That the Book of Mormon was written “for our day” has become something of a trope amongst Latter-day Saints. The saying is a riff on Moroni's first contribution to the record. There, after ending the account of his own people (Mormon 8:9, 13), Moroni turns his attention to a future time when the record “shall be brought forth out of the earth” (Mormon 8:16). He goes on to list the condition prevailing at its appearance—“It shall come in a day when . . . ” (Mormon 8:26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32)—before revealing that his own knowledge of that “day” is revealed: “The Lord hath shown unto me” (Mormon 8:34). Clarifying that this “Lord” was “Jesus Christ,” Moroni expands: He “hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing,” therefore, “I speak unto you as if ye were present” (Mormon 8:35). From this showing and speaking comes extrapolation of...

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