It is surely no coincidence that Moroni’s great discourse on faith (Ether 12:1–41) is also his farewell address to the Gentiles (Ether 12:38). As Moroni has seen the latter-day Gentiles in vision (Mormon 8:35), he has a perfect understanding of their character traits, foibles, and weaknesses (Mormon 8:17–41). The strategic placing of this discourse just prior to his abridgment of the Jaredites’ destruction sends the Gentiles a message of caution and foreboding.
Unlike the Jaredites, who “did not believe” the words of Ether,” but instead “rejected” them and “esteemed him as naught”(Ether 12:5; 13:2, 13), the Gentiles would do well to heed Moroni’s message. His account of the Jaredites’ rejection of the prophet Ether, which immediately precedes and follows his discourse on faith, is evidently the thing that triggers Moroni’s effort to now rid his garments of the Gentiles’ blood (Ether 12:38).
In fact, Moroni doesn’t have many good things to say about the Gentiles, intimating that they “have not charity” (Ether 12:35). Concerning their eventually obtaining the Book of Mormon, Moroni pleads, “Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things” (Ether 12:23, 25). Though the Book of Mormon would come to the latter-day Lamanites “through the Gentiles” (Ether 12:22), Moroni fears the Gentiles will “take advantage” of the Nephites’ “weakness in writing” (Ether 12:23–26, 35, 40).
Indeed, in our day Moroni’s fears reemerged almost immediately after the Book of Mormon came forth: “Your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion” (D&C 84:54–58).
And again: “All they who receive the oracles of God, let them beware how they hold them lest they are accounted as a light thing, and are brought under condemnation thereby, and stumble and fall when the storms descend, and the winds blow, and the rains descend, and beat upon their house” (D&C 90:5).
The Lord’s response to Moroni’s apprehension is, “Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness; And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness” (Ether 12:26–28).
Moroni himself had passed through this process: “Thou hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father” (Ether 12:37).
Moroni had not only “seen Jesus” (Ether 12:39), but also things similar to what the Brother of Jared has seen (Mormon 8:34–35; Ether 12:40). Indeed, he points to the Brother of Jared as an ultimate example of faith (Ether 12:19–21, 30). Just as the Brother of Jared and others had received no witness “until after the trial of [their] faith” (Ether 12:6), so, when the Gentiles exercise faith “even as the Brother of Jared,” they will see what the Brother of Jared saw (Ether 4:7).
In a similar vein, Moroni points to Jesus as the ultimate example of charity: “I remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world, that thou mightest take it again to prepare a place for the children of men. And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father” (Ether 12:33–34).
Charity, in other words, is defined as a love of all humanity, even to the laying down of one’s life for others. Undoubtedly, the Brother of Jared, the prophet Ether, Moroni, and all who saw the past and the future had attained this level of love for all humanity. If not, the Lord would not have permitted them the privilege of viewing the earth’s inhabitants past and future (cf. Ether 3:25; 13:1–12; Mormon 8:34–41).
Such scriptural examples of spiritual virtues—manifested in real individuals—throw light on what the scriptures mean by “faith, hope, and charity” (cf. Ether 12:28).
The alternative for the Gentiles’ attaining these things is “that thou wilt prove them, and take away their talent, yea, even that which they have received, and give unto them who shall have more abundantly” (Ether 12:35). Those to whom the Lord will “give more abundantly” are the Lamanites, Jews, and Ten Tribes, who will again receive the gospel when the Gentiles reject it (3 Nephi 16:10–11; 20:28–31; 21:11–29). This will fulfill the prophecy that says, “There are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first” (Ether 13:2; cf. Matthew 20:16; 1 Nephi 13:42; Jacob 5:63).
The key to the Gentiles’ survival, then, is to come unto Christ, to humble themselves before him and acknowledge their weakness. If they will do this, “then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27). There is no other way to come unto Christ. The Gentiles must measure up to the Brother of Jared, Moroni, and others who have done so or else have their talent taken away.
Moroni’s final words to the Gentiles, therefore, are, “And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen” (Ether 12:41).