2 Nephi 1-3

I'm going to take some artistic license here , and skip quite a ways forward, and talk a little bit about Moroni. There is a lot to say about Moroni, more than I could and should cover in this one post. But I will both let you do more reading on him, and tell you just a little bit. Moroni was given the task to finish the writings on the gold plates, which would later be translated and known as the Book of Mormon. He was also burdened with being the last righteous man on the face of the promised land during his time. He died while hiding and running from those who would kill him because of his faith in Jesus Christ. Because of these circumstances, Moroni dedicates all of his time and energy into keeping the written word of God safe and secure until God's children are ready to receive it again.

Moroni says "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?...Awake, and arise from the dust...that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee...may be fulfilled" (Moroni 10:27,31).

In 2 Nephi 1:14 Lehi is on his deathbed, and wants to leave his last words with his children, both natural and adopted. He says "Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth".

Here we can see the direct correlation between Lehi's words more than 500 years before the coming of Christ, and Moroni's words nearly 500 years after the coming of Christ. Both of these men were servants of God, Prophets and Seers, meaning they received direct revelation from Heaven to guide the people on the earth at their time, and the ability to see what we would need at a time much later than they lived in. The words of these men tell us how the Book of Mormon should be used for us.

The Prophet Moroni as he buries the Gold Plates

Buried in the earth by Moroni, and thousands of years later removed by Joseph Smith at the start of the Restoration of Christ's Church. The words in the book are the words of men of God. To us, these prophets are literally crying out from the dust, from their graves, and commanding us to arise and serve the Lord.