Why Do So Many of Mormon’s Teachings Appear in Ether 4 and 5?

Parallel Element

Moroni 7 (Mormon)

Ether 4–5 (Moroni)

Moroni 10 (Moroni)

Addressed to specific audience

To the church, the peaceable followers of Christ (7:3)

Addressed to specific audience

To the church, the peaceable followers of Christ (7:3)

Must have faith, hope, and/or charity to be part of church/kingdom

… that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord … until ye shall rest with him in heaven (7:3)
“for if ye have not faith in him then ye are not fit to be numbered among the people of his church (7:39)

… blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom (4:19)

And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope (10:21)

Discerning good from evil; all that is good (every good gift) comes from God; anything that is good invites to come to Christ and not deny Him; good people work by the “power and gift(s)” of Christ/God

Wherefore, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift.
Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil;
For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil … Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; (7:5–19)

For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.
And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good (4:11–12)

And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.
And wo be unto the children of men if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God.
(10:6, 18, 25)

Pray unto Father with “heart”

… pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart (7:48)

… yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit (4:15)

… ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ … ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent … (10:4)

By the Spirit, one can know the truth

… the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge …
For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil (7:15–16)

For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true … (4:11)

… he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things (10:4–5)

God will provide witnesses

Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ;
For behold, [the angels] are subject unto [Christ], to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.
And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance … to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him. (7:25, 29–31)

And unto three shall [the plates] be shown by the power of God; wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things are true.
And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day. (5:3–4)

And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?
And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true. (10:28–29)

The problem of unbelief

But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil (7:17)

And now, after that, they have all dwindled in unbelief
… the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
… and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind … (4:3, 13–15)

… all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.
if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief.
(10:19, 24)