306 Mormon Abridging the Plates

Words of Mormon 1:111; Helaman 3:14; 3 Nephi 5:917; 3 Nephi 26:12; Mormon 1:15; Mormon 6:6; Mormon 7; Mormon 8:1
I make [my record] according to the knowledge and the understanding which God has given me. Words of Mormon 1:9

Several hundred years after Jesus visited the Nephites, a Nephite prophet and military commander named Mormon received the Nephite records. Mormon took a portion of the records and abridged, or summarized, them. To this he added a small, unabridged portion, as well as his own history. This collection of records is called the Book of Mormon because he was its main editor and writer. (See Words of Mormon 1:111; 3 Nephi 5:917; Mormon 1:15.)

In his abridgment, Mormon could not "write the hundredth part" of the history of his people (see Words of Mormon 1:5; Helaman 3:14). However, he did include material that would help people learn about Jesus Christ and believe in Him. To those of the latter days, Mormon wrote: "Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record [the Book of Mormon] but also in the record [the Bible] which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you" (Mormon 7:8; see all of Moroni 7).

Mormon's mission came by commandment of the Lord (see 3 Nephi 26:12), and he was guided by the Spirit in his work with the records (see Words of Mormon 1:7). Near the end of his life, Mormon hid most of the records in the Hill Cumorah and gave the rest to his son, Moroni, who finished the work begun by his father (see Words of Mormon 1:1; Mormon 6:6; Mormon 8:1).

Summary

Mormon was the main editor and writer of what is known as the Book of Mormon. Having been commanded of the Lord, Mormon abridged, or summarized, a portion of the Nephite records. His abridgment does not contain even a "hundredth part" of his people's history, but it does contain important teachings about Jesus Christ and His gospel. Besides this abridgment—which forms the main part of the Book of Mormon—Mormon and later his son, Moroni, were inspired to include other writings. The resulting book of scripture stands alongside the Bible as another testament of Jesus Christ.

Artist, Tom Lovell

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