I have been reading
the Book of Mormon since I was a boy but my real efforts to understand this
powerful testimony of Christ began as a 19-yr-old missionary. Poring over it for
the first time in my life, I became interested in the doctrines of Christ found
in the pages of the book. Since those days, my study has helped me to see and
learn many things that have improved my life.
In my early years of
study I sometimes struggled with the purpose of the “war chapters” found in the
book. But with age and experience (and a little effort) I have begun to see the great value in the
things Mormon included in the record pertaining to war. Mormon’s life was spent
in battle (he was a Nephite general
at age 16) and he developed some powerful insights that can help us all
prepare for the events that will surely come in our day. That is a subject I would
like to address in this little missive.
As he compiled the
record of the Nephites, Mormon often highlighted the attitudes and attributes
of the Nephites and Lamanites. One area I have found of special interest is the
attitude he takes toward the Nephite general Moroni. It is obvious to any
reader that Mormon had a great respect for Moroni (so much so that he gave his own son the same name). Many
of the attributes we see in the writing of Mormon about his own military
experiences shadow the things he appreciated about Moroni. While a much longer
paper could be made of these connections, I would like to focus on one truth Mormon
highlights related to the great Captain Moroni’s righteousness.
On several occasions,
Moroni found himself and his armies in precarious situations. For instance, Alma
44 covers a battle between the Nephite forces and a massive Lamanite army, led
by the apostate Nephite Zerahemnah. Chosen for his hatred of the Nephites and
his skill in warfare, Zerahemnah took the Lamanites to battle with the intent
to destroy the whole of the Nephite nation. But a series of setbacks and
missteps plunged the Lamanite army into a situation that was precarious to the
degree of utter destruction.
And
it came to pass that he [Moroni and his army] met
the Lamanites in the borders of Jershon, and his people were armed with swords,
and with cimeters, and all manner of weapons of war. And when the armies of the
Lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni, had prepared his people
with breastplates and with arm-shields, yea, and also shields to defend their
heads, and also were dressed with thick clothing—now the army of Zerahemnah was
not prepared with any such thing; they had only their swords and their cimeters,
their bows and their arrows…and they were naked, save it were a skin which was
girded about their loins;… (Alma 43:18-20)
Seeing the
preparations of the army of Moroni, the Lamanites were afraid to engage in
battle and chose to move their attack to a different part of the land – hopeful
to find a less prepared enemy.
Not one to simply hope
for the best, Captain Moroni acted quickly. First, he sent spies to scope out
the plans of the army of Zerahemnah. Then, he called on Alma, the prophet of
the Church, to ask for guidance from the God of their fathers. Alma sought help
from God and was given directions to help Moroni prepare for the work of their
enemies. Thus, when the Lamanites arrived at their designed battleground they
found the army of the Nephites waiting to confront them. What they didn’t find was the second portion of Moroni’s
army that was secreted in the valleys, waiting for them to pass by. Now the
whole of the Lamanite army was surrounded by the well equipped and protected
Nephite militia. The ensuing battle was a bloodbath with the Lamanites
contributing most of the liquid.
As the battle raged,
the leaders of the Lamanite army used every trick to inspire their men to face
the well-trained and favorably suited soldiers of the armies of Moroni. And though
there was some success, as the battle progressed the Lamanites found themselves
being slaughtered with comparative ease. Then, at a critical point in the
struggle, Moroni detected the fear and terror of his enemies. Unlike most other
military leaders in a similar situation,…
…Moroni,
when he saw their terror, commanded his men that they should stop shedding their
blood. (Alma 43:54)
REALLY!! What
military man would pass on the chance to decimate the enemies’ greatest asset?
Yet, that is
precisely what Moroni did. And to complicate things even more, Moroni went a
step further. To Zerahemnah, the leader of the Lamanites he said:
…We
will not seek your blood, but we will spare your lives, if ye will go your way
and come not again to war against us. (Alma 44:6)
In other words,
Moroni offers to free Zerahemnah and his army on a PROMISE. No other strings
attached.
Understandably, the Lamanites
had some difficulty accepting/believing what was happening but in the end, they
agreed to surrender and live (though
Zerahemnah lost a little in the process). The ensuing events can be read in Alma 44:8-24, but this amazing experience
only highlights the strength and faith of a man of war who relied on the
teachings of God. He had no desire to kill or destroy – he was willing to let
people live if they would just stop their destructive behavior. All he sought
was peace for his people, so they could worship God and Christ as they desired.
Moroni was a great man
of war, but he was a greater man of God. He worked to protect his people from
destruction by their enemies but always looked to God for the way he should do
his business. Is it any wonder that Mormon, a man who spent most of his life
practicing warfare to protect his people, would find hope in the exploits of
Moroni?
Those who read and
study the word of God (whether in
the Book of Mormon or other scriptures) can find instances where real
men do the things of God, despite the ideas of the world. Moroni is one of
those men and is an inspirational example for all who read his exploits. I
understand, completely, why Mormon (nearly 500 years removed from the time of Moroni) would find
strength in the faithfulness of Captain Moroni, the great Nephite leader.
If you would like to
see a short video portraying this exciting experience, check out this link.
For more experiences with Moroni, check out Alma 43-63 in The Book of Mormon.
