Let me repeat the first part, “And now, their preservation was astonishing…And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God.”
While some in the congregation may recognize the story to which this scripture refers, I want to extract its meaning to be applied more broadly. I will later make reference to the popular scripture story, but first I want to focus on the simple yet profound concept being talked about. That principle is: when we exercise faith, miracles follow. When we exercise faith, miracles follow.
Perhaps one of the most simple ways to exercise faith is to keep simple commandments. Heavenly Father does not necessarily meet grand, sweeping gestures of faith with equally grand blessings. A humble prayer, a sacrament covenant, a refrain from fowl language. These simple acts of faith exercised day after day are met with the greatest, grandest, most sweeping blessing available to us; eternal life. As in Alma 57, we are preserved, according to the miraculous power of God because of our faith.
Now let’s refer back to the scripture I opened with. “Their preservation” refers to the preservation of the 2,000 stripling warriors, also known as the Army of Helaman. Have you ever heard of 2,000 soldiers doing battle and suffering not a single casualty? Can you imagine the bows and arrows, the swords and armor, and all the mortal combat and not a single death? There could not be any other explanation for such a miracle other than divine intervention, as was the case with the stripling warriors. Indeed, such preservation is the work of God and his work alone.
This, brothers and sisters, is a grand and sweeping blessing. It is tangible and awe-striking. Frankly, it is cool. However, the grandeur and magnitude of such a miracle is not the point of the story. Rather, the point of the story is to learn a simple principle, faith yields miracles. In this story, 2,000 young men, who’d never fought before, took up their swords in defense of their country. They defended loved ones who could not fight for themselves. They went up against blood-thirsty enemies in the name of the Lord and with all they knew to be true about the gospel, and, indeed, they were spared, all 2,000 soldiers.
Brothers and sisters, in these latter-days, we have a great call to do battle before us. We were preserved as valiant, brave, and faithful saints who were to come down to earth at this time and slay unrighteousness for the last time. We have been through basic training, i.e. primary, missionary discussions, and baptism. We have been outfitted in armor talked about by Paul: “the breastplate of righteousness, “the shield of faith,” “the helmet of salvation,” “and “the sword of the Spirit.” Most importantly, we are being led by the most valiant, the most courageous, and the most intelligent commander in chief that has ever been, Jesus Christ.
As in the second verse of “We’ll Bring the World His Truth,” from The Children’s Songbook:
We have been saved for these latter days
To build the kingdom in righteous ways.
We hear the words our prophet declares,
“Let each who’s worthy go forth and share.”
It is my sincere testimony that miracles follow faith. I know this to be true. I have fought for the gospel since my conversion, not with stones and swords, as the righteous Army of Helaman did, but rather with meekness and perseverance. My example and my testimony are all I can control, all I can contribute to the building up of the kingdom of our Lord.
Just like each of Helaman’s soldiers, they could not individually swing the swords of their bretheren. They could not individually charge the enemy on their bretheren’s behalf. However, they could each forge onward, united in the common cause to fight valiantly and overcome the adversary. Likewise, each one of us has the privilege of wearing the name of Christ on our hearts and, together, we can prevail over the powers of darkness once and for all.
I pray that we will forge on with faith. We are not alone, brothers and sisters. We are most definitely not alone. We have participated in powerful covenants and mighty temple ordinances. We have partaken of countless sacraments and heard innumerable compelling words from the Lord to each of us through His prophet.
Let this aid reinforce your faith and your testimonies every day. And keep the promise found in Doctrine and Covenants 14:7 at the forefront of your minds, “And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.” I leave these words with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
The story of Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon illustrates how we should respond to forces of power that hope to diminish our freedom of choice. At the time Captain Moroni tore his coat, wrote upon it the Title of Liberty, and gathered those who believed what it said, there were opposing forces. These opposing forces desired to take control of the government and the people’s freedom. Captain Moroni knew how easily, if he did not take a firm stance, the people would slowly and weakly lose to those who wanted to take control. This weak defense would have cost them their freedoms and lives.
So it is in our own lives. Do we make a solid commitment to follow the gospel, or do we slowly and weakly live the gospel, thus allowing other people and things to take away our freedom and happiness?
The story of Captain Moroni is not only a strong example of protecting our basic freedoms but a vivid display of spiritual commitment. When applied to us, do we support and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, as if they were our own Title of Liberty? Do we make a firm stance to follow those principles which ultimately free us from the bonds of sin? Do we treat sin as serious as it should be?
There were many during the time of Captain Moroni who thought he was too serious. Even some members today think that Captain Moroni was too zealous and strict. Sometimes it seems that if the gospel is too strict or too hard, it is nearly impossible to stand behind it as firmly as those who supported Captain Moroni’s Title of Liberty. I would bring to our attention that if we don’t stand as firmly as Captain Moroni in the gospel, we will fall for just about anything. We live in a world that is constantly turning and changing to the popular and entertaining. A world which focuses on pleasure and instant gratification. A world that makes people feel foolish for standing up for what is good and holy.
