13. Yet Moroni used (I believe) pleasing in this context. One reason for this in my mind is that he is ending on a totally positive note. He sees the final victory of Jesus and is pleased with the anticipation of the victory of the Saints as they arise from the dust and take their rightful place at the throne with God (Isaiah 52).

Good, Better, Best

Elder Oaks emphasized in 2007 the importance of prioritizing our time. Many things that are good are simply not worth our time or attention. We should work on doing and being our best. He said:

As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best. Even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all… The First Presidency has called on parents “to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles. … The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place … in … this God-given responsibility.” The First Presidency has declared that “however worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.”₆

Receiving Revelation and Jamming Communication

We are at war. Elder Packer warned the saints in his talk “Reverence Invites Revelation” that the adversary is working on the world to distract them from the voice of the Spirit. He said, “The first order issued by a commander mounting a military invasion is the jamming of the channels of communication of those he intends to conquer. Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit.”₇

Dostoyevsky on his faith in Jesus Christ:

“If someone proved to me that Christ is outside the truth and that in reality the truth were outside of Christ, then I should prefer to remain with Christ rather than with the truth.”₈

Things we didn’t discuss in this podcast

Moroni Dedicated Temple Lands

Warren Snow relates: (At the Manti temple site dedica­tion.) “We two were alone: Presi­dent Young took me to the spot where the Temple was to stand; we went to the southeast corner, and President Young said: ‘Here is the spot where the prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a Temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can’t move it from this spot; and if you and I are the only persons that come here at high noon today, we will dedicate this ground.’”₉

Moroni Guardian of the Americas

Orson Hyde said:

(Moroni is the guardian angel of America, talk given in the Tabernacle on July 4,1854. Remembering the American revolution and the battles won even though the odds were overwhelming): It was by the, agency of that same angel of god that appeared unto Joseph Smith, and revealed to him the history of the early inhabitants of this country, whose mounds, bones, and re­mains of towns, cities, and fortifica­tions speak from the dust in the ears of the living with the voice of unde­niable truth. This same angel pre­sides over the destinies of America, and feels a lively interest in all our doings. He was in the camp of Washington; and, by an invisible hand, led on our fathers to con­quest and victory, and all this to open and prepare the way for the Church and kingdom of God to be established on the western hemi­sphere, for the redemption of Israel and the sa1vation of the world.

This same angel was with Colum­bus, and gave him deep impres­sions, by dreams and visions, re­specting the New World. Tram­meled by poverty and by an unpop­ular cause, yet his persevering and unyielding heart would not allow an obstacle in his way too great for him to overcome and the angel of God helped him—was with him on the stormy deep, calmed the troubled elements, and guided his frail ves­sel to the desired haven. Under the guardianship of this same angel, or Prince of America, have the United States grown, increased, and flour­ished, like the sturdy oak by the rivers of water.₁₀

Did Moroni appear and inspire George Washington in his defense of the 13 colonies? Tim Ballard, in his book The Washington Hypothesis proposes this possibility. You can read a excerpt from his book discussing this here.

Was Moroni present when the founders discussed the Declaration of Independence? I would like to think that he was. Ronald Reagan mentions an unknown speaker at the deliberations:

I have never been able to believe that America is just a reward for those of extra courage and resourcefulness. This is a land of destiny and our forefathers found their way here by some Divine system of selective service gathered here to fulfill a mission to advance man a further step in his climb from the swamps. Almost two centuries ago a group of disturbed men met in the small Pennsylvania State House they gathered to decide on a course of action. Behind the locked and guarded doors they debated for hours whether or not to sign the Declaration which had been presented for their consideration. For hours the talk was treason and its price the headsman’s axe, the gallows and noose. The talk went on and decision was not forthcoming. Then, Jefferson writes, a voice was heard coming from the balcony: They may stretch our necks on all the gibbets in the land. They may turn every tree into a gallows, every home into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die. They may pour our blood on a thousand scaffolds and yet from every drop that dyes the axe a new champion of freedom will spring into birth. The words of this declaration will live long after our bones are dust. To the mechanic in his workshop they will speak hope; to the slave in the mines, freedom; but to the coward rulers, these words will speak in tones of warning they cannot help but hear. Sign that parchment. Sign if the next moment the noose is around your neck. Sign if the next minute this hall rings with the clash of falling axes! Sign by all your hopes in life or death, not only for yourselves but for all ages, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom the bible of the rights of man forever. Were my soul trembling on the verge of eternity, my hand freezing in death, I would still implore you to remember this truth God has given America to be free. As he finished, the speaker sank back in his seat exhausted. Inspired by his eloquence the delegates rushed forward to sign the Declaration of Independence. When they turned to thank the speaker for his timely words he couldn’t be found and to this day no one knows who he was or how he entered or left the guarded room.₁₁

Notes

1. Ben Spackman, “Negative Questions in the Book of Mormon,” Insights, 26/4 (July 2006).
2. Marvin J. Ashton, “There Are Many Gifts,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 20.
3. Royal Skousen, Insights, 24, no. 4 (2004): 2-3. Skousen reasons that The term pleading bar appears to have been used in the English courts of earlier times, according to the following historical information available on the Internet: “The people who made the film reproduced the court room back at their studio. They had the jury bench, the pleading bar, everything, right down to the smallest detail of King Charles II’s coat of arms.”. . . In real life the court’s pleading bar, where prisoners stood while on trial, is at the head of the stairs. On the first floor is the Court Room where all criminal cases in Fordwich were tried until 1886. The accused would stand flanked by the Town Constables, at the “pleading bar” situated at the head of the stairs. (Hence the expression “prisoner at the bar”). The Judge time being and he sat in the chair at the north end of the room, flanked by six Jurats on each side, seated on the “bench”. The term pleading bar is now archaic in England. Note that the first Internet citation provides a definition for “the court’s pleading bar,” and the second uses quotation marks in referring to the “pleading bar.” The legal language now used in England refers to the defendant as “in the dock”…
4. Jacob 6.13.
5. John Welch, Keep the Old Wine in Old Wineskins: The Pleasing (Not Pleading) Bar of God, Reviews of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989-2011: Vol. 18: No. 1, Article 9, p. 145.
6. Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Good, Better, Best, General Conference, October 2007.
7. Boyd K. Packer, Reverence Invites Revelation, October General Conference 1991.
8. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Britannica, political activity and arrest.
9. N.B. Lundwall, Temples of the Most High, p. 114-115; Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 447.
10. Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, 6:367-8.
11. Ronald Reagan, Eureka College Commencement Address, 7 June 1957.