Flashback: 2010, my first area and first companion on my mission. Elder Call’s favorite scripture (his family scripture) was Alma 44:4
“Now ye see that this is the true faith of God; yea, ye see that God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are faithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion; and never will the Lord suffer that we shall be destroyed except we should fall into transgression and deny our faith.”
It’s a wonderfully inspirational scripture and I’m reminded of it and my time with Elder Call whenever I see a “444” on a license plate, a patient’s chart, or anything else. Despite how solemn this scripture describes faith and testimony, I also have ingrained into my mind the Moroni voice that my trainer would use when reciting this scripture.
Silly missionary anecdotes aside, I’m grateful to have studied the military career of Captain Moroni this month in our Come Follow Me lessons. He wasn’t a prophet, like Alma or Helaman, but he’s a wonderful example of stalwart faith in action. So as we finish up Moroni’s story and the Book of Alma, I want to highlight a couple lessons learned from the Nephite captain.
A Man of Conviction
“And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.” (Alma 46:12)
The example of Alma 44:4 could be an example of this as well, but there are so many instances of Moroni demonstrating his faith and conviction as a Nephite leader. The Title of Liberty and boldly sharing his testimony, despite the opinions of the king-men, is inspirational for those of us living in the latter-days. Social media and the internet only make it easier to be intimidated by what seems to be popular opinion–even if it’s not the popular opinion, it’s usually still shouted loudly enough to seem that way. Bearing simple testimony, as Moroni did on his rent coat, can be more impactful than all the loud voices screaming on the internet.
A Man of Faith
“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.” (Alma 48:7)
Not only did Moroni live his faith and convictions, but he taught them to his people. He was a military captain but he was also a teacher in the faith. He knew that despite the physical wars they were engaged in, the more important war was for their souls. In fact, aren’t most of the war chapters frequently taken as allegories for the spiritual warfare we face on a day-to-day basis? Decades ago, President Packer said, “The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.” (General Conference, October 1986) I truly believe that if we internalize the gospel and are “trying to be like Jesus” there would be no wars (or at least fewer) and Captain Moroni’s job would have been obsolete.
A Man of Strength
“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.” (Alma 48:17)
I love Captain Moroni as an example of strength against the power of the devil. On my mission, we talked about being hell-shakers and I’ve thought of that often in the years since. Captain Moroni is one of the few mortal individuals in scripture or otherwise described to have faith so great to impact the adversary’s power. While becoming perfect sometimes seems unachievable (because we can’t be perfect in this life) the example of Captain Moroni gives me hope that the amount of faith to be a hell-shaker is attainable in this life. That’s a “short-term” goal I can shoot for.
A Man of Service
“Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words.” (Alma 48:19)
This scripture talks about Helaman and the spiritual leaders being “no less serviceable” than Moroni, but that statement also works in reverse. Sometimes I’ve felt that I’ll never match the strength and spirituality of powerful spiritual leaders who have impacted me–Elder Holland, my mission president, and more. Stories like this help to remind me that I don’t need to be in the spotlight to make a difference in the spiritual lives of the people around me.
A Man of Passion
“And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart. I, Pahoran, do not seek for power, save only to retain my judgment-seat that I may preserve the rights and the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us free.” (Alma 61:9)
A few years ago I wrote about Moroni’s letter to Pahoran, so I won’t rewrite that lesson here (just the link). Suffice it to say that I admire Captain Moroni’s passion for protecting his people from harm, physically and spiritually. Even when I overstep and make mistakes, they can be used for the benefit of those around me. Moroni never wanted to bully his way into getting what he wanted, but he did speak boldly and fiercely for the right.
Heading into the fall season and the last portion of the Book of Mormon, I look forward to reading the pivotal visit of the Savior in 3 Nephi and the final lessons from Mormon and Moroni. For right now, I’ll bask in the lessons I’ve learned from the Captain himself.
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