Moroni: trump, sword, banner

An angel blowing a trumpet is a universally recognized symbol of Mormonism, appearing atop the spires of most Mormon temples.

Mormons believe that angels are men -- that "there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it" (D&C 130:5) -- and this angel represents Moroni. Moroni was the son of Mormon, author of the original Book of Mormon, and added some writings of his own to that book after his father's death. Later, as a resurrected angel, he appeared to Joseph Smith, beginning the process that led to the English Book of Mormon we have today.

(This is described in Extracts from the History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet. If you are ignorant of this document, you are ignorant. Go read it right now. It's less than 8,000 words. Why are you reading this sentence? I said right now.)

Why the trumpet? The "old spirit" who appeared to Joseph Smith had no such instrument. I have been told it's an allusion to Revelation 14:6 -- "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" -- but that angel is not described as having a trumpet, either. Many of the angels in Revelation do have trumpets, though, so perhaps this one ended up being depicted with one by association. Anyway, whatever the reason, the trumpet is now an essential item in the Angel Moroni's accoutrements.

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On January 26, "G" of the Junior Ganymede blog wrote that his wife had "dreamed the Church announced it was taking down all the angel Moronis on the temples to replace the trumpet with a sword."

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Moroni was the son of Mormon. Mormon was named for the Waters of Mormon, where, centuries before his time, 204 converts had been baptized by a fugitive priest who preached in the wilderness to escape the vengeful eye of the wicked king he had once served. As Mormon himself wrote when recounting the story,

And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever. And these things were done in the borders of the land, that they might not come to the knowledge of the king (Mosiah 18:30-31).

So the name Mormon would have had connotations similar to those of Jordan. Alas that there is no longer any Mormon Church to carry on the legacy of that name!

Mormon named his son Moroni, after the great Nephite military hero Captain Moroni, of whom Mormon had written,

And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;

Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.

Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.

. . . and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.

Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men (Alma 48:11-17).

Like Joan of Arc centuries later, Captain Moroni was known for his distinctive banner, called the Title of Liberty. This banner was flown in the war against Amalickiah, a pretender to the position of King of the Nephites, who would later swear an oath that he would drink Moroni's blood.

And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.

And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.

And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land . . .

And it came to pass that when he had poured out his soul to God, he named all the land which was south of the land Desolation, yea, and in fine, all the land, both on the north and on the south—A chosen land, and the land of liberty.

And he said: "Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own transgressions."

And when Moroni had said these words, he went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had written upon the rent part, and crying with a loud voice, saying: "Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them."

And it came to pass that when Moroni had proclaimed these words, behold, the people came running together with their armor girded about their loins, rending their garments in token, or as a covenant, that they would not forsake the Lord their God; or, in other words, if they should transgress the commandments of God, or fall into transgression, and be ashamed to take upon them the name of Christ, the Lord should rend them even as they had rent their garments (Alma 46:11-21).

Moroni's banner was spotted, and filmed, at the January 6 protest at the Capitol.

My sister Kat Valentine, whose portrait of Joan of Arc has already appeared on this blog, also did one of Captain Moroni. When she first showed it to me, I thought he looked saintly but insufficiently martial. However, it's rather grown on me since then.