Mormon and the Sacred Trust

The Nephites were now as wicked as the Lamanites. Only the Gadiantons were more wicked.  The Gadiantons sought power and wealth - the cartels of Mesoamerica who "trafficked in much traffick." (4 Nephi 1)  The Lamanites sought vengeance and violence and taught their children to hate the Nephites.  The Nephites were caught up in pride, the need to be better than the next man, to the demeaning of the poor among them.  All were worldly; all were lascivious; all were arrogant.  And all forgot the true gospel and the true Messiah/Christ.  There were many different sects that purported to worship the Precious Serpent, but only a very few people clung to the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.  One of the few was a young boy named Mormon.

Mormon was born in the north near Bountiful, which had become the religious center of the Nephite nation.  Mormon's family must have had some resources because he was well educated in the learning of his people.  He was apparently tall for his age and very strong and athletic.  He was also very wise and very well-read in the writings of the prophets and his family kept to the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

You will remember that Ammaron, the last keeper of the Nephite records, had hidden the records up in the earth to protect them from the vast and pervasive wickedness of his days.  As he grew old, he knew he would soon die.  He knew he had to tell someone he could trust the location of the precious records before that happened.  As he prayed for inspiration, he looked about him for the one the Lord would entrust with the task of preserving the records.  He found the one the Lord had called to that work: a boy named Mormon, who was only ten years old.

Ammaron said:  I perceive that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe; Therefore, when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed concerning this people; and when ye are of that age go to the land Antum, unto a hill which shall be called Shim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord all the sacred engravings concerning this people. And behold, ye shall take the plates of Nephi unto yourself, and the remainder shall ye leave in the place where they are; and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people. (Mormon 1: 2-4)

Mormon, although young, remembered the words of Ammaron and the task he had been given.  Like Samuel of old, Mormon drew close to the Lord and prepared himself in all ways to be worthy of his sacred trust.

Text copyright January 2014, Gebara Education

Pictures:

Nephites and Lamanites from www.thenephicode.blogspot.com

Bountiful from www.tripadvisor.com

Ammaron from www.lds.org