Bern Switzerland Temple Statue of Angel Moroni

The angel Moroni [mɔr'ounai] is an angel that Joseph Smith, Jr. said visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 23, 1823. The angel was the guardian of the golden plates, which Smith said were buried in a hill near his home in western New York, and which he said were the source material for the Book of Mormon. Moroni is an important figure in the theology of the Latter Day Saint movement, and is featured prominently in Mormon architecture and art. Three Witnesses besides Joseph Smith said they saw Moroni in 1829 visions, as did several other witnesses who each said they had their own vision. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (301x609, 17 KB) Beschreibung Description: Die Engel-Moroni-Statue kurz vor der Montage auf den Bern-Tempel Source: Fotografiert von Philipp Spinnler Date: 7. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (301x609, 17 KB) Beschreibung Description: Die Engel-Moroni-Statue kurz vor der Montage auf den Bern-Tempel Source: Fotografiert von Philipp Spinnler Date: 7. ... Bern Temple in 1981 The Bern Switzerland Temple is a Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... The Archangel Michael by Guido Reni wears a late Roman military outfit in this 17th century depiction An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions. ... Joseph Smith, Jr. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... An 1893 engraving of Joseph Smith receiving the Golden Plates and the Urim and Thummim from the angel Moroni. ... An 1841 engraving of Cumorah (looking south), where Joseph Smith said he was given Golden Plates by an angel named Moroni, on the west side, near the peak. ... “NY” redirects here. ... The Book of Mormon[1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement, regarded by Latter Day Saints as divinely revealed, and named after the prophet–historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. ... The Latter Day Saint movement (a subset of Restorationism) is a group of religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... A monument to the Three Witnesses at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. ...

Moroni is said to be the same person as a Book of Mormon prophet-warrior named Moroni, who was the last to write in the golden plates. The book says that Moroni buried them before he died after a great battle between two pre-Columbian civilizations. After he died, he was resurrected, became an angel, and was tasked with guarding the golden plates, and with eventually directing Joseph Smith to their location in the 1820s. According to Latter Day Saint movement theology, Moroni still has the plates and several other Book of Mormon artifacts in his possession. The Book of Mormon[1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement, regarded by Latter Day Saints as divinely revealed, and named after the prophet–historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. ... Moroni hides the plates in the Hill Cumorah Moroni (mɔrounai), according to the Book of Mormon, was the last Nephite prophet and military commander who lived in North America in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. ... An 1893 engraving of Joseph Smith receiving the Golden Plates and the Urim and Thummim from the angel Moroni. ... The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the Americas continent. ... Look up Resurrection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Archangel Michael by Guido Reni wears a late Roman military outfit in this 17th century depiction An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions. ...

Angel's name and identity

Smith provided two conflicting identifications for the angel who appeared to him in 1823 and directed him to the golden plates. The first name Smith provided for this angel was Moroni.^[1] In 1835, while preparing the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, he made additions to an earlier revelation regarding sacramental wine, and indicated a number of angels that would come to the earth after the Second Coming and drink wine with Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (Smith et al. 1835, p. 180). Among those angels, the revelation listed "Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel; to whom I have committed the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim" (id.). Around this time, Oliver Cowdery was writing a history of Joseph Smith in which he identified the angel as the prophet Moroni from the Book of Mormon (Cowdery 1835, p. 112). In July 1838, Smith wrote an article for the church periodical Elders' Journal, in the form of questions and answers, that stated the following: An 1893 engraving of Joseph Smith receiving the Golden Plates and the Urim and Thummim from the angel Moroni. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Doctrine and Covenants The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes abbreviated and cited as D&C) is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... Sacramental wine is wine prepared for use in Christian liturgy as part of the celebration of the Eucharist. ... The Archangel Michael by Guido Reni wears a late Roman military outfit in this 17th century depiction An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions. ... The Second Coming refers to the Christian and Islamic belief in the return of Jesus Christ, an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic prophecy such as the resurrection of the dead, last judgment and full establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (also called the Reign of God... A glass of red wine This article is about the alcoholic beverage. ... Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Moroni may mean: Places Moroni, Comoros, capital of the Comoros on the Grande Comore island. ... The Book of Mormon[1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement, regarded by Latter Day Saints as divinely revealed, and named after the prophet–historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. ... The Elders Journal was an early Latter Day Saint periodical. ...

