I think we (i.e., I!) have a tendency to think about writing itself as a kind of unavoidable weakness (I think Adam Miller has an article in the SMPT journal Element that takes up this question more generally of writing as a weak form of communication a la Ether 12), but Moroni seems to have something very different in mind.

Also, to what extent did Joseph’s role in and mode of translation make Moroni’s concerns moot? One thing that I think is somewhat ironic about this is that if the record had been written in Hebrew, I would guess there would be a whole host of different kinds of criticisms about the Book of Mormon (i.e., from Hebrew scholars).

I’m also struck this time about the similarity between Mormon 9–have miracles cased? with his later appeal in Moroni 7–have angels ceased appearing to men?

Its so easy to think that the BoM was written just for us–a self help book for the latter-days. Too bad it doesn’t say anything about that anywhere in the BoM itself!