Alma 59-60

(May 4, 2014)
As I read these chapters, I thought to myself for the first time about Mormon’s purpose for including Moroni’s epistle to Pahoran in the text.  After all, he had summarized text frequently, so why would he not likewise summarize this text?  Moroni here had made a mistake – he had been angry with Pahoran without cause – and Mormon could have glossed over all of that with a sentence about Moroni writing to Pahoran for the reason for their lack of support and Pahoran writing back telling Moroni the situation.

Mormon, therefore, included this text for a reason.  It wasn’t, I don’t believe, to condemn Moroni – it is clear that Mormon holds Moroni in very high regard.  Therefore Mormon seems to be pointing out how very determined that Moroni was to do whatever was necessary in preserving the cause of freedom.  That leads to the conclusion that even though Moroni was ultimately wrong in the facts that he was writing about, his underlying motivations were correct.