Moroni: I Would Speak Concerning These Things

 

This morning, as I read in Ether 12, I found a powerful yet hidden insight! You really have to consider the context of the entire book of Ether in order to get it. Much of the book of Ether contains Moroni’s attempts to carry out an important objective–to help us understand the pride cycle and other lessons we can learn from the Jaredite civilization by providing an inspired abridgment of their history. With not a lot of room on the plates remaining, and the task of engraving being time-intensive and frustrating, it would have been perfectly understandable if Moroni had chosen to stick to that objective and not include anything else.

BUT… as Moroni shared about the role of the prophet Ether in the Jaredite history, evidently, something entered his mind and heart, and what followed is one of the most beautiful, inspirational, and strengthening passages in the Book of Mormon. As I pondered on the amazing teachings found in the remainder of Ether 12 and how they came to be, this line signaling an unexpected interruption jumped out at me with great power: “And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things” (Ether 12:6)!

Moroni had a choice–either to continue with his objective and the flow of the story, or to interrupt it in order to “speak somewhat concerning [the] things” the Lord had in that moment impressed upon his heart and his mind. Thankfully, Moroni chose the latter, because if he hadn’t stopped right then, he wouldn’t have gone on to give us the remaining power-packed verses that give inspiration to so many today! One thought led to the next in an inspired stream of consciousness possible only because Moroni was willing to pause, forget what he had been doing for a second, and share what mattered most in the moment.

Sometimes the most valuable, memorable, and impactful things we share or do with others come as we put a pause on whatever we are saying or doing in order to give place for something more important that comes to mind. That might look like a parent putting a pause on a daily activity to share a testimony, a teacher putting the flow of a lesson on pause to share an experience or insight that suddenly comes to mind, or a friend putting a conversation on pause to ask an inspired question that really matters. More often than not, the most meaningful experiences and lessons in life happen spontaneously and unexpectedly. We have to be committed to put down what we are doing in order to bring these moments to life.