Moroni’s Messages to Joseph Smith

Moroni appeared to Joseph several times, and each time gave Joseph a little bit more information.

Moroni’s First Visit

I would encourage you to read the full account of what Moroni told Joseph in Joseph Smith’s history.¹ The following contains an overview of what Moroni said on that first visit:

• He called Joseph by name.
• He told Joseph that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni.
• He told Joseph that God had a work for him to do; and that his name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.
• He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants.
• He said that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted “seers” in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.
• He quoted many prophecies of the Old Testament, including from Malachi 3 and 4; Isaiah 11; Acts 3; Joel 2; and many other passages of scripture.
• He told Joseph that when he got the plates of which he had spoken, he should not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom Joseph should be commanded to show them; if he did he should be destroyed.
• While he was conversing with Joseph about the plates, the vision was opened to Joseph’s mind that he could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that he knew the place again when he visited it.

Moroni’s Second Visit

You can imagine the impression this must have made on 17-year-old Joseph. He says, “I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside.”²

Joseph states that during this second visit, Moroni told him the following:

• He related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation.
• He then told Joseph of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation.³

Moroni’s Third Visit

After the second visit, Joseph states, “By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard.”⁴

During the third visit, Moroni told the same things as the other visits, but this time he added a caution:

• He told Joseph that Satan would try to tempt him (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of his father’s family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade Joseph, saying that he must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of building his kingdom; otherwise Joseph could not get them.⁵

After this visit, Joseph realized that he had spent the whole night receiving and pondering these visions: “I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me for the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night.”⁶

Moroni’s Fourth Visit

Can you imagine life as a farmer? I’ve never had to do that work, but from all accounts, the day starts at sunrise. It would be challenging physical labor, and without sufficient sleep, even a teenage boy would be exhausted. And so Joseph describes the morning after the three visits, in conjunction with the fourth visit:

“I shortly after arose from my bed, and, as usual, went to the necessary labors of the day; but, in attempting to work as at other times, I found my strength so exhausted as to render me entirely unable. My father, who was laboring along with me, discovered something to be wrong with me, and told me to go home. I started with the intention of going to the house; but, in attempting to cross the fence out of the field where we were, my strength entirely failed me, and I fell helpless on the ground, and for a time was quite unconscious of anything.”⁷

After that experience, the first thing he remembers is a voice speaking to him, and so he describes the angel’s fourth message:

• He related everything that he had told Joseph the previous night.
• He commanded Joseph to go to his father and tell him of the vision and commandments which he had received.⁸

He obeyed, returned to his father in the field, and “rehearsed the whole matter to him.”⁹ Joseph doesn’t describe much about this conversation. He just says that his father said that it was of God, and he told Joseph to go and do as commanded by the messenger.

Oliver’s Account

I love Oliver’s description of this experience. Even though this is technically hearsay, as it is Oliver’s words telling us what Joseph Smith told Oliver, it is nevertheless instructive as I believe it gives greater insight into what Joseph learned:

“Though fear was banished from his heart, yet his surprise was no less when he heard him declare himself to be a messenger sent by commandment of the Lord, to deliver a special message and to witness to him that his sins were forgiven, and that his prayers were heard; and that the scriptures might be fulfilled, which say— “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things which are that no flesh should glory in his presence. Therefore, says the Lord, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; the wisdom of their wise shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid; for according to his covenant which he made with his ancient saints, his people, the house of Israel must come to a knowledge of the gospel, and own that Messiah whom their fathers rejected, and with them the fulness of the Gentiles be gathered in, to rejoice in one fold under one Shepherd”.

“This cannot be brought about untill first certain preparatory things are accomplished, for so has the Lord purposed in his own mind. He has therefore chosen you as an instrument in his hand to bring to light that which shall perform his act, his strange act, and bring to pass a marvelous work and a wonder. Wherever the sound shall go it shall cause the ears of men to tingle, and wherever it shall be proclaimed, the pure in heart shall rejoice, while those who draw near to God with their mouths, and honor him with their lips, while their hearts are far from him, will seek its overthrow, and the destruction of those by whose hands it is carried. Therefore, marvel not if your name is made a derission, and had as a by-word among such, if you are the instrument in bringing it, by the gift of God, to the knowledge of the people.”

“He then proceeded and gave a general account of the promises made to the fathers, and also gave a history of the aborigenes of this country, and said they were literal descendants of Abraham. He represented them as once being an enlightned and intelligent people, possessing a correct knowledge of the gospel, and the plan of restoration and redemption. He said this history was written and deposited not far from that place, and that it was our brother’s privilege, if obedient to the commandments of the Lord, to obtain and translate the same by the means of the Urim and Thummim, which were deposited for that purpose with the record.

“Yet,” said he, “the scripture must be fulfilled before it is translated, which says that the words of a book, which were sealed, were presented to the learned; for thus has God determined to leave men without excuse, and show to the meek that his arm is not shortned that it cannot save.”

“A part of the book was sealed, and was not to be opened yet. The sealed part, said he, contains the same revelation which was given to John upon the isle of Patmos, and when the people of the Lord are prepared, and found worthy, then it will be unfolded unto them.

“On the subject of bringing to light the unsealed part of this record, it may be proper to say, that our brother was expressly informed, that it must be done with an eye single to the glory of God; if this consideration did not wholly characterize all his procedings in relation to it, the adversary of truth would overcome him, or at least prevent his making that proficiency in this glorious work which he otherwise would.

“While describing the place where the record was deposited, he gave a minute relation of it, and the vision of his mind being opened at the same time, he was permitted to view it critically; and previously being acquainted with the place, he was able to follow the direction of the vision, afterward, according to the voice of the angel, and obtain the book.¹⁰

References

1. Joseph Smith-History 1:33-43.
2. Joseph Smith-History 1:44.
3. Joseph Smith-History 1:45.
4. Joseph Smith-History 1:46.
5. Joseph Smith-History 1:46.
6. Joseph Smith-History 1:47.
7. Joseph Smith-History 1:48.
8. Joseph Smith-History 1:49.
9. Joseph Smith-History 1:50.
10. History, 1834–1836, p. 64, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed August 14, 2023, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/68.