"Question 4th. How, and where did you obtain the book of Mormon?

"Answer. Moroni, the person who deposited the plates, from whence the book of Mormon was translated, in a hill in Manchester, Ontario County, New York, being dead, and raised again therefrom, appeared unto me, and told me where they were; and gave me directions how to obtain them." (Smith 1838b, pp. 42–43).

However, on May 2, 1838, a few months before Smith's statement in Elders' Journal, Smith began dictating a church history that included a detailed account of his visits from the angel (Smith 1838a, p. 7). Smith identified the angel as "Nephi", which is the name of the Book of Mormon's first narrator (Smith 1838a, p. 5). Smith's 1838 identification as "Nephi" was repeated when the 1838 history was published in 1842 in Times and Seasons, which Smith edited himself (Smith 1842, p. 753), and in Millennial Star (Pratt 1842, p. 53). In the latter, an editorial referred to the 1823 vision and praised "the glorious ministry and message of the angel Nephi" (1842, p. 71). After Smith's death, the identification as "Nephi" was repeated when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints published its first edition of the Pearl of Great Price (Richards 1851, p. 41). It was also repeated in 1853 when Smith's mother Lucy Mack Smith published a history of her son (Smith 1853, p. 79). May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... In The Book of Mormon, Nephi, the son of Lehi, is a prophet and founder of the Nephite people. ... The Times and Seasons was a nineteenth-century Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly or twice-monthly at Nauvoo, Illinois, from November 1839 to February 15, 1846. ... The Millennial Star was the longest continually published magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being printed from 1840 until 1970. ... The temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Salt Lake City, Utah is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church; see also Mormonism) and some other Latter Day Saint denominations. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

As a further complication, Mary Whitmer, mother to one of the Three Witnesses and four of the Eight Witnesses, said she had a vision of the golden plates, shown to her by an angel, whom she always called "Brother Nephi" (Whitmer 1888, p. 621). Mary Musselman Whitmer (August 27, 1778 - January 1856) was the wife of Peter Whitmer, Sr. ... A monument to the Three Witnesses at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. ... The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement (reprinted in the Book of Mormon) stating that they had seen the golden plates which Joseph Smith, Jr. ... An 1893 engraving of Joseph Smith receiving the Golden Plates and the Urim and Thummim from the angel Moroni. ...

Nevertheless, based on Smith's statement that the angel was "Moroni", most Latter Day Saints view Smith's identification of the angel as Nephi as a mistake. In the version of Smith's 1838 history published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as the portion canonized by that denomination as the Pearl of Great Price, the name "Nephi" has been changed by editors to read "Moroni".^{[citation needed]} The Community of Christ publishes the original story, including the identification of "Nephi", but indicates "Moroni" in a footnote.^{[citation needed]} In The Book of Mormon, Nephi, the son of Lehi, is a prophet and founder of the Nephite people. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church; see also Mormonism) and some other Latter Day Saint denominations. ... It has been suggested that Community of Christ membership statistics be merged into this article or section. ...

Description

Descriptions of the angel Moroni vary. In one of Joseph Smith's histories, he said "He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen.… His hands were naked and his arms also a little above the wrists.… Not only was his robe exceedingly white but his whole person was glorious beyond description" (Smith 1838). According to Smith's sister Katharine, the angel "was dressed in white raiment, of whiteness beyond anything Joseph had ever seen in his life, and had a girdle about his waist. He saw his hands and wrists, and they were pure and white. (Salisbury 1895, p. 11).

Appearances to Joseph Smith and others

On the night of September 21, 1823, Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr. (who would later become the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement) and told him about the Golden Plates that were buried (in a stone box) a few miles from Smith's home. Over the course of the next six years, Moroni allegedly visited Smith several more times. After translating a portion of the writing on the plates (either one-third or two-thirds; accounts vary) as the Book of Mormon, Smith turned the plates back over to Moroni. is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Latter Day Saint movement (a subset of Restorationism) is a group of religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... An 1893 engraving of Joseph Smith receiving the Golden Plates and the Urim and Thummim from the angel Moroni. ... The Book of Mormon[1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement, regarded by Latter Day Saints as divinely revealed, and named after the prophet–historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. ...