We are heavily influenced through media and friends that tell us that the best route is no route and that freedom comes from indulging in our senses every day possible. In this type of society, who wants to hear, “You shouldn’t,” or, “It’s a commandment.”? If we react the way the world would, we should seriously revisit our Heavenly Father’s love for us. It isn’t out of pure love that our friends tell us to indulge in this or that. It is, however, out of pure love from our loving Father in Heaven that we should learn to control ourselves and establish a healthy lifestyle that will bring happiness to us and to our friends and family.
All of us, at times, struggle with standing out. For myself, I need to speak more comfortably about the principles of the gospel.
In the story of Captain Moroni, those who did nothing to protect their freedom were the cause of sore reactions. Because of their unwillingness to help the cause of freedom, many of them lost their lives or were imprisoned.
In this life, we have the ability to be proactive and move the Kingdom of God forward and to teach his principles and love his children. We should not choose to not share the gospel thereby neglecting His children. Some even choose to try to destroy the church completely.
There are many examples which would help us understand how similar today’s members and nonmembers are to those in the story of Captain Moroni.
To leave on a more enlightening and hopeful tone, I will say this. Despite our faults and mistakes in the past, we can gather around Christ’s teachings for the first time again after a period of wrong choices. God sent His Son to pave the way for us. Our Heavenly Father wants us to succeed and defeat the powers of darkness that surround us. His Son, Jesus Christ’s life is the only perfect Title of Liberty, which if we follow the best we can every day, we will be saved from our enemies and ourselves.
It is my humble prayer that we remain firm every day as if others’ lives depend on it, because they do. It is also my sincere request that all of us realize our responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Of all sections of the Book of Mormon that are difficult for members to understand, I hear the most frustration about the wars between the Nephites and Lamanites in Alma chapters 45-62. There is so much war and bloodshed that people get overwhelmed and fail to see the application. But Nephi’s statement about likening the scriptures unto us applies to all scriptures. Said Nephi, “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for out profit and learning.” As we read the scriptures or listen to the words of the prophets, which is what the scriptures are, if there is something we don’t understand, instead of asking, “Why am I reading this?” we should ask, “What am I not seeing?” The scriptures are before us, and of all the things the prophets could have included in the Book of Mormon, they chose to include war. The people of Ammon were probably doing very righteous things. There were other things going on at the time among the Nephites, but we read about war. Why?
As I think about the wars between the Nephites and Lamanites, I think of the hymn “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel” where it says, “The fight with sin is real.” In our own lives we are at war with sin, and the principles and practices that are taught in Alma apply very closely to us in our own battles that we have with sin. We must remember that a lot of scriptures are like the parables of Jesus, in that there is a surface meaning and a deeper metaphorical meaning. Such is the case with the wars in Alma.
In Alma chapter 49, the Lamanites are coming against the Nephites in an invasion. But they don’t choose the cities that they will attack at random. Just as Satan does, they choose those cities that were easy to take in the past. In verse three we read, “Because the Lamanties had destroyed it once because of the iniquity of the people, they supposed that it would again become an easy prey for them.” So what did the Nephites do? In verse four, “But behold, how great was their disappointment; for behold, the Nephites had dug up a ridge of earth round about them, which was so high that the Lamanites could not cast their stones and arrows at them.” The Nephites had built up and defended the city of Ammonihah and later the city of Noah. We should do likewise. We know our own weaknesses. We know where Satan will attack. If we really want to turn Satan away, we need to build up our fortifications and defend them in order to turn away the adversary.
So the Nephites have their victory in the lands of Ammonihah and Noah. What then do they do? In chapter 50 verse 1, we read, “Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend it his people against the Lamanites.” Rest assured that if we have a victory over Satan, he will not rest. He will keep coming with his legions, who outnumber us, just as the Lamanites greatly outnumbered the Nephites. “Now, the Lamanites were numerous, yea by more than double the number of the Nephites.” How do we win against such great odds? Moroni attributes his victories to “that all-powerful God, who has strengthened our arms.”
Reading farther, in chapter 51 we have the account of when Teancum goes to the tent of Amalackiah, king of the Lamanites, and slays him in his tent. But that does not end it. Amalackiah’s brother, Ammoron, takes place. So it is with us and our war with sin. If we conquer one sin, another sin will come forth to take its place. Sometimes we may feel as Hercules did when he fought the Lernean Hydra, who when he destroyed one of the Hydra’s heads, two more would rise in its place. Thus, the importance of putting our faith in the Lord and the atonement. We should be as the stripling warriors, “Their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.”
Brothers and Sister, may we read the scriptures with the attitude of learning, and as we learn may our faith in our Heavenly Father and His Son grow. This is my testimony that I leave with you, that the Book of Mormon was written for our day, by prophets who saw what our world was like, and wrote accordingly, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
1 comment:
thanks for this....
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