THE BOOK OF ETHER
CHAPTER 12
The prophet Ether exhorts the people to believe in God—Moroni recounts the wonders and marvels done by faith—Faith enabled the brother of Jared to see Christ—The Lord gives men weaknesses that they may be humble—The brother of Jared moved Mount Zerin by faith—Faith, hope, and charity are essential to salvation—Moroni saw Jesus face to face.
1 AND it came to pass that the days of Ether were in the days of Coriantumr; and Coriantumr was king over all the land. [ Now we know when he was around. ]
2 And Ether was a prophet of the Lord; wherefore Ether came forth in the days of Coriantumr, and began to prophesy unto the people, for he could not be restrained [ There is dual symbolism here 1) he spoke by the spirit and said whatever the spirit directed - beyond his own words; 2) in Ether 11:23 we learn that
Ether's father Coriantor lived his entire life in captivity. Therefore we can assume that Ether was also born in captivity.
When does Ether escape captivity? Does this phrase "he could not be restrained" also inform us that
because of his prophetic calling and considerable faith he was delivered from the captivity that had kept his father? ] because of the Spirit of the Lord which was in him.
3 For he did cry from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them that by faith all things are fulfilled—
[ What examples do we have of things are fulfilled by faith? The Creation (Heb 11:3); The plan of salvation; Faith that we can with God's help overcome the world and return and live with him. So God uses the same principles that we have to learn to live by - Faith. ]
4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, [ Faith is the stubborn resolve to see God blessing us in all circumstances. Even in our struggles and disappointments, faith requires us to believe God is ministering to us. ] maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
5 And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not. [ Where should have faith been a part of this process? So just because they could not see they would not even try to believe and hence cut themselves off from the possibilities. ]
6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; [ Who is speaking here? Moroni - he is editorializing now. Moroni has an advantage here, he has seen our day, he has seen what happened to the Jaradites. He can read over all that Ether wrote and now he gets to pick and choose what he thinks is most important for us. So he is doing that now - Think of that! We should pay particular attention to it. So we understand, what are these things here of which he is going to comment on? Just because you do not believe in faith, just because you cannot see 1) It does not mean that they do not exist and that they are not true. 2) You need to put some effort into the equation, you need to try to believe and even though it may be hard it is how you will learn to see. ] I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped [ A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. hope differs from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired, or the possibility of possessing it. hope therefore always gives pleasure or joy; whereas wish and desire may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety.] for and not seen; wherefore, dispute [ To contend in argument; to reason or argue in opposition; to debate; to altercate; and to dispute violently is to wrangle. To attempt to disprove by arguments or statements; to attempt to prove to be false, unfounded or erroneous; to controvert; to attempt to overthrow by reasoning. ] not because ye see [ To perceive by the eye; to have knowledge of the existence and the apparent qualities of objects by the organs of sight; to behold. ] not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. [ Or if untested you have no faithat all, there is no real testimony without the TEST! ]
7 For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.
8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.
9 Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, [ What is the gift that he is speaking of here? He just said in the two previous verses That Jesus died and rose up from the dead to live again, that he worked out the plan of salvation that we too can have hope that we can live with him one day. He prepared the way for us. However it is not possible without our faith in God. See verse 12. ] if ye will but have faith.
10 Behold it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God. [ Alma 13:3 President Ezra Taft Benson explained the holy order of God: "To enter into the order of the son of God is the equivalent today of entering into the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is only received in the house of the Lord." (Ezra Taft Benson, "What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple," Ensign 15 (August 1985): 6.)]
