Amalickiah has been actively recruiting those who have
become dissatisfied with the church and bringing them to his side. General Moroni was not pleased with what is
happening, his anger directed towards Amalickiah.
The Book of Mormon has made it clear when was is
justified. General Moroni had laid out
the reason he would fight. “And now, Zerahemnah, I command you, in the name of
that all–powerful God, who has strengthened our arms that we have gained power
over you, by our faith, by our religion, and by our rites of worship, and by
our church, and by the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our
children, by that liberty which binds us to our lands and our country; yea, and
also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our
happiness; and by all that is most dear unto us” (Alma 44:5).
Now Moroni goes further and tears off part of his coat and
produces the famous Title of Liberty – “In memory of our God, our religion, and
freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children” (Alma 46:12). He placed it on the end of a pole.
He put on his battle gear, took the pole, and bowed and he
began to pray, asking God to protect them and, as long there were Christians,
to possess this land.[1]
The Title of Liberty in his hands, Moroni went among the
people, waving his garment, ensuring all would see what he had written. He called out to the people, telling them
whoever is willing to maintain the Title on the land should come out and enter
a covenant to maintain their rights.
Hearing Moroni’s words, many came running, wearing their
battle gear and rending their garments as a covenant they would not forsake
God, no fall into sin and be ashamed of takin the name of Christ. “We covenant with our God, that we shall be
destroyed, even as our brethren in the land northward, if we shall fall into
transgression; yea, he may cast us at the feet of our enemies, even as we have
cast our garments at thy feet to be trodden under foot, if we shall fall into
transgression” (Alma 46:22).
Depictions of military conflict in the Book of Mormon,
while foreign to many modern notions, strikingly suggest a dual heritage from
the ancient Near East and pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The oath of allegiance
taken by Nephite soldiers in Alma 46:21–22 is almost identical in form to
military oaths among ancient Israelite and Hittite warriors.[2]
There are a number of references to those who are ashamed. “Be
not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his
prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to
the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8).
“And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they
did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed” (1 Nephi 8:25).
“O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell
yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of
God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you
the name of Christ? Why do ye not think
that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never
dies—because of the praise of the world” (Mormon 8:38).
[1] “For
thus were all the true believers of Christ, who belonged to the church of God,
called by those who did not belong to the church” (Alma 46:14).
No comments:
Post a Comment