And This Was Their Faith

One of the great things about the scriptures is that they apply to each and every one of us, as explained by the prophet Nephi:

And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning. (2 Nephi 19:23)

Nephi taught his brothers, sisters, and children by the scriptures, touching on what they had with them in the wilderness. He taught them the writings of Isaiah, words which might be found confusing, but when one is in touch with the Spirit, shine through in beautiful plainness. I believe that we can follow Nephi's example, taking all scripture, and applying it to our own lives.

It is in this vein that I approach the end of the Book of Alma, which on the surface may seem to be merely stories of two warring nations. To the lay historian, the battles between the Nephites and the Lamanites don't hold much redeeming value beyond learning what happened; however, the Gospel scholar sees types and corollaries; he sees central themes, like the war between good and evil, between the children of Christ and the children of the adversary. He sees the subtle ways that the devil lures the complacent, and the importance of remaining vigilant at all times. He also sees examples of how this is to be done, namely in the stories of the righteous Nephites and their leaders like Ammon, Alma, Moroni, and Helaman.

With that said I would like to look at Alma 48, which describes the example set by Moroni and the people of Nephi. I have separated verses by the qualities described therein. Here is my conceptualization:


THE IMPORTANCE OF PREPARATION

Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God.

Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places ofof earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls ofof their lands; yea, all round about the land. resort; throwing up banks stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders

And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites. (V: 7-9)


THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY

And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.

And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
...Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives. (V:10-11, 14)


GRATITUDE AND FAITH

Yea, [Moroni was] a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.

Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. (V: 12-13)


PROMISED BLESSINGS

And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger; And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; (V: 15-16)


LIKE UNTO MORONI

...and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.

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. (V: 16-17)

It is my prayer that we might all see the War Chapters for what they really are--a call to spiritual arms, a blueprint for how to defend against the whiles of the adversary, that we might maintain our liberty to choose the right. Let the faith of Moroni and his people be our faith, knowing that as we put God first we will be blessed with prosperity. Let us not be like Amalickiah and his fellow ex-Nephites who let the word go upon stony ground, but let us be unwavering in our conviction of the Savior, that as we emulate Him we will be strengthened and taken care of to the point of ultimate happiness in this life and the life to come.

Have a great week!