11 Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled. [ What were the elements of faith that were required in the plan of salvation? 1) we had to put our faith in the son of God that he would be able to come to this earth and do what he said he would do. There were a lot of things that could have gone wrong. 2) The son of God had to exercise his faith in the Father by doing what was required, by accepting the plan as well, trusting Heaven Father and then exercising the great faith required to go through with it. ]
12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; [ Is this a limit on God or is this merely that God will still do miracles but that those without faith in God will not see them as miracles - ie mother nature, random happenings...? Two ways to look at it. We do know that God will not or cannot work miracles for those who do not believe as faith is required on the part of the one to whom the miracle is administered. So is it that the miracle cannot be done or that the miracle if done will not be considered a miracle because they do not believe. Looking at it from one perspective we know that God cannot save those who do not believe - why? because we have to believe in him for the power of the atonement to be in place. It may not be so much that he cannot other than he cannot invade their individual agency. But we do know that the Lord has shown miracles to those who are not believers (the plagues of Egypt, Christ's appearance to Saul-Paul.) So it is not that God cannot but more that there is little point as they can dismiss them as something else anyway if they choose not to believe. ] wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith. [ The example of this are to follow. Each emphasizes the point that if each of these did not have the faith to embark on the Lord's mission; each would have never had the great experiences that they had.]
13 Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth. [ If Alma and Amulek were without faith they would have never ventured on their mission to the apostates in Ammonihah; and if they would have not done that they never would have found themselves in the prison; and without that they never would have know the miracle of the destruction of the prison walls. This would have strengthened their testimonies greatly.Hence those who are carnal, rejecting God, will not do godly works, so they will never see miracles.
People like this are in a self-imposed condition that verifies
their notion that there are no miracles. They do not believe in
miracles or in God, So they do not live a godly life, so they
never see any miracles. And, even if they do see some sign or
miracle from God they just rationalize it away (cf. 1 Ne. 16:38).
It's a self-fulfilling prediction. ]
14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought
the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized
with fire [ The presence of deity. What happens
to something that is placed in the fire? It is changed. ] and
with the Holy Ghost. [ Because of tradition or opinion, we have had the tendency to teach that after the baptism of water comes the baptism of “fire and the Holy Ghost” as if they are the same thing, not two separate and distinct events. In all of the references in the Book of Mormon, the word “or” is never used to connect the two cleansings. It never says baptism of fire “or” the Holy Ghost; the word “and” is always used, indicating that they are separate and distinct.]
15 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
16 Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after.
17 And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.
18 And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore [ Or as a result, because... ] they first believed in the son of God. [ Again the faith must be placed in the right place. That is in Jesus Christ. ]
19 And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad.
20 And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.
21 And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil.
22 And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained the promise that these things should come unto their brethren through the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus Christ.
23 And I said unto him: Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing; for thou hast made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost which thou hast given them;
24 And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, [ We can assume that Jared was writing in the language of Adam, since that would have been the original language until the flood and right after until the building of the tower of Babel. When that language was confounded - however the Jaradite language was not confounded. Which was the reason why the Jaradites left in the first place. According to Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, “they carried with them the speech of their fathers, the Adamic language, which was powerful even in its written form, so that the things Mahonri [Moriancumer] wrote ‘were mighty even unto the overpowering of man to read them.’ That was the kind of language Adam had and this was the language with which Enoch was able to accomplish his mighty work” (The Way to Perfection 60). There is likely more to the account of the retaining of the original or Adamic language than what initially meets the eye. The book of Moses described the language of Adam as “pure and undefiled” (Moses 6:5–6). It is intimately connected with the “Priesthood, which was in the beginning, [and] shall be in the end of the world also” (v. 7; see also Zeph. 3:9). As noted earlier, Moroni described the brother of Jared’s words in the Adamic language as “mighty even . . . unto the overpowering of man” (Ether 12:24). An example of the relationship between language and power is contained in the book of Moses which describes Enoch’s faith as causing him to be feared among men because “so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him” (Moses 7:13; emphasis added). ] for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them. [ Did the language have some part of a spiritual context to it? How was it so powerful? ]
25 Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; [ Why? Because they were delivered by the power of the spirit and there is no way to bring that power with just the words. ] wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words.