In addition to Joseph Smith, several other early Mormons said they had visions where they saw the angel Moroni. Three Witnesses said they saw the angel in 1829: Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. Other early Mormons said they saw Moroni include Mary Whitmer (who called him "Brother Nephi"), Emma Hale Smith, Hyrum Smith, Luke S. Johnson, Zera Pulsipher, W. W. Phelps, John P. Green and his wife Rhoda, John Taylor, Oliver Granger, and Heber C. Kimball, Lucy Harris, and Harrison Burgess. A monument to the Three Witnesses at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. ... Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... David Whitmer (January 7, 1805–January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormons Golden Plates. ... Martin Harris (1783–1875) was the first financier of The Book of Mormon. ... Mary Musselman Whitmer (August 27, 1778 - January 1856) was the wife of Peter Whitmer, Sr. ... Emma Hale Smith Emma Hale Smith (10 July 1804 - 30 April 1879) was the wife of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Hyrum Smith Hyrum Smith (February 9, 1800—June 27, 1844) was the older brother of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Luke Samuel Johnson (1807-1861) (commonly known as Luke Johnson or Luke S. Johnson) was one of the original twelve members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. ... William Wine Phelps (also W.W. Phelps, and William W. Phelps) (February 17, 1792–March 7, 1872) was an important early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... For other persons named John Taylor, see John Taylor (disambiguation). ... Headstone at Oliver Grangers grave in Kirtland, Ohio Oliver Granger (February 7, 1794—August 27, 1841) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. ... Heber C. Kimball Heber Chase Kimball (June 14, 1801 – June 22, 1868) (commonly known as Heber C. Kimball) was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. ... Lucy Harris was the skeptical wife of Martin Harris. ...

Mortal life of Moroni the prophet

Main article: Moroni (Book of Mormon prophet)

According to the Book of Mormon, Moroni was the son of Mormon, the prophet for whom the Book of Mormon is named. He was named after Captain Moroni, a much earlier Book of Mormon figure. Before his father's death in battle, he passed the golden plates to him. Moroni finished writing on the plates and concluded his record, presumably burying them in the hill Cumorah in western New York. Moroni hides the plates in the Hill Cumorah Moroni (mÉ”rounai), according to the Book of Mormon, was the last Nephite prophet and military commander who lived in North America in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. ... The Book of Mormon[1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement, regarded by Latter Day Saints as divinely revealed, and named after the prophet–historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. ... Mormon is the name of the prophet in The Book of Mormon after whom the book is named. ... The Book of Mormon[1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement, regarded by Latter Day Saints as divinely revealed, and named after the prophet–historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. ... The Book of Mormon, a book of scripture held sacred by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Mormons more generally, presents Captain Moroni (BoM Arabic موروني Mūrūnī) as a righteous Nephite military commander, who lived around... An 1893 engraving of Joseph Smith receiving the Golden Plates and the Urim and Thummim from the angel Moroni. ... An 1841 engraving of Cumorah (looking south), where Joseph Smith said he was given Golden Plates by an angel named Moroni, on the west side, near the peak. ... “NY” redirects here. ...

Theological significance

Angel Moroni USVA headstone symbol

Because of his instrumentality in the restoration of the gospel, Moroni is commonly identified by Latter-day Saints as the angel mentioned in Revelation 14:6, "having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." Image File history File links USVA_headstone_emb-11. ... Image File history File links USVA_headstone_emb-11. ... The United States Department of Veterans Affairs maintains many cemeteries specifically devoted to veterans such as Arlington Cemetery. ...

The image of the angel Moroni blowing a trumpet is commonly used as an unofficial symbol of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Moroni appears on the cover of some editions of the Book of Mormon, and statues of the angel stand atop many LDS temples, most statues facing eastward. The image of Moroni is a registered trademark of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... The Salt Lake Temple is the most well-known Mormon Temple. ...

