Mormon is not sure when his time is up. He has been fighting in battles since the age of 15. Now, near the end of his life, having seen thousands of strong warriors fall by the sword, he must have wondered when his time would come. But Mormon does not fear death. He really only cares about two things, that he can first pass on the responsibility to be guardian of the plates to Moroni and that the final destruction of his people gets recorded by someone. He knows that the Lord will preserve him at least until he can deliver up the sacred records to Moroni. Thus, prior to the battle at Cumorah, Mormon takes care of both of these provisions in anticipation of his own death (Mormon 6:6; 8:1-3). Quite to his own surprise, he survives the final battle and finishes his portion of the record, comprising Mormon 6:7 through Mormon 7:10.