26 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;
27 And if men come unto me [ Who is come unto me left up to? Us, it is our agency that decides and if we come unto him here is what we can expect to happen. ] I will show unto them their weakness. [ Have you ever been humbled as you have sought out the Lord? Or have you ever been humbled as the Lord knew that you were willing to serve and he gave you a calling? When I was called as the Bishop of the YSA ward. Meet with previous Bishop - all the problems... I had what I thought were a lot of good reasons why I should not be the Bishop. I was overcome. But when I walked through the chapel doors I knew that I was standing with the Lord in this and everything would just be ok. ] I give [ Who gave us our weaknesses? God ] unto men weakness that they may be humble; [And why is it important that we are humble? So that we will listen to the Lord; so that we are teachable. ] and my grace is sufficient [ I have enough grace to cover what is needed, my account is full. ] for all men that [ Requirement for the grace to be imposed. ] humble themselves before me; [ How or what does one have to do to humble themselves before God? What is one of the ways that we can stay humble? We can express to the Lord our gratitude for all that we have. Look for everything that he has given us. ] for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. [ see vs 37 for additional meaning of what it means to be made strong. The one thing that the Lord does not define here is the time that it might take for the weak things to be made strong. Are we to hard on ourselves that we think or expect this is to just happen overnight? It is not done by magic where there was once a weakness there is now a strength. While the Lord could do that he does not because that is the purpose for which we are here on this earth. To learn from our own progression. Strength too easily achieved may not be valued - or really learned or enduring. It comes about line upon line in natural progression. A child does not go from birth to running in an instant - no we crawl, wobble, walk then run. It is how we learn, one foot at a time, one step at a time, even one mistake at a time, and one fall at a time. Do you have more patience with your self in learning to do physical things than you do with spiritual things? ]
28 Behold, I [ God ] will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, [ So first in verse 27 we learn that the Lord gives us, or allows us to have weakness and I might add trials (he does not give us everything that we want all at once) So that we might remain humble. And why is it important that we are humble? Again we are taught in verse 27 that if we will become humble the Lord will teach us, and in the process we can become strong. ] and I [ God ] will show unto them that faith, [ In what? In the Lord Jesus Christ as he is the fountain of all righteousness, this whole chapter is about faith in Jesus Christ. Websters ~ the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed. In the lectures on Faith Lecture 3 Joseph Smith said: "lectures on faith 3rd lecture says that "there are 3 things that are necessary in order that any rational & intelligent being exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. 1) the idea that he God exists 2) a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes 3) an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his (Gods) will."
] hope [ websters ~ A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. hope differs from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired, or the possibility of possessing it. Confidence in a future event; the highest degree of well founded expectation of good; as a hope founded on God's gracious promises; a scriptural sense. "And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope? And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope. And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart. If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart" (Moroni 7:40-44) Why are hope and faith usually so tied together? Often faith and hope involve teachings of seeds or young plants. A farmer knows that if he plants a certain plant or seed that what comes forth from that seed will be the kind of plant that he planted sames species. However planting a seed does not mean that the seed will germinate, or that the plant will survive. That requires faith or hope. so what is the difference of faith and hope? sometimes our faith is not strong enough yet, like the little seed. All we can do is find a place for it to grow and hope that is a starting place. But as we watch it grow we learn to see that it is becoming a plant as such we develop faith in the process because we begin to see some fruits. We do not start off with faith but we can have hope as a place to start. Story to illustrate. Imagine you really wanted a iPad. That is what you hoped for. And what if you just hoped and wished as hard as you could that a brand new iPad would magically appear at your doorstep? Say one day, you came home fully expecting to use your new iPad. So much so that you even stopped off at Best Buy to pick up a cool case for it. This scenario is still a hope, right? You have no assurance that the iPad will be at your home, nothing to base it on except that you have hoped really hard for it and that you bought a case for it.
On the other hand you could enter a contest on the Internet to win a brand new iPad. Hoping again that you would win. But you’ve got no assurance here either, right? Wishing or hoping is like blowing out your birthday candles and making a wish. Or chucking a coin into a fountain or a wishing well. You’ve got nothing. That’s pretty much how many people view faith.
