The War Chapters:
Why, in The Book of Mormon,
where we know space was at
such a premium, did Mormon
include so much information
about war?
Scripture block 1: (Alma 43-44)—
war against Zerahemna & the
Lamanites
-Alma 43:4-10
-Alma 43:16-17
-Alma 43:19-21
-Alma 43:23-24
-Alma 43:43-47
-Alma 43:48-50
-Alma 43:51
-Alma 44:3-5
Under what circumstances does
the Lord approve of people going to
war?
President Charles W. Penrose, who was a member of the First Presidency,
said: “It is not right for us to engage in the shedding of human blood, for
vengeance or retaliation. But when the Lord commands or inspires his
servants to counsel the sons and daughters of Israel to lend their aid in the
work of righteous warfare, that is different. … We are to arise in our might
and in our strength and go forth to victory; not with a desire to shed blood,
not with the desire to destroy our fellow creatures, but in self defense and
because we do want to maintain and hand down to our posterity those
sacred principles of liberty that have been revealed from on high” (in
Conference Report, Oct. 1917, 21).
Elder David O. McKay said: “There are … two conditions which may justify
a truly Christian man to enter—mind you, I say enter, not begin—a war: (1)
An attempt to dominate and to deprive another of his free agency, and, (2)
Loyalty to his country. Possibly there is a third, [namely], Defense of a weak
nation that is being unjustly crushed by a strong, ruthless one” (in
Conference Report, Apr. 1942, 72).
Allegiance to Sovereign
At the time of World War II, the First Presidency issued the following statement, clarifying the
Church’s position on war:
“Members must give allegiance to their sovereign and render it loyal service when called
thereto. [This includes military service.] But the Church, itself, as such, has no responsibility for
these policies, as to which it has no means of doing more than urging its members fully to
render that loyalty to their country and to free institutions which the loftiest patriotism calls for.
“. . . There is an obligation running from every citizen or subject to the state. This obligation is
voiced in that Article of Faith which declares: “‘We believe in being subject to kings, presidents,
rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.’ . . .
“Obedient to these principles, the members of the Church have always felt under obligation to
come to the defense of their country when a call to arms was made. . . .
“Thus the Church is and must be against war. . . . It cannot regard war as a righteous means of
settling international disputes; these should and could be settled—the nations agreeing—by
peaceful negotiation and adjustment.
“But the Church membership are citizens or subjects of sovereignties over which the Church
has no control. . . .
“. . . When, therefore, constitutional law, obedient to these principles, calls the manhood of the
Church into the armed service of any country to which they owe allegiance, their highest civic
duty requires that they meet that call. If, harkening to that call, and obeying those in command
over them, they shall take the lives of those who fight against them, that will not make of them
murderers” (Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark Jr., and David O. McKay, in Conference Report,
Apr. 1942, 92–94; also cited in Boyd K. Packer, Conference Report, Apr. 1968, 34–35).
“An Obligation to Fight”
“‘And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they
owed to their God’ (Alma 43:45–46).
“The Lord counseled them, ‘Defend your families even unto
bloodshed’ (Alma 43:47). . . .
“It is clear from these and other writings that there are times and
circumstances when nations are justified, in fact have an obligation,
to fight for family, for liberty, and against tyranny, threat, and
oppression. …
“. . . We are a freedom-loving people, committed to the defense of
liberty wherever it is in jeopardy. I believe that God will not hold men
and women in uniform responsible as agents of their government in
carrying forward that which they are legally obligated to do. It may
even be that He will hold us responsible if we try to impede or
hedge up the way of those who are involved in a contest with forces
of evil and repression” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report,
Apr. 2003, 83–84; or Ensign, May 2003, 80).
..that he should inquire of the
Lord…(Alma 43:23-24)
“Let us hearken to those we
sustain as prophets and seers,
as well as the other brethren as
if our eternal life depended upon
it, because it does!” (Spencer
W. Kimball, Ensign, 5/78, 77).
Scripture block 2: (Alma 46-47)—
Amalickiah’s Wickedness &
Treachery
-Alma 46:3-4,7-9
-Alma 46:11-16, 19-21,
35
-Alma 47: 3-4, 9-27, 35
Raising a Title of Liberty
“…there are times when we
must stand up for right and
decency, for freedom and
civilization, just as Moroni
rallied his people in his day
to the defense of their wives,
their children and the cause
of liberty” (Gordon B.
Hinckley, Ensign, 11/01, 72).
Leaving High Ground
In the Book of Mormon, we read about Lehonti and his men camped upon a
mount. The traitorous Amalickiah urged Lehonti to “come down” and meet
him in the valley. But when Lehonti left the high ground, he was poisoned
“by degrees” until he died, and his army fell into Amalickiah’s hands (see
Alma 47). By arguments and accusations, some people bait us to leave the
high ground. The high ground is where the light is. It’s where we see the
first light of morning and the last light in the evening. It is the safe ground. It
is true and where knowledge is. Sometimes others want us to come down
off the high ground and join them in a theological scrum in the mud. These
few contentious individuals are set on picking religious fights, online or in
person. We are always better staying on the higher ground of mutual
respect and love (Robert D. Hales, “Christian Courage: The Price of
Discipleship,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 72–75)
Poisoned by degrees
-Lehonti in the Book of Mormon was well positioned on the top of a mountain. He and
those he led were “fixed in their minds with a determined resolution” that they would
not come down from the mount. It only took the deceitful Amalickiah four tries, each
one more bold than the previous, to get Lehonti to “come down off from the mount.”
And then having embraced Amalickiah’s false promises, Lehonti was “poison[ed] by
degrees” until he died. Not just poisoned, but “by degrees.” Could it be that this may be
happening today? Could it be that first we tolerate, then accept, and eventually
embrace the vice that surrounds us? Could it be that we have been deceived by false
role models and persuasive media messages that cause us to forget our divine
identity? Are we too being poisoned by degrees? What could be more deceptive than
to entice the youth of this noble generation to do nothing or to be busy ever-texting but
never coming to a knowledge of the truths contained in a book that was written for you
and your day by prophets of God—the Book of Mormon? What could be more
deceptive than to entice women, young and old, you and me, to be so involved in
ourselves, our looks, our clothes, our body shape and size that we lose sight of our
divine identity and our ability to change the world through our virtuous influence? What
could be more deceptive than to entice men—young and old, holding the holy
priesthood of God—to view seductive pornography and thus focus on flesh instead of
faith, to be consumers of vice rather than guardians of virtue? (Elaine S. Dalton, “A
Return to Virtue,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 78–80)
Scripture block 3: (Alma 48-50)—
Moroni’s Preparations
-Alma 48:7-13, 17
-Alma 49:5-9, 14; 50:2-4
-Alma 50:23