Moro 7:41-45
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Book of Mormon > Moroni > Chapter 7
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Questions
Verse 42
- In verse 42 it says that without faith there cannot be any hope. How can we distinguish between faith and hope?
- Mormon seems to be saying that for someone to have faith they must have hope because if you don't have faith you cannot have hope. This sounds like saying since without faith you cannot have hope, you have to have hope to have faith. Is that what is being said? If so how does that reasoning work?
- Doesn't it seem like the last phrase of this verse perhaps had the nouns inverted? Wouldn't it read more clearly and not make you scratch your head if it said: "if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without [hope] there cannot be any [faith]? By starting the last phrase with "for" doesn't that seem to imply that what comes next will be supportive of what came right before and not contradictory as it can appear now?
Verse 44
- Here Mormon says that if someone is meek and lowly of heart and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, that person must have charity. Does this mean that if you do those things you already have charity or does this mean that the next step after these things is to work on developing charity?
- Wouldn't this verse be more clear if it started "If not," and not "If so?"
Verse 45
- We are told here that charity "beareth all things" and "endureth all things." What is the difference between these two attributes?
Lexical notes
- Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes
Exegesis
Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis
Verse 26-48
Mormon’s discourse on charity is not only one of the most beautiful, but also most systematic of the scriptures. In fact, while charity is often noted as the theme of Moroni 7, it is but one of a number of principles all culminating into the workings of miracles. Mormon, for whatever reason, chooses to work backwards beginning with miracles and through a step-by-step process, identifies each rung in the ladder that leads to such miracles as effectuated by our fathers.
Unfolding Mormon’s discourse, we see that faith is what leads to miracles, and hope is needed for faith. Such faith and hope necessitate meekness and a lowliness of heart. If such is obtained with a confession by the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, charity is requisite. Often, the command to love may burden many shoulders that see it as impossible despite our greatest intentions. Without such Christ-like love, it assuredly seems that miracles of great faith are out of our grasp. But, Mormon finishes this chapter on how to receive charity: through prayer. Step-by-step, miracles are permitted us based on our communication with the Father and our petitions for His love.
Verse 41
When we unravel the logic, this verse most interestingly appears like this:
If Faith->Hope
If ~Hope->~Faith
If ~Faith->~Hope
If Hope->Faith
What becomes apparent is the mutual and relatively parallel relationship of Faith and Hope, predicated on the basis of being meek and lowly of heart.
Related links
- Russell M. Nelson, "A More Excellent Hope," Ensign, Feb 1997, p. 60. Elder Nelson explains the relationship between faith, hope, and charity as intertwined "strands in a cable" which "may not always be precisely distinguished."
Verse 41
- See this comment at the BCC blog, and the post in general, for a discussion of hope as it relates to (being prior to and subsequent to) faith.
Verse 45
- Robert C. Oaks, "The Power of Patience," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 15–17. Elder Oaks points out that many of the characteristics of charity relate to patience: long-suffering, not easily provoked, bearing and enduring all things. "From these defining elements it is evident that without patience gracing our soul, we would be seriously lacking with respect to a Christlike character."
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