But now on the other hand, imagine you went online and bought yourself an iPad! Later, you got the confirmation e-mail saying “thanks for your purchase.” Eventually, you get an e-mail from UPS saying I’ve got a package scheduled to be delivered the very next day. The next day, you get an e-mail saying it’s on the truck to your house. You get the tracking number and track this thing at work until it’s scanned as delivered. Maybe your spouse is home and you get a text saying, “Your iPad is here.”
Now as you’re driving home, if you want to pick up a cool case or something, you’ve got a pretty good idea—a hope that isn’t based on some fairy tale—that you are going to be using your new iPad around dinner time.
And you know this, even though you’re not actually looking at your new iPad just yet.
This is the kind of concept we see when you read a story about faith in the Bible: Evidence, that leads to knowledge, that gives you an assurance of things you can’t see.
so wishing is chucking a coin into fountain, hope that what you wished for will come true. But faith is more like tracking a package. ] and charity [ websters ~ In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. True power from God is safeguarded by one attribute alone and that is charity. This is one of the foremost attribues of Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. So when we talk about charity what God is saying is in order to wield my power I need to know that you have an eye single to the glory of God - the immortality and eternal life of man. so what does charity imply that faith and hope do not? Charity has an element of actually doing something that is good, starting the process, working toward it. Mormon described charity this way:
"But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." (Moroni 7:47)
The experience of being loved by Christ brings healing for pain, salvation from sin, and help for our weakness. The more we feel Christ's love for us in our lives, the more we cannot help but love Him. When we feel the pure love that Christ has for us, we no longer need our shoddy coping mechanisms, our bad habits, our harrowing addictions, our hard feelings, our poor attitude. We have no need for these things because the pure love of Christ is far, far sweeter, and more fulfilling to the human soul! When we begin to feel pure love toward Christ, it makes us not just willing but desirous to sacrifice for Him. We find certain things in our lives that we once thought of as not being 'wrong' are now irrelevant. We catch ourselves doing things that others feel are not 'expected of us', things we don't do out of a sense of obligation, but rather because we are looking to do something we know the Lord will appreciate.
How do you know when faith and hope have taught you charity? The process changes who you are at the core, and it shows in many ways:
"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7: 45-48 Compare 1 Corinthians 13:4-10)
These things are all symptomatic of charity, which is the true spirit of righteousness. Charity is a dynamic that involves us loving Christ and him loving us, so that through our faith and hope, and his atoning sacrifice, we become new creatures in Him, and old things are passed away.
] bringeth unto me—the fountain [ River; Spring; Water<; Well; each denote the source or starting point. ] of all righteousness.
On the other hand you could enter a contest on the Internet to win a brand new iPad. Hoping again that you would win. But you’ve got no assurance here either, right? Wishing or hoping is like blowing out your birthday candles and making a wish. Or chucking a coin into a fountain or a wishing well. You’ve got nothing. That’s pretty much how many people view faith.
But now on the other hand, imagine you went online and bought yourself an iPad! Later, you got the confirmation e-mail saying “thanks for your purchase.” Eventually, you get an e-mail from UPS saying I’ve got a package scheduled to be delivered the very next day. The next day, you get an e-mail saying it’s on the truck to your house. You get the tracking number and track this thing at work until it’s scanned as delivered. Maybe your spouse is home and you get a text saying, “Your iPad is here.”
Now as you’re driving home, if you want to pick up a cool case or something, you’ve got a pretty good idea—a hope that isn’t based on some fairy tale—that you are going to be using your new iPad around dinner time.
And you know this, even though you’re not actually looking at your new iPad just yet.
