Lately I have had the opportunity to read one of my favorite parts of the scriptures. Interestingly enough when I was in high school I met a woman who stated that she hated reading about the wars in the Book of Mormon so she would skip them. I have thought about that idea oft times and wondered how anyone could skip that part. As I read this time I had her in mind and asked myself why these battles and wars are important for us to read. I came up with three reasons I would like to focus on.
The first idea came to mind immediately and was that we need to learn about Moroni, Helaman and his 2000 warriors, Lehi, Teancum and many other powerful Nephites. There are so many wonderful men to learn from but because of verse 17 in Alma 48 I have chosen to focus on Captain Moroni. This verse states, “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” Because of this verse I studied the qualities of Moroni as I have read through these chapters of the scriptures. I’ll give you an overview of my discoveries.
Moroni was the chief captain among the Nephites. He was appointed to this position when he was only 25 years old. He was very wise and well prepared. He prepared his warriors with shields and breastplates and other armor. He was passionate about defending the land, his country, his rights and liberties. He was unafraid of war with the Lamanites, but he offered peace to Zarahemnah and his army three times until they finally accepted. He ordered the Lamanite prisoners to work in order to keep guard over them. He labored exceedingly for the welfare and safety of others and was intolerant of those who did not support freedom. The scriptures describe his as strong, mighty, bold, and courageous.
Captain Moroni was also a man of mental strength. He fought war by strategies and used wisdom in fortifying and strengthening the Nephite lands. He used the Lamanites weaknesses against them and was very clever in his warfare. Consistent and true to his word, he was a man of perfect understanding who joyed in the liberty and freedom of his country. He was a forgiving man who offered peace to the Lamanites many times and worked to help others find happiness. He was of a strong mind and also was not afraid to share his mind when it came to Nephite dissenters as well as those who were stubborn or entitled. He was always concerned with his people’s freedom and even became angry with the government and chastised them for their neglect of his people.
He was also a man of God who followed the Lord. When he wanted to know which way his armies should go to defend themselves he sent word to Alma asking him to inquire of the Lord. When he received Alma’s direction he followed it. The scriptures say he had faith in Christ and was firm in that faith. He used his faith to inspire those around him. He hoisted a visual reminder of God and the things which were important to him when he made the Title of Liberty. He understood the need for the Nephites to be righteous so they could possess the land. He prayed for their liberty having faith God would grant it according to their righteousness. Because of that faith he moved the people to covenant with God to maintain their rights and religion. He also prepared them to be faithful to God and he helped to bring unity to the church. He joyed in his brethren’s faithfulness and mourned their rebellion against God. He was a man who likened the scriptures unto himself and his heart did glory; in preserving his people, keeping the commandments, and resisting iniquity. His heart also swelled with thanksgiving to God. He was a man like unto Ammon, the sons of Mosiah, and Alma and his sons, for all were men of God.
Moroni has always been my hero and upon further study of this man my admiration has grown immensely. While there is much to be said about how I can learn from this man I will say that I have learned the importance of being a strong individual in doing God's work. Despite my young age and inexperience God will strengthen me. We must all be consistent and true to our word. We should find joy in our freedoms and not be afraid to speak our minds when it involves the works of God and righteousness. Finally we must seek the Lord's guidance and follow it as well as the direction of his prophets. We must have faith in Christ and share our faith with those around us. We must pray, study the scriptures, keep the commandments, and give our thanks unto God.
The second reason it is important to study these words is so we can learn how to deal with the spiritual battles Satan is waging against us. There is a real war going on today and it is seen every day by our children in the halls at school. It is seen in the workplace as well as in the newspapers, on TV, the Internet, and in almost every facet of our lives. The fight for your soul and mine is very real and Satan is working overtime to gain our lives, our bodies, and even our very souls.
One summer of my college years I was fortunate to go home to my parents house in Oregon. We always had the missionaries in our home so we could feed them and feel of their spirits. Every time the missionaries came to dinner they would share a thought with our family. Many thoughts were very nice and brought us joy, but one though has stayed with me through the years.
That thought comes from Alma chapter 50 versus 1 through 6. There it states,
"1 And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.
3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.
4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.
5 And they were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and their strength, and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city.
6 Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land.
