Apologists can forget about Moroni leaving Mexico to go to New York. The text and timeline provides no such leeway for a fantasy which Mormon apologists have made up out of whole cloth. Brigham Young and other prophet-pretending propagandists can forget about Moroni going to Utah to dedicate future temple sites or whatnot, and visiting the land of Adam on the way to New York.
Let's look at Moroni's own timeline and see what he said he did after the final battle. All that matters is what Moroni said and what he didn't say can be analyzed within the framework of what he did say. Does that make sense?
Mormon 8 wrote:1 Behold I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father, Mormon. Behold, I have but few things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father.
2 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.
3 And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not.
4 Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not.
5 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 whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not.
6 Behold, four hundred years have passed away since the coming of our Lord and Savior.
It's 400 AD and Moroni is pretty much throwing in the towel. The great battle is over. His father Mormon is dead and anyone left has dispersed being hunted down and killed. Moroni's life is in jeopardy and he has no plans on what to do. He's ready to bury up the records at anytime and call it quits. He doesn't know whether he will live or die and sees no point in keeping the records and he's ready to hide them up.
But hold on there because Moroni manages to survive and after typing up a copy of Ether into his gold plates he feels moved to say more. He notes that he had
"not as yet perished" as if he felt he was literally on his last leg being the last man standing. He confesses that he thought he was done writing and ready to call it quits but since changed his mind and wants to keep preaching. Other than that, Moroni has no other plans.
Moroni 1 wrote:1 Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me. So he works up a little courage and scribbles more testimony into the record.
2 For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.
3 And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.
4 Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord.
Noah Webster 1828 wrote:
WANDER, verb intransitive [G., to wander to walk, to change, exchange or transform.]
1. To rove; to ramble here and there without any certain course or object in view; as, to wander over the fields; to wander about the town, or about the country. Men may sometimes wander for amusement or exercise. Persons sometimes wander because they have no home and are wretched, and sometimes because they have no occupation.
2. To leave home; to depart; to migrate.
WANDER, verb transitive To travel over without a certain course.
Thus, for all intents and purposes, Moroni had no plans or purpose other than to survive and evade his enemies. His statements above are very concise in showing how he spent the remainder of his days prior to finally sealing up the records while on the run being hunted by the Lamanites. It was fitting that he buried them in the Hill Cumorah to mark the memory of those who perished (including his father Mormon) and honor all the war dead.
"And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life."
And finally, after some 20 years of wandering about aimlessly in making every attempt to survive, Moroni throws in the towel and makes one last entry and seals up the record in the Hill Cumorah. End of story.
Moroni 10 wrote:1 Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites; and I would that they should know that more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away since the sign was given of the coming of Christ.
2 And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.
The text of the Book of Mormon and the geography therein is conclusive that Cumorah in which Moroni sealed the records is the same Cumorah in which the Nephites perishes including his father, Mormon.
So ends the story of the Book of Mormon.