This is the kind of concept we see when you read a story about faith in the Bible: Evidence, that leads to knowledge, that gives you an assurance of things you can’t see.
so wishing is chucking a coin into fountain, hope that what you wished for will come true. But faith is more like tracking a package. ] and charity [ websters ~ In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. True power from God is safeguarded by one attribute alone and that is charity. This is one of the foremost attribues of Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. So when we talk about charity what God is saying is in order to wield my power I need to know that you have an eye single to the glory of God - the immortality and eternal life of man. so what does charity imply that faith and hope do not? Charity has an element of actually doing something that is good, starting the process, working toward it. Mormon described charity this way:
"But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." (Moroni 7:47)
The experience of being loved by Christ brings healing for pain, salvation from sin, and help for our weakness. The more we feel Christ's love for us in our lives, the more we cannot help but love Him. When we feel the pure love that Christ has for us, we no longer need our shoddy coping mechanisms, our bad habits, our harrowing addictions, our hard feelings, our poor attitude. We have no need for these things because the pure love of Christ is far, far sweeter, and more fulfilling to the human soul! When we begin to feel pure love toward Christ, it makes us not just willing but desirous to sacrifice for Him. We find certain things in our lives that we once thought of as not being 'wrong' are now irrelevant. We catch ourselves doing things that others feel are not 'expected of us', things we don't do out of a sense of obligation, but rather because we are looking to do something we know the Lord will appreciate.
How do you know when faith and hope have taught you charity? The process changes who you are at the core, and it shows in many ways:
"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7: 45-48 Compare 1 Corinthians 13:4-10)
These things are all symptomatic of charity, which is the true spirit of righteousness. Charity is a dynamic that involves us loving Christ and him loving us, so that through our faith and hope, and his atoning sacrifice, we become new creatures in Him, and old things are passed away.
] bringeth unto me—the fountain [ River; Spring; Water<; Well; each denote the source or starting point. ] of all righteousness.
29 And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith;
30 For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove—and it was removed. And if he had not had faith it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith.
31 For thus didst thou manifest thyself unto thy disciples; for after they had faith, and did speak in thy name, thou didst show thyself unto them in great power.
32 And I also remember that thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house for man, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a more excellent hope; wherefore man must hope, or he cannot receive an inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared.
33 And again, I remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world, that thou mightest take it again to prepare a place for the children of men.
34 And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.
35 Wherefore, I know by this thing which thou hast said, that if the Gentiles have not charity, because of our weakness, that thou wilt prove them, and take away their talent, [ Referring to the parable of the talents. While Jesus did quote most of the Sermon on the Mount to the Nephites in 3 Ne. 12-14 he does not tell the story of the parable of the talents(Matt 25). However we are also informed in 2 Ne. 26: 6 that Jesus taught much more than was written. So we might conclude that it was taught but not written. Isn't it interesting that he links talents with charity. We are taught in D&C 76 that we are all born into the Terrestrial kingdom(the talent that we are given from the start.) Then we sin and such and become Telestial bodies worthy of the telestial kingdom(we do nothing on our own, or we burry our talents in the ground and they do us nothing). Then there are those who become submissive to the will of God, they use their talents and energy to become like him, and in doing so gain the Celestial Kingdom. ] yea, even that which they have received, and give unto them who shall have more abundantly.
36 And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity. [ Moroni pleads with the Lord for the Lord to interceed into the lives of the Gentiles and give them charity. ]
37 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they [ The gentiles to whom this message is meant for. ] have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; [ The Lords response to Moroni is that it is not your problem whether he gives the Gentiles charity or not; but either way, no matter what the Lord does decide to do Moroni has been faithful in doing his job. ] wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness [ vs 27 ] thou shalt be made strong, [ In this specific case Moroni has expressed his own personal weakness to the Lord - having recognized his weaknesses; he was humble and teachable and exercised the faith required to overcome. This is more than just confession of weakness. In other words because those has been humble in thy weakness; How are we humble in our weakness? We do not just complain that we have it; 2) we rely on the strength of the Lord to help us overcome it; 3) We are patient, faithful in that which we can do and do not forget to be charitable in the process - then we inherit a place with the Father. see also vs 32 & 34 ] even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father. [ The reward for his diligence is that eventually the Lord will take his weakness until he arrives at the final destination - Eternal life.]
38 And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood.
39 And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things;
40 And only a few have I written, [ So we might suppose that - that which he wrote was only the most important.] because of my weakness in writing. [ And that he tried to express feelings and emotions in writing which is not always an easy thing to do. In addition to the fact that it was a physically demanding process to write. ]