I recently saw a headline from a prominent Protestant podcaster that read: “The Angel Moroni Is a Demon.” Well, I wanted to put that claim to the test.
Context: Who is Angel Moroni?
According to Joseph Smith (Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith), Moroni is an ancient Native American prophet who appeared to him as an angel multiple times, gave him divine messages, and showed him where to discover a buried, long-forgotten book of writings from various American prophets. Joseph later retrieved those records, translated them, and published them as “The Book of Mormon.”
The Book of Mormon is named after Mormon, whom The Book of Mormon describes as Moroni’s father. Mormon compiled and abridged stories from records written by centuries of prophets who lived in pre-Columbian Americas. Mormon dies before the work is finished (Mormon 8), and his son, Moroni, is left alone to finish compiling the work. He has witnessed the violent destruction of his people and describes living in hiding and solitude, being the last one in the land clinging to belief in Christ—a belief which makes him a target.
(Oh, and he is also the golden angel on the top of many Latter-day Saint temples.)
With this context, let’s walk through how to discover the truth: Was Moroni really an angel? Or was he a demon in disguise?
How to identify an angel or a demon
In His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew), the Lord Jesus Christ taught two key principles that may help us in this search for truth:
- Pray for answers to your questions
Isn’t it wonderful that God is both the source of all truth and has greater love for each of us than anyone else? He wants us to ask Him questions, and He’s eager to give answers.
In a search for truth such as this one, I recommend both starting and ending with the same simple formula: ask God your question, and prepare to listen.
- Examine the results of the people or teachings you encounter to know what is true
This strategy is immensely useful in many areas of life. When you’re trying to choose a new dentist, what do you do? You read the reviews! You ask your friends what their dentist is really like and whether she does a good job.
If we accept the premise that Moroni was a real entity that appeared to Joseph Smith, and we want to discover if he was a demon or an angel, let’s examine his fruit.
What is the fruit of this Moroni? The easiest one to investigate, it seems, is The Book of Mormon itself; it is Joseph Smith’s most material evidence of Moroni’s angelic appearances.
The fruits
Many portions of The Book of Mormon are accredited to Moroni, so let’s explore some of these fruits. I’ve selected just 10 short excerpts from across many sections to get a sense for what he’s all about.
Do these most seem to be the words of a demon? Or of an angel? You decide.
- “Turn ye unto the Lord” in prayer
O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day.
Mormon 9:6
- “A God of miracles”
- “Believe in Christ”
Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.
Mormon 9:21
- “Good things come from God”
And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me [Christ]; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
Ether 4:12
- “Repent and come unto Christ”
- “Faith in Christ”
And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
7 For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.
Ether 12:6-7
- Teaching the words of the sacrament
O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it; that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
Moroni 4:3
- Through Christ, you may “know good from evil”
Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.
Moroni 7:19
- “Ask God, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true”
Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, 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.
Moroni 10:3-5
- Choose good gifts from Christ, and “touch not the evil gift”
And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.
Moroni 10:30
What do you think?
Do these sound like the words of an angel or of a prophet pointing people to Christ? Or do they sound like the deceiving words of a demon leading people to hell?
I hope you’ll pray and ask God to reveal the truth for you.
If you are looking for a little more evidence, well, you might just have to read the whole Book of Mormon and try it out for yourself.
As for me
If you haven’t gathered by now, yes, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I have read the Book of Mormon many times. While I don’t have all the answers, here’s what I do know.
I know that the days when I read the Book of Mormon, giving it even 20 minutes of prayerful attention and seeking, my life looks different. I have access to a greater peace and power to face my day with hope and compassion than when I don’t. When I pray for help or answers in my life, I find guidance in these pages. Nothing invites the Spirit of the Lord into my heart and life like these pages do, and nothing makes my feelings of anger or fear dissipate like the words in this book do.
I believe in my Savior Jesus Christ, whom I have come to know through reading the Bible—and just as much or possibly more so, through reading the Book of Mormon.
I have tested the messages inside this book for myself—messages that teach me to pray, to repent, to have charity—and cannot deny the true power of the promised blessings that come.
To hear someone say this book came from a demon isn’t just wrong to me; it’s downright silly!
No demon could or would write or endorse this book.
But when I see people attack my faith, I feel in some way that I understand Moroni, who wrote:
…because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.
And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ…
Moroni 1:2-3
Even if people mock and lie about me and my faith, I cannot deny what I know.
I cannot deny the Christ.
I cannot deny His words.
Moroni is an angel.
The Book of Mormon is real.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God’s one true Church on the earth.
