Moroni 10

...the last shall be first. This is what the whole Book of Mormon is working towards, isn't it? It provides the method for knowing if the preceding pages contain truth. As such, it's worth keeping in mind while reading the rest of the text.

Moroni 10 is more than just the oft-quoted verses 3-5. In this chapter, Moroni provides 7 exhortations, of which the promise is only one:

1. Remember the Lord's mercy and ponder it. (v3)
2. Ask God if these things are not true. (v4)
3. Deny not the power of God. (v7)
4. Deny not the gifts of God. (v8)
5. Remember that all good gifts come from Christ. (v18)
6. Remember that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (v19)
7. Come unto Christ. (v30)

It's been my experience that #2 is usually talked about in isolation. But in reading and thinking about this, to me, this looks like a progression, where we start with the Lord's mercy and ending with coming unto Christ. The implication of this way of thinking is that asking the Lord if these things are not true is possibly not sufficient for coming unto Christ (though, clearly, numbers 1,3,4,5,6 can easily be conflated into #2).

Moroni provides three qualifications in verse 3 and 5 to obtain a witness from the Holy Ghost: a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ.

What differentiates a sincere heart from real intent? I don't know.

In examining my own experiences, I believe that the petitioner--or me, at least--needs to not only be willing and able intellectually to accept Christ, but also willing and able to emotionally accept. Heart, to me, implies emotion while intent, sounding volitional, implies the intellect, or rational side. Sincerity, being something we can control implies a willingness; real, though, is more concrete--the ability to handle it.

I think both of these need to be satisfied to some extent. The first time I ever prayed was soon after I determined that I could intellectually accept the Church as true. In hindsight, however, I don't think I was ready emotionally.

I can't say I've ever had this witness, so here I am not speaking with experience. But...I can't imagine how feeling the Holy Ghost wouldn't stimulate both the heart and the mind.

A sincere heart and real intent isn't enough, though. We also need to have faith in Christ. This seems circular: need faith in Christ to receive a Witness so I can have...faith in Christ. Maybe what's need is a faith that Christ will manifest himself in your sincere heart and real intent--faith that we can actually know the truth.

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A few other thoughts:

• What is good? That which is just and true. (v6)
• Faith <-> Hope <-> Charity <-> Salvation: each element is dependent on all the others. (v20-21)
• Grace is sufficient for perfection in Christ if you deny all ungodliness and love God with all your might. That's a pretty tall order: maybe that's why we still need works?