The missionary took a piece of paper and shared with us a picture of what these strong holds might look like. He then proceeded to label each part of that picture with modern-day comparison's. He made a square and called it the city and likened it to our souls or our testimonies. Then using strips of paper surrounding the outside of the square he called those heaps of earth and asked us to think about those as the first four principle and ordinances of the gospel. Faith, Repentance, Baptism by Immersion, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Around the outside of those strips he had strips as timbers and related those to the four standard works. The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Next in the scriptures it talks of pickets and he made those strips of paper and related those to the four main auxiliaries in the church; Priesthood, Relief Society, Young Women's, and Primary. Finally he placed the towers upon the outer part of the city and called the four watchmen for our day, Prophets, Bishops, Parents, and Temples. The missionary pointed out that if we will surround our souls, with all of these things that the devils arrows and fiery darts will not be able to reach us because we will be so well protected from Satan's ploys. There is a lot to do and it may not be easy, but the rewards will be well worth it.
The third and final reason I came up with to read these passages is so we can learn of our need to rely on the Lord and be united with our brethren in the Lord. Over and over again in this part of the Book of Mormon you can see the pride cycle. As long as the people are following the commandments and doing the will of the Lord they are protected and delivered from the hands of the Lamanites, but when they prosper, and become prideful and iniquitous they have dissension among themselves and their struggles with the Lamanites come upon them again. They become reliant upon the Lord to save them from themselves. We need to learn from this cycle. When times are going well and we find that we aren't relying on the Lord we need to beware. It is those times we need to open our hearts in humility and thanksgiving to the Lord and see where we are falling short.
I myself am so very grateful for all the scriptures that I have to help me learn the will of the Lord. I am thankful for all that is included and for what I have learned from them as well as what I will learn in the future. I know that it is all there for our benefit and our learning. We have but to open the scriptures up and allow our knowledge to grow as we earnestly study and seek to learn the will of God for ourselves. I pray that we will not take these blessings for granted in our lives, but that we will feast upon the scriptures continually. I know that if we do this our lives will be blessed. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The first idea came to mind immediately and was that we need to learn about Moroni, Helaman and his 2000 warriors, Lehi, Teancum and many other powerful Nephites. There are so many wonderful men to learn from but because of verse 17 in Alma 48 I have chosen to focus on Captain Moroni. This verse states, “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” Because of this verse I studied the qualities of Moroni as I have read through these chapters of the scriptures. I’ll give you an overview of my discoveries.
Moroni was the chief captain among the Nephites. He was appointed to this position when he was only 25 years old. He was very wise and well prepared. He prepared his warriors with shields and breastplates and other armor. He was passionate about defending the land, his country, his rights and liberties. He was unafraid of war with the Lamanites, but he offered peace to Zarahemnah and his army three times until they finally accepted. He ordered the Lamanite prisoners to work in order to keep guard over them. He labored exceedingly for the welfare and safety of others and was intolerant of those who did not support freedom. The scriptures describe his as strong, mighty, bold, and courageous.
Captain Moroni was also a man of mental strength. He fought war by strategies and used wisdom in fortifying and strengthening the Nephite lands. He used the Lamanites weaknesses against them and was very clever in his warfare. Consistent and true to his word, he was a man of perfect understanding who joyed in the liberty and freedom of his country. He was a forgiving man who offered peace to the Lamanites many times and worked to help others find happiness. He was of a strong mind and also was not afraid to share his mind when it came to Nephite dissenters as well as those who were stubborn or entitled. He was always concerned with his people’s freedom and even became angry with the government and chastised them for their neglect of his people.
He was also a man of God who followed the Lord. When he wanted to know which way his armies should go to defend themselves he sent word to Alma asking him to inquire of the Lord. When he received Alma’s direction he followed it. The scriptures say he had faith in Christ and was firm in that faith. He used his faith to inspire those around him. He hoisted a visual reminder of God and the things which were important to him when he made the Title of Liberty. He understood the need for the Nephites to be righteous so they could possess the land. He prayed for their liberty having faith God would grant it according to their righteousness. Because of that faith he moved the people to covenant with God to maintain their rights and religion. He also prepared them to be faithful to God and he helped to bring unity to the church. He joyed in his brethren’s faithfulness and mourned their rebellion against God. He was a man who likened the scriptures unto himself and his heart did glory; in preserving his people, keeping the commandments, and resisting iniquity. His heart also swelled with thanksgiving to God. He was a man like unto Ammon, the sons of Mosiah, and Alma and his sons, for all were men of God.
