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Alma 43-51

Alma 43-51. The War Chapters …. Captain Moroni was steeped in covenant theology The word “covenant” or its derivatives appear 26 times in the Book of Alma chapters dealing with Moroni (Alma 43-62), while they appear only three other times in the rest of the book.

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Alma 43-51

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  1. Alma 43-51 The War Chapters…

  2. Captain Moroni was steeped in covenant theology The word “covenant” or its derivatives appear 26 times in the Book of Alma chapters dealing with Moroni (Alma 43-62), while they appear only three other times in the rest of the book. “Covenant” appears seven times in Alma 46 and five times in Alma 44, a frequency surpassed only by the Lord’s discourse in 3 Nephi 20, where the term or a derivative appears ten times. Additionally, the term “oath” appears twelve times in the Captain Moroni chapters, while it doesn’t appear at all elsewhere in the Book of Alma. The closest match is in the book of Mosiah, where it appears nine times. Clearly, realizing Moroni’s fundamental grounding in an adherence to covenants is necessary to understand him. Indeed, his words and his actions can only be understood in the light of ancient covenant theology.

  3. Hugh Nibley observed: “No matter how wicked and ferocious and depraved the Lamanites might be (and they were that!), no matter how much they outnumbered the Nephites…they were not the Nephites problem. They were merely kept there to remind the Nephites of their real problem which was to walk uprightly before the Lord” (Nibley, 376).

  4. The irony of the wars in the Book of Alma is that the Nephites were righteous enough to win the wars, but not righteous enough to prevent them from taking place. Furthermore, no fewer than four different internal rebellions occurred among the Nephites during the time when all their forces should have been marshaled to fight against the Lamanites. It is almost as if Mormon were using the length of the account to help us feel the tedium of war. He certainly did not glorify war. He showed that men, women and children suffered and died.

  5. Alma 43:1 Don’t overlook the power of repentance with Corianton. There is plenty of hope for you and me because of the Atonement. Alma 43:9-15 Mormon clearly wanted us to know the different reasons and justifications for going to war!

  6. Elder Bruce R. McConkie said: “Self-defense is as justifiable where war is concerned as where one man seeks to take the life of another… Righteous men are entitled, expected, and obligated to defend themselves; they must engage in battle when there is no other way to preserve their rights and freedoms and to protect their families, homes, land, and the truths of salvation which they have espoused” (M.D., 826).

  7. Alma 43:17, 26, 30 Moroni was a military genius! Alma 43:45-47 President David O. McKay said there were three justifiable reasons for going to war: • Preservation of free agency • Loyalty to country • Defense from a wicked nation

  8. “Is there ever a time when war, or the taking up of arms is justified? Yes… When it becomes necessary for a righteous people to take arms against their enemies who are the aggressors, in protection of their lives and in defense of their possessions, the Lord has approved” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 3:50). Alma 43:54 Moroni never delighted in the shedding of blood! He never acquired a lust for blood.

  9. If we are called to war, what should be our attitude? “We have to be careful as to what spirit we are guided by. If we want to go out to battle, to encroach upon other people’s liberties and rights, to gain their lands, to destroy their property without any right or reason, that is one thing; but if somebody comes against us to destroy us and our property and our homes and our rights and our privileges, either on land or sea, then we have the right under the divine law to rise for our own protection and take such steps as are necessary… We Latter-day Saints must watch ourselves and not give way to passion and desire to shed blood and to destroy…” (Charles W. Penrose, in C.R., April 1972, 21).

  10. Alma 44 Moroni commands the Lamanites to make a covenant of peace or be destroyed. v. 4 “Oaths” v. 10 “We will end the conflict” Alma 45 “Disciple” is used 10 times in the Book of Mormon with nine as a reference to “Apostle”.

  11. Alma 45:15-19 What ultimately happened to Alma and Moses? It is a very reasonable thought to believe that both Moses and Alma, like Elijah and John, were translated to accomplish some work which the Lord had in store for them (Joseph Fielding Smith, A.T.G.Q., vol. 5:38). “Moses, Elijah, and Alma the Younger, were translated” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 805).

  12. Alma 46:12-15, 36 “The Title of Liberty” Rallying others for a righteous cause takes courage. President Ezra Taft Benson often taught concerning the importance of Captain Moroni’s actions in raising the title of liberty. He frequently emphasized the need to be an active citizen and promote liberty and freedom: “Improve your community by active participation and service. Remember in your civic responsibility that ‘the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’ (Edmund Burke)….Do something meaningful in defense of your God-given freedom and liberty” (C.R., Apr. 1988, 58).

  13. Terrence Szik has found comparable rites in the ancient world. He suggested that the oath of the Nephite army was similar to a number of Near Eastern oaths that have two characteristics. First, they were self-execrative in nature: the party making the covenant or treaty took upon himself a conditional curse, swearing that, if he failed to fulfill his part of the agreement, he was willing to endure a specified punishment. Second, they were accompanied by various rites that in some way symbolized the punishments to be inflicted (Freemen, 335-36).