Theorized origin of the name

Some scholars have theorized that Smith became familiar with the name "Moroni" through his study of the treasure-hunting stories of Captain William Kidd.^[2] Because Kidd was said to have buried treasure in the Comoros islands, and Moroni is the name of the capital city and largest settlement in the Comoros, it has been suggested that Smith borrowed the name of the settlement and applied it to the angel who led him to buried treasure—the golden plates. Complementing this proposal is the theory that Smith borrowed the names of the Comoros islands and applied them to hill where he found the golden plates, which he named Cumorah.^[3] William Captain Kidd (c. ... Moroni is the largest city of the Comores and since 1962 has also been its capital. ... An 1893 engraving of Joseph Smith receiving the Golden Plates and the Urim and Thummim from the angel Moroni. ... An 1841 engraving of Cumorah (looking south), where Joseph Smith said he was given Golden Plates by an angel named Moroni, on the west side, near the peak. ...

Latter-day Saint apologists have argued that this line of argument commits the logical error of appeal to probability; they also point out that it is unlikely that Smith had access to material which would have referred to the then-small settlement of Moroni.^[4] The appeal to probability is a logical fallacy, often used in conjunction with other fallacies. ...

Notes

An 1893 engraving of Joseph Smith receiving the Golden Plates and the Urim and Thummim from the angel Moroni. ...

References

1. Cowdery, Oliver (1835), "Letter VI to W.W. Phelps, Esq.", Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate 1 (7): 108–112
2. Pratt, P.P. & Thomas Ward (August 1842), "History of Joseph Smith; Editorial Remarks", Latter Day Saints' Millennial Star 3 (4).
3. Richards, Franklin D., ed. (1951), The Pearl of Great Price: Being a Choice Selection from the Revelations, Translations, and Narrations of Joseph Smith, First Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Liverpool: Richards.
4. Salisbury, Katharine Smith (April 10, 1895), An Angel Told Him, in Walker, Kyle R., "Katharine Smith Salisbury's Recollections of Joseph's Meetings with Moroni", BYU Studies 41 (3): 4–17, 2002.
5. Smith, Joseph, Jr. (1832), "History of the Life of Joseph Smith", in Jessee, Dean C, Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, ISBN 1-57345-787-6.
6. Smith, Joseph, Jr.; Oliver Cowdery & Sidney Rigdon et al. (1835), Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God, Kirtland, Ohio: F. G. Williams & Co.
7. Smith, Joseph, Jr. (July 1838), "Editor's note", Elders' Journal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 1 (3).
8. Smith, Joseph, Jr. et al. (May 2, 1838–1842), "History of the Church, Ms. A–1 (LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City)", in Jessee, Dean C, Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, ISBN 1-57345-787-6.
9. Smith, Joseph, Jr. (20 March 1842), "History of Joseph Smith", Times and Seasons 3 (12): 753–54.
10. Smith, Lucy Mack (1853), Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations, Liverpool: S.W. Richards.
11. Whitmer, John C. (October 1888), at Salt Lake City, "The Eight Witnesses", The Historical Record.

Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Messenger and Advocate (previously, the Latter Day Saints Messenger and Advocate) was an early Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly in Kirtland, Ohio from October 1834 to September 1837. ... Parley P. Pratt Statue of Parley P. Pratt facing Parleys Canyon at sunrise. ... The Millennial Star was the longest continually published magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being printed from 1840 until 1970. ... Franklin Dewey Richards (1821–1899) (commonly known as Franklin D. Richards) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from February 12, 1849 until his death, December 9, 1899. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Sidney Rigdon Sidney Rigdon (19 February 1793–14 July 1876) was an important figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... Joseph Smith, Jr. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Times and Seasons was a nineteenth-century Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly or twice-monthly at Nauvoo, Illinois, from November 1839 to February 15, 1846. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

External links

• The text of Moroni at Wikisource.
• Quotes from Moroni warning about secret combinations at Our Republic
• Moroni, the Son of Mormon in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism
• Angel Moroni in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism
• References to Moroni² in the index to the LDS edition of the Book of Mormon.