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.
“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.
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).
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.
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!
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).
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:
1. Preservation of free agency
2. Loyalty to country
3. Defense from a wicked nation
“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.
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).
Alma 44
Moroni commands the Lamanites to make a
covenant of peace or be destroyed.
v. 4
v. 10
“Oaths”
“We will end the conflict”
Alma 45
“Disciple” is used 10 times in the Book of
Mormon with nine as a reference to “Apostle”.
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).
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).
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).
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.
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:
1. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant (Genesis
17:10-12)
2. Sacrament is broken, or torn (Luke 22:19)
3. “Cleave unto (God)” (Deut. 13:1-4)
4.
5.
6.
7.
Cleave unto thy wife (Gen. 2:24, D&C 42:22)
Broken heart and contrite spirit (3 Nephi 9:20)
Veil of the temple is rent (Matt. 27:51)
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
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).
“..(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 47:36
Dissension 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).
Alma 46:40
Medical knowledge!
Alma 48:11-23
A tribute to Moroni!
In Mormon’s view, captain Moroni exemplified
the model Nephite disciple of Christ!
How did he do it? (v. 11)
“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”?
“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).
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).
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).
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).
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?
“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).