An invitation is given to enter into the rest of the Lord—Pray with real intent—The Spirit of Christ enables men to know good from evil—Satan persuades men to deny Christ and do evil—The prophets manifest the coming of Christ—By faith, miracles are wrought and angels minister—Men should hope for eternal life and cleave unto charity.
📜 19 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.
How We Discern Good from Evil
A Study of Moroni 7:19 in Order
Moroni 7:19 moves in a clear, sacred progression. Mormon is not giving scattered advice—he is giving us a step‑by‑step pattern for how we, as disciples, learn to discern good from evil.
Below, we follow the verse in the exact order it was written, letting each phrase build on the next.
1. “Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren…”
Mormon begins with urgency and tenderness.
He is not lecturing us—he is pleading with us.
Discernment is not optional for disciples; it is essential for our spiritual survival.
His tone invites us to receive this teaching with humility and seriousness. Mormon’s urgency, tenderness, and pleading invitation
General Conference Talk That Pairs With This Section — “Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren…”
President Henry B. Eyring — “A Voice of Warning” (October 1998)
"Our ability to touch others with our warning voice matters to all who are covenant disciples of Jesus Christ."
President Eyring’s message mirrors Mormon’s tone almost exactly:
▪︎ He speaks with urgency, not to alarm us,
but because he loves us.
▪︎ He pleads with us to listen, to prepare,
and to receive the Lord’s guidance.
▪︎ He teaches that discipleship requires
spiritual seriousness, humility, and
responsiveness to God’s invitations.
▪︎ His voice is pastoral, gentle, and
deeply earnest—just like Mormon’s
opening plea.
This talk resonates with the same emotional and spiritual posture as Moroni 7:19’s beginning: a prophet who loves his people enough to beseech them.
2. “…that ye should search diligently…”
The first instruction is effort.
We do not drift into discernment.
We search. We seek. We examine. We ask. We listen.
“Diligently” means:
▪︎ We stay spiritually awake
▪︎ We look beneath the surface
▪︎ We test impressions, ideas, and
influences
▪︎ We keep our hearts open to correction
Scriptures teach us about diligence. The practice of diligence in doctrine, enables us to greater discernment.
📗 Isa. 55:2 — "Hearken diligently
unto me"
Discernment begins with
diligence. Before we can recognize
what is good, we must learn to listen
with intent.
📕 Heb. 11:6 — "God is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek him"
Discernment is impossible without
faith, and faith expresses itself through
diligence seeking. When we seek god
diligently, he rewards us with
discernment, clarity, and spiritual
understanding we cannot gain any
other way.
📒 Moro. 9:6 — "Let us labor diligently"
The principle of diligence in laboring
in scripture, enables us to better
discernment.
📘 D&C 84:43 — "Give diligent heed to the words of eternal life"
When we give diligent heed to the words of eternal life, our hearts stay aligned with God and our discernment grows sharper. Diligence in doctrine keeps us spiritually awake, protected, and able to recognize truth from error.
Discernment begins with intentional spiritual work.
3. “…in the light of Christ…”
📜 45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
This is the source of discernment.
We do not rely on our own wisdom, instincts, or preferences.
We search in His light, not our own.
The Light of Christ:
▪︎ Softens our conscience
▪︎ Illuminates truth
▪︎ Reveals motives
▪︎ Distinguishes between what merely
feels good and what actually is good
📜 6 He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
🗝 7 Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
📜 8 As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
📜 9 As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;
📜 10 And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.
📜 11 And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
📜 12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of
space—
📜 13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.
In the Light of Christ
The Light of Christ is the source of all true discernment. It softens our conscience, reveals truth, and enlightens our understanding. When we search in His light rather than our own, we see more clearly—distinguishing between what merely feels good and what actually is good. His light fills all creation, governs all things, and illuminates every honest seeker. Without His light our searching is dim; with His light, our path becomes clear.
4. “…that ye may know good from evil…”
This is the purpose of the searching.
Mormon teaches that knowing good from evil is not guesswork—it is a spiritual gift that grows as we walk in Christ’s light.
