Mormon (prophet)

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Mormon is the name of the prophet in The Book of Mormon after whom the book is named. According to the Introduction and the account of Joseph Smith, Jr. (the book's translator), Mormon was the prophet-historian who engraved the book on Golden Plates. Latter Day Saints believe that Mormon was an actual Nephite prophet who lived in the Americas during the 4th century AD. Non-Mormon scholars, as well as some churches that follow the Latter Day Saint movement, particularly within the Community of Christ, consider Mormon to be a fictional character.

The Book of Mormon reports that Mormon was instructed by the prophet Ammaron where to find the records that had been passed down from their ancestors. It also claims that Mormon later abridged the near-millennium-long history of his ancestors, a more ancient people, and additional revelations into the Book of Mormon. The divisions of Mormon attributed to the prophet are the Words of Mormon and the first seven chapters of the larger book. Mormon eventually passed all of the records on to his son Moroni.

1 Life history
2 Notes
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Life history

According to Mormon's record in the Book of Mormon,^[1] he was born in about 311 A.D. and was named after his father. About at the age of ten, he was visited by Ammaron and given instructions on where to find the sacred engravings of the Nephite prophets and on what to engrave upon them.^[2] At the age of eleven, Mormon was taken to the land of Zarahemla by his father.^[3]

Mormon writes that at age fifteen he was visited by Jesus Christ.^[4]

At age sixteen, Mormon became the leader of the Nephite armies,^[5] and fought against the Lamanites in many battles thereafter.

Mormon went to the hill (called Shim) at the age of 24, as instructed by Ammaron, to take and abridge the Nephite records.^[6]

In 362, Mormon writes that he "utterly refuse[d]...to be a commander and a leader" to the Nephites "because of their wickedness and abomination."^[7] However, about thirteen years later, Mormon decided to return to command of the Nephite armies as they were being badly beaten by the Lamanites.^[8]

Upon returning, Mormon again led them in battle against the Lamanites until the entire destruction of the Nephite nation, which took place as a result of a huge battle fought between the two groups in 385.^[9] The prophet Moroni, Mormon's son to whom he delivered the Golden Plates, records that Mormon was killed by the Lamanites (presumably in 385 A.D. or shortly thereafter). As the last prophet and keeper of the record, Moroni is said to have become the angel or messenger who revealed the location of the Golden Plates to Joseph Smith in 1823.^[10]^[11]

[edit] Notes

^ (1985) “The Book of Mormon,”, The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City: Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 469-87.
^ Mormon 1:25, Ibid.
^ Mormon 1:6, Ibid.
^ Mormon 1:15, Ibid.
^ Mormon 2:1-2, Ibid.
^ Mormon 2:17-18, Ibid.
^ Mormon 3:11, Ibid.
^ Mormon 5:12, Ibid.
^ Mormon 8, Ibid.
^ Mormon 8:3, Ibid.
^ Joseph Smith History 1:27-54

[edit] See also

Preceded by: unknown during the early 300s; previously no one; eventually Gidgiddoni	Nephite military leader A.D. 327-362	Succeeded by: unknown; eventually himself
Preceded by: unknown; eventually himself	Nephite military leader c. A.D. 375-385	Succeeded by: none