I love this man - and I LOVE this quote. If you have not read the George Washington vision, let me know and I will re-post it again. I think the two are related. It has been my core belief that, in that vision, GW saw an angel in a long robe maybe with longer hair (Nazarene-style) and thought he was being shown a woman (the angel said nothing). I have always suspected it was Moroni. This is the first conclusive proof that I could be right in that impression I have 16 years ago. Man, I love stuff like this:
Awaken to Our Awful Situation
"That
question, What do you know about Moroni, is a magnificent question.
When you are going out into the mission field or when you just meet
people, this is a good question to ask them. And then tell them about
him. You know, he is one of the most influential men that the world has
ever known. He was a prophet, a warrior, a scribe, and many other
things. He was the son of a great man named Mormon.
Mormon was
also a prophet, a leader, and the person who translated much of the Book
of Mormon. Both Moroni and Mormon wrote that they had been visited by
the Savior of the world and the three Nephites who were still living on
the earth.
We know that Moroni lived a long time after the
Nephites were killed off, by the unrighteous Laminates. He lived alone
for about 36 or 37 years, all by himself. He finished writing what he
had to write; then he hid up the plates. We know nothing about the
loneliness of this great soul except that he did die. We don’t know when
or how or how old he was. Some of the Brethren have felt that he was 80
years of age. Some say he was over 70. So he was pretty well up in
years when he passed away. But, he was a resurrected being who after
1400 years appeared at the bedside of the Prophet Joseph Smith on the
21st day of September in 1823. That was three years after Joseph had the
original first vision. Moroni lived in the fifth century of time. He
was the last witness of the people who lived in that area of time. He
testified that he had seen the resurrected Christ. He is also the most
recent person who has lived and died on this earth who we know has been
resurrected. This great man I’m talking about, I see him in my mind; a
great soul. I’ll bet he was about 6’3" or 6'4" and had muscles bigger
than mine and was really handsome and wonderful; but you wonder what
happened during those years of loneliness. You wonder how many times he
might have been nursed in sickness or in accident or warned of danger by
the three Nephites who did appear to him. (They had the privilege of
living on the earth and doing whatever they were allowed to do.) And he
testified, “But behold, my father [Mormon] and I have seen them, and
they have ministered unto us.” He tells us that we shall know that, “I
have seen Jesus." That you should know, and that is the testimony for
each of you. This is a man who had seen the Savior. He bore his
testimony, and he said, “that he talked with me face to face, and that
he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in [his] own
language, concerning these things [that he wanted to tell him].”
Now let me tell you a little something, an interesting story, that some
of you may not have heard. In the early days of the Church, Orson Hyde
was called to be one of the original Twelve Apostles by the Prophet
Joseph. He served under three presidents of the Church–the Prophet
Joseph, Brigham Young, and John Taylor. He was one of the great Apostles
of this dispensation of time. He gave a talk in the Salt Lake
Tabernacle on July 4, 1854. That’s only seven years after they came into
the valley. (Now, it’s not the Tabernacle we know now, but the one they
originally built.) That talk was a patriotic talk about America. He
called Moroni the “guardian angel of America.” He said, “That same angel
of God that appeared to Joseph Smith presides over the destiny of the
United States of America.” Elder Hyde said that he [Moroni] was in the
camp with George Washington. He [Moroni] helped George Washington when
he had trouble. He said that same angel was with Christopher Columbus
and gave him deep impressions and dreams and visions respecting the new
world. He said that same angel was with Columbus on the stormy deep. He
guided his frail vessel to the desired haven, and he calmed the troubled
elements.
Most people never think much about him; but Moroni is
still active and busy and doing all those necessary things to help bring
about the full restoration of the gospel. We honor Moroni. There are 14
Latter-day Saint hymns that we sing like, "The Morning Breaks," that’s
about Moroni; and “What Was Witnessed in the Heavens?”; “An Angel from
on High"; “I Saw a Mighty Angel Fly”; and ten others. These beautiful
hymns that we sing in the Church are all because of the angel Moroni.
Moroni had the great privilege, as he walked across this American
Continent, of finding a place and designating the place where the St.
George temple was to be built. He also designated where the Manti Temple
was to be. And it’s been written that he designated Kirtland and Nauvoo
and probably others. Moroni appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith 22
different times during the life of the Prophet Joseph that we know of."
The Angel Moroni
Elder Glen L. Rudd
http://www2.byui.edu/…/tran…/devotionals/2003_03_11_rudd.htm
I purchased a book earlier this year from Deseret Industries and it's all about angels. What's interesting is that the three authors are not LDS but in their chapter on the most important angels to know and their roles, they list the Angel Moroni and they call him the North American angel. It's really neat what they write about him. They also talk about the different ranks of angels such as dominions, principalities, virtues etc. and their roles. There are three hierarchies with three ranks in each one. Really fascinating. Helps you realize what you're truly being blessed with in the marriage covenant.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the name of the book and its authors?
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