Good is anything that:
▪︎ Leads us toward Christ
▪︎ Invites us to love, serve, repent,
and believe
▪︎ Strengthens faith, hope, and charity
Evil is anything that:
▪︎ Pulls us away from Christ
▪︎ Persuades us to deny truth
▪︎ Stirs pride, anger, cruelty, or isolation
Discernment is not about judging people—it is about recognizing spiritual direction.
A General Conference talk that pairs beautifully and directly with this section —
“…that ye may know good from evil…” — is this one:
President Dallin H. Oaks — “Good, Better, Best” (October 2007)
"We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."
President Oaks teaches the very heart of what Mormon is teaching here:
▪︎ Discernment is not guesswork —
it is a spiritual skill.
▪︎ We learn to distinguish not only between
good and evil, but between good, better,
and best.
▪︎ True discipleship requires us to
recognize what leads us toward Christ
and what merely distracts.
▪︎ Spiritual direction matters more than
outward appearance or surface-level
goodness.
▪︎ Choosing the “best” things is how we
stay aligned with Christ’s purposes.
This talk mirrors this section perfectly:
discernment is about spiritual direction, not judging people — and the Spirit teaches us how to choose what leads us toward Christ.
5. “…and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing…”
Once we recognize good, we must act.
“Lay hold” means:
▪︎ Embrace it
▪︎ Choose it
▪︎ Practice it
▪︎ Protect it
▪︎ Let it shape us
Goodness is not meant to be admired from a distance.
It is meant to be grasped and woven into our daily living.
A strong, clean pairing for this section —
“…and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing…” —
is this General Conference talk:
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually” (October 2017)
"If we persevere, then somewhere in eternity our refinement will be finished and complete."
This talk aligns beautifully with the spirit of laying hold upon good things:
-
▪︎ Elder Holland teaches that discipleship
is built through small, steady acts of
choosing good.
▪︎ He emphasizes that goodness must be
practiced, not admired from afar.
▪︎ He invites us to hold fast to every bit of
progress, every good desire, every
righteous effort.
▪︎ He reassures us that Christ magnifies
our attempts as we cling to what is
good.
▪︎ He frames goodness as something
we grasp and grow into, not something
we wait to feel worthy of.
This makes his message a perfect companion to Mormon’s teaching:
once we recognize good, we must seize it, live it, and let it shape who we are becoming.
6. “…and condemn it not…”
Mormon warns us:
Sometimes we resist good because it challenges us, stretches us, or comes from unexpected places.
To “condemn” good is to:
▪︎ Ignore promptings
▪︎ Reject truth because it feels
inconvenient
▪︎ Resist invitations to repent
▪︎ Dismiss goodness because it comes through imperfect people
Discernment requires humility.
We must not push away the very good things God is trying to give us.
A powerful General Conference talk that pairs exactly with this section —
“…and condemn it not…” — is:
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf — “Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth” (October 2014)
"Your personal testimony of light and truth will not only bless you and your posterity here in mortality, but it will also accompany you throughout all eternity."
This talk aligns perfectly with Mormon’s warning about not condemning good:
▪︎ Elder Uchtdorf teaches that we often
resist truth because it comes in ways
we don’t expect.
▪︎ He warns against dismissing spiritual
impressions, rejecting truth because it
challenges us, or closing our hearts
to revelation.
▪︎ He emphasizes that God’s light grows in
us only when we welcome it, not when
we push it away.
▪︎ He teaches that humility is essential to
receiving truth — the proud heart cannot
discern.
▪︎ He invites us to receive every good
thing, even when it stretches us or
comes through imperfect people.
This makes his message a perfect companion to Mormon’s teaching:
we must not condemn or resist the good God is trying to give us — even when it arrives in unexpected, uncomfortable, or unfamiliar ways.
7. “…ye certainly will be a child of Christ.”
📜 10 And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed?
This is the promise at the end of the verse. If we search diligently, use His light, recognize good, embrace it, and refuse to condemn it—we become His children.