  14. How are renting and covenant making related? The Hebrew word qara (pronounced Kara) is to rend or tear clothing. The word karat (pronounced carrot) is to cut as in “cutting” a covenant rather than “making” a covenant (Brown, Driver, and Briggs, Hebrew Lexicon, 503). These words are similar both in pronunciation and meaning. Genesis 15 is a good example of how cutting and covenanting are connected.

  15. Interesting that a “broken heart” is the sacrifice the Lord requires of us today (D&C 59:8). The rent garment was the outward expression of the inner broken heart. All of this brings added meaning and understanding to Moroni’s rent coat. Some related scriptures would include: • Circumcision was the sign of the covenant (Genesis 17:10-12) • Sacrament is broken, or torn (Luke 22:19) • “Cleave unto (God)” (Deut. 13:1-4)

  16. 4. Cleave unto thy wife (Gen. 2:24, D&C 42:22) 5. Broken heart and contrite spirit (3 Nephi 9:20) 6. Veil of the temple is rent (Matt. 27:51) 7. At the covenants of baptism the water is divided (1 Corinthians 10:1-2) 8. Moses parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-22) 9. Joshua, Elijah, Elisha parted the River Jordan (Joshua 3:14-17; 2 Kings 2:8-14) 10. The Savior and the cleaved Mount of Olives (D&C 45:48) 11. The cursing and blessings of Joshua (Joshua 8:33; Deut. 28) 12. You can be cut into the covenant and cut out of the covenant (Alma 50:20)

  17. Alma 46:23-27 The Prophecy of Joseph’s Coat “We are told that there was a prophecy in the destruction of the coat of many colors worn by Joseph. Part of it was preserved, and Jacob, before his death, prophesied that as a remnant of the coat was preserved so should a remnant of Joseph’s posterity by preserved. “That remnant now found among the Lamanites shall eventually partake of the blessings of the Gospel. They shall unite with the remnant which is being gathered from among the nations and they shall be blessed of the Lord forever” (The Way to Perfection [1970], 121).

  18. “..(The) garment…never decayed or in any way deteriorated…And it was the very one that had belonged to Abraham, having already had a long history” (Daniel H. Ludlow, Companion, 234). Alma 47:36Dissension and Contention Elder Neal A. Maxwell warned that the same problems exist today when dissenters become critical of the Church due to their own pride: “There are the dissenters who leave the Church, either formally or informally, but who cannot leave it alone. Usually anxious to please worldly galleries, they are critical or at least condescending towards the Brethren. They not only seek to steady the ark but also on occasion give it a hard shove! Often having been taught the same true doctrines as the faithful, they have nevertheless moved in the direction of dissent. They have minds hardened by pride (Men and Women of Christ [1991], 4).

  19. Alma 46:40 Medical knowledge! Alma 48:11-23A tribute to Moroni! In Mormon’s view, captain Moroni exemplified the model Nephite disciple of Christ! How did he do it? (v. 11)

  20. “Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it” (Abraham Lincoln, quoted by Pres. Monson, April Conf.,1986). How did Moroni shake “the very powers of hell”?

  21. “His magnanimous nature as a lover of peace and fair play always prevailed…You cannot ask for a less warlike spirit than that of an army who ‘were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren…’ who were ‘sorry to take up arms…because they did not delight in the shedding of blood’ (Alma 48:21-23). In battle, Moroni…refused to take advantage of an enemy…(Alma 55:19)…With never a thought of punishing a beaten foe… he was satisfied to take his defeated adversaries at their word and trust them to return to their homes” (Hugh Nibley, Prophetic Book of Mormon, 353).

  22. Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace” (Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings, 361).

  23. Alma 48:19 “No Less Serviceable” President Howard W. Hunter taught that all righteous service is equally acceptable to God even though not everyone will serve in prominent callings: “Even though Helaman was not as noticeable or conspicuous as Moroni, he was as serviceable; that is, he was as helpful or useful as Moroni… “Not all of us are going to be like Moroni, catching the acclaim of our colleagues all day every day. Most of us will be quiet, relatively unknown folks who come and go and do our work without fanfare. To those of you who may find that lonely or frightening or just unspectacular, I say, you are ‘no less serviceable’ than the most spectacular of your associates. You, too, are part of God’s army. “The limelight of history and contemporary attention so often focuses on the one rather than on the many” (“No Less Serviceable,” Ensign, Apr. 1992, 64).

  24. Alma 49:22 More language evidences point to authenticity of the Book of Mormon. “One interesting observation was that the Hebrew idiom for ‘shooting’ an arrow literally also means ‘throwing’; thus Alma 49:22 refers to arrows ‘thrown’ at the Lamanites” (John W. Welch, ed., Re-exploring the Book of Mormon, 199).

  25. Alma 49:27-28 What a contrast! Alma 51 “The King Men” Alma 51:13-19 What obligation do we have to defend our country?

  26. “Certainly a true American cannot have too much patriotism. Surely Americans who have respect for our traditions, who support our freedoms and are willing to fight to preserve them have been called patriots. “…I love America’s traditions and its freedom and I believe they are well worth fighting for” (Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings, 591).

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