Mormon was the chief abridger and editor of the full Book of Mormon. Periodically, he added editorial commentaries of his own that were skillfully woven into the texts of the primary authors in that record. Mormon also wrote two books within the Book of Mormon that bear his name (The Words of Mormon and the book of Mormon).
One may ask, "When did Mormon write these particular words?" Words of Mormon 1:1–11 appear to have been part of Mormon’s farewell address and were among the very last of his writings. How do we know? Right there, in the first verse of Words of Mormon, he stated, "And now I, Mormon being about to deliver up the record into the hands of my son Moroni." Then, in the same verse, Mormon explained that he delivered his abridgment of the plates to Moroni after he, Mormon, had "witnessed almost all the destruction of [his] people, the Nephites." Verse 2 continued: "[I pray that God may] grant that he [Moroni] may survive," but "it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people." So, Mormon wrote these passages when it was very close to the end of the Nephite nation, about A.D. 385.
The chart below (Figure 1) gives a chronology of the writings of Mormon. After reviewing the chart, it becomes apparent that Mormon’s sermon on good works and his epistle on baptism were written at an earlier date and then subsequently inserted into the final record, as Moroni 7 and 8 respectively, by his son, Moroni.
Figure 1 Welch, John W., and Greg Welch. Writings of Mormon. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999, chart 20.
The same chart shows that two chapters in Mormon (6–7) contain part of Mormon’s farewell wherein Mormon laments in Mormon 6:17–18, "O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you! Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But, behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss."
Then, after Mormon wrote about the destruction of his people and lamented their loss in Mormon 6–7, he wrote Words of Mormon just prior to giving the plates to his son, Moroni. Mormon expected that Moroni would then begin his own writings and abridgments. The text in Words of Mormon 1:1–11 contain the final words that Mormon wrote. Very likely, these eleven verses were also the last words translated by Joseph Smith. For greater clarity about the various plates and records that comprised the Book of Mormon, refer to the chart below (Figure 2).
Figure 2 Welch, John W., and Greg Welch. Book of Mormon Plates and Records. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999, chart 13.