To be a child of Christ means:
▪︎ We take His name upon us
▪︎ We inherit His attributes
▪︎ We walk in His ways
▪︎ We belong to Him through covenant
and rebirth
Discernment is not just about choices—it is about identity.
📜 25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
Here are the five strongest, cleanest, most doctrinally aligned scriptures—one from each standard work—that best support the section — “…ye certainly will be a child of Christ.”
These are the verses that most directly teach identity, rebirth, covenant belonging, and becoming sons and daughters of God.
Hosea 1:10 — “Ye are the sons of the living God.”
This is the clearest Old Testament declaration of divine identity.
It pairs perfectly with Moroni 7:19 because it frames becoming God’s children as a restored identity, not merely a metaphor.
John 1:12 (3 Ne. 9:17; Moro. 7:26; D&C 11:30; 35:2; 39:4; 42:52; 45:8) — “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.”
This is the New Testament’s most direct teaching on receiving Christ → becoming His children.
It matches Moroni’s pattern exactly: receive light, embrace good, become His.
Mosiah 5:7 — “Ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters.”
This is the most explicit Book of Mormon statement on covenantal rebirth.
It directly explains what Moroni promises: we become His children through covenant and transformation.
D&C 76:24 — “By him, and through him… are begotten sons and daughters unto God.”
This verse teaches that becoming God’s children is a real, spiritual begetting through Christ’s redeeming power.
It reinforces identity, not symbolism.
Moses 6:68 — “Thus may all become my sons.”
This is the clearest Pearl of Great Price teaching on becoming sons and daughters of God through obedience, covenant, and sanctification.
Why These Five Are the Best Fit
Each selected verse directly teaches:
▪︎ Identity (who we become)
▪︎ Transformation (rebirth, change, sanctification)
▪︎ Covenant belonging (taking His name upon us)
▪︎ Relationship (sons and daughters, not distant followers)
Together, they form a unified doctrinal chain that perfectly supports Moroni 7:19’s promise:
If we search diligently, walk in His light, embrace every good thing, and refuse to condemn it, we become His children—reborn, renamed, and remade in Christ.
Closing Reflection — The Verse in One Flow
Moroni 7:19 teaches us, in order:
1. God pleads with us
2. To search diligently
3. Using the Light of Christ
4. So we can know good from evil
5. And lay hold upon every good thing
6. Without condemning it
7. Becoming children of Christ
This is the path of discernment.
This is the path of discipleship.
This is the path of becoming His.
I testify that Moroni’s pattern is true. When we search diligently, when we choose to walk in the Light of Christ, when we welcome every good thing and refuse to condemn the truth God sends us, our hearts change. We begin to see as He sees. We begin to love as He loves. We begin to discern with clarity that does not come from our own wisdom but from His Spirit. I know that Jesus Christ is the source of all light, all goodness, all truth, and all discernment. As we follow this path, we truly become His sons and His daughters—reborn, renewed, and gathered into His covenant embrace. He lives, and He leads us in every good thing. Amen.
Moroni 7:19 is not simply a verse about judgment; it is a roadmap for discipleship. Mormon pleads with us because he knows how easily we can drift, how quickly we can be deceived, and how deeply we need the Light of Christ to navigate a world of competing voices. Discernment is not a talent—it is a spiritual gift cultivated through diligence, humility, and faithful action. Each phrase of this verse invites us to move closer to Christ: to search, to see, to choose, to embrace, to trust. As we walk this pattern, we discover that discernment is not merely about identifying good and evil—it is about becoming the kind of people who naturally choose the good because Christ’s nature is forming within us.
Moroni 7:19 teaches a sacred progression: God pleads with us to search diligently, to seek truth in the Light of Christ, to learn the difference between good and evil, to lay hold upon every good thing, and to refuse to condemn the truth He offers. As we follow this path with steady hearts, we are transformed into the children of Christ—people shaped by His light, guided by His Spirit, and anchored in His goodness.
This is the way of discernment.
This is the way of discipleship.
This is the way back to Him.
Where Shall I Be
By The Carter Family
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