Moroni - 1st attempt

Moroni has always stood out to me as a person with a quiet kind of courage...the kind that defeats enemies like loneliness and the temptations to slip away because you feel like you're the only one on your side. This isn't anywhere near the kind of quality portrait I wanted to give him, but it's a start toward the road that'll take me to where I can draw what I have seen in my mind. The son of the abridger of the Book of Mormon...the last keeper of the Gold Plates...unheeded prophet, and servant of the Lord. He's one of my heroes.

(( the following quotation is kind of long... just as a warning... but it's good reading! ))

Mormon chapter 8, various verses

"Behold I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father, Mormon. Behold, I haev but few things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father.
And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed.
And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people...
Therefore I write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not.
Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor wither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not.
Behold, four hundred years have passed away since the coming of our Lord and Savior.
And behold the Lamanites have hunted my people, theNephites...even until they are no more...
...And the whole face of the land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed; and no one knoweth the end of the war.
And there are none that do know the true God save it be the disciples of Jesus, who did tarry in the land until the wickedness of the people was so great that the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people; and whether they be upon the face of the land no man knoweth.
But behold, my father and I have seen them, and they have ministered unto us.
And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these. Behold, I am Moroni; and were it possible, I would make all things known unto you.
And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord...the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless.
And blessed be he that shall bring this thing to light; for it shall be brought out of darkness unto light, according to the word of God; yea, it shall be brought out of the earth, and it shall shine forth out of darkness, and come unto the knowledge of the people; and it shall be done by the power of God.
And if there be faults they be the faults of man.
Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.
Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

Chapter 9, various verses
Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yeah, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.
For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no...shadow of changing?
But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles...
And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.
Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God?
And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many might miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.
And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.
O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.
Behold, I speak unto you as though I spake from the dead; for I know that ye shall have my words.
Comdemn me not because of mine imperfection, enither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.
And now, behold, we have written this record according to to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech.
...and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record.

Ether 12, various verses.

And I said unto him: Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing, for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing, for thou hast made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost which thou hast given them;
And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands.
Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mocka t our words.
And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness.
And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith.
And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles; yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ...
And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things;
And only a few have I written, because of my weakness in writing.
And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.

....that was kind of long...sorry! I just...really love Moroni's words. They're so powerful...*Got wrapped up in them*