Moroni has always been my hero and upon further study of this man my admiration has grown immensely. While there is much to be said about how I can learn from this man I will say that I have learned the importance of being a strong individual in doing God's work. Despite my young age and inexperience God will strengthen me. We must all be consistent and true to our word. We should find joy in our freedoms and not be afraid to speak our minds when it involves the works of God and righteousness. Finally we must seek the Lord's guidance and follow it as well as the direction of his prophets. We must have faith in Christ and share our faith with those around us. We must pray, study the scriptures, keep the commandments, and give our thanks unto God.
The second reason it is important to study these words is so we can learn how to deal with the spiritual battles Satan is waging against us. There is a real war going on today and it is seen every day by our children in the halls at school. It is seen in the workplace as well as in the newspapers, on TV, the Internet, and in almost every facet of our lives. The fight for your soul and mine is very real and Satan is working overtime to gain our lives, our bodies, and even our very souls.
One summer of my college years I was fortunate to go home to my parents house in Oregon. We always had the missionaries in our home so we could feed them and feel of their spirits. Every time the missionaries came to dinner they would share a thought with our family. Many thoughts were very nice and brought us joy, but one though has stayed with me through the years.
That thought comes from Alma chapter 50 versus 1 through 6. There it states,
"1 And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.
3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.
4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.
5 And they were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and their strength, and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city.
6 Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land.
The missionary took a piece of paper and shared with us a picture of what these strong holds might look like. He then proceeded to label each part of that picture with modern-day comparison's. He made a square and called it the city and likened it to our souls or our testimonies. Then using strips of paper surrounding the outside of the square he called those heaps of earth and asked us to think about those as the first four principle and ordinances of the gospel. Faith, Repentance, Baptism by Immersion, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Around the outside of those strips he had strips as timbers and related those to the four standard works. The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Next in the scriptures it talks of pickets and he made those strips of paper and related those to the four main auxiliaries in the church; Priesthood, Relief Society, Young Women's, and Primary. Finally he placed the towers upon the outer part of the city and called the four watchmen for our day, Prophets, Bishops, Parents, and Temples. The missionary pointed out that if we will surround our souls, with all of these things that the devils arrows and fiery darts will not be able to reach us because we will be so well protected from Satan's ploys. There is a lot to do and it may not be easy, but the rewards will be well worth it.
The third and final reason I came up with to read these passages is so we can learn of our need to rely on the Lord and be united with our brethren in the Lord. Over and over again in this part of the Book of Mormon you can see the pride cycle. As long as the people are following the commandments and doing the will of the Lord they are protected and delivered from the hands of the Lamanites, but when they prosper, and become prideful and iniquitous they have dissension among themselves and their struggles with the Lamanites come upon them again. They become reliant upon the Lord to save them from themselves. We need to learn from this cycle. When times are going well and we find that we aren't relying on the Lord we need to beware. It is those times we need to open our hearts in humility and thanksgiving to the Lord and see where we are falling short.
I myself am so very grateful for all the scriptures that I have to help me learn the will of the Lord. I am thankful for all that is included and for what I have learned from them as well as what I will learn in the future. I know that it is all there for our benefit and our learning. We have but to open the scriptures up and allow our knowledge to grow as we earnestly study and seek to learn the will of God for ourselves. I pray that we will not take these blessings for granted in our lives, but that we will feast upon the scriptures continually. I know that if we do this our lives will be blessed. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
1 comment:
I am so grateful for your insite to this part of the Book of Mormon. I have always been grateful to be reminded to beware of pride because of this part of the BOM. I feel as though your new calling is perfect for you because you know and understand all these things and the primary children need people like you to help them to build those "strongholds" around their own hearts, lives and souls so that they are prepared to meet this cruel world that awaits them and so that they are prepared to be Worriers like Moroni (because the Lord knows we need them!). I need a copy of that missionary message. That would make a great FHE for my girls and family! Love you!
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